Day 1
Meet and assist on arrival at Bandaranaike International airport and proceed to Dambulla
Upon arrival in Dambulla visit the rock temple in Dambulla
Dambulla rock temple was built by king Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C. and it is a World Heritage Site. It is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. meters of painted walls and ceilings is the largest area of paintings found in the world. It contains over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock and spanning 14 meters
Over night stay in Dambulla
Day 2
After breakfast proceed to Sigiriya to Climb the 5th century Sigiriya rock fortress which is a world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD). The ‘Lion Rock’ is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 meters from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. Visit the world-renowned frescoes of the ‘Heavenly Maidens’ of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway. These frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster
Overnight stay in Dambulla
Day 3
After breakfast at hotel proceed to Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka’s first capital and the most extensive & important of Sri Lanka’s ancient cities. The sacred bo-tree is the city’s holiest site, and was grown from the tree under which lord Buddha achieved enlightenment. The Thuparama Dagaba, the oldest of many temples in the city is believed to contain the right collar-bone of Lord Buddha. The Jetavanarama Dagaba is the largest remaining structure and may once have been over 100m (328ft) in height and housed an estimated 3000 monks. There are also museums that invite explorations
Thereafter proceed to Polonnaruwa for overnight stay
Day 4
After breakfast city tour in Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa, which was the 2nd capital city of Sri Lanka built in the 11th and 12th centuries AD, and which is a world heritage site. Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya where 4 splendid statues of the Buddha in ‘Upright’, ‘Sedentary’ and ‘Recumbent’ postures carved out of rock could be seen, the Audience Hall, the Lotus Bath, the statue of king Parakramabahu, and the Parakrama Samudraya – a lake built by King Parakramabahu the great. There are also monuments of famous places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankathilake, the Watadage, the Galpotha, the Kiri Vehera and the remains of a former Temple of the Tooth Relic
After lunch proceed to Kandy via a Spice Garden in Matale
Visit a spice garden in Matale to see different spices for which Sri Lanka is famous for. Here, clients could see different spices and how some of these spices are grown and processed. Be in time to view the cultural show in Kandy
Overnight stay in Kandy
Day 5
After breakfast city tour and shopping in Kandy
The hill capital is another” world heritage site.” It was the last stronghold of the Sinhalese kings during the Portuguese, Dutch & British rule and finally ceded to the British in 1815 after an agreement. To Buddhists of Sri Lanka & the world, Kandy is one of the most sacred sites as it is the home of the “Dalada Maligawa” – temple of the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha .
Thereafter could proceed to Colombo en route visiting Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage.
The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, established in 1975, commenced with seven orphans. Today some of these orphans enjoy the fortune of seeing their grandchildren born in the same location. The original objective of establishing the orphanage inclined more towards tourism, but is soon became a conservation and educational centre. With the help of local and foreign elephant experts, Pinnawela started a scientific captive-breeding program for elephants. The free movement of the herd enhanced the chances for respective individuals of both genders to get together and mate. The nearby river played a dominant role in this regard, and in 1984, the first baby of Pinnawela was born. The success story of Pinnawela has drawn the attention of scientists from all over the world. A considerable number of books and research articles on Pinnawela have been published in several languages. The members of the Pinnawela herd have been filmed, videoed and photographed thousands of times by professionals
Day 6
According to flight timings could depart to the Airport