Sri Lanka 7-Day Private Tour: Sigiriya, Kandy & Udawalawe

A 200-Meter Rock Fortress & Six More Days Across Sri Lanka

You travel seven days across Sri Lanka in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver who handles navigation, tolls, and his own logistics. Your route takes you from the 200-metre Sigiriya Rock Fortress through the hill country's tea plantations and Gregory Lake, includes a scenic train ride to Ella, a jeep safari at Udawalawe National Park, and ends on the coast at Mirissa. Hotel stays, meals, WiFi, and water are included. You arrange your own accommodation and activities at each stop.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and Sigiriya visit

• Arrive at Colombo Airport
• Drive to Sigiriya
• Explore Sigiriya Rock Fortress
• Enjoy village safari around Sigiriya

Day 2: Sigiriya to Kandy via Dambulla

• Breakfast at hotel in Sigiriya
• Visit Dambulla Cave Temple
• Proceed to Kandy
• Visit Temple of the Tooth
• Attend Kandy Cultural Dancing show

Day 3: Kandy to Nuwara Eliya tour

• Depart early to Hill Country
• Stop at Tea Factory
• Drive through waterfalls and tea plantations
• Check into hotel in Nuwara Eliya
• Walk through British-built town
• Visit Gregory Lake

Day 4: Train journey to Ella

• Breakfast at hotel
• Take scenic train from Nanu Oya to Ella
• Receive local guidance from chauffeur

Day 5: Leisure and hiking in Ella

• Enjoy morning tea and mountain views
• Explore Ella with chauffeur guidance
• Hike to mountain peak for sunrise views

Day 6: Ella to Udawalawa safari

• Depart for Udawalawa
• Jeep safari at Udawalawa National Park
• Proceed to Mirissa for overnight stay

Day 7: Relax and departure from Mirissa

• Relax on Mirissa beach
• Transfer to Bandaranaike International Airport

The experience

The moment you land at Colombo Airport, your driver is waiting. No negotiation at the curb, no scrambling for a ride. Just a handshake and a cold bottle of water before heading straight inland to Sigiriya. That rock column, nearly 200 metres high, dominates the landscape as you approach the town of Dambulla. King Kasyapa built a palace on top of it sometime around 480 AD, carved a lion's mouth as the entrance, and decorated the walls with frescoes that have survived five centuries. You'll have time to walk the village in the evening, which is when the light softens and the place feels less like a monument and more like somewhere people actually live.

The next morning you head to Kandy, stopping at Dambulla Cave Temple on the way. Kandy itself sits in a valley, humid and green, and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic sits inside the old royal palace complex. It's the kind of place where you feel the weight of history without anyone having to explain it. Your driver will point out the details: the water tank, the carved doors, the way the light falls through the windows. If you want, there's a cultural dance show at Hill Club in the evening, but that's optional. Your itinerary bends to what you actually want to do. From Kandy you climb into the hill country, stopping at a tea factory to see how Ceylon tea gets made, then driving through waterfalls and tea plantations so thick and green they look almost unreal. Gregory Lake sits in the middle of it all, built by a British governor in 1873, and you can walk around it after you've checked in and had tea yourself.

Day four is the train journey from Nanu Oya to Ella: probably the most famous scenic ride in Sri Lanka, and for good reason. Your driver drops you at the station and meets you at the other end. Ella is smaller, quieter, built on a ridge with views that stretch for miles. You get a full day there to hike, rest, or just sit with the cold mountain air. Then you drop down to Udawalawe for a jeep safari through the national park, where the reserve was created to protect animals displaced by the dam construction. You'll see elephants, water buffalo, maybe crocodiles if you're lucky. The park sits on the boundary between two provinces, and the landscape shifts as you move through it. After the safari you drive to Mirissa on the coast for your last night, and on the final morning you have the beach to yourself before heading back to Colombo Airport according to your departure time.

The whole thing covers about 1000 kilometres over seven days, and your driver handles all of it. He knows the roads, arranges his own meals and accommodation (included in the price), and speaks English. You get WiFi on board, water bottles, and highway tolls are covered. The vehicle is air-conditioned, which matters when you're moving between the coast and the mountains and back again. If you want to adjust the itinerary (skip a stop, add a detour, spend an extra night somewhere), that's built into how this works. You're not on a fixed schedule with a group. You're moving at your own pace with someone who knows the country.

What’s included

• Your seven days include private air-conditioned vehicle transport, English-speaking driver, driver accommodation and meals throughout, WiFi on board, water bottles, and highway tolls.
• You arrange your own hotel rooms at each stop (Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, and Mirissa), entry fees to attractions like Sigiriya Rock Fortress, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, and Udawalawe National Park, meals at restaurants, and the train ticket from Nanu Oya to Ella.
• Your driver provides guidance and local knowledge at each destination.

Options for this experience

2 options

Guided tour in a private carUp to 2 per booking · Guide in 5 languages · No fixed timeClients may join any outdoor activities during the tour, paying for them directly. Sedan/saloon car: an air-conditioned, prestigious car is provided for this seven-day sightseeing tour. Includes pickup.

Guided tour in a private minivanUp to 8 per booking · Guide in 5 languages · No fixed timeClients may take part in any additional activities, which guests pay for themselves. Van or minivan. Includes pickup.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 11 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by USP Lanka Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to cover Sri Lanka's main attractions (ancient rock fortresses, Buddhist temples, tea plantations, mountains, wildlife, and coast) without arranging transport, timing stops, or navigating roads yourself. The private vehicle and fixed driver mean you move at your own pace and can adjust the route as you go, which is what makes a week-long itinerary feel flexible instead of rushed.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

What's included in the price?

Private transportation, driver accommodation and meals, WiFi on board, water bottles, and highway tolls. Hotel rooms and activity entry fees are separate.

How many kilometres does the tour cover?

Approximately 1000 kilometres over the seven days, covering the central highlands, tea country, and the south coast.

Can I change the itinerary?

Yes. The itinerary is designed to be flexible. You can adjust stops, timing, and activities with your driver as you go.

Is the vehicle air-conditioned?

Yes, all vehicles are air-conditioned.

What happens if my flight is delayed?

Your driver will be waiting at arrivals. Contact the company with your updated arrival time, and pickup adjusts accordingly.

Are meals included?

The driver's meals and accommodation are included. Your own meals and hotel stays are arranged separately.

Is the train journey from Nanu Oya to Ella included?

Transport to the station is included. Train tickets are purchased separately.