Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Sri Lanka: Boutique and Heritage Stays from Sigiriya to Galle
10 days from Colombo airport to Galle Fort: Sigiriya at opening, Kandy, the hill train to Ella, two Yala safaris and two nights in Galle, in boutique and heritage hotels.
10 days · Round trip from Colombo · up to 12 guests
The palace ruins on the summit of Sigiriya Photo: Daibo Taku, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sigiriya,_Sri_Lanka_-_panoramio_(100).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Colombo
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
About 1,200 steps on Sigiriya, some on narrow stairways against the rock, and an optional 30 to 45 minute climb with a boulder scramble up Pidurangala. A 45-minute walk up Little Adam's Peak and 2 to 3 km on uneven paths in Ella, two jeep drives of about three hours each on dirt tracks in Yala, and about 2 km on flat stone in Galle Fort. You can sit out Sigiriya, Pidurangala and Little Adam's Peak.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 895 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to April; never over the 13 to 15 April New Year
Highlights
Why this trip
- Sigiriya Lion Rock at opening, then a free afternoon at a boutique hotel
- Pidurangala at sunset, with Sigiriya rock in front of you
- The Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, staying for the evening ceremony
- Afternoon tea in the old hill station of Nuwara Eliya, then reserved seats on the train to Ella
- The Nine Arch Bridge before 7 am and the Ella Gap from Little Adam's Peak
- Two jeep drives in Yala National Park, the second at the 6 am opening with breakfast in the park
- Galle Fort's ramparts at sunset and a free afternoon inside the walls
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 895 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
From the airport to Sigiriya
Bandaranaike International Airport to Sigiriya via Kurunegala and Dambulla, about 165 km
- Lunch on the drive and a welcome dinner
- Stay in Sigiriya
- Drive about 4 h
Your trip starts at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) at Katunayake, north of Colombo. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall, and we drive inland to Sigiriya, about 165 km and four hours, partly on the Central Expressway towards Kurunegala.
Evening
We go straight there rather than spending a first night by the airport, so all nine nights are in the hotels the trip is built around. The coconut country of the west gives way to rice paddies, reservoirs and the granite outcrops of the dry zone, and we stop halfway for a sit-down lunch of rice and curry. You reach your boutique hotel near Sigiriya in the afternoon, home for two nights, with time to swim or sleep. At about 7 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the days ahead, with every drive time and early start spelled out, then we sit down together for a welcome dinner. If you land late, we can book a night near the airport first.
Included
- Pick-up at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB)
- Sit-down lunch on the way
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Optional experiences
- A pre-trip night near the airport, booked on request
Free time: Afternoon free at the hotel
Activity: Land by about 1 pm to join the group transfer; a later arrival can be met separately.
Sigiriya at opening, Pidurangala at sunset
Sigiriya Lion Rock, then Pidurangala Rock in the late afternoon
- Breakfast
- Stay in Sigiriya
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
An early breakfast, then we are at the Sigiriya gate when it opens, about 7 am, ahead of the heat and the queues that build on the upper stairs from mid-morning. King Kashyapa built his palace on top of this rock in the late fifth century, and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With a licensed local site guide, the climb of about 1,200 steps passes the water gardens, the painted women of the frescoes, the polished Mirror Wall and the giant stone paws of the lion gate before the summit, nearly 200 metres above the plain, where brick foundations look out over forest and reservoirs.
Afternoon
We are down by about 10 am, and the rest of the day is yours: the pool, a massage or a long lunch. At about 4:30 pm the guide takes anyone who wants to go up Pidurangala, the rock next door, about 30 to 45 minutes on rough steps with a boulder scramble at the top, to watch the sun go down behind Sigiriya.
Included
- Sigiriya Lion Rock at opening, with a local site guide and entry
- Pidurangala Rock at sunset with your guide
Optional experiences
- Massage at the hotel (paid locally)
Easier option: Stay at the base of Sigiriya: walk the water and boulder gardens and see the lion paws from below, and skip Pidurangala.
More active option: Climb both rocks: Sigiriya in the morning and Pidurangala at sunset.
Free time: Late morning and early afternoon free
Activity: Bring a small torch for the walk down Pidurangala after sunset, and shoes with grip.
Dambulla, Aluvihare and the Temple of the Tooth
Sigiriya to the Dambulla cave temple, then Aluvihare and Kandy, about 95 km
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kandy
- Drive about 3 h
A relaxed start, then about half an hour to Dambulla, where a stepped path climbs the rock to the cave temple, a place of pilgrimage for more than two thousand years and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Five caves hold more than 150 Buddha statues under painted ceilings that cover almost every surface of the rock. Cover shoulders and knees, and leave shoes at the door. We drive on south into the hills, stopping at Aluvihare, a rock temple near Matale where, Buddhist tradition holds, monks first wrote down the Buddha's teachings on palm leaves.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal on the way, and the driving comes to about three hours in all.
Evening
In Kandy, the last royal capital until 1815, we check in, then visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic beside the lake in the late afternoon and stay for the evening ceremony of drums and offerings. After that the evening is free by Kandy Lake.
Included
- Dambulla cave temple
- Aluvihare rock temple
- Sit-down lunch on the way to Kandy
- Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, with a local site guide and the evening ceremony
Optional experiences
- Kandyan dance performance (paid locally)
Easier option: Watch the drummers from the hall below instead of joining the queue upstairs past the relic chamber, or go straight to the hotel to rest.
Free time: Evening free after the ceremony
Activity: About 20 minutes of steps up to the cave temple and a hot stone terrace barefoot; bring socks. Light clothing that covers shoulders and knees for the Temple of the Tooth.
Tea country, afternoon tea and the train to Ella
Kandy to Nanu Oya by road via Ramboda Falls and Nuwara Eliya, then the train to Ella
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ella
- Drive about 3 h
We leave Kandy at about 7:30 am and climb by road into tea country, about 80 km and three hours with stops. The road winds up past Ramboda Falls and estates where pickers work the slopes, and we stop at a working tea factory to see how green leaf becomes black tea, with a tasting. Tea has grown here since the 1860s, when it replaced coffee after a leaf blight.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Nuwara Eliya, the old hill station at about 1,870 metres, cool enough for a jacket, followed by afternoon tea in one of its colonial-era hotels. At Nanu Oya, the station for Nuwara Eliya, we board the train with reserved seats. For about three hours it climbs past Pattipola, the highest station on the line, then runs down through Haputale and Bandarawela to Ella. The Kandy to Nanu Oya rail section has been closed since Cyclone Ditwah, which is why we drive that part; if the train is cancelled, the vehicle drives you.
Included
- Ramboda Falls viewpoint
- Working tea factory visit with a tasting
- Sit-down lunch and afternoon tea in Nuwara Eliya
- Reserved seats on the train from Nanu Oya to Ella
Free time: Evening free in Ella
Activity: The train time and seat class are confirmed with your final itinerary, as the timetable on this line changed after the cyclone.
Nine Arch Bridge at dawn and Little Adam's Peak
Ella to the Nine Arch Bridge and Little Adam's Peak on foot, then dinner with a local family
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Ella
An early start pays off here. We walk to the Nine Arch Bridge before 7 am, when mist still sits in the valley and the crowds have not arrived.
Morning
Completed in 1921, the bridge curves across a ravine on stone and brick arches about 24 metres high, and your guide will know the morning train times so you can watch one cross. Then we walk on to Little Adam's Peak, about 45 minutes up a path through tea gardens to a grassy ridge with long views down the Ella Gap to the plains. You are back for a late breakfast at the hotel, and the middle of the day is free: a massage, a nap, a book on a balcony above the tea, or a cafe in town.
Afternoon
In the late afternoon a local family shows you how they cook rice and curry at home, dhal, a vegetable curry, coconut sambol and more, ground and stirred by hand, which we then eat together around their table.
Included
- Nine Arch Bridge before 7 am with your guide
- Little Adam's Peak walk
- Cooking and dinner with a local family
Optional experiences
- Ayurvedic massage (paid locally)
Easier option: Take a tuk-tuk to the viewpoint above the Nine Arch Bridge and skip the climb up Little Adam's Peak.
More active option: Swap Little Adam's Peak for Ella Rock with a local guide, about 3 to 4 hours return through eucalyptus and tea, back in time for the cooking.
Free time: Middle of the day free
Activity: Stay back from the bridge edge and off the track; there are no railings.
Down to Yala for an afternoon safari
Ella to Ravana Falls, Buduruwagala and Tissamaharama, then Yala National Park, about 110 km
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tissamaharama
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
We leave Ella after breakfast and drop through the Ella Gap, stopping at Ravana Falls by the roadside, to the dry lowlands at Wellawaya. Just south of town, Buduruwagala is a quiet forest site where seven figures were carved into a rock face around the tenth century, the central standing Buddha about 15 metres tall.
Afternoon
From there the road runs south through scrub and reservoirs to Tissamaharama, about 110 km and two and a half hours of driving in all, and a sit-down lunch at the lodge, home for two nights. At about 2:30 pm we head into Yala National Park by open jeep, with no more than six guests to a jeep so everyone has a window. Yala's grassland, scrub and lagoons by the sea hold elephants, water buffalo, crocodiles, spotted deer, peafowl and many water birds, and the park is known for its leopards, which are seen on some drives but never promised.
Evening
We stay out until the park closes near sunset, then have dinner at the lodge.
Included
- Ravana Falls
- Buduruwagala rock carvings
- Sit-down lunch at the lodge
- Afternoon jeep safari in Yala National Park, with park fees
- Dinner at the lodge
Activity: About three and a half hours in an open jeep on dirt tracks; bring a hat, sunscreen, binoculars if you have them and clothes in neutral colours.
Yala at dawn, a free afternoon
Yala National Park at the 6 am opening, then the lodge
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tissamaharama
The second drive starts in the dark. We leave the lodge at about 5:15 am to be at the gate when it opens at about 6, because the first hours are when animals move most and the light is low and warm. The park drivers know which tracks and water holes have been busy that week and keep to the park's rules on distance and speed.
Afternoon
Mid-morning we stop at a permitted spot for a picnic breakfast, then carry on until late morning and head back to the lodge for lunch and a quiet afternoon by the pool through the heat.
Evening
In the late afternoon your guide can take anyone who wants to go to Tissa Wewa, the old reservoir at Tissamaharama, where egrets and cormorants come in to roost at dusk, or to the large white stupa in the town. Dinner is at the lodge again, the second of two nights here, so there is nothing to pack until the morning.
Included
- Dawn jeep safari in Yala National Park, with park fees
- Picnic breakfast in the park
- Lunch and dinner at the lodge
- Tissa Wewa reservoir at dusk with your guide
Optional experiences
- Evening puja at the Kataragama shrines, about 20 km away (ask your guide)
Easier option: Skip the dawn drive, sleep in and join the group for lunch.
Free time: Afternoon free at the lodge
Activity: About five hours in an open jeep; it is cool before sunrise, so bring a light layer.
Along the south coast to Galle
Tissamaharama to Mirissa, Koggala and Galle, about 150 km
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Galle
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive west along the south coast, past fishing harbours, salt pans and the beaches of Tangalle, about 150 km and three and a half hours with stops.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal by the sea at Mirissa, a curved bay with a fishing harbour. Further on, at Koggala, you will see the stilt fishermen on their poles in the shallows. Few of them fish this way now; most pose for photos in return for a tip, and your guide will explain how it works. We reach Galle in the late afternoon and check in to a heritage hotel inside the fort walls or within a short walk, home for two nights. Galle Fort was first built by the Portuguese in 1588 and greatly expanded by the Dutch from the 1640s, and its walls still enclose a whole town of churches, warehouses and quiet lanes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As the sun goes down we walk the ramparts with your guide to Flag Rock.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Sit-down lunch in Mirissa
- Stilt fishermen at Koggala
- Sunset walk on the Galle Fort ramparts with your guide
Free time: Evening free in Galle Fort
Galle Fort on foot, a free afternoon
Galle Fort walking tour, then Galle at your pace
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Galle
We start at about 8 am, before the heat and the day visitors from the beach towns, for a walk through the fort with your guide. The streets are laid out on the Dutch grid: Church Street with the Dutch Reformed Church and its gravestones set into the floor, the old warehouse that now holds the National Maritime Museum, the lighthouse on the point and the mansions with deep verandas along Leyn Baan Street. Your guide explains how the fort survived the 2004 tsunami that destroyed much of the town outside its walls.
Afternoon
By late morning you are on your own, with lunch at one of the cafes inside the fort. Spend the afternoon by the hotel pool, browse the small shops and galleries, swim at Jungle Beach near Unawatuna, a short tuk-tuk away, or sleep.
Evening
In the evening the group meets for a farewell dinner inside the walls to look back over the trip.
Included
- Galle Fort walking tour with your guide
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- Whale watching from Mirissa, December to April, about 6 am to midday (paid locally)
- Cooking class or massage (paid locally)
Easier option: Join the first half of the walk along Church Street, then rest at the hotel.
More active option: Walk the full circuit of the ramparts, about 3 km, in the morning before the tour.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About 2 km on flat stone streets; bring a sun hat.
Back to Colombo airport
Galle to Bandaranaike International Airport or a Colombo hotel, about 150 km
- Breakfast
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
A slow last morning: breakfast at the hotel, a walk on the ramparts or a swim. At about 11 am we drive north on the Southern Expressway, the fast inland road from the south coast towards Colombo, then by the Outer Circular and the airport expressway to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) at Katunayake, about 150 km and two and a half hours. We aim to reach the airport by about 2 pm, with a margin for traffic around Colombo.
Evening
Book a flight leaving after about 5 pm; many long-haul flights from Colombo leave in the evening or overnight. If yours is late, we can arrange a later departure from Galle or a day room where the hotel allows it. If you are staying on in Colombo, we drop you at your hotel in the city instead, and we can book extra nights before or after the trip on request.
Included
- Drop-off at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) or a Colombo hotel
Free time: Morning free in Galle
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 5 pm; exact timings come with your final itinerary.
- Colombostart
- Sigiriya2 nights
- Kandy1 night
- Ella2 nights
- Tissamaharama2 nights
- Galle2 nights
- Colomboend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: December to April is the dry season in the hill country and on the south and west coasts, with warm days in the lowlands and cool mornings around Nuwara Eliya and Ella. The Cultural Triangle can still see north-east monsoon showers in December and early January. Yala is driest from about February, when animals gather at the water holes; elephants, crocodiles, buffalo and birds are seen on most drives, leopards and sloth bears sometimes, and no safari can promise them. From about May to September the south-west monsoon brings rain to the hills and Galle, and Yala's main block has typically closed for part of September and October, so we do not run then. Around 13 to 15 April, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, much of the country closes.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the classic Sri Lanka route in boutique and heritage hotels
- Couples and friends with ten days who prefer two nights in most places
- Wildlife lovers who want two Yala drives, including the dawn one, in the price
- Solo travellers who want a small group and a single-room price shown up front
Not for you if you want
- Budget travel: our 14-day Sri Lanka Highlights uses 3-star-plus hotels at a lower price
- Step-free access: Sigiriya and the Ella walks mean many uneven steps
- A beach week: Galle is a fort town with a free afternoon, not a resort stay
- Polonnaruwa, Horton Plains or whale watching as included sights
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Sigiriya2 nights
- Kandy1 night
- Ella2 nights
- Tissamaharama2 nights
- Galle2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights: 2 near Sigiriya, 1 in Kandy, 2 in Ella, 2 near Yala National Park at Tissamaharama and 2 in or beside Galle Fort
- Boutique and heritage hotels of a 4-star-plus standard; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms with a lift or on the ground floor flagged when we confirm your hotels
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) on day 1, and drop-off there or at a Colombo hotel on day 10
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group, with seats to spare
- Reserved seats on the train from Nanu Oya to Ella, with the vehicle as backup
- Open jeeps with park drivers for both Yala safaris, no more than six guests to a jeep
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from arrival to departure
- Licensed local site guides at Sigiriya and the Temple of the Tooth
- Park drivers in Yala National Park
Activities
- Sigiriya Lion Rock at opening
- Pidurangala Rock at sunset
- Dambulla cave temple
- Aluvihare rock temple near Matale
- Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, with the evening ceremony
- A working tea factory with a tasting, and afternoon tea in Nuwara Eliya
- The hill train from Nanu Oya to Ella
- Nine Arch Bridge and Little Adam's Peak walks in Ella
- Cooking and dinner with a local family in Ella
- Ravana Falls and the Buduruwagala rock carvings
- Two jeep safaris in Yala National Park, afternoon and dawn, with park fees
- Tissa Wewa reservoir at dusk
- The stilt fishermen at Koggala
- Galle Fort ramparts at sunset and a walking tour of the fort
- All entrance fees for included sights
Meals
- 9 breakfasts, one of them a picnic in Yala National Park
- 6 sit-down lunches, on days 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8
- Afternoon tea in Nuwara Eliya
- 5 dinners: welcome dinner in Sigiriya, dinner with a family in Ella, two dinners at the Yala lodge and a farewell dinner in Galle
Not included
- International flights to and from Colombo
- Sri Lanka ETA or visa
- Travel insurance
- A pre-trip night near the airport
- Lunch on days 2, 5, 9 and 10, and dinners on days 2, 3, 4 and 8
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, driver, site guides and park drivers
- Camera fees where a site charges them
- Optional activities such as massages, Ella Rock or whale watching
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 895 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Nine nights in boutique and heritage hotels of a 4-star-plus standard, 9 breakfasts, 6 sit-down lunches, afternoon tea and 5 dinners, airport transfers both ways, our own vehicle and driver, reserved train seats to Ella, a See Sight Tours guide throughout, two Yala safaris with park fees and every entry on the plan, including Sigiriya, Dambulla and the Temple of the Tooth.
Why does this cost more than your other Sri Lanka trips?
Mostly the hotels. Sri Lanka Highlights and the 8-day Sigiriya, Kandy and Ella trip use central 3-star-plus hotels; this trip uses boutique and heritage hotels of a 4-star-plus standard every night. It also includes two Yala safaris with Yala's park fees, five dinners and afternoon tea. The route, guide and group size are the same.
Which hotels do you use?
We name each hotel when we confirm your dates. Every one is a boutique or heritage hotel of a 4-star-plus standard, chosen for its position: near the Sigiriya gate, a short ride from the Nine Arch Bridge, close to the Yala gate, and inside or beside Galle Fort. The private trip uses the same hotels.
How big is the group?
Between 7 and 12 guests. That fits one vehicle with seats to spare, jeeps with no more than six guests each in Yala, and one table at dinner, and it means everyone can hear the guide on Sigiriya's narrow stairs and at the Temple of the Tooth.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the airport on day 1 to the airport on day 10. Licensed local site guides join at Sigiriya and the Temple of the Tooth, and park drivers take the jeeps in Yala. We send your guide's name with your final itinerary.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. Sigiriya is about 1,200 steps, some narrow and exposed, Pidurangala is an optional 30 to 45 minute climb with a boulder scramble, and Little Adam's Peak is a 45-minute walk. The Yala drives are long sits in an open jeep. You can skip any climb, and we flag rooms with a lift or on the ground floor.
I'm travelling solo. Do I pay more?
Only if you want a room of your own, which is CAD 895 more, shown before you book with no surprise later. Everything else is the same as for guests who share a room: the same hotels, seats, meals, guides and safaris.
When is the best time to go?
December to April. It is the dry season in the hill country and on the south coast, with cool mornings in Ella and warm days in Galle. Yala is driest from about February. We do not run over the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, 13 to 15 April, when much of the country closes.
How does booking work?
Send your preferred dates as an enquiry. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 4,985 per person sharing, taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 8,975.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The private trip is your party only, with your own guide, vehicle and driver, in the same hotels, on a date you choose, from CAD 8,975 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, train seats and safaris.
Do I need a visa for Sri Lanka?
Most visitors do. Apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before you fly, through the official Sri Lankan government site. Fees and free-visa schemes change, so check the rule for your passport when you book, and make sure your passport is valid for at least six months after arrival.
Will we see a leopard in Yala?
Possibly, but no safari can promise it. Yala is known for its leopards, and two drives, one in the afternoon and one from the 6 am opening, give you two chances. Elephants, crocodiles, water buffalo, deer and many birds are seen on most drives.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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