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Guideline pricing is based on departures from the UK.
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Please select your country
Guideline pricing is based on departures from the UK.
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Days: 10 | Price: From £2,900pp
This Sri Lanka luxury holiday odyssey is an experiential masterpiece, even if we do say so ourselves. To the uninitiated, the dizzying diversity of a tour of Sri Lanka can be overwhelming; this itinerary takes all the confusion away, while covering a lot of jaw-dropping ground by planes, trains and automobiles.
Explore the Tamil heartlands in the far north of Sri Lanka, marvel at the treasures of the Cultural Triangle, relax in Kandy and Tea Country before visiting two great safari parks. Then an exquisite beach beckons before, finally, you sample SL’s buzzing capital.
Remember: our itineraries are purely for inspiration purposes only - every detail can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Day |
Place |
Highlights |
Hotel Options |
---|---|---|---|
1-2 |
Colombo 1 ![]() |
Rest and relaxation after long haul flight |
The Wallawwa |
2-4 |
Cultural Triangle 2 ![]() |
Ancient city of Anuradhapura; Spectacular bird life |
Ulagalla |
4-6 |
Jaffna 3 ![]() |
Time-warp Jaffna; Nallur Hindu Temple; Jaffna Library |
Jetwing Jaffna |
6-8 |
Cultural Triangle 4 ![]() |
Sigiriya Rock Fortress |
Vil Uyana |
8-11 |
Kandy 5 ![]() |
Temple of the Tooth; Botanical Gardens; Tour of Kandy |
Kandy House |
11-14 |
Tea Country 6 ![]() |
Tea factory experience; Tea tasting with experts; Walk on the plantation trails |
Living Heritage Koslanda |
14-15 |
Udawalawe National Park 7 ![]() |
Private Safari; Wild elephant reserve |
Mahoora Safari Camp |
15-17 |
Yala National Park 8 ![]() |
Private safari; Wildlife galore; Expert naturalists |
Chena Huts |
17-21 |
Galle and the Southern Beaches 9 ![]() |
Private walking tour of Galle Fort; Beautiful beaches |
Frangipani Tree |
22-23 |
Colombo 10 ![]() |
Historic mansion hotel; Historical tour of Colombo by tuk tuk |
Tintagel |
International flights
Private chauffeur guide throughout
First class train travel
Luxury & characterful accommodation
Dedicated Yonder support 24/7
DAYS 1-2 | Colombo
Highlights: Rest and relaxation after long haul flight
As you swoop down towards Colombo, you’ll experience just a little taster of what awaits with palm trees and a cobalt blue lagoon stretching as far as the eye can see. Your Yonder chauffeur-guide will be waiting to whisk you off on a short journey to The Wallawwa, a beautiful old manor house, where you will recuperate after your flight.
Your included hotel
The Wallawwa
Your alternative hotel choices
Galle Face Hotel
Tintagel
DAYS 2-4 | Cultural Triangle
Highlights: Visit the ancient capital of Anuradhapura; Spectacular bird life
You’ll be driven north towards the ancient capital of Anuradhapura, which sprang up around Buddha’s ‘tree of enlightenment’ for your first big cultural fix. Arriving in the afternoon, you’ll check into Ulagalla, a firm Yonder favourite with its individual pavilion rooms blending into the paddyfields. You’ll have a full day to explore the evocative sites that surround the sacred city which served as Sri Lanka’s capital for 1,300 years.
Your included hotel
Ulagalla
Your alternative hotel choices
Vil Uyana
Cinnamon Lodge
The Mud House
DAYS 4-6 | Jaffna
Highlights: Stroll around time-warp Jaffna; Visit Nallur Hindu Temple; Jaffna Library
An early start to catch the express train to Jaffna in the far north. It’s a three-hour journey winding through villages and over the fertile plains of the north of Sri Lanka. Arriving around lunchtime, it’s short hop to the Jetwing Jaffna in the centre of town. You’ll venture out in the afternoon with your guide to discover the delights of Jaffna, from its extraordinary library to the vibrant Nallur Hindu temple. And there will be time to explore on your own in a fascinating time warp city where the pause button has only just been released.
Your included hotel
Jetwing Jaffna
DAYS 6-8 | Cultural Triangle
Highlights: Climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress
Your faithful chauffeur-guide will be waiting on the doorstep to transport you back towards the Cultural Triangle. This time your destination will be the colossal rock fortress at Sigiriya, with its buxom maidens frescoed on the upper cave walls. As you sit back at sunset with G&T in hand at Vil Uyana, the natural monolith with its near vertical walls will form a remarkable backdrop. You’ll stage an assent in the morning, leaving the afternoon free to kick back around the pool.
Your included hotel
Vil Uyana
Your alternative hotel choices
Ulagalla
Cinnamon Lodge
DAYS 8-11 | Kandy
Highlights: Visit the Temple of the Tooth; Stroll around the Botanical Gardens; Walking tour of Kandy
En route to Kandy, you’ll swing past the five spectacular caves at Dambulla, replete with stunning art and countless Buddha statues, which have drawn pilgrims for over 2,000 years. Arriving at Kandy House, your home in Kandy, in the early afternoon leaves plenty of time to refuel on the delicious cuisine and have a lazy afternoon. There’s a lot going on in Kandy and you’ll want to tick off a few key sites, including the phenomenal botanical gardens and the sacred Temple of the Tooth. And if you have the energy, your guide will be on hand to escort you to some of the lesser known, fascinating sites, such as the spice market, costume museum and old British military cemetery.
Your included hotel
Kandy House
Your alternative hotel choices
Ellerton Bungalow
DAYS 11-14 | Tea Country
Highlights: Tea factory experience; Tea tasting with experts; Walk on the plantation trails
The rolling green hills, swirling mists in the valleys and sheer silence… Tea country will steal your heart. And getting here, on the rumbling train from Kandy, is a journey that will linger in the memory. You’ll disembark in Nuwara Eliya, known as Little England, before continuing by car to Living Heritage Koslanda, your boutique bolthole perched high in the hills with a view that is an Instagram magnet. And you’ll learn a good deal about those aromatic leaves that make up the UK’s favourite beverage.
Your included hotel
Living Heritage Koslanda
Your alternative hotel choices
Nine Skies
Ceylon Tea Trails
Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge
Jetwing St Andews
DAYS 14-15 | Udawalawe National Park
Highlights: Private Safari; Wild elephant reserve
Udawalawe is widely considered the best spot in Sri Lanka for seeing elephants. And you’ll be hanging out with the pachyderms amongst scenery that will take your breath away. At its heart, an endless lake shimmers in the sun, teeming with birdlife, with all kinds of creatures drinking at its banks. In the scrub, you’ll encounter Elephas Maximus, the Asian elephant, of which the Sri Lankan is the largest subspecies. Home for a night will be the Mahoora Safari camp on the edge of the park.
Your included hotel
Mahoora Safari Camp
DAYS 15-17 | Yala National Park
Highlights: Private safari; Wildlife galore; Expert naturalists
From elephants to leopards and from sloth bears to jackals , Yala has it all. Flanked by the ocean to the east, Yala is spectacularly beautiful, with dense scrub, arid savannah-like plains and a maze of watercourses. Leopard fever sets in as you enter the park. With the world’s greatest concentration, Yala is a mecca for those who seek a first-hand encounter with this awesome predator. But it isn’t all about the big cat. There are all creatures great and small here and the smaller creatures are no less spectacular. What’s more, the birdlife is an ornithologist’s dream come true and the reptiles will leave you awestruck. And you’ll be no less impressed when you check into Chena Huts, one of Yonder’s favourites.
Your included hotel
Chena Huts
Your alternative hotel choices
Kulu Safari Camp
Jetwing Yala
Cinnamon Wild
DAYS 17-21 | Galle and the Southern Beaches
Highlights: Private walking tour of Galle Fort; Beautiful beaches
After a couple of weeks on the road, you’ll be longing for some sand between your toes and the sound of the crashing waves. But be assured, this is a long way from pina colada territory and burnt Brits. The Frangipani Tree, a short distance from the old fort of Galle, will envelope you in perfection for a few nights. Here, you can be a lazy lounger, swim, walk along the beach or go out on your own to discover the many exciting possibilities all within a short ride in a tuk-tuk.
Your included hotel
Frangipani Tree
Your alternative hotel choices
Kahanda Kanda
Fort Bazaar
Amangalla
DAYS 22-23 | Colombo
Highlights; Historic mansion hotel; Historical tour of Colombo by tuk tuk
As your tailor-made tour of Sri Lanka approaches its end, you’ll spend your final night in Colombo. Your last stop will be Tintagel, a serious sexy converted old mansion, once the home of the world’s first female prime minister. Colombo is a buzzing cosmopolitan city, with an ever increasing appetite for great restaurants and tasteful shopping. If you want a final culture fix, there is plenty to see and do, from the national museum to Independence Square.
Your included hotel
Tintagel
Your alternative hotel choices
Galle Face Hotel
The Wallawwa
DURATION: 23 DAYS
PRICE: FROM £4,200pp
PLACES: Colombo, Cultural Triangle, Jaffna, Cultural Triangle, Kandy, Tea Country, Udawalawe National Park, Yala National Park, Galle and the Southern Beaches, Colombo
All Yonder holidays are
tailor-made and can be
created around your budget.
Call an expert: 0203 880 8585
Tea and Beaches
10 DAYS | FROM £2,900pp
Visting: Tea Country, Tangalle, Colombo
Sensational Ceylon
14 DAYS | FROM £3,500pp
Visting: Tea Country, Galle and the southern beaches, Cultural Triangle, Tangalle, Yala National Park, Kandy
Hills and Thrills
11 DAYS | FROM £1,900pp
Visting: Tea Country, Galle and the southern beaches, Yala National Park, Colombo