Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Sri Lanka: Sigiriya, Kandy and the Hill Train to Ella
8 days from Negombo: Pidurangala at sunrise and Sigiriya at opening, Polonnaruwa by bicycle, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, the hill train to Ella and an elephant safari in Udawalawe.
8 days · Negombo to 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
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Negombo to Colombo
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Two early climbs: about 1,200 steps on Sigiriya, some narrow and exposed, and 30 to 45 minutes of rough steps with a boulder scramble up Pidurangala. A bicycle ride on flat paths at Polonnaruwa, a 45-minute walk up Little Adam's Peak and 2 to 3 km on uneven paths in Ella. You can skip Pidurangala, and the vehicle follows the bicycles.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 395 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to April; never over the 13 to 15 April New Year
Highlights
Why this trip
- Pidurangala at sunrise, with Sigiriya Lion Rock in front of you
- Sigiriya at opening, before the heat and the queues on the upper stairs
- The ruins of Polonnaruwa by bicycle, with a local site guide and lunch
- The Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, staying for the evening ceremony
- Reserved seats on the hill train from Nanu Oya to Ella, with our vehicle as backup
- The Nine Arch Bridge before 7 am and the Ella Gap from Little Adam's Peak
- An afternoon jeep safari for wild elephants in Udawalawe National Park
- Rice and curry cooked and eaten with a local family in Ella
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 395 (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
Arrive in Negombo
Bandaranaike International Airport to Negombo, about 10 km
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Negombo
- Drive about 30 min
Your trip starts at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) at Katunayake, Sri Lanka's main international airport, about 35 km north of Colombo. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the drive of about 30 minutes to your hotel in Negombo, a fishing town where a lagoon meets the Indian Ocean. Starting here rather than in Colombo means no city traffic on the day you land and a head start on tomorrow's drive inland.
Evening
Long-haul flights arrive at all hours, so nothing is planned before the evening: sleep, swim, or walk the beach, which faces west, so the sun sets over the sea. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the week ahead, with every drive time and early start spelled out, then we sit down together for a welcome dinner of rice and curry, seafood and hoppers at a local restaurant.
Included
- Pick-up at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Inland to Dambulla and Sigiriya
Negombo to the Dambulla cave temple, then Sigiriya, about 170 km
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sigiriya
- Drive about 4 h
We leave Negombo at about 8 am and head inland, about 150 km and three to three and a half hours to Dambulla, partly on the Central Expressway, with a coffee stop halfway. The coconut country of the west coast gives way to paddy fields, reservoirs and the granite outcrops of the dry zone.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down rice and curry in Dambulla. In the afternoon we climb the stepped path up the rock to the Dambulla 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. From the terrace the plain runs away to Sigiriya Rock on the horizon.
Evening
Then it is about half an hour to your hotel near Sigiriya, home for two nights, with the evening free.
Included
- Drive to the Cultural Triangle with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Dambulla
- Dambulla cave temple
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 20 minutes of steps up to the cave temple, and a hot stone terrace barefoot; bring socks.
Pidurangala sunrise and Polonnaruwa by bicycle
Pidurangala Rock, then the ruins of Polonnaruwa and back to Sigiriya
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sigiriya
- Drive about 2.5 h
For a view of Sigiriya itself, you climb the rock next door. We leave the hotel at about 5:30 am for Pidurangala, past a small Buddhist temple at its foot and up a forest path of rough stone steps, about 30 to 45 minutes to the top, with a short scramble over boulders at the end.
Morning
You watch the sun come up over the forest with Sigiriya Rock in front of you, then walk down for breakfast at the hotel. Mid-morning we drive about an hour and a quarter east to Polonnaruwa, the royal capital in the eleventh and twelfth centuries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, whose ruins spread across flat parkland beside the Parakrama Samudra reservoir. We ride between them on bicycles with a local site guide: the Royal Palace, the circular Vatadage in the Quadrangle and the Gal Vihara, where four Buddha figures, one of them reclining, are cut from a single granite face.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch near the ruins we are back at the hotel by mid-afternoon, with the rest of the day free.
Included
- Pidurangala Rock at sunrise with your guide
- Polonnaruwa ancient city by bicycle, with a local site guide and entry
- Sit-down lunch near Polonnaruwa
Easier option: Sleep in and skip Pidurangala, then join the group after breakfast; at Polonnaruwa ride in the vehicle between the ruin groups and walk the short distances.
More active option: Ride the full loop on to the northern group of ruins, Lankatilaka and the Kiri Vehera stupa, before lunch.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: Pidurangala ends in a short boulder scramble; bring a small torch and shoes with grip. Bicycles are on flat paths and the vehicle follows.
Sigiriya at opening, Kandy by evening
Sigiriya Lion Rock, then Aluvihare and Kandy, about 95 km
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Kandy
- Drive about 3 h
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. The climb, 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. We are down by about 10 am and drive south into the hills, about three hours, broken 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 stop on the way.
Evening
In Kandy, the last royal capital until 1815, we visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in the late afternoon and stay for the evening ceremony of drums and offerings. After that the evening is free by Kandy Lake.
Included
- Sigiriya Lion Rock at opening, with a local site guide and entry
- Aluvihare rock temple
- Sit-down lunch on the way to Kandy
- Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, with the evening ceremony
Easier option: Stay at the base of Sigiriya: walk the water and boulder gardens and see the lion paws from below while the others climb. In Kandy, 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 1,200 steps on Sigiriya, some on narrow metal stairways against the rock face; the guide sets the pace. Light clothing that covers shoulders and knees for the Temple of the Tooth.
Tea country and the hill train to Ella
Kandy to Nanu Oya by road via 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 tea 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. 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, tea on both sides, to Ella. The Kandy to Nanu Oya rail section has been closed since Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025, which is why we drive that part, and if the train is cancelled on the day the vehicle drives you to Ella instead.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Ramboda Falls viewpoint
- Working tea factory visit with a tasting
- Sit-down lunch in Nuwara Eliya
- Reserved seats on the train from Nanu Oya to Ella
Free time: Evening free in Ella
Activity: The train service and its time 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, and the middle of the day is free: a massage, a nap, or a cafe above the valley.
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 Udawalawe for an elephant safari
Ella to Ravana Falls, Buduruwagala and Udawalawe National Park, about 110 km
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Udawalawe
- Drive about 3 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 we carry on to Udawalawe, about 110 km and three hours of driving in all, arriving for a sit-down lunch at the hotel and a rest through the heat. At about 3 pm we head into Udawalawe National Park by open jeep, two jeeps for the group so everyone has a window. Wild elephants feed here year round in the grassland and scrub around the Udawalawe reservoir, along with water buffalo, crocodiles, peafowl and eagles.
Evening
We stay out until the park closes near sunset, then meet for a farewell dinner, the last evening together.
Included
- Ravana Falls
- Buduruwagala rock carvings
- Sit-down lunch in Udawalawe
- Jeep safari in Udawalawe National Park, with park fees
- Farewell dinner
Free time: Early afternoon free at the hotel
Activity: About three hours in an open jeep on dirt tracks; bring a hat, sunscreen and binoculars if you have them.
Orphaned elephants, then back to Colombo
Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home, then to Bandaranaike International Airport or Colombo, about 250 km
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 4.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive about ten minutes to the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home, run by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, which raises orphaned elephant calves and returns them to the park when they are old enough to live wild. We arrive for the morning feeding (time confirmed with your itinerary), when the young elephants come in for their milk, and watch from the viewing platform, which keeps visitors at a distance. Then it is the long drive back, about 250 km and four and a half hours, partly on the Southern Expressway.
Afternoon
That is over our four-hour cap, and there is no shorter road from the south back to the airport, so we break it with a sit-down lunch and a coffee stop. We aim to reach Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) in the late afternoon, by about 5 pm.
Evening
Book a flight leaving after about 8 pm; many long-haul flights leave late in the evening. If you are staying on, we drop you at a Colombo hotel instead.
Included
- Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home at the morning feeding
- Sit-down lunch on the way
- Drop-off at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) or a Colombo hotel
Easier option: For an earlier flight, we skip the feeding and leave straight after breakfast.
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 8 pm; exact timings come with your final itinerary.
- Negombo1 night
- Sigiriya2 nights
- Kandy1 night
- Ella2 nights
- Udawalawe1 night
- 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 west coast, 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. From about May to September the south-west monsoon brings rain to the hill country, so we do not run then. Wild elephants are seen in Udawalawe National Park year round; sightings are likely but never guaranteed. 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
- First-time visitors with about a week for Sri Lanka
- Travellers happy to start early for quiet sights, with free time after
- Ruins, temples, tea country and wildlife in one short trip
- Solo travellers who want a small group and a single-room price shown up front
Not for you if you want
- A beach holiday: the trip does not reach the south coast
- Step-free access: Sigiriya and Pidurangala mean many uneven steps
- Travellers who want two nights in every stop (see the 14-day Sri Lanka Highlights)
- Whale watching or Galle Fort, which are on the 14-day trip
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Negombo1 night
- Sigiriya2 nights
- Kandy1 night
- Ella2 nights
- Udawalawe1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 1 in Negombo, 2 near Sigiriya, 1 in Kandy, 2 in Ella and 1 near Udawalawe National Park
- Central hotels of at least a 3-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, as many hill-country hotels have long stairs
- 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 8
- 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
- Two open jeeps for the Udawalawe safari
- Bicycles at Polonnaruwa
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from arrival to departure
- Licensed local site guides at Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and the Temple of the Tooth
- Park drivers in Udawalawe National Park
Activities
- Dambulla cave temple
- Pidurangala Rock at sunrise
- Polonnaruwa ancient city by bicycle
- Sigiriya Lion Rock at opening
- Aluvihare rock temple near Matale
- Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, with the evening ceremony
- A working tea factory with a tasting
- 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
- Jeep safari in Udawalawe National Park, with park fees
- Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home at a feeding time
- All entrance fees for included sights
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 6 sit-down lunches, on days 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8
- 3 dinners: welcome dinner in Negombo, dinner with a family in Ella and a farewell dinner in Udawalawe
Not included
- International flights to and from Colombo
- Sri Lanka ETA or visa
- Travel insurance
- Lunch on days 1 and 6, and dinners on days 2 to 5
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide, driver and local guides
- Camera fees where a site charges them
- Optional activities such as massages or Ella Rock
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 395 (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
Prices in these answers apply from Dec 2, 2026. Black Friday offer: 5% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 2,035 per person. From Dec 2, 2026: from CAD 2,140.
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 6 sit-down lunches and 3 dinners, airport transfers both ways, our own vehicle and driver, reserved train seats from Nanu Oya to Ella, a See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every entry on the plan, including Sigiriya, Pidurangala, Polonnaruwa by bicycle, the Temple of the Tooth and the Udawalawe jeep safari with park fees.
How big is the group?
Between 7 and 12 guests. That fits one vehicle with seats to spare, two safari jeeps with a window for everyone and one table at lunch, and it means everyone can hear the guide at the Temple of the Tooth and on Sigiriya's narrow stairs.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the airport on day 1 to the airport on day 8. Licensed local site guides join at Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and the Temple of the Tooth, and park drivers take the jeeps in Udawalawe. 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, and Pidurangala is a 30 to 45 minute climb with a boulder scramble at the top. Polonnaruwa is on flat paths by bicycle and Little Adam's Peak is a 45-minute walk. You can skip Pidurangala, and the vehicle follows the bicycles. We flag hotel rooms with a lift or on the ground floor when we confirm your hotels.
I'm travelling solo. Do I pay more?
Only if you want a room of your own, which is CAD 395 more, shown before you book with no surprise later. Everything else is the same as for guests who share a room: the same seats, meals, guides and activities.
When is the best time to go?
December to April. It is the dry season in the hill country and on the west coast, with warm days in the lowlands and cool mornings in Ella and Nuwara Eliya. The Cultural Triangle can still see showers in December and early January. 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?
You request to book: pick your start date and style, and we confirm your trip within 24 hours. No payment is taken until then. The small group starts from CAD 2,140 per person sharing, taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 3,850.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The private trip is your party only, with your own guide, vehicle and driver, on a date you choose, from CAD 3,850 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 safari for you.
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.
Is the train from Kandy to Ella running?
Partly. The Kandy to Nanu Oya section has been closed since Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025, so we drive that stretch through tea country and board the train at Nanu Oya, with reserved seats, for the scenic run to Ella. If the train is cancelled on the day, our vehicle drives you instead.
Will we see wild elephants?
Most likely, though no safari can promise it. Wild elephants live in Udawalawe National Park year round, and our jeep safari runs in the late afternoon until the park closes. On the last morning you also watch orphaned calves being fed at the Elephant Transit Home.
How is this different from your 14-day Sri Lanka Highlights?
This is the short version for a week away, with one-night stops in Negombo, Kandy and Udawalawe to fit it. It keeps Pidurangala, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Kandy, the hill train and Ella. Sri Lanka Highlights adds a third night at Sigiriya, a second in Kandy, a free day in Ella, whale watching from Mirissa and Galle Fort, from CAD 3,670.
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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