Tour route: Sri Lanka: Negombo - Pinnawala - Sigiriya - Matale - Kandy - Nuwara Eliya - Yala - Mirissa - Galle - Bentota - Colombo
Welcome to Sri Lanka! Upon arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport, you will be greeted by your chauffeur guide and then be escorted to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is yours to relax.
Note: Buddhism is extremely respected in Sri Lanka, any disrespectful words or acts may cause deportation or denial of entry, e.g. Buddha tattoos, kissing/climbing/riding Buddha statue, drinking inside a temple, etc.
Overnight: Negombo
After breakfast, check out and head for to Pinnawala where you can visit the Elephant Orphanage and get in close proximity with semi-wild elephants during their morning feeding and river bathing. En route you get opportunity to visit a local Sri Lankan family for coconut break.
Note: Driving time in the program is approximate, subject to the traffic, weather and road conditions.
Overnight: Dambulla
Meals: Breakfast
Afternoon, get up-close with nature through a rewarding Hiriwadunna Village Safari, in which you not only observe dry-zone bird life and a variety of other native wildlife, but also savor the unbeatable view of Lion Rock when cruise around the scenic Hiriwadunna Lake by a catamaran.
Overnight: Sigiriya
Breakfast at hotel, today will start with a visit to the famous Dambulla Cave Temple which is noted for magnificent Buddha Images and rock painting dating back to 2nd century BC.
Continue to Kandy, en route stop by a spice garden at Matale, where you will learn a variety of spices,even taste an herbal brew, and communicate with a local cooker during cooking class in the garden; you can also try an Ayurveda massage based on natural herbs if time permits. When arriving in Kandy in the afternoon, check in to hotel and take some rest.
Later in the evening, a vivid cultural show featuring traditional dance performance will put a perfect end to today’s sightseeing.
Overnight: Kandy
Meals: Breakfast
After Breakfast, attend Puja (chanting) morning ceremony at the famous Temple of the Tooth where the sacred tooth relic of Buddha is placed and preserved. Later visit the National Museum of Kandy where hosts the Royal Palace complex, council chamber, a unique wooden pillared hall dating back to 1784, and Devale complex.
Later in the afternoon take a visit to local gem museum & lapidary, highly reputed for quality Ceylon blue sapphire and delicate handicraft. Evening is your free time; a leisure walk around the city lake might sounds good to you.
Overnight: Kandy
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, set off for Nuwara Eliya by the Rajadahani Express Train (subjected to availability), a picturesque journey packed with beautiful moutains, waterfalls and tea plantations. Upon arrive at Nanuoya Railway Sation, transfer to hotel and check in, rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight: Nuwara Eliya
Meals: Breakfast
Optional: Enjoy an 8km walk in Horton Plains National Park and visit “world’s End”, catch a breathtaking glimpse of Adam's Peak if the weather allows.
Overnight: Nuwara Eliya
After breakfast leave for Thanamlwila Village in rustic area. It can be a truly fascinating experience to observe various aspects of authentic Sri Lankan village life including fishing, wood carving, farming etc. and experience villagers' joys and sorrows while escape from hectic urban life. You will also have chance to go trekking through paddy fields and canoeing at the lake. Drive to Tissamaharama for overnight.
Overnight: Tissamaharama
Meals: Breakfast
After Breakfast, we proceed to Yala and have a half-day jeep safari at Yala Natinoal Park with a naturalist guide. The park is one of the foremost places to spot elusive leopard for its highest densities of leopards in the world; other wildlife like sloth bear and Asian elephant can also be seen here.
Overnight: Tissamaharama
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, check out and head for Mirissa. Located in the Southern tip of Sri Lanka, Mirissa is the very place to sit back and spoil yourself in some of the best beaches and most stunning sunrise & sunset in the island.
Overnight: Mirissa
Meals: Breakfast
Take morning boat (starts at 6:30am) into the ocean to watch whales.
Overnight: Mirissa
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, set off for Bentota, known for one of the best beaches in the Southern Sri-Lanka. On the way visit the exotic Galle Dutch Fort in Galle, which among the best preserved fortresses in Sri Lanka.
Overnight: Bentota
Breakfast at the hotel, and enjoy your free full day relax & unwind at the beach.
Overnight: Bentota
Today you will be picked up from the hotel and transferred to Colombo. Take a guided city tour to explore Colombo's colonial legacies including the Independence Square, Gangarama Temple of Colombo, mile-long promenade of Galle Face Green and Colombo's National Museum etc. Stop for taking pictures when drive by the former British Administrative Center etc.
In the late afternoon, you will be escorted to airport for your departure flight.
No hotel in Colombo.
Meals: Breakfast
Recommended Accommodation for Your Journey
Good accommodation choice will in no doubt enhance your tour experience. Our well-established partnership network with key hotel chains in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri-Lanka will bring you the benefits of competitive hotel rate and guaranteed room availability.
We pick hotels for you based on:
Location: geographically convenience values for your precious holiday time. So properties we use are either in downtown area close to main city attractions and amenities, or convenient for sightseeing or transportation.Hotel Criteria for Each Tour Class
Note: Bhutan is less developed with fewer hotels criteria for choice, and most of the hotels there aren't as high standard as those in Western society.
Hotel Arrangement for Standard Tour Class
Usually conveniently located and meet the basic requirements of a comfortable stay: decorative lobbies and nice guest rooms with AC, TV, hot water, shower and private bathrooms. On-site restaurants may be average in size but offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. In most cases, staffs have basic command of English. Usually 3 star hotels are adopted.Hotel Arrangement for Comfortable Tour Class
Normally you'll stay at formal and large hotels conveniently located with shopping, dining and entertainment facilities nearby. Quality service, fully furnished rooms, restaurants, room service, fitness center and swimming pool (in some cases there is no pool) all together offer an above-average accommodation experience.
Usually good 4-star hotels are adopted or boutique hotels at request. Hotels best available will be arranged if no qualified choice, e.g. in remote area.
Hotel Arrangement for Superior Tour Class
Usually properties are conveniently located with shopping, dining and entertainment facilities nearby and offer a better service and hotel facility than that in hotels of Comfortable Tour Class. Usually 4-4.5 star hotels or boutique hotels are adopted.
Hotel Arrangement for First Tour Class
Deluxe hotels with high-end service and an extensive range of facilities for an excellent accommodation experience. Multiple restaurants on site with extensive menus for choice, room service available 24/7, fitness center and concierge service round out the experience. Usually 5 star hotels are adopted.
Hotel Arrangement for Deluxe Tour Class
The most luxury hotels are used and only available in some particular cities. These properties have top-notch service and unique location, such as a lake or a historic site, and usually incorporate some of the country’s most exquisite architecture traditions. Usually top 5 star or the best available hotels are adopted.
Meals
Normally, India Odyssey Tours put breakfast in your itinerary except for in Bhutan (all meals included). Lunch won’t be included for the sake of tour convenience, while dinner is also excluded as some travelers might want a little culinary adventure themselves. But surely your tour guide/driver is always glad to offer their advice.
It is normally served at the hotel where you stay. Depending on the hotel, the breakfast would be in western style, local style, or a combination.
Usually lunch won’t be included considering the fact that sometimes travelers may want to stay somewhere longer/shorter or need other minor changes during daily sightseeing, and it’s better to decide the lunch site then rather than pre-arranging it. For sure our tour guides/drivers will be happy to advice good places to you, and we strongly suggest qualified local restaurant or hotels around the scenic spots for the sake of your health.
Dinners will not be included in your meal plan unless you have that requirement. Enjoying the local food could be one of your best experiences in the incredible India & South Asia. This is why we offer you this flexibility of food choice, and you can always get advice from your tour guides/drivers.
If you have certain food allergies or special requirements such as vegetarian food, let us know. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.
Private Guide & Transfer
You will have a private tour guide, private driver, and an air-conditioned vehicle escorting you at every destination you travel across South Asia. This will provide you with maximized personal care, security, and flexibility.
All tour guides of India Odyssey Tours are qualified professionals and registered English Speaking Tourist Guides who are reassessed annually. All of our tour vehicles are clean and in excellent condition, manned with licensed & experienced drivers.
You will always be greeted punctually on arrival at each destination airport. At every departure, you’ll be escorted & assisted until you have checked in and passed through the security checkpoint.
All of our tour guides in every destination are locals. Knowing the area well, they are good at guiding you around and telling background stories of the tour sites, as well as showing you the secret spots for best photos.
If any change of itinerary is needed for unexpected reasons, your private tour guides will be more than accommodating in suggesting alternatives to ensure that you always have a wonderful experience.
With our comfortable and safe private transportation, your tour will be more relaxing and less tiresome, keeping you in the best spirits to make the most out of your journey across South Asia.
Your vehicle in each destination is air conditioned, insured, clean, and regularly maintained. Your private driver is licensed and always put your safety first.
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