Discover the wonders of a holiday in Sri Lanka with Barefoot Traveller’s 13 Day Discovery Tour. Our suggested itinerary for your holiday is below, and like all of our tours, it is completely customisable to create an individual touring experience that is unique for you. Contact our travel team to find out more!
Day 1: Airport – Colombo, Sri Lanka
Meet at the Bandaranaike International Airport and proceed to Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo. Check in at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel and embark on a tour of Colombo in the late afternoon. Colombo… starting off from your hotel and driving through the former commercial area of the Fort, passing the Colombo Port, and going on to the Pettah, a colorful area, which is the heart of Sri Lanka’s commodity, jeweler and clothing industries.
Traffic permitting, you will have a chance of strolling through this bustling oriental bazaar, before moving on to Kotahena to see the Dutch Reformed Church in Hulftsdorf and the High Courts. You will then pass the main Railway and Bus stations, proceeding on to the Sri Subramanian Kovil (temple). Your next destination will be the Ganagaramaya Buddhist Temple, where you will alight from the vehicle and go across the foot bridge to the Seema Malaka.You will next pass the Vihara Maha Devi Park, en route the exclusive residential area of Cinnamon Gardens. Drive along the tree-lined avenue to the Independence Square Memorial Hall, after which you will drive past the BMICH, which is a conference hall donated by the Chinese.
You will then be taken to such iconic stores as Odel, Barefoot, Paradise Road, Dankotuwa Porcelain etc to shop for the latest in fashion, household decorative goods, award-winning porcelain ware. Since we do not want to impose any time pressure on you, your vehicle will drop you at the retailer you fancy. If all of you alight at the same shop, the vehicle will pick you up at a pre-appointed time. Dinner and overnight stay at Cinnamon Grand Hotel.
Day 2: Colombo – Habarana
After Breakfast at Cinnamon Grand Proceed to Habarana. Check in at Chaaya Village Hotel. Afternoon at Leisure. Or. Proceed on an optional excursion to Minneriya National Park. Minneriya… It is situated around the reservoir of the same name in the south central area of the island. This park comprises of grasslands, Thorny scrubs and many valuable species of trees. Large herds of elephants, species of deer, wild boar, water buffalo and jackals are some of the wild animals found, along with a variety of avifauna that abounds the park. Dinner and overnight stay at Chaaya Village Habarana.
Day 3: Sigiriya
After Breakfast at Chaaya Village. Climb the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Climb the 5th century Sigiriya Rock fortress… which is a world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495). The spectacular citadel of Sigiriya rises sheer and impregnable out of the denuded plains of the dry zone, sitting atop a huge outcrop of gneiss rock towering 200m above the surrounding countryside. It is the country’s most memorable single attraction-a remarkable archeological site made unforgettable by its dramatic setting. The ‘Lion Rock’ is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200m from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. Visit the world-renowned frescoes of the ‘Heavenly Maidens’ of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway. These frescoes of the base of the rock approached by a spiral stairway. These frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster. Join an Elephant back safari in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay at Chaaya Village.
Day 4: Dambulla
After Breakfast at Chaaya Village, proceed to the city of kandy which known as the hill capital of Sri Lanka. En rout visit ancient Dambulla Cave Temple. Dambulla… the Dambulla cave temple is by far the most impressive of all the many cave temples in Sri Lanka. Among the cave’s numerous statues – there are 48 of the Buddha alone – are images of Upulvan (Vishnu) and Saman dating from the 12th Century (they may be the earliest devala statues to appear in a Buddhist image house). The cave’s history dates to the 2nd or 1st Century BC, when King Valagam Bahu took refuge here after being driven out of Anuradhapura by invading armies. Arrive in Kandy and proceed on a city tour. Kandy… this royal city, sheltered by the hills and looped by the Mahaweli – Sri Lanka’s longest river, still holds religious and cultural significance. A stroll around the sleepy, but serene Kandy Lake, where balmy winds waft across, a walk through the Royal Botanical Gardens located at Peradeniya and a visit to the University of Peradeniya – the spacious green campus laid out near the banks of the Mahaweli is a must for any visitor to Kandy. Kandy Late evening visits the Temple of the Tooth Relic and views a cultural Kandyan dance performance. Dinner and overnight stay at Chaaya Citadel Hotel.
Day 5: Pinnawela – Kandy
After Breakfast at Chaaya Citadel Hotel, proceed to Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage. The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage… is one of Sri Lanka’s most popular tourist attractions. The orphanage’s population has now mushroomed to around 65, making it the world’s largest collection of captive elephants. The elephants here range in age from newborns to elderly matriarchs, and include orphaned and abandoned elephants, as well as those injured in the wild, amongst them famous residents such as the three-legged elephant, Sama and a blind elephant Raja. Return to Kandy and Proceed on a sightseeing tour Dinner and overnight stay at Chaaya Citadel Hotel.
Day 6: Nuwara Eliya
After Breakfast at Chaaya Citadel Hotel, Proceed to the hill country. Check in at Tea Factory hotel. And proceed on a sightseeing tour in the late afternoon. Nuwara Eliya… nestled in a wooded basin at the foot of Mount Pidurutalagala Sri Lanka’s highest peak, this region at 6,183ft above sea-level Has a cool, crisp climate unknown elsewhere in Sri Lanka. A serene retreat from the hustle and bustle of Colombo, the town seems like a piece of the English Lake District. Unusual plants, birds and animals thrive here besides natural feature like waterfalls and caves. Tea, the glistening green leaves of this lovely shrub, along with neat rows of green, cloak ridges and valleys providing a lasting impression of Sri Lanka’s Hill Country. The golf course – one of the most finest and picturesque in Asia – the serene Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity, beautiful parks and well kept lawns and hedges give the place an air of nostalgia Dinner and overnight stay at Tea Factory Hotel.
Day 7: Horton Plains – Yala
After Breakfast at Tea Factory Hotel, proceed on a game drive in Horton Plaines National Park. Horton Plains… The Horton Plains National Park is the only National Park situated in the Hill Country and falls within the Nuwara Eliya district and is 200 km. away from Colombo. Panoramic scenic beauty of the Hill Country could be witnessed within the Park. The famous `Worlds End’ is a major attraction within the Park. Endemic slender loris and endemic purple monkey are among the important animal species that could be seen in addition to sambhur, a member of the cat family etc. There are some endemic avifaunas also found within this Park. Continue tour to Yala. Check in at Yala Village Hotel. At Leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at Yala Village.
Day 8: Yala
Breakfast at Yala Village. Proceed on a game drive in Yala National Park. Yala National Park … having an added bonus of a scenic ocean frontage, the terrain is varied flat plains alternating with rocky out-crops. The vegetation ranges from open parkland to dense jungle. It comprises of animals and birds, the specialty being the large number of elephants. Dinner and overnight stay at Yala Village.
Day 9: Yala – Hambantota
After Breakfast at Yala Village, proceed to city of Hambantota. Check in at Oasis Hotel. Visit the Bundala Bird Sanctuary in the afternoon, where numerous species of water birds and migrant birds inhabit the park. Dinner and overnight stay at Oasis Hotel.
Day 10: Hambantota -Beruwala
After Breakfast at Oasis Hotel, proceed to your next destination, which is called the city of Bentota. En rout visit the Galle fortress, which built by the Dutch. The old part of the city within the Dutch Fort built in the 17th century has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.A walk on the ramparts from Point Utrecht bastion to Flag Rock bastion will give you an excellent view of the ancient harbor which was know as Tar shish in the Bible. We will pass the District Court and the original entrance to the Fort en route to the Dutch Reformed Church built in the 17th century.
Galle has also become famous in the recent past for the quality of the boutique hotels, which have sprung up within their Fort as well as on the beach areas south of it. A perfect example is the renovation of the New Oriental Hotel built in 1863, which has now been converted into the stunning Amangalle (operated by Aman Resorts). There even is a proposal to convert the existing jail into a hotel!! The New Town to the north of the Fort was badly affected by the tsunami in 2004 and is the home of the famous International cricket stadium, which is being re-built. Check in at Eden Resort & Spa in Bentota. Evening at Leisure and Dinner and overnight stay at Eden Resort & Spa.
Day 11: Beruwala
Breakfast at Eden Resort And Spa. Proceed to Bentota River Bay to experience water sports in Sri Lanka. Bentota…The best place for water sports is without doubt the town of Bentota on the West Coast, which is approximately 2.5 hours south from the airport. It benefits from a large flat estuary at the mouth of the Bentota River, which ensures safe waters all year round for wakeboarding windsurfing, water-skiing, banana rides, donuts, kayaking and Jet Ski. Therefore, even during the monsoon (April-Nov) when the sea is unsafe for swimming and other activities, the water sports can continue. Other activities include river cruises and from Nov-March surfing, body boarding, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling and diving. Events Include in the Package: Boat Ride, Jet Ski, Donuts, Banana Ride Dinner and overnight stay at Eden Resort And Spa.
Day 12: Bentota – Colombo
After Breakfast at Eden Resort And Spa, Proceed to the hotel Where you spent the first night of the tour. Dinner and overnight stay at Cinnamon Grand.
Day 13: Colombo – Airport
Breakfast at Cinnamon Grand. Proceed to the Bandaranaike International Airport for the departure flight.
