EXCLUSIVELY FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS

20 Years logo

Over 20 Years Expertise

protection touring

Your Money is 100% Protected

holiday assurance

Holiday Assurance Guarantee

supplement

No Single Supplement

Sri Lanka - Pearl of the Indian Ocean

From $5,249
Duration 13 Days
Departures from: Oct 2024 - Oct 2025
Book now
From $5,249
Duration 13 Days
Departures from: Oct 2024 - Oct 2025
Tour Overview
With its incredible natural beauty, ancient sights and cultural treasures, Sri Lanka has much to offer. Admire the majestic elephants of Habarana, visit Sigiriya's 'Fortress in the Sky' and view the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, then round off your tour with days of relaxation on the beach.
  • classic touring holiday Classic Touring
  • meals included tour Half Board
  • max group size Max Group Size 30

Your Holiday Includes

  • Just You Holiday Director as your host 
  • 12 nights half board in 4 & 5-star hotels
  • 25 included meals: 12 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 11 dinners including welcome drink & diiner & farewell get-together 
  • Transportation excluding overseas transfers to and from the airport * & porterage 
  • Scenic rail: Train journey from Kandy to Nanu Oya

Included Holiday Highlights

  • Tour of Colombo
  • Minneriya National Park
  • Sigiriya including Lion Rock
  • Walk at Hiriwaduna
  • Polonnaruwa
  • Matale Spice Gardens
  • Kandy Botanical Gardens
  • Kandy tour including Temple of the Tooth
  • Tea plantation visit
  • Tour of Galle & Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery
  • Farewell beach barbecue dinner in Beruwala with unlimited drinks

Itinerary

Day 1 Colombo

Make your own way to Colombo. Your Holiday Director will meet you at your hotel for your welcome meeting that evening. Meals included: D

Day 2 Colombo - Habarana

After breakfast, a short sightseeing tour will introduce you to the city's highlights. Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo is a bustling metropolis boasting an attractive blend of old and new. Grand colonial-era buildings and Buddhist temples rub shoulders with modern skyscrapers, fine restaurants and high-end boutiques.
We will then head to Habarana. This afternoon, we will visit Minneriya National Park, which is home to deer, leopards and elephants.

Meals included: B,D

Day 3 Sigiriya & Minneriya

Sigiriya is one of Sri Lanka's seven World Heritage sites and is situated in the heart of the island's Cultural Triangle. A spectacular rock fortress, the Kerala complex is home to water gardens, moats and the impressive Lion Rock - the entrance to the original fortress was through the mouth of a carved lion. All you'll see today are two huge paws but they are still an incredible sight.
Later today we'll visit the ancient Hiriwaduna Buddhist Temple before crossing a jungle rivulet by catamaran to reach a farmer's 'wattle and daub' house.

Meals included: B,D

Day 4 Habarana - at Leisure

Today is free for you day to explore at your own pace. Alternatively, why not join our optional excursions? This morning, you could choose to visit UNESCO-listed Anuradhapura, the first capital and the grandest city of ancient Sri Lanka. This ancient buried city is full of stone carvings and sculptures, and a superb irrigation system of reservoirs and canals. Anuradhapura is also home to the oldest historically documented tree on earth - The Sri Maha Bodhi - which is over 2,200 years old and is respected by Buddhists all over the world
This afternoon you could take the optional excursion to Dambulla cave temples that contain more than 150 images of Buddha.


Meals included: B,D

Day 5 Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa is the second most ancient of Sri Lanka’s cities and you can discover more on this mornings included excursion here.

Meals included: B,D

Day 6 Habarana - Kandy

This morning we head to Kandy. The aromatic Matale Spice Gardens are our port of call en route to the city. Nutmeg, pepper, cloves and cinnamon, all of which are regularly used in Sri Lankan cuisine, grow here.

Meals included: B,D

Day 7 Kandy

Kandy was the last royal capital of Sri Lanka and the Royal Botanical Gardens at nearby Peradeniya are a delight to explore. First planted for King Kirthi Sri Rajasingha (1747-1780), and covering some 150 hectares, you'll see towering trees, elegant lawns, flowering shrubs and exotic crops such as coffee, tea and nutmeg during our visit here. Highlights include a palm avenue planted by the British in 1905 and an enormous Java fig grown from a sapling brought over from the East Indies.

Today, you will visit Sthree Café for lunch. The Sthree Café, supported by Planeterra, works with women in the local community to increase their income, strengthen their financial independence, and help them become economically empowered. The Sthree Café employs local women from WDC's Kandy forum as well as differently-abled persons, providing them with a fair wage and the skills and training needed to work in the service sector. The café serves fresh, locally sourced, seasonal vegetarian cuisine and provides a traditional Sri Lankan dining experience.

You'll then tour Kandy, where highlights include the temple housing the famous Tooth Relic of Buddha and the Market Square. The Temple of the sacred Tooth Relic, commonly known as 'Sri Dalada Maligawa', is the most venerated place of worship for Buddhists throughout the world. Built in the 16th century, this temple houses the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha brought to Sri Lanka from the Kalinga province in ancient India in the 4th century AD. Several buildings have been added to the temple complex by successive rulers, the latest being the Golden Canopy over the inner shrine where the Tooth Relic is placed. The Sri Dalada Maligawa is the most sacred temple in the whole of Sri Lanka, where thousands of people line up each day to get a glimpse of its majesty.

Meals included: B,L,D

Day 8 Kandy - Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya, which we reach by a combination of train and road, is an area carpeted in lush green tea plantations and the home of the famous Ceylon tea. During a plantation visit we'll get to see how the leaves for England's favourite brew are picked by hand and taste a cup in its purest form.

Meals included: B,D

Day 9 Beruwala

We arrive in Beruwala today, where you can spend the next three days at leisure. Our hotel is located right on the beach and boasts an inviting pool and a rooftop spa. It's also just 1km from the town, where there are plenty of restaurants, cafés, bars and shops. 

Meals included: B,D

Day 10 Beruwala

A city tour of Galle today will introduce you to the port where the Portuguese first landed in Sri Lanka in 1505, while a visit to the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery allows you a privileged view of these endangered creatures.

Meals included: B,D

Day 11 Beruwala - at Leisure

Today is yours to spend as you like, you may choose to relax at your hotel or you could join an optional yoga session with an expert teacher. Meals included: B,D

Day 12 Beruwala

Today has been left free for you to spend at leisure. Perhaps spend some time relaxing on the beach or beside the hotel's pool, alternatively you may wish to book a treatment at the hotel spa.

This evening we'll gather as a group to enjoy a special farewell barbecue dinner on the beach.

Meals included: B,D

Day 13 Colombo - UK

Today we'll transfer to the airport for our return flight to the UK.

Meals included: B

Days 14 - 13 Departure

Today it's time to say goodbye to your fellow travellers as your tour comes to an end. Meals included: B

Additional Information

Please note: This holiday includes walking in areas of rough ground, gradients and steps with little or no hand rails to offer assistance.

Accommodation

Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel Colombo

Located along the banks of Beira Lake in Colombo, the Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo features an outdoor pool, a spa and wellness area, tennis, squash courts and also a gym. All rooms are stylishly appointed and have a flat-screen TV, safety deposit box and tea and coffee-making facilities, Wi-Fi and air conditioning. All rooms have en suite facilities.

Habarana Village - Habarana

The 4-star Habarana Village by cinnamon is wonderfully situated and borders a stunning lake.

Hotel facilities include a restuarant, bar and a swimming pool. Bedrooms have private facilities, air-conditioning, mini-bar, tea/coffee-making facilities and a TV.

Cinnamon Citadel Kandy

The 4-star Cinnamon Citadel in Kandy is an ideal base from which to discover this fascinating ancient city while also providing plenty of opportunities for relaxation in a peaceful setting.

Hotel facilities include a choice of restaurants, bar and swimming pool. Bedrooms have private facilities, air-conditioning, TV, minibar and hairdryer.

The Blackpool

Surrounded by vast tea estates, the Blackpool Hotel has the style of ancient colonialism but with modern touch. The hotel has an outdoor warm water pool, lounge, bar and restaurant. The 57 rooms are decorated with traditional Sri Lankan design and feature air conditioning, TV, safe, free Wi-Fi and private bathroom facilities.

Cinnamon Bey Beruwala

The 5-star Cinnamon Bey is situated in Beruwela.

Hotel facilities include a restaurant, bar and a swimming pool. Bedrooms have private facilities, air-conditioning, hairdryer, mini-bar, tea/coffee-making facilities and a TV.

Optional Excursions

Experience even more of your destination by adding one or more optional excursions to your trip before you set off. Take a look below at the extra trips you can enjoy on this tour

Sri Lanka - Habarana - Anuradhapura

Sri Lanka - Habarana - Anuradhapura

Visit UNESCO-listed Anuradhapura, the first capital and the grandest city of ancient Sri Lanka. This ancient buried city is full of stone carvings and sculptures, and a superb irrigation system of reservoirs and canals. Anuradhapura is also home to the oldest historically documented tree on earth - The Sri Maha Bodhi - which is over 2,200 years old and is respected by Buddhists all over the world
Visit UNESCO-listed Anuradhapura, the first capital and the grandest city of ancient Sri Lanka. This ancient buried city is full of stone carvings and sculptures, and a superb irri...

Read less

Read more

Sri Lanka - Beruwala - Yoga session

Sri Lanka - Beruwala - Yoga session

Why not ease into the day with Yoga!
Yoga is a collection of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. Yoga is an early method of exercise that focuses on strength, flexibility and breathing to boost physical and mental wellbeing. The main components of yoga are postures (a series of movements designed to increase strength and flexibility) and breathing. It helps to improve health and happiness. Your Guru today will help and guide you through this authentic practice.

Two-hour experience – Moderate activity – Enlightening
Why not ease into the day with Yoga!
Yoga is a collection of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. Yoga is an early metho...

Read less

Read more

Sri Lanka - Habarana - Dambulla cave temples

Sri Lanka - Habarana - Dambulla cave temples

Dambulla – located in the north central province, this UNESCO World Heritage Site which dates back to the 1st century BC is an amazing complex of five caves. First used as a refuge by an ancient king who on regaining his throne, commissioned magnificent carved images within the living rock. Cave inscriptions dating from the 2nd Century BC can be found and on the walls are many paintings most of which belong to the Kandy period (early 19th century).

This temple is a perfect location to view evolution of ancient Sri Lankan art and is an important historical site due to the amalgamation of the material from many eras.

Half day - Moderate walking - Not to be missed
Dambulla – located in the north central province, this UNESCO World Heritage Site which dates back to the 1st century BC is an amazing complex of five caves. First used as a refuge...

Read less

Read more

Personalise your trip

Choose to extend your stay with an organised add-on. 

Sri Lanka - Pearl of the Indian Ocean with Beruwala Beach Extension

Sri Lanka - Pearl of the Indian Ocean with Beruwala Beach Extension

Extend to 15 days from $550 Departures from: Oct 2024 - Oct 2025
With its incredible natural beauty, ancient sights and cultural treasures, Sri Lanka has much to offer. Admire the majestic elephants of Habarana, visit Sigiriya's 'Fortress in the Sky' and view the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, then round off your tour with days of relaxation on the beach.
With its incredible natural beauty, ancient sights and cultural treasures, Sri Lanka has much to offer. Admire the majestic elephants of Habarana, visit Sigiriya's 'Fortress in the...

Read less

Read more