- Overview
- Itinerary
- Trip Includes
- Trip Excludes
- Gallery
Highlights
- Visit the world's third-tallest ancient building (after pyramids) and the tallest Buddhist stupa, both built in the 2nd century AD.
- The proposed 8th-century world wonder, one of the world's oldest landscaped gardens, dates back to the 5th century AD.
- Visit Dambulla, a sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries with 157 Buddha statues and paintings (with a surface area of 2100 m2).
- Serendipity takes care of all of the necessary components of a hassle-free private trip, including accommodation, meals, transportation, guiding, and taxes.
- Trekking through the tea garden / Ceylon tea trail.
- Experience the character of Sri Lanka's cultural triangle on a hop-on, hop-off tour, weaving through the narrow alleyways and exploring ancient temples, palaces, statues, parks, lakes, and forts.
- Take a break from bustling cities at the Kandy Hill Country Resort, where you can catch your breath and spend the night in the faded opulence of your heritage stay.
- This trip is ideal for individuals seeking to maximise their 3-day trip to Sri Lanka, as it minimises lengthy travel days through an itinerary that highlights several iconic locations in central Sri Lanka.
- We provide 24-hour assistance on the ground via phone or WhatsApp (0094-77-440977), as well as email at admin@seerendipitytours.com.
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Itineraries
Day 1
Colombo - Dambulla - Sigiriya
Your personal chauffeur guide will meet and warmly greet you at the Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport or your hotel in Colombo. After a 5-hour drive, you will reach Sigiriya; en route, stop at the Dambulla golden temple. In the afternoon, you will embark on a safari in the Minneriya National Park.
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dating back to the 1st century BC, this facility is the most impressive cave temple in Sri Lanka. It has five caves under an overhanging rock, carved with a drip line to keep the interiors dry. Religious images and various gods and goddesses adorn the cave's ceilings. There are images of the Buddha and the bodhisattvas. The temple features several caves that have undergone conversion into shrine rooms. The Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods transformed these caves into shrines. UNESCO has declared the famous Dambulla Cave Temple a World Heritage Site. The UNESCO site remains one of the best-preserved ancient temples in the world.
Minneriya safari
Get a thrilling look at the elephants of Minneriya National Park during this 3-hour private Jeep safari. Travel to a wilderness refuge known for hosting one of the largest gatherings of Asian elephants on earth (each June through September), observing these giant creatures as they drink, feed, and congregate.
This activity will include a Jeep safari tour with a jungle tracker, where you can see animals in the jungle, including elephants, bears, wild boars, deer, buffalo, monkeys, and many other animals (if you're lucky, leopards too).
Overnight stay in Habara/Sigiriya
Activities planned for today
The Dambulla Golden Temple offers a wildlife tour in Minneriya.
Accommodation
Hotel in Sigiriya/Habaran
Day 2
Sigiriya - Polonnaruwa - Sigiriya
After breakfast, leave for a sightseeing tour of Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa. Visit the Ancient Sigiriya Site, located between the towns of Dambulla and Habarane.
Sigiriya: duration: 2 hours
Morning: Climb the famous Sigiriya rock fortress and visit the rocky abode and water gardens, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Wonders of the World.
Sigiriya is located in the central Matale District, near the town of Dambulla in Sri Lanka's Central Province. Nearly 200 meters (660 feet) high, a massive column of rock dominates the site of historical and archaeological significance that bears the name. The ancient Sri Lankan chronicle, the Culavamsa, records that King Kasyapa (477–495 CE) chose this site as his new capital. He built his palace on top of this rock, decorating its sides with colorful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock, he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. This structure—Sihagiri, the Lion Rock—is the source of the place's name. After the king's death, they abandoned the capital and the royal palace. Up until the 14th century, it served as a Buddhist monastery.
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa is the second-most historical city in Sri Lanka. After Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa became the capital of Sri Lanka. King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 to reunite the country under a local leader, first declared Polonnaruwa as the capital city.
Today, the ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains one of the best-planned archaeological sites in the world, standing testimony to the discipline and greatness of the Kingdom's first rulers. In 1982, the Duran Duran music video Save a Prayer used its beauty as a backdrop to film scenes. UNESCO has declared the ancient city of Polonnaruwa a World Heritage Site.
The city tour includes palaces, dagobas, and temples and provides a wonderful example of Sri Lankan historical craftsmanship. In this 3-hour guided tour of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, you will cover some of the following attractions:
• Royal Palace (Palace of King Parakramabahu, the most prolific and gifted builder of the era)
• Nissankamulla Palace (royal audience hall with impressive stonework)
• Gal Viharaya (which contains some of the country's best rock sculptures)
• The Thuparama and Lankathilaka Image Houses are excellent examples of vaulted shrine rooms.
• Vatadage (provides an approximate representation of what a complete vatadage might have looked like)
• Rankoth Vehera (largest stupa in Polonnaruwa)
• Parakramabahu Statue (Statue of one of the greatest kings of ancient Sri Lanka)
Activities planned for today
Take a tour of Sigiriya Rock Fortress and the historical city of Polonnaruwa.
Accommodation
Hotel in Sigiriya/Habarana
Day 3
Sigiriya - Kandy - Colombo
After breakfast, leave for Kandy via Matale. En route, stop at the spice/herbal garden, royal botanical garden, tea garden and factory.
Later visit Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Sri Dalada Maligawa, also known as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, is a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The former Kingdom of Kandy's royal palace complex houses the Buddha tooth relic. The relic has played an important role in local politics since ancient times because it is believed that whoever holds it holds the country's governance. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a UNESCO world heritage site, partly due to the temple.
Royal Botanical Gardens
In the 16th century, the Kandyan King used the Botanical Garden of Peradeniya as his pleasure garden, and the British regime later transformed it into a Botanical Garden. This garden, one of the best in Asia, is a place of beauty and a site for birdwatchers.
Tea factory
During your journey, visit a tea plantation and a tea factory. Sri Lanka, known for its "Ceylon Tea", has added cheers to many around the world for more than a century.
Activities planned for today
The Spice/Herbal Garden, the Tooth Relic Temple, the Kandyan cultural show, and the Kandy Museum are all worth visiting.
Accommodation
No accommodation
- 2 Nights (3 days) of accommodation in standard hotels
- Daily Breakfast at the Hotel: 2 breakfasts (starting from day 2)
- Daily Dinner at the Hotel: 2 Dinners (starting from day 1)
- Kandy city tour and shopping trip
- Entrance fees for
- The Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Sigiriya paintings, and the Sigiriya museum are all worth visiting.
- Dambulla Golden Cave Temple
- Polonnaruwa historical city and historical museum
- Sacred Tooth Relic Temple
- Kandyan cultural show
- The spice garden comes with a serving of herbal drink.
- Tea factory and tea tasting
- A botanical garden in Peradeniya
- We provide pick-up and drop-off services at the airport or local hotels.
- All passengers are fully insured during the sightseeing tours.
- Meeting arrangements at the airport
- Complete ground transportation with an air-conditioned, modern, fuel-efficient private vehicle
- A driver or guide who speaks English will be available for the entire tour (please enquire about other languages).
- All current taxes
- Lunch and drinks
- Minneriya national park safari (entrance fees and jeep hire)
- Any others expense not mentioned in price includes section
- Gratuities
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