A family adventure in Sri Lanka

Colombo International Airport - Negombo

Day 1: Arrival in Sri Lanka

Welcome to Sri Lanka! Arrive at Colombo Internation Airport and transfer to your hotel in Negombo. Your seaside settlement makes a relaxing place to spend your first night in Sri Lanka.

In the afternoon you can take a stroll around the town to experience the fascinating street food culture and taste the local sweet and spicy delicacies!

Negombo - Habarana

Day 2: Journey to Habarana

After breakfast today you’ll travel from Negombo to Habarana with a stop at an authentic Sri Lanka restaurant for lunch along the way. Upon arrival, check-in at your hotel and the afternoon is at leisure. Relax at your hotel, enjoy the pool and perhaps take a stroll around the local area. 

Habarana - Minneriya National Park - Habarana

Day 3: Experience the 'Elephant Gathering'

Start the day early for a cycle tour of Polonnaruwa, a striking UNESCO world heritage site. This site belonged to the second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms with many ruined palaces and temples to explore.

In the afternoon, it's time for a jeep safari in Minneriya National Park, with its low-canopy forests, scrubland, grasslands and large lake, Minneriya is an important feeding ground for elephants and is famed for its 'Elephant Gathering' - a spectacular phenomenon during the long dry seasons when hundreds of elephants can be seen feeding on the grasslands. In addition to elephants, the park is home to monkeys, sloths and the less frequently seen Sri Lankan leopard. 

Habarana

Day 4: Local life & a treasure hunt

Today, you’ll take an exhilarating off-road jeep ride to explore the delights of Sigiriya and Habarana. Your local guide will help you experience Sri Lankan culture at its most genuine.

Trace your fingers along the stones of ancient temples and discover a traditional village. Learn about the local way of life and explore the vegetable gardens and rolling rice fields before tucking into a lunchtime feast cooked at a nearby village house using local ingredients.

In the afternoon, go on an exciting treasure hunt through the jungle on an ATV. Learn about nature and village life on your quest to find hidden treasure. This is the ultimate adventure for your kids. Let them join us while you enjoy some free time.

Habarana - Trincomalee

Day 5: Fortress climb & a journey to the coast

Get ready to climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress! This UNESCO World Heritage Site was built by King Kashyapa in the 5th century. Today, you can witness the ruins of his castle on top of Sigiriya Rock with its ponds and gardens and incredible views.

Later, it's time to travel from Habarana to Trincomalee, one of the finest natural deep-water harbors in the world, situated on the Eastern coast of the island. Spend the rest of the day embracing the sun, sand and sea at Trincomalee Beach. 

Trincomalee

Day 6: Family time on golden sand

Enjoy some family time, spending the full day at the beach. This stretch of golden sand is wonderfully uncrowded with just a handful of fishermen going about their daily business. There is plenty to explore too, with hidden Hindu temples and secret spots to discover.

This eastern province is home to a welcoming Tamil community, and there are plenty of opportunities to support local trade. You won't be short of dining options either - the seafood here is delicious!

Trincomalee

Day 7: An underwater world

Just offshore from Nilaveli floats the green, rocky isle of Pigeon Island with its colorful coral gardens. This is one of two marine national parks in Sri Lanka and it makes a great day trip destination. What steals the show are the wonders beneath the surface!

The island’s reefs are shallow and easily accessible, making it an excellent snorkeling spot for exploring the amazing underwater world. Catch a boat to Pigeon Island from Nilaveli beach to admire the dozens of corals and hundreds of fish that cluster around the shore.

Trincomalee - Kandy

Day 8: Journey to Kandy

Travel through the Central Province from coastal Trincomalee to highland Kandy. As you climb, the landscape changes into the rolling hills of tea plantations.

Once you arrive, feel free to spend the afternoon exploring this cultural jewel. Kandy is an enigmatic city full of Kandyan and colonial architecture, spiritual temples and friendly locals who are passionate about their home.

Kandy

Day 9: An untouched village & temple

Another day in paradise! Today, take a guided walk to one of the most remote villages in Kandy, nestled in the foothills of the Knuckles Mountains.

You'll be accompanied by an experienced guide and villager on this expedition to a village untouched by mass tourism and urban development. Venture through pine forests, tea estates, jungle patches, terraced rice fields and domestic spice fields.

Along the way, you'll get a feel for a landscape teeming with rural life. When you arrive, you can meet the local villagers, taste their home-cooked food and see how animals are used for farming work.

Later in the day, visit Lord Buddha's Temple of the Tooth Relic, where you'll witness a performance of traditional dancing, drumming and entertainers walking on fire.

Kandy - Nuwara Eliya

Day 10: Highland train journey

All aboard for a scenic train journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya. You’ll be traveling on a British-era railway line and boarding your train at a charming old station that wouldn’t look out of place in a small English village. As you look out the window you’ll witness the most spectacular highland countryside on the island.

Admire the vibrant green expanse of the Ceylon tea fields before arriving at a destination abundant with emerald forests and distant misty mountains. The journey takes approximately 4-5 hours. After check-in at your hotel enjoy a stroll around Nuwara Eliya to see its colonial-era buildings.

Nuwara Eliya - Horton Plains National Park - Nuwara Eliya

Day 11: Wildlife & a tea tasting

This morning visit Horton Plains National Park in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. The park is comprised of grasslands, cloud forests and vast plateaus with stunning views. The misty landscape is breathtaking and the cool, wet climate has created a unique but fragile ecosystem.

Afterward, take a tea tour and tasting session led by local women, who will teach you the tricks of their trade! Find out how the tea leaves are plucked, manufactured and processed and taste a cup of pure tea.

Nuwara Eliya - Yala National Park

Day 12: Journey to Yala

Today, travel from Nuwara Eliya to Yala making your way along winding roads through rolling tea estates towards Sri Lanka's south coast. During the journey, you will notice the landscape change from vibrant green hills into a flat, tropical jungle. The journey will take approximately five hours. After arriving at your camp enjoy a BBQ dinner, a roaring campfire and stories as the stars come out. 

Yala National Park

Day 13: Searching for leopards in Yala National Park

Take an early morning game drive and a full-day safari through Yala National Park. This is Sri Lanka's leopard country, where the leopard density is higher than in any other place in the world. In the cooler morning hours of the day, the park's residents are more active, giving you a great opportunity to spot some of the beautiful wildlife. Look out for Asian elephants, sloth bears, spotted deer, regal peacocks and crocodiles.

Yala National Park - Galle

Day 14: Journey to Galle

After breakfast travel from Yala to Galle, a journey of approximately 2-3 hours. In the afternoon you’ll have free time at Galle Fort, a historical and architectural heritage monument on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. Take a wander around the fort and soak in the dreamy sea views from the ramparts. in the evening, tuck into a freshly cooked seafood meal right on the beach in Unawatuna.

Galle

Day 15: Bike tour of Galle

Grab your helmet and take a bike tour of Galle Fort and the city. Galle Fort is a UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Site. The Portuguese, Dutch and British all occupied Galle Fort at various points during Sri Lanka’s colonial history, and they each left their mark.

You'll then have the chance to see the city itself in more detail making stops at local markets and sites of interest. Pick up some snacks in the markets before continuing on to Murugan Hindu Temple. In the evening, choose a nice restaurant to enjoy a farewell family meal on your last night in Sri Lanka.

Galle - Colombo International Airport

Day 16: Goodbye, Sri Lanka

It's time for your family to say goodbye to Sri Lanka! Transfer from Galle to Colombo International Airport and get ready for safe flight home.