Experience the jewel of the Indian Ocean! A place where the sights, smells, and tastes will dazzle your senses and leave you wanting more. Sri Lanka has long been captivating intrepid travelers with its incredible beauty and vibrant culture. One Life Adventures will take you to the best places the country has to offer in 12 days, from temples, mountain ranges, national parks to incredible beaches.
What’s included
- One Life group leader, local Sri Lankan cultural guide, and private driver
- All accommodation in fancy hotels and 2 funky hostels
- Airport pickup on day 1
- Welcome dinner
- Most breakfasts, some lunches, and some dinners (see itinerary)
- BBQ under the stars
- All transport including vans, buses, tuk-tuks
- Train ride on the ‘most beautiful train journey in the world’
- Visit to the famous Temple of the Tooth in Kandy
- Visit to the tea country estates to pick your own tea with locals
- Visit to spice garden
- Curry cooking lesson with local villagers
- Guided walk to view Little Adam’s Peak
- Hike to Ella Gap and the 9 Arches Bridge
- Rural style safari camp
- Wild elephant safari in Udewalawe National Park
- Guided nature walks
- Entrance into the UNESCO World Heritage site Sigiriya
- Visit to the Pidurangala Monastery
- Walk through the Dambulla Buddhist caves
- Visit to a turtle hatchery and sanctuary to learn about sea turtles
- Bike tour through rice paddies and local villages with visit to secret garden to drink fresh coconut
- Walk around the iconic Galle Fort
- Visit to the Pidurangala Monastery
- Blue whale watching (seasonal)
Optional extras
- Extra safari in Sigiriya
- Surf Lesson
- Maldives add-on package (self guided)
- Flights to and from the Maldives
- Airport drop-off in Colombo
- Pickup & Accommodation (if not arriving on day 1 of tour)
Day 1: Welcome to Sri Lanka!
Arrive on day one and be greeted at the airport by your tour guide, who will take you to your first hotel in Negombo. Today is your day, explore the canals, the lagoons or get your base tan on the beach, for in the evening we meet as a group and hit the town for your welcome dinner and drinks.
Meal(s) included : Dinner
Day 2: The adventure really begins
Hop on our private bus to take a quick tour around Negombo’s famous market and lagoon. We then drive into the heart of the island and stop off for a delicious buffet lunch before checking into your stunning hotel in Sigiriya. Take the afternoon to dip in the pool or walk the dusty streets, before we meet in the evening to explore the magnificent Dambulla Caves.
Meal(s) included : Breakfast
Day 3: Sigiriya Rock
An early wake-up time today as we put on our hiking shoes and head out to climb the incredible Sigiriya Rock. Protruding proudly out of the earth, ruins of a grand palace provide evidence all around the grounds of a once violent and noble Sri Lankan history. After descending we then head over to the quiet Buddhist monastery of Pidurangula to get an open and unobstructed shot of the rock you have just climbed. From here you can view the national parks of Minneriya and Kaudulla where elephants and leopards patrol the land and where you have the option to go explore in the afternoon.
Meal(s) included: Breakfast
Day 4: Let’s travel south
Today we say goodbye to Sigiriya and embark on our travels down south towards Sri Lanka’s second largest city, Kandy. We will stop at a spice garden on the way to learn about where our favourite spices come from. Here we traverse the hills that provide a stunning view of the artificial but now notoriously beautiful Kandy Lake. In the afternoon we head to a village to have a cooking class and learn the secret to a perfect Sri Lankan curry. In the evening we will stroll around the lake and take the sights and sounds of this bustling city.
Meal(s) included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 5: Temple of the Tooth and train into the mountains
Eat your breakfast overlooking the hills of Kandy before we head into town to visit the sacred Temple of the Tooth. This is a religious shrine which is said to house the tooth of Buddha himself. We then jump on the bus and travel through the mountainous region of the hill country. We stop by a functioning tea factory to learn how the tea is processed and ends up in your cup at home. A trip to Sri Lanka is not complete without experiencing life on the train and the journey from Nuwara Eliya to Ella is dubbed as the best journey in the world. After we check into our hotel, we’ll head to Ella for dinner and drinks in everyone’s favourite mountainous town.
Meal(s) included: Breakfast
Day 6: Free day in Ella
The morning is yours and we will meet in the afternoon to explore the hidden gems of Ella, such as the 9 Arch Bridge, Ella Gap and then hike up Little Adam’s peak for sunset. We recommend bringing a drink or two, you’ll see why when we get to the top.
Meal(s) included: Breakfast
Day 7: Safari time
Today we continue our way down South and check into our campsite, 45 minutes away from the stunning Uda Walawe National Park. After lunch we jump into jeeps and go on safari, searching the wilderness for herds of elephants, buffalo, crocodiles, monkeys, eagles, hawks, peacocks, mongoose and if you’re lucky, leopards. After driving around the park, we’ll head back to camp where our hosts will have a BBQ dinner waiting for us, the best way to end an amazing day.
Meal(s) included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8: Time for the beach
Wake up early to take a walk on the wild side with your personal local guide. He will teach you all about the flora and fauna in the area, whilst the campsite dogs follow you through the fields. Monkeys, elephants and peacocks roam the fields around the campsite, so be sure to be on the lookout. After breakfast we’ll drive to the South West Coast, arriving at the stunning beachside town of Mirissa. A place where the world-class waves hit the sand, where turtles inhabit the water, and where the beer is ice cold.
Meal(s) included: Breakfast
Day 9: Whale watching
Today we wake up early and head to the beautiful golden sand beach. We jump on board one of THE best boats in the area to view the largest animals in the world. Watch as blue whales, jump, swim and dive around you and be blown away by their size. After an hour or two on the boat, we head back to relax for a while before heading to our second spectacular beach destination; Hikkaduwa.
Meal(s) included: Breakfast
Day 10: Bike through rice paddies and villages
After breakfast by the beach, we’ll drive down the stunning Galle Fort. A city encased in walls, with Dutch, Portuguese and British Colonial buildings still stand proud. We start our bike ride through some beautiful local villages and rice fields, stopping to learn about how coconut rope is made, and drink a fresh king coconut in a secluded tropical garden.
Meal(s) included: Breakfast
Day 11: Turtle sanctuary and Colombo
After your breakfast, we will pack up our things for the 2-hour drive along the coast to the bustling capital city of Colombo. On the way, we stop off at small turtle sanctuary, where baby turtles learn to take that first swim and injured adults are rehabilitated back into the wild. Across the road, we’ll view the humbling 2004 Tsunami Memorial, where you can listen to survival tales and view pictures of the event. We then arrive into Colombo and check into our boutique hostel, you’ll have some free time to visit the national museum or art gallery close by, or take a tuk-tuk and run around the manic streets of the Pattah Markets for some final souvenir shopping. We’ll then meet together in the evening for a final dinner together before partying the night away on one of the cities glitziest rooftop bars.
Meal(s) included: Breakfast
Day 12: Time to say goodbye!
Time to say our final goodbyes to the friends you have just made over the course of an incredible 12 days. For some of you, this means continuing your holiday on the phenomenal beaches of the Maldives, for others, it’s either back home or to continue your travels.
Meal(s) included: Breakfast
