Ceylon Cultural Highlights – 7 Days

KING’S LAND – 6 Nights / 7 Days

DAY 1: AIRPORT – NEGOMBO

On arrival in Sri Lanka, please clear immigration, collect your luggage then proceed through the customs green channel to the arrival lobby. We will be waiting in the designated area with a paging board. You will then be escorted to the vehicle park for your transfer.
Transfer from Airport to Negombo (Approx: 20Mins)
Overnight Stay at Hotel in Negombo

DAY 2: NEGOMBO – DAMBULLA – HABARANA (CULTURAL TRIANGLE OF SRI LANKA)

After breakfast proceed to Dambulla (Approx: 4Hrs)
En route Visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage: The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is unique in that it breeds wild elephants in captivity and also takes care of orphaned wild elephants found in the jungles. The feeding process of these elephants is extremely interesting. Baby elephants drink at least 7 bottles of milk all in large slurps, holding the bottles precariously in their trunks.
Visit Dambulla Cave Temple: Point of Sri Lanka, Dambulla is a town built around a vast isolated rock mass 500 ft and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was here that King Valagambahu took refuge in the 1st century B.C. The view from the top of this rock is breathtaking 350 ft. above are a series of five caves which was later turned into a magnificent rock temple by King Valagambahu. In the first cave is a recumbent image of the Buddha 47 ft, long, cut out from the rock. There are images of deities associated with Buddhism. The frescoes on the walls and ceiling could be dated to the 15th – 18th centuries. In the second cave, the finest and the largest, are not less than 150 life size statues of gods. There are numerous images of the Buddha as well. The ceiling too is covered with frescoes which depict great events in the life of the Buddha, and landmarks in the history of the Sinhala People
Thereafter proceed to Habarana (Approx: 30Mins)
Overnight Stay at Hotel in Habarana

DAY 3: HABARANA – ANURADHAPURA

After breakfast proceed to Anuradhapura (Approx: 2Hrs)
Visit Anuradhapura Cultural Sites: Anuradhapura which was the 1st chronicled capital of ancient Ceylon. Sri Lanka’s first capital is situated in the dry zone. It is one of Sri Lanka’s premier ancient cities. Attractions: The sacred Bo Tree, temples, Brazen Place, Samadhi Buddha, Kuttam Pokuna, and Mihintale (12 kilometers from Anuradhap ura) – a rock dotted with shrines and dwellings – a grand stairway of 1,840 steps made of granite slabs that leads to a summit with a splendid view of the countryside. Among the ruins of this once magnificent city, Anuradhapura, is the Ruwanvaliseya Temple, situated in the Mahamega Gardens. Built in the second century B.C by King Dutugamunu… It is 100 metres tall, 77 metres wide, and 300 ft in diameter
Back to to hotel in Habarana
En route Visit Mihintale: Mihintale, a mountain peak near Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. It is believed by Sri Lankans to be the site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa which inaugurated the presence of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It is now a pilgrimage site, and the site of several religious monuments.
Overnight Stay at Hotel in Habarana

DAY 4: HABARANA – SIGIRIYA – POLONNARUWA

Breakfast at hotel
Climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress in morning: Considered the 8th wonder of the world, Sigiriya was built in 5 AD by patricide King Kasyappa and boasts the world famous frescoes of women carved on sheer rock face. Climb the rock fortress and marvel at the feats of architecture achieved in the moats, the lions paw and finally at the summit of the rock, where the palace was situated. King Kasyappa had 500 hand maidens living in this palace. (Approx: 20Mins)
Thereafter proceed to Polonnaruwa (Approx: 2Hrs)
Visit Polonnaruwa Cultural Sites: Polonnaruwa the ruined city which displays the influences of both Indian and Sinhalese cultures. See the world famous Polonnaruwa Gal Viharaya consisting of three huge stone monoliths of the Lord Buddha, in a sitting, standing and reclining positions. See the Vatadageya, Sathmahal Prasadaya, Rajasaba Mandapaya, Nisshanka Latha Mandapaya, Parakrama Samudra the most famous places of Buddhist interest in Polonnaruwa ancient city.
Back to the hotel in Habarana (Approx: 2Hrs)
Overnight Stay at Hotel in Habarana

DAY 5: HABARANA – KANDY

After breakfast proceed to Kandy (Approx: 2.5Hrs)
Evening Visit Temple of the Tooth Relic: Girdled by hills, Kandy is a peaceful haven to retire to and enjoy the cool of the climate. Once the stronghold of the Sinhala Kings, the focal point of the town is the golden-roofed Dalada Maligawa where the sacred tooth of the Lord Buddha is enshrined. Kandy, at an altitude of 500m is the cultural center of Sri Lanka and was the capital of the last Singhalese kingdom. It is a particularly relaxed hill station, once captured by the British. It is dominated by its lake and the nearby Temple of the Tooth which houses Sri Lanka’s most sacred relic.
Visit Peradeniya Botanical Garden: To the botanist, this is indeed a land of plenty. The diversified climate allows for the growth of tropical as well as sub-tropical trees. The luxuriant undergrowth and tall majestic trees of the wet-zone tropical forest contrast with the arid scrub land and talipot palms of the dry north. In the hills, vegetation varies from the almost treeless patnas of Horton Plains to the dark cloud forests, wreathed with the protected Old Man’s Beard Moss. From March to May, numerous flowering trees such as the fiery Poincianan regia, the white Mesua ferrera and the cherry blossom-like Tebebuia burst into bloom and flowering orchids include endemic varieties such as the protected Vanda and Wesak Orchids. National emphasis has also been placed on the human-plant relationship: official recognition has been given to the Na Tree (Mesua nagassarium) and the Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea stellatac), as the national tree and flower respectively. (Approx: 15Mins)
Enjoy the Cultural Show: Beat of traditional music & drumming amplified by a cultural show enhancing the rich and vibrant culture of the Wonder of Asia, Sri Lanka. (Starting time 5.30pm | Duration 45Minutes)
Overnight Stay at Hotel in Kandy

DAY 6: KANDY – COLOMBO

After breakfast proceed to Colombo (Approx: 4Hrs)
Visit Gangaramaya Temple: Gangaramaya is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Colombo, started by the famous scholar monk Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera in the late 19th Century. After the Venerable Sri Sumangala, his chief pupil Devundera Sri Jinaratana Nayake Thera took on the administration of the temple. It was he who laid the foundation to convert the little temple to an institute of international reckoning. The next chief incumbent was the Ven. Devundara Keerthi Sri Sumangala Jinaratana Vacissara Thera, the teacher of the Ven. Galboda Gnanissara, who worked to make the Gangaramaya what it is today: much more than a temple in the conventional term, but a place of worship, a seat of learning and a cultural centre.
Evening Enjoy Colombo City & Shopping Tour: Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, is a major port near the mouth of the Kelani Ganga River. It owes its importance largely to its great breakwaters, which give shelter to a large, artificially created harbour. Beira Lake, administratively part of the Port of Colombo, is connected with the harbour by a canal and locks. Colombo handles most of the foreign trade of Sri Lanka and is an important fuelling station. Manufactures of the city include metal goods, refined petroleum, motor vehicles, processed food, textiles, clothing, and chemicals. Sri Jayavardhanapura, the legislative and judicial capital of Sri Lanka, is on the outskirts of Colombo. The business section of Colombo, called the Fort, occupies the sites of the former fortified area. Broad avenues and modern buildings contrast with the narrow, crooked streets and ramshackle structures of the Pettah quarter. Places of worship include Christian churches, Muslim mosques, and Buddhist temples. The University of Colombo, Sri Lanka Technical College (1893), and other educational institutions are located in the city. The early name of the city, Kalan-totta (Kelani ferry), derived from a nearby river-ferry point, was corrupted into Kolambu by the Arabs and changed to Colombo in 1517 by the Portuguese in honour of Christopher Columbus. Proceed to the Hotel Spend rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight Stay at Hotel in Colombo