Sri Lanka adventure tour: Yala, Ella, Kandy and Sigiriya

The tour

This tour crosses the south, centre and west of Sri Lanka in a week. It sets off from Galle, follows the coast to Yala National Park, climbs into the highlands at Ella, takes the train from Ella to Nanu Oya, one of the island’s finest rail journeys, then heads on to Kandy, Dambulla and Sigiriya before a last night by the sea in Negombo.

Along the way, the people you meet matter as much as the scenery: lunch at a Hela Bojun, a food court run by local women, trying on Kandyan sarees and sarongs, a village walk and a traditional boat ride on a reservoir, the regional craft centres and the huge Dambulla vegetable market.

The tour suits adults, young travellers and families who want to see a lot of the country in a short time, with a driver for the journeys and local guides at the Temple of the Tooth and Sigiriya.

What makes it different

A safari in Yala National Park
The train from Ella to Nanu Oya
Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth
The climb up Sigiriya rock
Lunch in Hiriwadunna village

Day by day

Day 1: Galle to Yala

Leave Galle at around 8am for a two-and-a-half to three-hour drive along the south coast. Lunch, hotel check-in, then a half-day safari in Yala National Park: elephants, leopards, sloth bears, crocodiles, buffalo, monkeys, deer, wild boar, peacocks and plenty of birdlife.

Day 2: Ella

A two-and-a-half to three-hour drive to Ella, a relaxed highland town surrounded by hills and tea plantations. A visit to the Nine Arches Bridge, a colonial-era railway landmark, then lunch and a climb of 45 minutes to an hour up Little Adam’s Peak for views over the mountains and valleys.

Day 3: The train from Ella to Nanu Oya

Sunrise over the Ella Gap from the hotel, then a three to four-hour train ride through tea-covered hills, villages and mountain forest to Nanu Oya. Lunch and the drive to Kandy, a city steeped in history and culture.

Day 4: Kandy

Try on Kandyan sarees and sarongs at a traditional clothing shop, have lunch at a Hela Bojun, then take a late-afternoon tour of the city. In the evening, a guided visit to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, in the former royal palace complex and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 5: On to Dambulla

Drive to Dambulla, stopping at the regional craft centres, then visit the Dambulla vegetable market, the country’s largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market. A walk through Hiriwadunna village, birdwatching from a traditional boat on the reservoir and a Sri Lankan lunch cooked in the village.

Day 6: Sigiriya and Negombo

An early start at around 6am for Sigiriya, an ancient rock fortress and UNESCO World Heritage Site: the gardens, the climb to the summit and the view over the plains, with a local guide. Then on to Negombo, a beach town near the airport, for a last night by the sea.

Day 7: Departure

Breakfast, then transfer to Colombo International Airport.

On site

Accommodation

Hotel nights at every stop: near Yala, in Ella, Kandy and Dambulla, and finally by the sea in Negombo.

Meals

Breakfast and lunch every day, often at local restaurants or in the village; breakfast only on the last day.

Arrival

The tour starts in Galle at around 8am on day 1. On the last day, transfers to Colombo International Airport run until midday, so book a return flight leaving before 4pm.

Included

Airport welcome and transfer
Accommodation in hostels and hotels
Meals (breakfast and lunch)
All activities described in the itinerary
24-hour assistance and supervision
Donation to the project

Not included

Flights
Travel and repatriation insurance
Return transfer

Adventure tour in Sri Lanka