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Sri Lanka Grand Tour — Colombo, Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Tangalle & Galle
The full island loop at an unhurried pace: Sigiriya's rock fortress, the Temple of the Tooth, a working tea estate in the hills, then several nights of genuine beach time in the deep south before looping back through Galle.
Highlights of Sri Lanka, day by day
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airport pickup, transfer to Colombo, leisure at hotel | Colombo |
| 2 | Colombo city tour, Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, transfer to Sigiriya | Sigiriya |
| 3 | Climb Sigiriya Lion Rock, afternoon Minneriya jeep safari | Sigiriya |
| 4 | Dambulla Cave Temple, Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy cultural show | Kandy |
| 5 | Ramboda Falls, tea plantation and factory visit, transfer to Nuwara Eliya | Nuwara Eliya |
| 6 | Nuwara Eliya city tour, leisure at hotel | Nuwara Eliya |
| 7 | Nine Arch Bridge, Ravana Caves and Falls, Ella city tour, transfer to Tangalle | Tangalle |
| 8 | Free day at the beach in Tangalle | Tangalle |
| 9 | Galle Dutch Fort, boat ride, transfer to Colombo | Colombo |
| 10 | Transfer to the airport for departure | — |
What each day actually looks like
-
Airport – Colombo
Your V Go Ceylon representative meets you on arrival and introduces you to your chauffeur-guide, then it's a transfer to Colombo — Sri Lanka's commercial capital and a fine amalgamation of the island's cultures. Check in, then leisure at the hotel.
Dinner included -
Colombo – Pinnawala – Sigiriya
A morning city tour taking in the Gangaramaya Temple, Seema Malaka, the Nelum Pokuna Theatre, BMICH and Galle Face Green, before heading north via Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage — a must-visit rescue and care centre for orphaned wild elephants. Continue to Sigiriya and check in.
Breakfast & dinner included -
Sigiriya
An early climb of Sigiriya Lion Rock — an 8th wonder of the world and home to the famous Sigiriya frescoes — followed by breakfast back at the hotel. In the afternoon, a jeep safari at Minneriya National Park, home to the "Sixth Greatest Wildlife Spectacle" elephant gathering each August–September.
Breakfast & dinner included -
Sigiriya – Dambulla – Kandy
Visit the Dambulla Cave Temple, one of Sri Lanka's eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, known for its sculptures and mural paintings, then a spice garden en route to Kandy. In Kandy, visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, part of the UNESCO-listed Sacred City of Kandy since 1988, followed by an evening city tour, a visit to a gem shop and a Kandyan cultural show.
Breakfast & dinner included -
Kandy – Ramboda – Nuwara Eliya
Depart for Nuwara Eliya via Ramboda Falls, a twin-cascade waterfall roughly three hours from Kandy. Continue into "Little England" — Nuwara Eliya's misty, colonial-era hill country — for a guided tea estate tour with hands-on plucking, a factory walkthrough and a tasting session.
Breakfast & dinner included -
Nuwara Eliya
A free morning at the hotel, followed by a Nuwara Eliya city tour and a paddle or swan boat ride on Gregory Lake in the afternoon, with time for shopping in town.
Breakfast & dinner included -
Nuwara Eliya – Ella – Tangalle
Transfer to Ella to see the Nine Arch Bridge, Ravana Caves and Ravana Falls, then continue south to Tangalle for the first of two nights on the beach.
Breakfast & dinner included -
Tangalle
A full free day at the hotel on the beach — the one deliberately unstructured day in this itinerary.
Breakfast & dinner included -
Tangalle – Galle – Colombo
Transfer to Galle to explore the Galle Dutch Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its lighthouse, Dutch Reformed Church and ramparts, followed by a boat ride, then on to Colombo for the final overnight.
Breakfast & dinner included -
Colombo – Airport
Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the airport for your onward flight. We wish you an enjoyable journey.
Breakfast included
Hotels and room category by stop
Rates are quoted in US Dollars, per person sharing a room. Send your dates for a costed quote — see the Tariff & Booking Policy page for the full pricing basis.
| City | Nights | Hotel | Room category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombo | 1 | Shangri-La Colombo | Premium Room, Ocean View |
| Sigiriya | 2 | Heritance Kandalama | Luxury Panoramic |
| Kandy | 1 | Earls Regency | Luxury Room |
| Nuwara Eliya | 2 | The Golden Ridge | Mountain View Suite |
| Tangalle | 2 | Anantara Tangalle | Premium Ocean View |
| Colombo | 1 | Cinnamon Life | Premium Life Ocean Front |
Hotels shown or a similar property in the same category, confirmed at the time of booking.
A Private, Air-Conditioned Vehicle Throughout
Every day on this itinerary runs in a private air-conditioned vehicle with your own English-speaking chauffeur-guide — no shared transfers, no fixed departure times, no waiting on other travellers. Comfortable seating and luggage space for the full group, with a driver who knows the roads and the timing.
Covered in the tariff
- Accommodation at the hotels listed, or similar, on a half-board (breakfast & dinner) basis
- Airport meet & assist, plus pickup and drop-off
- Air-conditioned private vehicle and English-speaking chauffeur-guide throughout
- Entrance fees: Gangaramaya Temple, Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Temple of the Tooth Relic, Peradeniya Botanical Garden, Sigiriya Lion Rock, Minneriya National Park safari, Dambulla Cave Temple, Gregory Lake boat ride, Madu River boat ride
- City tours as shown in the day-by-day itinerary
- All applicable government taxes
Arranged or paid separately
- International airfare and visa charges
- Tips and portage
- Kitchen facilities at restaurants outside the hotel
- Early check-in or late check-out
- Any entrance fee not listed under What's Included
Three tiers, depending on how you booked
Refunds are not given for unused or cancelled services once the tour has commenced. Charges are calculated from the day written notice is received, as a percentage of the net tour price.
FIT — individual travellers
- 29–21 days before departure: costs incurred
- 20–15 days before departure: 25% of package price
- 14–8 days before departure: 50% of package price
- 7–5 days before departure: 75% of package price
- 4–1 day before, or no-show: 100% of package price
GIT — groups
- Cancellations due to minimum group size are advised 6 weeks before departure
- We offer an alternative tour of similar standard, or a full refund
- Cancellation terms for group bookings are confirmed case by case
Hotel reservation only
- 29–21 days before: 30% of accommodation price
- 20–15 days before: 60% of accommodation price
- 14–0 days before: 100% of accommodation price
- Some hotels apply stricter terms, advised separately
Questions about the 10-night Grand Tour
It's a starting point. We commonly adjust the split between Sigiriya and Kandy, swap a hotel category, or shorten the Tangalle stay to add a night elsewhere — then reprice the version you want.
Shangri-La Colombo, Heritance Kandalama in Sigiriya, Earls Regency in Kandy, The Golden Ridge in Nuwara Eliya, Anantara Tangalle, and Cinnamon Life in Colombo, or a similar property in the same category if a hotel is full for your dates.
Yes, a jeep safari at Minneriya National Park is included on Day 3, alongside the Sigiriya Lion Rock climb the same morning.
A full day, Day 8, is left unstructured at the beach in Tangalle, on top of leisure time built into most other afternoons.
Airfare and visa charges, tips and portage, early check-in or late check-out, and any entrance fee not listed under What's Included. Full detail is on the Tariff & Booking Policy page.
Enquire about the 10-night Grand Tour
Send your dates and party size — we reply with a costed itinerary, usually within one working day.