Sri Lanka Itinerary – A 6 Day Journey Through Culture, Hills & Beaches
- Ankitha
- Dec 13, 2018
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 24
December 2016
For our third wedding anniversary, we decided to take a relaxing vacation to Sri Lanka. We spent 6 days going around the country.
This blog post is about what we did and a recommended Sri Lanka itinerary to experience much of the country in under a week. If you have longer, you can do more off-beat things.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
6 Days Sri Lanka Itinerary (Our Trip Plan)
Day 1 – Arrival – Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage – Golden Cave Temple Dambulla – Relax at resort
Day 2 – Hike the Sigiriya Fortress – Relax at resort
Day 3 – Drive to Kandy – en route Botanical Garden and Spice Garden – Tooth Relic Temple – Kandy Lake – Cultural Show
Day 4 – Drive to Nuwara Eliya – Horton Plains Hike
Day 5 – Drive to Bentota Beach
Day 6 – Colombo City – Gangarama Temple
BEST TIME TO VISIT
The weather cools down from November to March. We enjoyed amazing weather when we visited during the second week of November. 👉 Check updated weather and travel info on the Sri Lanka Tourism official site.
FLIGHTS + VISA
We flew with Oman Air – short, one-stop flights all through the week.
For the visa – apply online on the official Sri Lanka government website. Pay $20 per person and you will get an email with the visa in less than 24 hours.
LANGUAGE
Sinhalese is the official language. People also speak English, and you should have no problem communicating in major tourist spots.
TRAVEL INSURANCE + CURRENCY
As always, best to have medical and travel insurance. Life doesn't stop happening even when you are on vacation.
Credit card machines don’t work everywhere. Carry local currency in cash.
GUIDE
This is definitely a country you can do on your own or with a trusted local driver. I usually find the best guides on TripAdvisor.
You can also rent a car to drive in Sri Lanka – roads aren’t great, but if you are used to a bit of rough driving, you’ll be fine.
SAFETY
We had no issues with safety. Everyone we met was warm and helpful.
VEGAN + VEGETARIAN FOOD
As always, we wanted to try the local food – and requested vegetarian versions whenever possible. As expected on a tropical island, there was a lot of coconut and fish. Still, buffets had plenty of vegetarian options – like an authentic variety of spicy chutneys.
HIGHLIGHTS
Elephant Orphanage
We landed in Colombo, quickly did our visas, and exited the airport. Our first stop was the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage. Established in 1975, it started with seven orphan elephants. Today, some of these orphans have seen their grandchildren born in the same location
It was beautiful watching the elephants being fed.
After lunch at a local joint, we visited the Golden Temple in Dambulla, the largest and best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka. With more than 150 Buddha statues and centuries of murals, it was breathtaking.
This temple actually sits on a small hill, so while the climb up can be a little taxing, the views more than make up for it.
Pro Tip: Mind the monkeys!
We stayed at The Paradise Resort in Dambulla – serene, secluded, with a stellar pool and recreation facilities.
Sigiriya
After a healthy breakfast, we headed to the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Built by King Kashyapa, this “Lion Rock” rises 200 meters from the jungle.
The climb was steep, but the panoramic views from the top were worth it.
We ended the day biking to a small lake nearby for sunset and enjoying a delicious Italian meal at the resort.
The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. It was hot day and for us to visit the sheltered pocket of the rock, we had to make our way through a spiral stairway. We were told once we reach the top, the views were unmatched. So ho ahead and make the climb - watch the lush green kingdom engulf you in it's history.
We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in our room. We rode our bikes to a small lake nearby and watched the sunset. We then enjoyed a delicious Italian meal at the restaurant. Would highly recommend the Vegetarian Pizza and Pasta.
Nuwara Eliya
The next day, we drove to Nuwara Eliya, stopping by a tea plantation to learn about the process of making pure Ceylon tea.
We then visited Horton Plains, with its famous “World’s End” cliff and Baker’s Falls. This was a peaceful and scenic hike, one of the highlights of our trip.
Stay: The Grand Hotel – a colonial gem with the best breakfast spread.
Pro Tip: If you have the time, I would also recommend visiting a theater to witness a cultural show.
Our over night stay was at Ozo Kandy. This was a trendy contemporary hotel with stunning views of the river and the city. The food and buffet was delicious as well.
NUWARA ELIYA
Early start to the day because we had to drive all the way up to Nuwara Eliya. En-route we stopped by a small tea plantation for pictures. You can all learn about the process of manufacturing tea. You can also see how tea is graded and taste a cup of pure Ceylon tea in the factory.
As you drive past the endless green pastures of land, you know you are already in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka's most popular hill resort.
After we checked in to our hotel, we made our way to what I call "poor man's New Zealand" - the Horton Plains. This vast area is located on a high windswept saddle at about 6,900 to 7,500 ft above the sea level. The plains are an expanse of misty grassland with scraggy trees and ice-cold rivulets.
The unique feature of Horton Plains is the "World's End". It is considered to be the finest view in all of Sri Lanka. The awesome escarpment drops vertically for about 4,000 feet, hence the name. When you are inside the Horton Plains, also include the picturesque Bakers falls on your list of things to do (it is about a 15 km walk). There will be clear signs for both the World Ends and the Baker Falls - just follow the trail and you will be just fine.
This place was one of the highlights of our trip. We fell in love with the calmness of the place. It was mostly empty, so we took our time, explored the entire length of the path and clicked tons of pictures. If you are heading to Nuwara, you have to visit this place. Nature in all it's glory!
We stayed at the Grand Hotel for the night. This place had the best breakfast spread - massive and YUM. We loved staying here, the ancient British feel of the rooms, even the chilly weather did not bother us. Could not recommend it enough.
Bentota
From the hills to the coast – we stayed at Vivanta by Taj, Bentota, for beach access and sunset views. It was the perfect relaxing end to the trip.
We stayed at the Vivanta by Taj for the exclusive beach access with the most amazing sunset views. Also, you have to try the restaurant buffet - worth every penny!
Needless to say, it was a flawless end to our vacation.
Colombo
On our last day, we explored Colombo – visiting the Gangarama Temple, strolling clean boulevards, and enjoying a final Sri Lankan meal before flying out.
We spent the afternoon at a local mall, soaking in the festive vibes, caught up with few friends and boarded our flight back to Dubai at 7 p.m.
FINAL THOUGHTS
One week will give you plenty of time to experience the different landscapes within the country - we wanted to cover the city, the hills and the beach.
If we had done this trip on our own, we would have also visited the Nine Arch Bridge. Perhaps a good reason to head back soon.
Feel free to leave your thoughts in comments.
Love, Anki
To explore more Asian destinations, be sure to check out other blogs for additional insights.
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