This Glimpse of Sri Lanka tour of 06 days, Sri Lanka Holiday tour package, is well designed in order to visit many sites and many interesting places within 06 days. This tour package covers cultural and heritage sites plus wildlife and many other interesting places in Sri Lanka You will certainly enjoy this tour, during your holiday in Sri Lanka, and will realize that Excellent Lanka Tours & Travels have done a great job to make your tour success in Sri Lanka.
Hotels Category: Economy / Standard / Luxury
Duration: 05 Nights / 06 Days
(Areas: Colombo, Peradeniya, Kandy, Dambulla, Sigiriya, Minneriya, Mihinthale, Anuradhapura, Airport)
Day 01 – Airport / Colombo
Arrival at the Colombo Airport You will be met by our English speaking chauffeur Guide /Representative and will offer assistance. Thereafter leave for Colombo (35 km – transfer time approx. 01 hour)
P.M. City tour of Colombo
Colombo is a metropolitan city with a population of nearly one million. It is the commercial Capital of Sri Lanka, which keeps pace with modern developments while preserving the Old World charms.
Among the many places of interest in the City are the Fort, the Old Parliament House (presently the Presidential Secretariat),Galle face terrace, Buddhist temples, Old Churches, Hindu temples, Mosques, the Independence Hall, Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall and Bazaar.
Overnight stay at hotel in Colombo
Day 02 – Colombo / Peradeniya / Kandy
After breakfast leave for Kandy (115 km – transfer time approx. 03 hour)
En-route visit Royal Botanical Garden the most beautiful in the world and begun as a pleasure garden by a Sinhala King. Every variety tropical and temperate tree and flower is cultivated here and special houses with orchids and e cacti are too beautiful to be true.
At 5:00 p.m. witness a Cultural Performance. Traditional Kandyan and Low Country Dances of Sri Lanka (Blowing of the conch-Shell and Drum Orchestra, Pooja Dance, Panteru Netum, Cobra Dance, Mask Dance, Mayura Vannama, Raban Dance, Ves Dance, Fire Dance,Fire Walking)
Overnight stay at hotel in Kandy
Day 03 – Kandy / Dambulla / Sigiriya
After breakfast leave for Sigiriya (90 km – transfer time approx. 02 hours)
En-route visit the Temple of the Tooth relic Dalada Maligawa Ceremony starts at 9.30am. Dalada Maligawa is the Temple of the sacred Tooth Relicin Kandy is the most venerated place of worship for Buddhists throughout the world. Built in the 16th century this temple houses the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha brought to Sri Lanka from the Kalinga province in ancient India in the 4th century AD. Several buildings have been added to the temple complex by successive rulers, the latest being the Golden Canopy over the inner shrine where the Tooth Relic is placed. Originally the Temple was within the King’s palace complex as it was the Symbol of Royal Authority.
Next visit Nalanda Gedige the “Abu Simbel” of Sri Lanka Nalanda Gedige is an ancient building completely made of stones which is located near Matale. Influenced by Hindu constructional concepts. Nalanda Gedige was believed to be a Hindu temple centuries ago. However there are no signs of Hindu gods to be found today. But there are a few Buddhist carvings to be found, visit Spice Garden, Batik Factory (optional)
Thereafter visit the Rock cave temple of Dambulla a vast isolated rock mass 500 ft and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was here that King Valagambahu took refuge in the 1st century B.C. The view from the top of this rock is breathtaking 350 ft. above are a series of five caves which was later turned into a magnificent rock temple by King Valagambahu. In the first cave is a recumbent image of the Buddha 47 ft, long, cut out from the rock there are images of deities associated with Buddhism. The frescoes on the walls and ceiling could be dated to the 15th – 18th centuries. In the second cave, the finest and the largest the ceiling too is covered with frescoes, which depict great events in the life of the Buddha, and landmarks in the history of the Sinhala.
Overnight stay at hotel in Dambulla / Sigiriya / Habarana
Day 04 – Sigiriya / Minneriya
After breakfast leave climb the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya. Sigiriya is a massive monolith of red stone rises 600 feet from the green scrub jungle to accentuate the lucid blue of the sky. How overpowering, then, this rock fortress of Sigiriya must have been when a palace crowned it 15 centuries ago. Sigiriya was no gloomy and forbidding fortification, as many other citadels are. At the brief height of its glory, a flowering of only 18 years in the late 5th Century, it was one of the loveliest royal cities that ever graced the earth. Sigiriya built by the patricide king Kashyapa in the 5th century A.D today it is a treasure trove of rare art. In a pocket of the giant rock are the famous frescoes of the heavenly maidens of 'Sigiriya'
(3:00 p.m.) Minneriya National Park Wild Life Safari by Jeep
Located between Habarana and POLONNARUWA, the 8890 hectares of MINNERIYA NATIONAL PARK is an ideal eco tourism location in Sri Lanka. The park consists of mixed evergreen forest and scrub areas and is home to Sri Lanka's favorites such as sambar Deer andElephants.However the central feature of the park is the ancient Minneriya Tank (built in 3rdcentury AD by King Mahasena). During the dry season (June to September), this tank is an incredible place to observe the elephants who come to bathe and graze on the grasses as well as the huge flocks of birds (cormorants and painted storks to name but a few) that come to fish in the shallow waters.
Overnight stay at hotel in Dambulla / Sigiriya / Habarana
Day 05 – Mihinthale / Isurumuniya / Anuradhapura
After breakfast leave for Anuradhapura (70 km – transfer time approx. 01 1/2 hours)
En-route visit Mihintale. In 247 B.C. Buddhism was first introduced to Sri Lanka on the mountain of Mihintale. Since then, various kings of Sri Lanka have blessed this rock with magnificent masterpieces of architecture. These Include a hospital, a monastic complex, stupas and dagebas. While some of these structures are in an almost perfect state of preservation, some others are in complete ruin. The most spectacular of these is the KantakaChaitiya, which displays some of the finest architecture of the early Anuradhapura era.
Next Isurumuniya Viharaya is renowned for its stone carvings of which the most famous is one known as the 'Isurumuniya Lovers'. The other carvings are of the Horseman, Elephant Pond and the Royal Family.
Thereafter visit the ruins of the first capital founded in the 05th century B.C. here is found the largest number of ancient monuments of a great civilization. 'Sri Mahabodhi' the oldest historically documented tree in the world is over 2200 years.There are monuments such as uwanveliseyadageba, 2nd century B.C. with its famous Elephant wall; Thuparamadageba 3rd century B.C. The pillars of the brazen palace which once had nine storey's; the image of the Samadhi Buddha, one of the finest places of Buddhistsculpture,Jetawanaramaya, Aukana Buddha Statue, the twin ponds; guard stones & moonstones.
Overnight stay at hotel in Anuradhapura
Day 06 – Anuradhapura / Airport
After breakfast leave for Airport (215 km – transfer time approx. 04 1/2 hours)
P.M. City Tour of Negombo is a charismatic fishing town north of Colombo, located a mere 10km from the international airport. Set amidst lush groves of coconut palms, it breathes the spirit of the sea. Negombo is a gourmet’s paradise with sea food aplenty. Old – world fishing craft, like the outrigger canoe and the catamaran, bring seer, skip jack, herring, mullet and amber jack, while lobster and prawn are caught in the lagoon
Thereafter transfer to the Airport for the connecting Flight(Departure)
