Cultural India & Sri Lanka tour

Negombo

Day 1: Welcome to Sri Lanka!

Hello, Sri Lanka! Upon your arrival, you'll be welcomed and assisted at the airport by a representative. Transfer to Negombo, located a short distance from the international airport and approximately 37km north of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Here you'll check into your hotel to relax ahead of an overnight stay.

Negombo - Dambulla

Day 2: Explore vibrant Negombo

After breakfast, take a short tour of Negombo and discover its fish market, where you'll enjoy glimpses of buzzing city life. Then, prepare to leave for Dambulla, situated in the Matale district in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, around 148km northeast of Colombo and 72km north of Kandy. A major attraction here includes the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex of Sri Lanka, featuring more than 80 documented caves. Check into your hotel to stay in Dambulla for the night.

Dambulla

Day 3: The impressive Dambulla Caves

After breakfast, spend a full day visiting the beautiful Dambulla Caves. The frescoes there are amazing, so be sure to really take your time and soak it all in! Afterwards, you'll have the rest of the day to spend at leisure, exploring the top sights on your checklist before returning to your hotel for the night.

Dambulla - Kandy

Day 4: Kandy's historic draws

Today you will travel to Kandy, the cultural centre of Sri Lanka! Visit the Temple of the Tooth, the main attraction here as well as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, where one of Buddha's teeth is said to be kept. The temple was built in the 16th century, but improvements and additions have been made to it until the fall of the Kingdom of Kandy.

After exploring the temple, you'll attend a Kandyan dance show. Kandyan dance is said to have spawned from an exorcism ritual that Indian shamans brought to the island at the request of the king, who was suffering from a mysterious illness many years ago. Set amidst the deep, lush jungle of Sri Lanka, this performance is truly captivating. The fire-walking spectacle is also a must-see while you're here.

Kandy - Nuwara Eliya

Day 5: Journey to Sri Lanka's tea country

Today you'll visit Peradeniya's Royal Botanic Gardens, known for a large number and variety of decorative, useful and medicinal plants. Here you'll find one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, especially famous for its orchids.

Continue your trip with a journey to Nuwara Eliya, the heart of Sri Lanka's tea country, located at a height of 1,980m in the central highlands. The weather and climate feel different from anywhere else in Sri Lanka, and a refreshing experience is guaranteed. Nuwara Eliya is also known as 'Little England', since it was the favourite hill station of the British, who tried to make of it a traditional English village.

Nuwara Eliya - Bandarawela - Ella

Day 6: The lush landscapes of Bandarawela & Ella

Head to Bandarawela, a popular family destination which benefits from mild weather throughout the year. Tinted with a colonial past and resting amidst lush forests, it has found its niche among visitors as a base for ecotourism.

Spend some time at leisure before heading to Ella, located high in the mountains and used as a base for trekking expeditions into the surrounding countryside. From here on a fine day, you'll enjoy scenic views stretching right across the South Coast of Sri Lanka. Some of the sights you could explore here are the Ella Gap, Ravana Ella Falls, Little Adam's Peak, and Bambaragala Peak.

Ella - udawalawe

Day 7: Safari adventure in Udawalawe

Today, enjoy a visit to Ravana Ella Falls. During the local wet season, the waterfall turns into what is said to resemble a flower with withering petals - a truly remarkable sight. The falls form part of the Ravana Ella Wildlife Sanctuary, located 6km from the local railway station at Ella.

You'll also make tracks for Udawalawe today, where you'll check into your hotel upon arrival, then venture out on a safari. The national park is a sanctuary for resident wildlife, and you'll have every chance of spotting elephants, sloth bears, jackals, leopards, plentiful birdlife and more.

udawalawe - mirissa

Day 8: Venture to laid-back Mirissa

After breakfast you will journey on to Mirissa, to check into your hotel and spend the afternoon at your leisure. Mirissa is a small town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, whose beach and nightlife scene make it a popular tourist destination. It is also a fishing port and one of the island's main whale- and dolphin-watching locations, so be sure to join a tour if you're a lover of marine wildlife.

mirissa

Day 9: Experience Mirissa at your leisure

After breakfast, spend a full day at leisure in Mirissa. You may wish to rent a tuk-tuk to tour the area, or simply relax in the waters of the calm bay!

mirissa

Day 10: Relax to your heart's content

Enjoy Mirissa for one more day at leisure, doing whatever you feel like doing! This is your chance to fully unwind on soft sands, before it's time to pick up the pace on the second leg of your journey.

Mirissa - Delhi - Jaipur

Day 11: Travel to India's Pink City

After breakfast, leave for Colombo Airport in time to catch your flight to Delhi. Upon your arrival here, head straight to Jaipur, the capital and largest city of the state of Rajasthan. As of 2011, the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the 10th most populous city in India. Jaipur is also known as the Pink City due to the dominant colour of its buildings. Upon your arrival here, check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure, relaxing after your travels.

Jaipur

Day 12: Explore the best of Jaipur

After breakfast, take a photo stop at the Hawa Mahal and enjoy a jeep ride to visit the Amber Fort.

In the afternoon you'll visit the City Palace, which includes the Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal Palaces, followed by the Jantar Mantar, a collection of 19 architectural astronomical instruments, built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh and completed in 1738 CE. It features the world's largest stone sundial and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Jaipur - Agra

Day 13: Visit the iconic Fatehpur Sikri & Agra Fort

After breakfast you'll leave for Agra, visiting Fatehpur Sikri en-route. Fatehpur Sikri is a remarkable series of royal palaces, harems and courts, and includes a mosque, private quarters and other utility buildings. Upon your arrival into Agra, check into your hotel and visit the iconic Agra Fort later in the afternoon.

Agra - Delhi

Day 14: Admire the Taj Mahal at sunrise

Early in the morning, visit the Taj Mahal for a unique sunrise experience. This ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna River was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 42-acre complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens.

After your visit, head back to your hotel to enjoy a delicious breakfast and leave for Delhi. Upon your arrival here, you will be transferred to the city to visit Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate and the Parliament Building, among Delhi's most important attractions!

Delhi

Day 15: Goodbye, Delhi!

After breakfast you will visit the Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan between 1644 and 1656 and was inaugurated by an imam from Bukhara, present-day Uzbekistan. Afterwards, take a rickshaw ride to visit the impressive Chandni Chowk Market.

Before your transfer to the international airport for your departure flight, you will pay a visit to the beautiful Raj Ghat and Agrasen Ki Baoli - two historic landmarks you'll love exploring before it's time to bid farewell to India.