Classic Sri Lanka Tour

Airport / Anuradhapura 185km (4 1/2 hrs) Anuradhapura / Sigiriya 82km (2 hrs) Arrive at the Airport. Meet & Assistance on arrival by a representative of Connaissance de Ceylan. Transfer to Anuradhapura. Lunch at a restaurant. Anuradhapura was the first ancient capital of the country of kings for about 1400 years. In pinnacle of its glory the city extended over a surface of 52 sq. km and the population amounted to several tens of thousands. Its magnificent monuments, refined sculptures and paintings are testimony to a veritable and original Sri Lankan culture. Arrive at the hotel and check-in with welcome drink and refreshing towels. Leisure.

Sigiriya / Polonnaruwa 58km (1hr & 30min) Polonnaruwa / Habarana 47km (1hr) After breakfast visit Sigiriya rock fortress. In the center of the cultural triangle lies the Sigiriya rock fortress, another remarkable feat of engineering and a fascinating example of artistic craftsmanship. Hewn out of the living rock, the Sigiriya fortress was the stronghold of King Kashyapa, a formidable royal palace and city. Sigiriya, or the 'Lion Rock' is most famous for its frescoes, a series of 'heavenly maidens' painted on the rock surface itself. From halfway up the rock you can witness the elaborately landscaped water gardens containing the royal baths and fountains, some of which still work today during the rainy seasons. Sigiriya is a still standing monument to Kashyapa, and the vision of a truly egotistical monarch. Continue to Polonnaruwa. Lunch at a restaurant. Polonnaruwa was established as the capital city after the fall of Anuradhapura and is known as the mediaeval capital of Sri Lanka. Pollonaruwa contains the ruins of some of the masterpieces of Buddhist sculpture and remarkable feats of engineering that were well ahead of their time. Most outstanding amongst these is the Gal Vihara temple with its famous rock carvings of the Buddha and Parakrama Samudra, a vast man made reservoir covering an area of over 23 kilometers. Return to the hotel for dinner.

Sigiriya / Matale 75km (2hrs) Matale / 26km (45min) After breakfast checkout from the hotel transfer to Kandy. En-route visit Dambulla Rock cave temple The Dambulla cave temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla was founded in the 1st century by King Valagamba. Ancient sculptures and paintings of the Buddha and various Hindu deities and are located in five central caves. The original sculptures and paintings have gained additions throughout the centuries and stand monument to evolving artistic styles of the ancient Ceylonese. Continue to Matale & visit spice garden and Batik factory. For centuries, spices have been one of Sri Lankas celebrated exports. Spices are mostly grown in home gardens (as a home industry) and used not only to flavor food but also in medicine and cosmetics. Visit a Spice Garden and sample such scents and flavors as cinnamon, ginger, pepper, vanilla, cardamom etc. Batik has been an ancient art of painting cloth and today Sri Lanka is among the world leaders in the design of batik. Batik galleries and factories offer batik from simple single-colored designs to intricate multi-colored masterpieces. Visit Batik Factory and see the various phases of batik manufacture. Lunch at a restaurant. Continue to Kandy. Visit Temple of tooth relic Sri Lankas second city is Kandy, a beautiful historical city in the citadel of the country. It is not only known for its great kings who ruled the city for almost 225 years independently until the British took over in 1815, but it is also the place where the Sacred Tooth of Lord Buddha is laid in a magnificent temple. The incomparable Perahera celebration, a procession of more than 100 elephants, is held every August here. Arrive at the hotel and check-in with welcome drink and refreshing towels. Dinner & stay.

Kandy / Peradeniya 05km (15min) Peradeniya / Nuwara Eliya 75km (2hrs & 30min) After breakfast checkout from the hotel & leave for visit royal botanical garden. The Royal Botanical Garden at Peradeniya was established in 1821 and now covers 140 acres, smuggled in a loop in the Mahaweli River, the longest river in Sri Lanka. Its primary purpose was the testing and acclimatizing of plants for commercial use in Sri Lanka. Today the Gardens have one of the largest collections of flora from sub tropical climates around the world. En-route visit Tea Plantation and factory. It is generally accepted that the discovery of tea occurred in ancient China. The Chinese say it was their Emperor Shen-Nung in 2737 BC who first tasted tea. The story goes that while he was boiling his drinking water a few leaves from a wild tea bush accidentally fell into the water. The Emperor liked the delicate flavor they imparted to the water and so the art of tea making was born. Ceylon tea acclaimed as the best Tea in the world. The influence of climatic conditions imparts to the product a variety of flavors and aromas, synonymous with quality. The cultivation and manufacture of tea is presently a highly skilled, scientific and technical process, with Sri Lanka producing some of the most fragrant teas in the world. Lunch at a restaurant. Continue to Nuwara Eliya. The City of Lights is designed to resemble a typical English village. With its brick facets of the post office building to the hill club that resembles a country house, the 18 hole golf course, race course, you are instantly transported into the setting for a P G Wodehouse novel, with all the charm and coziness of old England. Arrive at the hotel and check-in with welcome drink and refreshing towels.

Nuwara Eliya / Kelaniya 162km (5hrs) Kelaniya /Colombo 10km (20min) Colombo / Seeduwa 38km (1hr) After breakfast checkout from the hotel transfer to Kelaniya. Lunch at a restaurant. Visit Kelaniya Temple. Continue to Colombo City tour + Shopping. Formerly the capitol of Sri Lanka, Colombo remains the commercial hub of the Island. Situated on the West coast of the Island, Colombo has one of the largest artificial harbors in the world and is a principal port of the Indian Ocean. Colombo is a vibrant city with plenty to see and do. If shopping is on your agenda, this is the best place to get it done. For clothing, you can take your pick from one of the larger shopping malls like Crescat Boulevard, Majestic City and Liberty Plaza or departments stores like ODEL and House of Fashion. Transfer to Seeduwa Arrive at the hotel and check-in with welcome drink and refreshing towels. Dinner at the hotel.

Seeduwa / Airport 05km (15min). Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for departure.