Journeys: Discover Sri Lanka

Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included.

Included Experiences

• Arrival Transfer: You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.
• Welcome Moment - Meet Your Expedition Leader and Group: Your opportunity to meet your National Geographic Expedition Leader and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

Begin the day with a visit to a coconut plantation. Coconut is one of Sri Lanka’s major exports, and many local industries utilize coconut-based by-products. Continue north to Wilpattu National Park, one of the oldest parks in the country and home to a significant leopard population. Explore the park on a 4x4 with a local expert, hearing about conservation efforts and the issues of human encroachment on wildlife reserves, and keep an eye out for elephants, wild boar, sloth bear, spotted deer, and of course, leopards. Drive to Anuradhapura, a sacred ancient capital of Sri Lanka dating to the third century B.C. and enjoy dinner at the hotel after arrival. Wilpattu is the oldest National Park in the country and home to Sri Lankan leopards. We will do our best to search some out with our local ranger, as well as enjoy the stunning flora and fauna.

Included Experiences

• Visit a Coconut Plantation: Visit a local coconut plantation and learn about the importance of this crop to local people and the country as a major export. Sri Lanka is fortunate that the coconut palm is native to the island and lush plantations cover a large portion of coastal areas. Many local industries are founded in coconut based products using all parts of the fruit including the kernel, shell, husk, and fiber.
• Wilpattu Safari and Conservation Talk: Explore Wilpattu, one of the largest and oldest National Parks in Sri Lanka, renowned for its leopard population. Explore the park by jeep with a local expert to observe the local flora and fauna, but be on the lookout for the parks most famed resident, the leopard. Also discuss wildlife conservation in the area and the conflicts of human encroachment on wildlife reserves.

Enjoy a tour of Sri Lanka's ancient capital ruins in Anuradhapura. Take your time to wander the palaces, gardens, Buddhist temples, and monasteries of this splendid UNESCO World Heritage site. The afternoon is yours to relax or continue exploring Anuradhapura.

Included Experiences

• Anuradhapura Excursion: Tour the ruins and monasteries of Sri Lanka's first capital. A symbol of Sinhalese power, this is the nation's most extensive and important ancient city.
• Free Time: The afternoon is yours to relax or continue your trip through the ancient capital, discovering the smaller details and quiet corners of this sprawling archaeological wonder.

Venture to the thriving village of Habarana, where we’ll get a chance to glimpse daily rural life. Explore the area by traditional bull cart, visiting lush vegetable fields and rice paddies. Take a stroll through town and meet some of Habarana’s residents. Float in a canoe down a picturesque lake, and sit down for a lunch of local specialties. Later, continue to Dambulla for the evening.

Included Experiences

• Agricultural Village Experience: Visit the thriving Village of Habarana for a glimpse of authentic rural life in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province. Travel by foot, traditional bull cart and canoe in this scenic region, visiting farms of lush vegetable fields and rice paddies, surrounded by a landscape of green jungle and picturesque lakes. Walk through the town to meet some of its residents and vendors and gain an understanding of their largely agricultural life. Take a canoe ride on the lake, then sit down to a lunch of local specialties.

This morning, discover one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic sights—the striking fortress of Sigiriya, or the Lion’s Rock. This royal city and UNESCO World Heritage site was built in the fifth century on the slopes and summit of an imposing granite peak. Climb up a series of steep steps to reach the top, and encounter beautiful gardens, caves, monasteries, and palaces adorned with frescoes. Enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding jungle, and return to Dambulla for some free time around town.

Included Experiences

• Sigiriya Rock Fortress Visit: Be mesmerized by this rock fortress, which captivates every visitor with its well-laid out gardens, caves, monasteries, and palaces adorned with beautiful wall motifs. Start at the water gardens and climb more than 1,200 steps to reach the top. Pass caves with frescoes and boulders to find the ruins of a palace on the flat surface of the old volcanic magma rock. The rock rests 370m (1,213 ft) above sea level with a shear drop on all sides.

Explore Experiences

Set out to explore the impressive Dambulla Cave Temple, the largest and best-preserved collection of cave shrines in Sri Lanka. Admire stunning Buddhist murals and a trove of Buddha statues, including a spectacular reclining Buddha carved out of solid rock. Then visit a spice garden in Matale to learn about the therapeutic uses of local spices. Continue to Kandy and enjoy a tour of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, an important pilgrimage site which houses a tooth of the Buddha. This evening, we’ll take in a performance of traditional music at a cultural show.

Included Experiences

• Dambulla Cave Temple Visit: Visit the ancient Dambulla cave temples at one of the most well-preserved temple and cave sites in Sri Lanka. See Buddhist mural paintings that line the walls of the seventh-century caves as well as a collection of hundreds of statues of Buddha in different poses.
• Spice Garden Excursion: Visit a spice garden and marvel at the various spices used as natural medicines and as condiments in food.
• Temple of the Sacred Tooth Tour: Enjoy a tour of the Temple of the Tooth, which houses an important relic – a tooth of Lord Buddha kept in a well-preserved golden casket. Learn about the importance of this site from local guides.
• Kandyan Cultural Dance: Be swept away by an entertaining performance that will provide insight into the local culture in Kandy.

Explore Experiences

Kandy served as the last capital of Sri Lanka’s Sinhala dynasty before the British took complete control of the island in 1815. Spend the day exploring the city, visiting the breathtaking Royal Botanic Gardens of Peradeniya, once accessible only to the royal family. Afterward, stop by Sthree Craft Shop and Café, a G Adventures–supported social enterprise that works to empower local women and youth. View a handicraft demonstration and hear a talk about the enterprise before enjoying a tasting of local teas, accompanied by scones and pastries. Later, opt for a stroll through the city and around Kandy Lake, or enjoy a rejuvenating Ayurvedic massage.

Included Experiences

• Royal Botanical Gardens Visit : Enjoy a leisurely walk in the colourful Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya. See 300 varieties of orchids of Sri Lanka as well as a range of other plants.
• Sthree Craft Shop and Café: Stop by Sthree Craft Shop and Café, a G for Good-supported social enterprise created in partnership with The Women's Development Centre, an organization that supports training and work opportunities for local women and disabled youth from the Kandy area. "Sthree" means "women" in both Tamil and Sinhala – fitting as the shop and café is both a place for local women to hone their hospitality skills, while selling handicrafts sourced from all over Sri Lanka.
• High Tea and Handicrafts: Visit Sthree Craft Shop and Café to indulge in High Tea and a handicraft-making demonstration from a member the shop’s training program. Sit down for a talk from one of the project organizers about what they do, while you enjoy a taste of local teas and an assortment of sweet cakes and pastries.
• Free Time: Opt to visit an Ayurvedic hospital to learn about Ayurvedic oil massage treatments or explore the well-laid out walkways of the city and don't miss the famed Palm Avenues.

Optional Experiences

• Ayurvedic Center: Visit an Ayurvedic Center to learn about the history behind Ayurveda and the role it plays in Sri Lankan society. Gain an understanding of Ayurvedic oil massage treatments and its various benefits.

Travel through scenic mountains to the town of Nuwara Eliya, in the heart of Sri Lankan tea country. Visit a tea plantation to gain insight into the cultivation and production of this beloved beverage, and savour a cup of perfectly blended Ceylon tea. Then head out on a tour of Nuwara Eliya and its lush surroundings, once governed by English and Scottish planters, following cool, misty roads through blankets of tea bushes. This afternoon, opt to take high tea at the colonial-era Grand Hotel, originally the holiday home of Sir Edward Barnes, the fifth Governor of Ceylon.

Included Experiences

• Tea Plantation Visit: The town of Nuwara Eliya produces the finest Orange Pekoe Ceylon tea, and is inhabited mainly by tea planters and plantation workers. Pay a visit to one of the factories to learn all about tea production.
• Explore Nuwara Eliya: Enjoy a tour of colonial Nuwara Eliya and its lush surroundings. Follow misty roads, through lush green blankets of tea bushes into a cooler climate, that remind visitors of an English countryside atmosphere. Once governed by English and Scottish planters - the area still offers colonial bungalows, hedgerows and one of the finest 18-hole golf courses in the world.

Optional Experiences

• High Tea at the Grand Hotel: Step back in time and enjoy high tea at the historic Grand Hotel. Enjoy a lovely setting with Elizabethan-era architecture and beautiful gardens. The building was the former mansion of Sir Edward Barnes who was the Governor of Sri Lanka during 1830-1850. (25-35 USD per person)

Venture out early this morning into Horton Plains National Park, a protected natural area encompassing high altitude grasslands and hilly cloud forest. Enjoy a picnic breakfast, and culminate your trek at a point known as World’s End—a majestic drop that provides incredible views over the verdant plains and coastline to the south. Then continue to our tented camp on the border of Udawalawe National Park. Join a local naturalist to learn about the conservation effort being made to protect this beautiful national park, followed by a BBQ dinner at the campsite.

Included Experiences

• Horton Plains Trek: Get close to nature and stunning scenery on this Horton Plains Trek. Hike 9km (6 mi) into the Horton Plains and walk through the clouds to discover a majestic drop that provides amazing views over the plains into the sea.
• Udawalawe Conservation Talk with a Naturalist Guide: Go behind the scenes with a local naturalist to uncover the efforts protecting this ancient wilderness. A vital stronghold for the Sri Lankan elephant, the park is a front line for the delicate balance between wildlife preservation and a changing landscape.

Explore Experiences

A sanctuary for large herds of elephants, Udawalawe National Park is one of the best places in the world to observe these majestic pachyderms. Embark on a jeep safari through the park seeking out the abundant wildlife, including water buffalo, jackals, and various species of deer.

Included Experiences

• Udawalawe Reserve Safari: Drive through this massive nature reserve and keep an eye out for the mighty Sri Lankan elephants – they live in abundance here and often wander along the road. Make several stops to observe these beautiful animals.

This morning, enjoy a cooking demonstration by the camp chef, learning about local specialties, then drive to Negombo and spend the day at leisure. This small port town has seen Portguese, Dutch, and British rule—reflected in the architecture of the old quarter—and used to be a centre of the cinnamon trade. Choose to visit the Old Dutch Fort, step into one of the town’s ornate Catholic churches, or enjoy a stroll on the beach.

Included Experiences

• Sri Lankan Cooking Demonstration: Enjoy a cooking demonstration and see how local Sri Lankan delicacies are prepared.

Depart at any time. Hotel check out is at 12:00pm. Your National Geographic Expedition Leader can assist you with arranging an easy transfer to Colombo or the International airport.