Grand Tour with the East Coast – 14-day private tour of Sri Lanka

Highlights

What you'll remember

• 01Leopard safari in Yala
• 02Lipton's Seat by tuk-tuk and Little Adam's Peak
• 03The train from Ella to Nanu Oya
• 04Sigiriya and an elephant safari at Minneriya
• 05Polonnaruwa by bicycle
• 06Snorkelling at Pigeon Island off Nilaveli

Day by day

The itinerary

1. Day 1 · Arrive → Colombo

   Met at the airport for the short drive into Colombo. If you land early enough, visit Gangaramaya Temple, the Lotus Tower, Independence Square and the busy Pettah Market.

   Approx. 45 min drive

   
2. Day 2 · Colombo → Yala

   Down the expressway to the south, with a bird-watching boat safari at the Kalametiya lagoon on the way to the edge of Yala.

   Approx. 4.5 hrs drive

   
3. Day 3 · Yala safari → Ella

   Out at dawn on a jeep safari in Yala looking for leopards, elephants and sloth bears. Then up into the hills, stopping at the rock-carved Buddhas of Buduruwagala near Wellawaya, and the Nine Arches Bridge in Ella.

   Safari 3–4 hrs · approx. 2.5 hrs drive

   
4. Day 4 · Ella

   A tuk-tuk ride up to Lipton's Seat near Haputale for the famous view over the tea estates, then an easy hike up Little Adam's Peak or a walk through Ella village.

   Local drives

   
5. Day 5 · Ella → Nanu Oya by train, Nuwara Eliya

   Ride the scenic train from Ella to Nanu Oya while your driver takes the bags. In Nuwara Eliya, see Gregory Lake and the old red-brick post office of the colonial town known as Little England.

   Train approx. 3.5 hrs

   
6. Day 6 · Nuwara Eliya → Kandy

   Down from the hills past Ramboda Falls and a tea factory, then the Temple of the Tooth and a Kandyan dance performance in the evening.

   Approx. 3 hrs drive

   
7. Day 7 · Kandy → Dambulla → Sigiriya

   The Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, then north to the ancient stone temple of Nalanda Gedige and the painted cave temple of Dambulla.

   Approx. 3 hrs drive

   
8. Day 8 · Sigiriya and Minneriya safari

   Climb Sigiriya Rock in the cool morning, take a jeep safari at Minneriya to see wild elephants, then unwind with a traditional Ayurvedic massage.

   Local drives

   
9. Day 9 · Sigiriya → Polonnaruwa → Pasikudah

   Cycle between the palaces and the great carved Buddhas of Gal Vihara in Polonnaruwa, then east to the coast to relax on the beach at Pasikudah.

   Approx. 3 hrs drive

   
10. Day 10 · Pasikudah

    A free day to relax on the long, shallow, sheltered beach.

    At leisure

    
11. Day 11 · Pasikudah → Trincomalee

    North along the coast to Trincomalee for the old Dutch fort and the Thirukoneswaram Temple on the cliffs above the sea.

    Approx. 2.5 hrs drive

    
12. Day 12 · Nilaveli and Pigeon Island

    A boat out to Pigeon Island to snorkel or dive among the coral and reef fish (best from May to September).

    Boat trip

    
13. Day 13 · Nilaveli → Negombo

    Back across the island by road to Negombo, close to the airport, for a relaxed last night.

    Approx. 4.5–5.5 hrs drive

    
14. Day 14 · Negombo → Airport

    A short transfer to the airport for your flight home.

    Approx. 30 min drive

    

What's in the price

The route

Your route at a glance