Kandy Tours & Trips

Highlights

• Visit Sigiriya's Lion Rock – a UNESCO World Heritage site – and if you’re game, climb the steps to the top for amazing views over the jungle.
• Explore an area of Sri Lanka only recently opened to tourism – considered to be off-limits for years due to the civil war, the gates to Jaffna are now open to adventurers once more. Discover Tamil culture and see Point Pedro – Sri Lanka’s northernmost point.
• Kick back in the sun on Trincomalee Beach’s bright and sandy shoreline. Enjoy the open skies, swaying palm trees and glittering waters, then stop by a local village to join the community in making a traditional Tamil meal.
• Witness ritual and devotion in the spiritual heart of the country during a visit to Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth.
• Observe wild elephants from basic tree houses and hopefully catch an outstanding sunset in Wasgamuwa National Park – one of the most biodiverse protected areas in Sri Lanka.

Highlights

• Discover the beauty in famed structures, from Jaipur’s Amber Fort and Royal City Palace, to Agra’s Red Fort and iconic Taj Mahal, and the ruins and stupas of Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa.
• Taste the best of Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine during Exclusive Experiences, including a street food tour in Agra, a wonderful meal in the home of a local family in Jaipur, a cooking demo with a local grandmother in Polonnaruwa, and a Spice Garden visit in Matale.
• Historical Feature Stays allow you to experience history first hand, staying at family owned heritage hotel in Jaipur and a historic mansion with a new sustainable lease on life in Nuwara Eliya.
• Take part in Exclusive Experiences to remember – cruise down the Ganges at sunset accompanied by local musicians, and get an immersive look at rural life in Ambagasthenna.

Highlights

• Learn about Sri Lanka’s past first-hand during your Feature Stay at the gorgeous Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya – first established in 1891, this historic hotel has a modern outlook on sustainable practices.
• Discover the breadth of Sri Lanka’s food scene during Exclusive Experiences, including a cooking class in Galle, a tea plantation tour, a high tea in Nuwara Eliya and a barbecue dinner in Dambulla.
• Search for crocodiles, elephants, monkeys and the ever-elusive leopards under the cover of darkness on an evening safari through the wild grasslands of Yala National Park.
• Uncover ancient treasures in Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle as you explore the temples, ruins and stupas of Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy with the expert guidance of your local leader.
• Enjoy Exclusive Experiences in Kandy – dine at the Hela Bojun restaurant, which is focused on empowering and employing local women, and enjoy a private cultural dance performance.

Highlights

• Cruise around in a 4WD on a wildlife safari, searching for elephants, lone leopards and aquatic birdlife in Yala National Park.
• Learn the benefits of washing down a spicy curry with piping-hot Ceylon tea during lunch in a lush mountain village near Ella in a local home.
• Kick back on the warm sands of paradisical palm-lined Unawatuna, with plenty of free time to soak up the sun at the beach and the opportunity for an optional whale-watching tour.
• Leave the imprint of your face on the train window as you stare out wide-eyed on a journey from Kandy to Ella – this scenic rail ride is basically a 6-hour nature documentary, there’s so much amazing scenery!
• Enjoy super fun included activities mixed with plenty of free time to choose your own adventure – maybe use some of it to visit UNESCO World Heritage Site Sigiriya. These palace ruins sit atop a massive rock structure surrounded by gardens and are a must-see for any Sri Lanka visit.

Highlights

• Take a look behind closed doors when you’re invited for a home-cooked Tamil lunch in Haputale and feast on a freshly caught meal with a fisherman’s family in Mirissa.
• Learn the secrets of Sri Lankan cuisine during a cooking class in a Sinhalese home in Kandy and a demonstration in a local home in Bandarawela.
• Experience some of Sri Lanka’s most remarkable sights, including Lion Rock, the Dambulla Cave Temples, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Yala National Park and Galle Fort.
• Spoil your tastebuds with flavour-filled curries, seriously fresh seafood, sweet desserts, roti, hoppers, dosa, idli and more.
• Discover Sri Lanka’s favourite beverage when you visit a tea plantation in Bandarawela, meeting local tea pickers, learning about their craft and tasting a freshly brewed cuppa.

Highlights

• Kayak down the Gin River on a half day paddle through Sri Lanka’s ever-changing landscape. Float past forests, sandbanks and plantations while keeping an eye out for wildlife along the way.
• Come face with one of Sri Lanka’s most storied sites as you hike to the ancient carved rock fortress of UNESCO World Heritage site – Sigiriya, which rises dramatically from the surrounding plains.
• Hike through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Knuckles Mountain Range and encounter Sri Lanka's lush scenery and amazing biodiversity. Visit the observation point ‘Mini World’s End’ and see the sheer drop into the Thelgamuwa Valley and its forest floor below.
• Cycle a mostly downhill route through the green heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country in ‘the Golden Valley of Ceylon’.
• Get to know the layered history of Galle during a walking tour, uncovering the city’s maze of streets, historic buildings, lighthouse and the famed 17th-century fort.

Highlights

• Learn about the country’s past during your Feature Stay at the gorgeous Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya – established in 1891, this traditional-style hotel has a modern outlook on sustainable practices.
• Discover the beauty and mastery of Sri Lanka’s craft traditions and try them for yourself – from brass making and pottery to woodwork and ancient palm leaf writing.
• Get an exclusive and immersive look at rural life in Ambagasthenna, where you’ll walk through tea plantations and paddy fields and learn about sustainable farming with a local guide.
• Spot elephants, monkeys and tropical birds on a safari through the wild grasslands of Minneriya National Park.
• Uncover ancient treasures in Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle as you explore the temples, ruins and stupas of Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Kandy with the expert guidance of your local leader.

Highlights

• Explore Sri Lanka's many highlights before a stunning 6-day Maldives cruise
• Discover the Sri Lanka's ancient cities and wildlife-filled national parks
• Snorkel through turquoise waters and idyllic atolls from our Maldives Dhoni vessel