Overview
This trip is all about soaking in the very best of Sri Lanka, blending culture, adventure and some well-earned beach time. We’ve made sure there’s plenty of offer for kids of all ages and a balance between keeping busy and plenty of time to kick back and relax.
From the historic shores of Negombo, you’ll journey deep into Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle, scaling the heights of Sigiriya Rock Fortress and exploring the ancient ruins of Polonnaruwa. A mix of local life, traditional flavors, and breathtaking landscapes awaits as you bike through temples, ride ox carts and enjoy home-cooked meals in the countryside.
As you head to the cooler climes of Kandy and the lush tea hills of Nuwara Eliya, there’s no shortage of scenic beauty and iconic experiences. Top it off with a trek to Horton Plains, a glimpse into Sri Lanka’s colonial past at Galle Fort and a beachside finale in Bentota – this journey truly captures Sri Lanka’s stunning diversity, all at your own pace.
What's Included?
- Airport Transfers & Local Transport
- Expert Local Guides
- 13 Nights in a Hotels & Guesthouses
- 1 Night in Farmstay
- 14 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches & 11 Dinners
- Park Fees & Permits
- Sightseeing, Entrance Fees & City Tours
- International Flights
- Travel Insurance
- Soft Drinks, Alcohol or Drinking Water
- Tips for Guides
- Personal Equipment & Clothing
- Souvenirs
Trip Highlights
- Sigiriya Rock Fortress: Climb this iconic UNESCO-listed fortress with the family and take in the sweeping views from the top.
- Polonnaruwa by Bike: Pedal through history in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, with its temples, statues and royal palaces. The family-friendly treasure hunt keeps everyone interested!
- Udawalawe Safari: A jeep safari through Udawalawe National Park! Spot elephants, water buffalo and maybe even a crocodile or two as you explore this natural haven.
- Turtle Hatchery at Bentota: Learn about the conservation of Sri Lanka’s endangered sea turtles and get up close to these fascinating creatures. It’s a perfect family-friendly activity by the beach.
- Horton Plains Hike: Trek through the breathtaking landscapes of Horton Plains National Park, where the family can enjoy a scenic walk to World’s End.
Daily Itinerary
Welcome to Sri Lanka! After a quick transfer to Negombo, check in at your accommodation and settle in. In the afternoon, enjoy a special welcome to Sri Lanka with a visit from a local henna artist who will create beautiful custom tattoos. The rest of the day is free for you to explore or relax by the pool. Meals Included: None
Today, leave the coastal town of Negombo behind as you make your way to Sigiriya in the heart of Sri Lanka's cultural triangle. After the scenic drive, check into the resort and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Spend the rest of the day relaxing by the pool or wandering through the resort’s lush gardens as you prepare for the adventure ahead. Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Start your day with a leisurely morning, taking advantage of the resort’s facilities or simply soaking up the tropical surroundings. In the late afternoon, the adventure begins with a guided climb of Sigiriya Rock Fortress, one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic landmarks. The climb is challenging but the sweeping views from the top, along with the ancient frescoes and history, make it all worth it. You'll feel the magic of this UNESCO World Heritage Site as the sun begins to set. Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Today is packed with adventure and a deep dive into local culture! Start with a guided walk through the ancient forest of Ritigala, home to mysterious ruins and legends. Afterward, meet a local farmer, learn about the challenges of farming near the jungle, and take a scenic boat ride across a nearby lake. Enjoy a traditional home-cooked lunch and climb up into a treehouse used by farmers to keep watch for elephants. End the day with an ox cart ride through the forest before returning to your hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today is a mix of exploration and fun! Head to Polonnaruwa in the morning for a guided bike tour of this ancient city, famous for its well-preserved ruins, temples, and statues. As you follow the clues of a family-friendly treasure hunt, you’ll uncover hidden gems while learning about the rich history of the area. In the afternoon, you have the option to take a jeep safari in one of the nearby national parks to see elephants, deer, and maybe even a leopard. Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Begin the day with a visit to the Dambulla Cave Temples, home to incredible murals and Buddha statues carved into the rock. Afterward, stop at a traditional spice garden to see how local spices are grown. In the afternoon, arrive at Tamarind Gardens farm where you’ll learn how to cook a delicious Sri Lankan meal with the help of your hosts. Enjoy the fruits of your labor during a family-style dinner, while surrounded by the serene beauty of the countryside. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Early risers can start the day by helping out with the morning farm activities before a guided tour of the local village. Meet the villagers, visit a preschool, and try your hand at making incense sticks and hand-painted bags. Afterward, transfer to Kandy, Sri Lanka’s hill capital, where you’ll have the afternoon to explore its bustling streets and markets or relax at your hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Enjoy a relaxing morning by the pool or exploring Kandy at your own pace. In the afternoon, take a peaceful walk through the Royal Botanical Gardens, one of the world’s most beautiful tropical gardens. As evening falls, experience the magical pooja ceremony at the Temple of the Tooth Relic, where drums, chanting, and incense fill the air in this sacred Buddhist site. Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Today, travel to Nuwara Eliya, known as "Little England" for its colonial charm. Along the way, stop at a tea plantation to see how Ceylon tea is made, from leaf to cup. Once in Nuwara Eliya, explore the town's colonial architecture or enjoy an optional high tea at the Grand Hotel, an iconic relic of the British era. It’s a charming mix of history, culture, and delicious treats! Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Lace up your hiking boots for an early morning trek through Horton Plains National Park. The walk to World's End offers breathtaking views of the surrounding valleys and plains. Keep an eye out for sambar deer and maybe even a leopard! In the afternoon, board the scenic train for a journey through lush tea plantations and cloud forests, arriving in Haputale for the night. Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Enjoy the resort and the breathtaking views of the eastern plains and central highlands. On clear days, it is even possible to see the ocean. The day is free for you to do as you please. Soak up the sun by the pool or check out the surrounding forest trails. Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
The morning begins with a visit to the Elephant Transit Home, where orphaned baby elephants are cared for before being released into the wild. In the afternoon, head into Udawalawe National Park for a jeep safari to see elephants, water buffalo, crocodiles, and more. It’s one of the best places in Sri Lanka to witness elephants in their natural habitat! Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
Today, travel to Bentota, a coastal town known for its beautiful beaches. On the way, stop at Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you can stroll through its narrow, cobblestoned streets and explore the colonial architecture. Once in Bentota, the rest of the day is yours to relax at the beach or explore the area. Meals Included: Breakfast
Start the day with a visit to a nearby turtle hatchery, where you’ll learn about the conservation efforts to protect Sri Lanka’s endangered sea turtles. In the afternoon, relax by the beach or enjoy the resort’s facilities. It’s the perfect way to wind down after your adventure-packed days. Meals Included: Breakfast
Sadly, your Sri Lankan adventure comes to an end today. After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your onward flight. We hope you’ve had an unforgettable experience and look forward to welcoming you back on another adventure soon! Meals Included: Breakfast
Where We'll Stay
We’ve taken on the tough task of staying at some of the best hotels and guesthouses around the world to hand-pick those that we think you’ll love. For this trip, we‘ve carefully selected a range of accommodation options, offering a mix of locally-owned guesthouses and scenic hotels that we’re sure you’ll love.
While we can’t promise the exact accommodations each night, we can guarantee that every place will be clean, comfortable and ready to welcome you after your day of adventure.
Accommodation on this trip will be family-friendly for children ranging in age (and the adults too) with the facilities to keep people entertained, conjoining or large family rooms and safe locations. There’s also a couple of unique experiences with a farm stay and a game camp.
Like the sound of this trip, have a question or want to check something before you book? Maybe even have a great idea to customise this itinerary? Get in touch and start your adventure!
Interactive Route Map
Check out the interactive map of this trip below. You can simply zoom in and have a look at the route.
Or, if you’re wanting to get a feel for the route or to dive into the daily details then click on any of the steps and you’ll be redirected to our Polarsteps page.
What is Polarsteps?
We’ve loaded all of our itineraries onto Polarsteps. It’s an app that can help you plan, track and relive your travels. We’ve used it to display our trips in all their glory but anyone can easily create on-the-go mementos of their adventures.
Carbon Emissions
This trip emits approximately 449 kg of carbon per person. This includes emissions from transport, accommodation, food, activities, and the operations behind the scenes to run the trip.
What does this mean?
This is roughly the same as driving a typical petrol car about 1,436 miles.
It’s equivalent to the carbon emissions from heating an average UK home with a gas boiler for about 19 days during winter.
Our Approach
We recognise the significant carbon emissions from international travel, but we believe that the positive impact on the countries and communities we visit outweighs these challenges. We provide this estimate to help you make informed decisions about your carbon footprint and consider any offsets you may wish to support.
More Information
What's the fitness level required for this trip?
We grade all of our trips to try and make it easy to understand the fitness levels required. These are broad guidelines however so you’re welcome to chat to us about any specific concerns you might have.
You’ll find more information about these levels here and you can find the difficulty rating for this specific trip at the top of the page.
Is travel insurance mandatory?
Yes, it is. We run adventurous trips and it’s mandatory that you have suitable travel insurance in place to cover overseas medical treatment as well as evacuation or repatriation.
We can’t recommend which provider you use but the main things we’d encourage you to look out for is that you’re fully covered for the activities you’re taking part in (i.e., covers you up to the altitude you’ll be trekking at) and that it covers cancellation in the event that illness or other circumstances prevent you from travelling.
How much should I tip in Sri Lanka?
Tips are not included in any of our trips. They are entirely discretionary but in most cases are expected by the teams that will be looking after you. We know it can be daunting to work out exactly what to give so whilst this guideline hopefully helps, please remember that it’s a completely personal choice and you should feel free to tip more or less based on the quality of service that you receive.
Guide: $10-20 USD per day
Drivers: $5-10 USD per day
Again, tipping is not compulsory and please only do so if the service you’ve received warrants it. It’s hugely appreciated and a way for the teams looking after you to supplement their income.
How do I find out which hotels, meals and activities are included?
Unfortunately we can’t provide an exhaustive list of everything included in the ‘What’s Included’ section of this page as we include a whole bunch of stuff on our trips!
If it’s in the itinerary and we’ve not explicitly said that it’s an optional activity, then yes – it’s almost certainly included. If you’re not sure, please ask.
The meals that are included are all listed on the daily itinerary.
For the accommodation, we’ve got a shortlist of properties that we use. You can get a sense of the types of accommodation we use higher up the page in the ‘Where We’ll Stay’ section. We cannot guarantee any specific properties for your trip as it’s based on availability. If you are wanting to specifically request a property then please get in touch as we’re able to customise our trips.
Which airport do I need to fly into and out of for my trip to Sri Lanka?
Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport is the only airport that our trips in Sri Lanka start and finish at. The airport code is CMB.
What are your payment terms and is my booking financially protected?
Yes, absolutely. Here’s a link to where you can read more about how we are an ABTOT member and have an ATOL licence and what this means for your financial protection when booking a trip with us.
Deposits vary from destination to destination and from trip to trip. Generally speaking we require a deposit of 25%. This amount may be higher for certain trips where more services that usual need to be booked and paid for in advance (such as gorilla permits in Rwanda). Deposits are non-refundable.
Balance payments are required up to 70 days prior to travel.
If you need to cancel your booking, the following fees will apply based on the time before your scheduled departure:
- Immediate loss of deposit (25% of total cost) upon cancellation.
- 50% of the total cost if cancelled after the balance is paid and up to 45 days before departure.
- 75% of the total cost if cancelled 30 to 45 days before departure.
- 100% of the total cost if cancelled within 30 days of departure.
These fees compensate for expenses and bookings made on your behalf in anticipation of your trip.
Can I customise this trip in any way?
- adding in extra days or cutting out a day here or there;
- squeezing in other destinations or removing them;
- starting or finishing the trip in a different place;
- staying in a hotel or guesthouse that we don’t list as an option.
What if someone under the minimum age wants to travel?
It might not be an issue. Some destinations such as Rwanda have firm rules in place about how old people should be in order to visit the gorillas. In other destinations it’s more of a guideline.
Please do contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
What information will I receive after I book?
After you book, we’ll get to work confirming that the dates you’ve selected are completely available.
There are extremely rare circumstances that may mean we’re unable to confirm your booking. These circumstances are limited to events beyond our control or not being able to secure the services that you wanted to book.
In the extremely rare event that we’re unable to confirm your booking you will be offered an alternative itinerary or a full refund without any fees. Please do not book any non-changeable travel plans until you receive the confirmation from us. This will be within 72 hours.
A detailed Trip Dossier will then be sent to you after you make your booking. It’ll contain all the information you might need to help you pack and get prepared for your trip, including information on visas, vaccinations, packing and training.
We encourage you to refer to the UK Government’s official travel advisory service when planning your trips. You can find the FCDO advice here.
And when you travel, we work closely with local experts to put together the best itineraries. We’ve worked with them exhaustively to provide safe adventures at great value. They know their destination better than we ever could so you’ll be in good hands! You can read a bit more about why we will only ever have locally-led trips here.
Book Now
Whether you’d like more information about this itinerary or to customise it to exactly what you want to do, drop us a line and let us know your plans!
