The ‘cultural tour’ of Sri Lanka is a carefully designed travel filled with the best and most fascinating religious and cultural attractions that the island has to offer. We show you the diversified facets of Sri Lankan culture that you never thought of! So, prepare yourself for the ultimate travel plunge to a land of unforgettable experiences, whilst you witness a blend of history, culture, traditions, festivals, architecture and landscapes at each of our picked destinations.
You will enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience of the exotic tropical island as you will visit the historical sites, once home to ancient kingdoms and culture-rich eras. Experience the history of culture with us as we take you on an exciting journey around the island, from witnessing mist capped peaks of the central hills with pristine valleys weaving through, learning the history of the magnificent ruins and colossal statues, rock climbs to explore caves, to explore the maritime era, enjoy the buzzing city life to relaxing on the golden sandy beaches. Sri Lanka is home to a bounty of spectacular destinations and scenic attractions, each with a story of its own. Embark on our carefully curated tour with signature experiences from start to finish, exclusively designed with you in mind.
Soon after you touchdown in Sri Lanka, an NKAR representative will welcome you at the airport. Here’s to an exciting cultural and Heritage tour ahead, and your first destination is Negombo – a key fishing town on the Western Coast of Sri Lanka. After a 30 mins drive, you will reach the town, check-in at your hotel to relax before you engage in the Negombo City tour in the evening.
The Negombo city is known for its fishing industry with busy fish markets, sandy beaches, hotels and restaurants. Fishing and tourism are the key driving factors of the economy of Negombo, and the bounty of seafood restaurants are a gourmet’s true delight. You will also find many local handicrafts, batiks and jewellery boutiques on the beaches and street hawkers in the city. Whilst touring the city visiting the St.Mary’s church, the main fish market, Dutch Clock Tower and Dutch Fort you could do some quick shopping to your heart’s content (optional – Boat Ride to return to the Hotel). After an exciting first day in Sri Lanka, you will arrive at your hotel.
Dinner & Overnight stay at a hotel in Negombo.Begin your day with breakfast before proceeding to Chillaw – a large town in Puttalam District of the North Western Province of the island. Upon reaching Chillaw you will visit the famous Munneshwaram Hindu Temple, an important and ancient regional Hindu temple complex in Sri Lanka that has been in existence since 1000 CE. Ancient myths and legends surrounding the temple associate it with the popular Indian epic ‘Ramayana’, and its legendary hero-king Rama. The temple is one of five ancient temples (Ishwarams) dedicated to Lord Shiva in the region. The temple is located in Munneshwaram, a village with a mixed population of Sinhala and Tamil communities.
After the temple visit, you will continue the drive to Anuradhapura, one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of an ancient civilization.
En-route you will visit the Raswehera Buddha statue Raswehera Buddha statue an ancient shrine left behind the Jungle and the Awkana Buddha statue – the two standing colossal buddha statues.
Lunch at a Local Restaurant
After lunch, visit the Awkana statue replica of Raswehera buddha statue – a masterpiece of a massive standing Buddha statue, where you will learn the history behind its creation. Several legends are linked with the origins of Aukana and Raswehera, where a story says that the two statues were created as the result of a competition between a master sculptor and his pupil.
Optional – Once you finish dinner you can visit a nearby shrine location for meditation. It is a Buddhist monastery in the world heritage city of Anuradhapura with noteworthy historical ruins of the ancient past.
Dinner and Overnight stay at a hotel in Anuradhapura.After breakfast, you will visit the historical ruins of Anuradhapura. The city of Anuradhapura was made the first capital of Sri Lanka in the 4th century BC, and as the longest-serving capital it has a fantastic heritage in the ancient and modern times and is one of the eight historical heritage sites in Sri Lanka.
Anuradhapura is a picturesque town located along a riverbank popular for fascinating ancient ruins and deep-rooted Buddhist culture. You will see the ancient Bo tree – Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi to ancient monasteries and ruins of historical importance. Once you complete the site tour you can relish a mouth-watering Sri Lankan picnic lunch near the Kaludiya Pokuna.
After lunch, you will visit the Mihintale Temple on a mountain peak situated east of Anuradhapura. No matter what your faith is, the beautiful shrines, stupas, rock caves enhanced by the astonishing setting, make Mihintale an unforgettable destination. The sprawling site is environmentally enchanting, spiritually enlightening and culturally significant and has been deeply loved by the Buddhists of Sri Lanka. Believed to be the place for inaugurating the presence of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, today Mihintale is a pilgrimage site with several religious shrines, abandoned structures and many caves which were believed to be used by monks for meditation. After learning more of this place, you will continue the drive to Habarana, where you will check into the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
Overnight stay in Habarana.Kickstart your day with breakfast before you begin on the Polonnaruwa Medieval City Tour, exploring the historic city and the second capital of Sri Lanka dating back to the 11th & 12th centuries AD. At this World Heritage Site, you will witness the ruins of the Royal Palace, statues of King Parakramabahu and the Parakrama Samudraya.
After lunch at a local restaurant, proceed to Minneriya National Park for an adventurous afternoon jeep safari. (Depending on the seasonal movement of elephant this may be changed to Kuadulla or eco park) The Minneriya national park situated 182 km away from Colombo in the North Central Plains of Sri Lanka, is home to a variety of fauna and flora. At the massive Minneriya Rainwater Reservoir, (the highlight of the park) you will witness the most awaited elephant gathering. This is a thrilling sight and experience, plus a memory to cherish for the rest of your life. The park is home to 24 species of mammals and over 170 species of birds, and out of the 25 species of reptiles recorded in the park 8 are endemic to Sri Lanka. After an exhilarating 3-hour safari in the wilds, head back to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay in Habarana.
Continue the drive to Habarana.
Check into the hotel and relax.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Sigiriya/Habrana.Your day starts early today, with the climb to the country’s most famous and iconic rock fortress – Sigiriya.
Recognized from miles away, the soaring ‘Lion Rock’ is an archeological wonder and a testament of Sri Lanka’s city planning, water gardens, engineering and fortification in the 5th century AD. The rock peak is home to an incredible blue-green landscape with lush green gardens and advanced irrigation systems. Declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO, you will be thrilled to see the beautiful frescoes and the fascinating mirror wall of the rock fortress. It is undoubtedly the most treasured historical monument in Sri Lanka. Once you climb down the rock fortress, you can enjoy your breakfast packet under a nice shady grove. After absorbing the majestic view, you will proceed to the ‘Hill Capital’ – Kandy.
Optional – You can visit the Dambulla Cave Temple, home to the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The 80 documented caves contain 153 statues and 2,100 square meters of murals of Gautama Buddha and his life. It is a popular tourist destination and the cave temple complex dates back to the 2nd century BC and is declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO.
En-route to Kandy will visit the Matale spice garden to enjoy your Lunch, where you will see many different types of Sri Lankan spices and understand how the island is famous for its spices in the past and present while enjoying a complimentary head massage.
The day will end after you check-in at your hotel in Kandy for dinner and an overnight stay.
After breakfast, your first visit will be to the James Taylor Tea Factory in Digana. Here you will enjoy a historical tea experience and you will visit the tea plantation, James Taylor Seat, Tea Tree, James Taylor statue and more while being accompanied by your local English-speaking guide. Next, you will visit the Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya, a magnificent 57-hectare garden that treasures the best of tropical flora, aromatic spices and rare medicinal herbs. Delight in a lunch (purchased by you) under the shady orchards while engrossing in the beauty of nature before reaching Kandy.
After you reach Kandy, you will embark on a Kandy city tour to visit The Sacred Tooth Relic temple – Kandy‘s key attraction and symbol of sovereignty enshrined in great splendour. The Esala Perahera held in August each year is a must-see, and this spectacular pageant honours the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. After visiting the tooth relic temple, you will drive around the iconic Kandy lake admiring the serene and stunning landscape merged with the beauty of nature.
In the evening you will witness a colourful cultural show with an exciting agenda of traditional Sri Lankan dances and pageantry. You will be captivated by the vibrant event filled with colourful costumes, graceful dances and oriental music, making it an unforgettable experience. After an in-house dinner, you can unwind into the night at a local pub where you can mingle with the locals and experience the local pub experience happenings first hand.
Overnight stay at a hotel in Kandy.Begin your day with a great spread of breakfast before you begin your travel to Galle. Take a peek from the window to enjoy the spectacular panoramic views as you journey on the edge of soaring mountains. As your travel continues, you will see the branching valleys from the mist capped mountains following into lowlands, magnificent rock spurs, sloping lush green plantations, villages dotted with houses, thick forests, plants bursting into colourful blooms, whooshing waterfalls, winding brown roads, roadside boutiques with damsels selling handicrafts and much more. These are some of the distinct and exclusive experiences you can cherish on your visit to Sri Lanka.
Upon reaching Galle, you can take part in a city tour by bicycle to witness the charming colonial town on the Southern coast.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site has a 300-year-old fort, a maritime museum, a Bodhi tree and a reclining Buddha Statue in the temple and a historic lighthouse that you can visit to learn more of Sri Lankan history. In the night, you can take a breezy night stroll to visit the Galle Fort and enjoy the serene ambience. You will conclude the day with dinner followed by an overnight stay in Galle.
Overnight stay at Hotel in Galle.Today is your last day on the paradise isle and indulge in a lavish breakfast spread before travelling to Colombo.
Optional – En-route to Colombo, you can part in a Colombo city tour from Fort and Pettah covering the commercial and residential areas of the city whilst sighting the key landmarks – Galle Face Green, old parliament, the lighthouse clock tower, Colombo harbour, Gangarama Temple, Independence Square and the Viharamahadevi Park.
In Case the departure flight happens to be late in the night an appropriate Sri Lankan Dinner arrangement will be made with a Local Family.
This brings you to the end of an exciting, fun-filled and memorable adventure in Sri Lanka!
