Sri Lanka 5-day tour: Culture, wildlife & coast from Colombo
Five days moving through Sri Lanka's temples, highlands and wildlife without arranging the route
A 5-day guided tour of Sri Lanka starting from Colombo, with hotel pickup, private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, an English-speaking driver, and accommodation with breakfast at each stop. The itinerary covers Kandy's Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and Kandyan dance performances, a scenic train ride through tea country to Ella, hikes around Little Adams Peak and Ramboda Falls, a Yala National Park jeep safari for leopards and elephants, coastal stops at Galle Fort and Mirissa Beach, and a sea turtle conservation centre before returning to Colombo. Entrance fees to attractions are not included and are paid separately.
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Colombo/Negombo to Kandy
- Visit Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
- Attend Kandyan cultural dance show
Day 2: Kandy to Ella by Train
- See Ramboda Falls
- Visit tea plantation
- Take Nanu Oya to Ella train ride
- Visit Nine Arch Bridge
Day 3: Ella to Yala
- Hike Little Adams Peak
- Visit Ravana Ella waterfall
- Explore Buduruwagala temple
- Jeep safari in Yala National Park
Day 4: Yala to Hikkaduwa
- Visit Dondra Head Lighthouse
- Relax at Mirissa beach
- Walk to Coconut Tree Hill
- Hike to Jungle Beach
- Visit unique Buddhist temple with ocean views
- Explore Galle Fort
Day 5: Hikkaduwa to Colombo/Negombo or Airport
- Visit Kosgoda Turtle Care Centre
- Boat tour on Madu River
- Visit Gangaramaya Temple
- See colonial church site in Colombo Fort
- Walk around Independence Square
- Visit Colombo National Museum
- See Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque
What’s included
- Hotel pickup at the start.
- private air-conditioned vehicle for all five days.
- English-speaking driver for the entire tour.
- accommodation with breakfast at each stop (Jack Tree Lodge in Kandy, Nest Of Peak in Ella, River Face Inn in Yala, Villa Red Lobster in Hikkaduwa).
- the driver's accommodation and meals.
- fuel and parking.
- 24-hour support throughout the tour.
Times
- Every day No fixed time
Before you book
Operated by Drivers in Sri Lanka
Prices and times updated 9 days ago
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The experience
You arrive in Colombo or Negombo and the driver picks you up at your hotel. From there the route moves inland toward Kandy, stopping at the Colombo National Museum and Independence Square before heading into the highlands. The first night lands in Kandy, where you attend a Kandyan dance performance (acrobatic leaps, plate-spinning and the fire walk finale), then visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a Buddhist temple inside the former royal palace complex that has shaped Sri Lankan politics for centuries because whoever holds the tooth relic is believed to hold the country's governance.
Day two takes you from Kandy toward Ella by train, one of the world's most scenic rail routes. You pass through tea plantations at 945 meters altitude, stop at Ramboda Falls (109 meters high), and ride the rails through the central highlands before arriving in Ella. The next morning brings a hike up Little Adams Peak (1,141 meters, named after the sacred Adams Peak where Buddha's footprint is preserved) with views across tea fields and paddy land. You also visit Ravana Ella waterfall, just off the main road, and Buduruwagala, a 10th-century Buddhist temple complex with seven statues carved into rock.
The route then swings south to Yala National Park, Sri Lanka's second-largest wildlife reserve, where a jeep safari puts you among 32 mammal species, 125 bird species and the elusive Sri Lankan leopard. The park's two rivers and grasslands make it one of the best places to spot peafowl, monkeys and elephants. From Yala you head west along the coast, stopping at Dondra Head Lighthouse (Sri Lanka's tallest), Mirissa Beach with its Coconut Tree Hill viewpoint, Jungle Beach for swimming, and Galle Fort: a UNESCO World Heritage site built by the Portuguese in 1588 and fortified by the Dutch from 1649 onward, now home to a multi-ethnic population and colonial architecture. On the final day you visit the Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Centre, where all five turtle species that nest in Sri Lanka come ashore, then cruise the Madu River through mangrove forests before returning to Colombo to see Gangaramaya Temple, a 19th-century Buddhist site, and the Red Mosque before heading to the airport or your hotel.
The package includes your accommodation at each stop with breakfast, the air-conditioned vehicle, the driver's meals and lodging, fuel, parking and 24-hour support. You pay entrance fees to attractions separately at each site. The driver speaks English and guides you through the stops. Children from age one are welcome, and infants can sit on an adult's lap or use a specialized infant seat if you request one.
Is this one for you?Book this if you want a driver handling all navigation and logistics across five days. You'll move through temples, tea country, wildlife and coastal sites as a private group without building an itinerary piece by piece.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (1 to 10 years).
What is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy?
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, or Sri Dalada Maligawa, is a Buddhist temple in Kandy's royal palace complex that houses the relic of Buddha's tooth. Since ancient times the relic has held political significance in Sri Lanka because it is believed that whoever holds it holds the country's governance. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and the temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Does the train ride from Nanu Oya to Ella require a separate ticket?
Yes, the train tickets for the Nanu Oya to Ella journey are not included in the tour price and you purchase them separately. This is one of the world's most scenic rail routes, passing through tea plantations in the central highlands and arriving near the Nine Arch Bridge, a 91-meter span at 24 meters height set in dense jungle and agricultural land.
What wildlife might I see on the Yala National Park jeep safari?
Yala National Park is home to about 32 mammal species, 125 bird species, reptiles and lagoon fauna. You have a chance to see Sri Lankan leopards, elephants, monkeys, peafowl and many bird species. The park's semi-arid climate supports dry woodlands, grasslands and two large rivers, and a tracker is included with park entry to help locate animals.
Are entrance fees to the temples and attractions included in the tour price?
No, entrance fees to attractions like the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Yala National Park, Galle Fort and other sites are not included and are paid separately at each location. The tour price covers transportation, accommodation with breakfast, the driver and vehicle.
What happens on the final day before returning to Colombo?
The final day includes a visit to the Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Centre on the south coast, where all five sea turtle species that nest in Sri Lanka come ashore. The centre has operated since 1981 and is one of 18 hatcheries along the southern coast. You then cruise the Madu River through mangrove forests before heading back to Colombo to visit Gangaramaya Temple, Independence Square and the Colombo National Museum, ending at your hotel or the airport.
Is the driver available for the entire 5 days?
Yes, the same English-speaking driver stays with you throughout the 5 days, handling all transportation in the air-conditioned vehicle. The tour operator covers the driver's accommodation and meals, so you have continuity and local knowledge from start to finish.
Sri Lanka 5-day tour: Culture, wildlife & coast from Colombo
5d · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 466.67 per person
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