Best of Sri Lanka

Tour Overview

Sri Lanka's Greatest Hits — All in One Journey

This is the tour that experienced travellers keep coming back for. In 10 days, you'll cover the full sweep of Sri Lanka — from wild northwestern jungles where leopards roam freely, through the ancient cultural heartland with its astonishing UNESCO sites, up into fragrant tea highlands, and finally to the colonial splendour of Galle Fort and the turquoise waters of Hikkaduwa.

With private transport, an expert English-speaking chauffeur guide, half-board meals, and a thoughtfully paced itinerary, this is Lanka JP Tours' most comprehensive value tour.

Route

Airport Kalpitiya Wilpattu NP Sigiriya Polonnaruwa Dambulla Kandy Nuwara Eliya Galle / Hikkaduwa Airport

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day1

Airport → Kalpitiya

Arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport. Welcomed by Lanka JP Tours with garland and water. Drive to Kalpitiya on Sri Lanka's northwest coast (approx. 2.5 hrs). Check in, dinner and overnight.

Dinner

Day2

Wilpattu National Park Safari

Early morning packed breakfast. Enter Wilpattu National Park — Sri Lanka's largest and oldest national park, renowned for its unique "willus" (natural circular water basins surrounded by sand spits). This is the finest leopard habitat in Asia.

Wilpattu Jeep Safari Included — track: Sri Lankan Leopard (highest density in Asia), Sri Lankan Elephant, Sri Lankan Sloth Bear, Purple-Faced Leaf Langur (endemic), Grey Slender Loris, Spotted Deer, Wild Buffalo, Mugger Crocodile, 200+ bird species

Return by midday. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight Kalpitiya.

Breakfast (packed) Dinner

Day3

Kalpitiya → Sigiriya (Rock Fortress & Village Tour)

After breakfast, drive east to the Cultural Triangle.

Sigiriya Rock Fortress Included — UNESCO World Heritage, "8th Wonder of the World". King Kashyapa I (477–495 AD) carved this astonishing palace into a 200m volcanic monolith. Ascend past water gardens, mirror wall, celestial maiden frescoes, and lion paw gateway to the palace summit

Sigiriya Village Tour Included — bullock cart ride through paddy fields, catamaran boat ride, traditional village house visit, cooking demonstration

Dinner and overnight Sigiriya.

Breakfast Dinner

Day4

Sigiriya – Polonnaruwa Excursion

Day excursion to Polonnaruwa (1 hr drive) — the medieval capital built by King Parakramabahu I in the 12th century, and one of Asia's best-preserved ancient cities.

Polonnaruwa Ancient City Included — Parakrama Samudra reservoir, Rankot Vihara (4th largest stupa in Sri Lanka), Gal Vihara Rock Temple (four magnificent Buddhas carved from a single granite face — widely considered the pinnacle of Sinhalese rock carving), Lankatilaka Image House, Thuparama, Shiva Devale

Return to Sigiriya for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast Dinner

Day5

Sigiriya → Kandy (via Dambulla & Matale)

Dambulla Cave Temple Included — 1st century BC, five magnificent cave temples built into a colossal rock; 153 statues of Lord Buddha, 3 statues of kings, and 4 of gods; 2,100 sq m of ceiling and wall paintings — the largest cave temple complex in Sri Lanka and a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Matale Spice Garden Included — Ceylon cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, pepper, vanilla; demonstration and tasting

Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy Included — UNESCO World Heritage; Sri Dalada Maligawa
Cultural Dance Show Optional — fire dancers, acrobats

Dinner and overnight Kandy.

Breakfast Dinner

Day6

Kandy – Shopping & Leisure

A free day in Kandy to explore at your own pace — Sri Lanka's cultural capital rewards slow exploration.

Kandy Gem District Included — Ceylon sapphires (blue, yellow, pink), rubies, blue zircon; gem cutting workshop; prices are roughly 50% lower than in Europe
Batik & Handcraft Shopping — Laksala government emporium, K. Ranasoma gem shops, Station Road market
Kandy Lake Walk — serene walk around the Kandy Lake with views of the cloud forest

Dinner and overnight Kandy.

Breakfast Dinner

Day7

Kandy → Nuwara Eliya (Tea Country)

Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya Included — 67 hectares, 4,000+ species; giant Javan fig, orchid house, rose garden, bamboo grove

Scenic mountain drive (2 hrs) past waterfalls and tea estates.

Tea Factory Visit Included — see the full Ceylon tea manufacturing process; hot tea tasting
Nuwara Eliya City Tour Included — colonial architecture, Lake Gregory, race course, flower gardens

Dinner and overnight Nuwara Eliya.

Breakfast Dinner

Day8

Nuwara Eliya → Galle

Drive to Galle on the south coast (approx. 3 hrs via expressway).

Galle Fort Tour Included — UNESCO World Heritage; 400-year-old Dutch fortification built by the Portuguese in 1588, expanded by the Dutch in 1663; ramparts overlooking the Indian Ocean, cobblestone streets, old Dutch warehouses with pillared verandahs, National Maritime Museum, All Saints' Anglican Church (1871), Galle lighthouse

Dinner and overnight Galle / Hikkaduwa.

Breakfast Dinner

Day9

Galle / Hikkaduwa — Beach Leisure

A free beach day to relax after an action-packed week.

Hikkaduwa Coral Reef Optional — one of Sri Lanka's best snorkeling sites; glass-bottom boat tour available
Turtle Conservation Centre Optional — Kosgoda turtle hatchery visit
Whale Watching, Mirissa Optional — day trip to Mirissa (30 mins) for blue whale and spinner dolphin watching (Nov–Apr)

Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast Dinner

Day10

Galle → Airport via Colombo

After breakfast, transfer to Bandaranaike International Airport via Colombo (approx. 2.5 hrs).

Colombo City Tour Optional — Fort, Pettah Bazaar, Gangaramaya Temple, Independence Square, Cinnamon Gardens (if time permits before your flight)

Breakfast

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Tour Highlights

Wilpattu leopard safari (included)
Sigiriya Rock Fortress
Polonnaruwa UNESCO ruins
Dambulla Cave Temple
Temple of Tooth Relic
Ceylon tea factory visit
Galle Fort UNESCO
Hikkaduwa beach & reef
Sigiriya Village Tour (included)

Did You Know?

Sri Lanka's Extraordinary Natural & Cultural Records

🏆

Sri Lanka Has 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites

For an island smaller than Ireland, Sri Lanka's 8 UNESCO listings — including Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Anuradhapura, Kandy, Galle, Sinharaja Forest, and the Central Highlands — represent one of the highest concentrations of World Heritage per square kilometre on the planet.

🐆

Sri Lanka Has the World's Highest Leopard Density

Yala National Park in southern Sri Lanka has the highest recorded leopard density of any national park in the world — approximately 1 leopard per 3 sq km. Wilpattu, on this tour, has a different subspecies (Sri Lanka Leopard) in a more secluded wilderness setting — fewer tourists, more intimate encounters.

💧

Polonnaruwa's Irrigation Still Works 1,000 Years Later

The hydraulic civilisation of ancient Sri Lanka engineered 30,000+ irrigation tanks — the world's most complex pre-industrial water management system. Polonnaruwa's Parakrama Samudra (25 sq km reservoir) built in 1153 AD still irrigates farms in the region today using its original channels.

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Kalpitiya Is the World's Best Spot for Spinner Dolphins

The Kalpitiya Peninsula hosts pods of 1,000–2,000 spinner dolphins from November to April — the largest consistent dolphin aggregations in the Indian Ocean. The same waters are patrolled by blue whales, whale sharks, and manta rays during peak season, making it one of the world's great marine wildlife corridors.

Wildlife, Culture & Beach

Sri Lanka's Greatest Hits — All in One Journey

Route

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Best of Sri Lanka — Pricing

What's Included & Excluded

10 Days of Sri Lanka in Pictures

Sri Lanka's Extraordinary Natural & Cultural Records

Experience the Very Best of Sri Lanka