8 Days Sri Lanka - North Tour

Arrive and overnight in Colombo. Afternoon city-tour of The Fort, in the very centre of the city, is where most of the colonial remnants and Nearby Pettah is Colombo's busiest and most traditional bazaar, Cinnamon Gardens is the most prestigious residential area.

After early breakfast you check-out of your hotel and you drive along a busy highway into the interior of the island, past paddy fields, palm-groves and coconut plantations. In Pinnewela you visit the elephant-orphanage, After this journey through Kurunegala. Later in Dambulla you will ascend for a visit of the most impressive of all the many cave temples in Sri Lanka. Buddhist sanctuary, A short drive to the Sigiriya rock. This impressive monolith which rises 200 m . After this continue to the Giritale Hotel, Giritale, for check-in and late lunch. In the later afternoon you leave your hotel and drive to Polonnaruwa for the visit of the well preserved remains of the city which has been the capital of the Singhalese kings from the 11th to 13th Century. After this visit you return to your hotel for overnight.

After breakfast drive to Anuradhapura in order to visit a selection of the most remarkable sights. You will see some of the most famous as well as the tallest dagoba of Sri Lanka, remains from palaces, temples, monasteries, ceremonial baths and the temple of the holy Bo-tree. This tree was grown from a sapling of the very tree under which more than 2500 years ago the Buddha found enlightenment. Lunch en route. In the afternoon you will pay a visit to Mihintale. This is the place where in the year 247 BC Buddhism originated in Sri Lanka. In the late afternoon return to the Giritale Hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast drive to Kandy on the way along the road you will see paddy fields, coconut groves, rubber and spice gardens and plantations.in the afternoon Arrive Kandy Check-in and lunch. Kandy, situated at 500 m, is beautifully nestled between green hills. At its very centre lies a small artificial lake and the palace of the last Singhalese king which has become a temple and the holiest shrine in Sri Lanka, Visit temple in the afternoon during a short city-tour of Kandy. In the evening see the famous Kandyan dances, as well as up-country and devil dances. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel.

In the morning after breakfast visit of the world-famous Botanical Garden Peradeniya. You will find in the garden a very large variety of orchids, spice trees, palms, bushes, as well as tropical plants and flowers of all type.From Peradeniya the road starts steadily to ascend and at noon, shortly before reaching Nuwara Eliya, you will have climbed 1'500 m. You are now in the tea-country; famous for tea plantations, the rich full green of thousands and thousands of tea bushes. Visit some of the Tea factories Check-in at the Hotel. Nuwara Eliya and overnigth stay at Hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel drive to Nuwara Eliya to the south, passing tea and vegetable plantations, occa- sionally a waterfall, forests and many small villages and hamlets. View the beautiful view to the mountains and into the valleys. Reach Hambantota for Lunch. In the late afternoon do a photo safari into the Bundala game park. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel.

After breakfast in the morning check-out and leave for Hambantota. At Dondora you will reach the most southern point of the island and continue in westerly direction along large, beautiful, white, palm-fringed beaches. You will pass Matara and later visit to the old city of Galle Lunch en route. On the way to Colombo you will be passing through well-known resorts as Bentota, Beruwala, Kalutara. Reach Colombo in the evening. Check-in at Colombo Hotel.

Breakfast at your hotel and end of tour.