WILDLIFE TOUR: Go wild in Sri Lanka as you head on safari in Yala, Udawalawe and Bundala national parks, searching for elephants and leopards. Go whale watching in Mirissa, tour the captivating capital of Colombo and take in the country's cultural highlights, from hilltop Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa and the Dambulla Cave Temple. Throw in a scenic train ride to Nuwara Eliya and you've got the best of Sri Lanka in 10 incredible days!
Trip Highlights
Included
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Itinerary
Colombo
Saturday. Welcome to Sri Lanka! Airport arrival transfer and the remainder of the day is at your leisure. Our start hotel is located on the seafront and a short walk from Galle Road and many of the city highlights. Choose to head out and explore, take a dip in the pool or enjoy a cocktail whilst you watch the perfect sunset over the Laccodive Sea.
Overnight: Colombo
Dambulla & Polonnaruwa
Colombo - Dambulla - Polonnaruwa - Dambulla. Bidding farewell to Colombo this morning we drive inland to Dambulla, stopping en route at a fruit and vegetable market in Naramwela Town. Dambulla Rock Temple is an incredible ancient complex of caves which dates back to the 1st Century BC. The five caves contain over 150 images of Buddha including an impressive 14 metre carved statue.
After exploring this ancient site, we continue to Polonnaruwa. This fascinating 11th century city is home to many interesting ruins and famous monuments including the Royal Palace and the Gal Vihara. Polonnaruwa was once the capital and is also the second most ancient city in Sri Lanka. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This evening, we return to Dambulla for an evening at leisure.
Overnight: Dambulla | Breakfast
Sigiriya & Spice Garden
Dambulla - Sigiriya - Kandy. This morning we explore Sigiriya and the famous ‘Lion Rock’ fortress. Built over 1500 years ago, this beautiful citadel stands 200 meters high in the middle of verdant jungle and was an important stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. It can be viewed from miles around and is definitely one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic and famous sites. You’ll be able to view the world famous paintings of the Heavenly Maidens which stand in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway.
From Sigiriya, we take a local hand tractor ride and short canoe trip to the village of Kayanwala. Here, at Kayanwala Village we take part in a cookery demonstration in a mud brick home of a local woman and enjoy a freshly prepared lunch of curry, dahl, spiced rice, pickle and more. En route to Kandy, we stop off a spice garden in Matale, to see the different herbs and spices, which Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed.
Overnight: Kandy | Breakfast, Lunch
Kandy & Tuk Tuks
This morning we take a sightseeing tour of Kandy - the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings. Our first stop will be the Temple of the Tooth Relic. Legend has it that one of Buddha's teeth was taken from him as he lay on his funeral pyre. It was then smuggled into Sri Lanka in 313AD. It now attracts daily pilgrims who come bearing lotus flowers and frangipani. After driving around the Kandy Lake - built by the last Sinhala king, we visit the local bazaar and a gem museum, we then take a Tuk Tuk ride up into the surrounding hills. This afternoon we stop at a working tea factory at Geragama. Geragama Tea Factory is located in close proximity to the city of Kandy and was established in the year 1903, manufacturing 'Low Grown' and 'Long Leaf' tea. This evening, we watch a cultural performance of traditional Sri Lankan music and dance.
Overnight: Kandy | Breakfast
Nuwara Eliya & tea plantations
Kandy - Nuwara Eliya. This morning offers free time before transferring to the railway station for a scenic train trip. Passing kilometre upon kilometre of verdant tea plantations that hug the winding mountain passes, we'll see waterfalls, suspension bridges and tea pickers on our journey up to Nuwara Eliya - Sri Lanka’s most popular hill resort. Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country producing a significant share of the world’s best tea.
This afternoon we take a sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya on a beautiful drive through 'Little England'.
Overnight: Nuwara Eliya | Breakfast
Udawalawe National Park jeep safari
Nuwara Eliya - Udawalawe National Park. Today we head south to Embilipitiya, our base for exploring Udawalawe National Park. This national park is probably one of the best places to spot the famous Sri Lankan elephant, the biggest of all the Asian elephants. It is thought that there are around 400 elephants here. The park is also home to the elusive leopard, the Sri Lankan sloth bear and varies types of deer. We enjoy an afternoon game drive here before returning to our hotel.
Overnight: Udawalawe National Park | Breakfast
Yala National Park - Elephant spotting
Udawalawe National Park - Yala National Park. This morning we depart for Yala National Park - the second largest national park in Sri Lanka. This afternoon, we take a jeep safari of the park. The park also has one of the highest concentrations of Asian elephants in the world - and about 350 live here. Also present are sloth bears, golden palm civets, Sri Lankan krait, crocodiles and some of the biggest numbers of leopards. The coastline around the park is visited by leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles.
Overnight: Yala National Park | Breakfast
Bundala National Park
Yala National Park - Bundala National Park - Mirissa. This morning we depart Yala for coastal Bundala National Park. This fantastic labyrinth of waterways, dunes and lagoons is the home to thousands of brightly coloured birds, over 200 species. It is also home to the magnificent greater flamingo and has a decent amount of Asian elephants that call the park home. We take a jeep safari here before transferring to the coastal town of Mirissa for the night.
Overnight: Mirissa | Breakfast
Colombo city tour
Mirissa - Colombo. This morning (if travelling between 01 Nov - 30 April) its an early start as we transfer to the boat pier for our whale and dolphin watching boat cruise (cost approx $65pp paid locally, and weather dependant). Fin whales, Bryde's whales, sperm whales, blue whales - the largest creatures on earth, whale sharks, orcas and dolphins are very often seen just a few kilometres off Sri Lanka's southern coast. The round trip may last anywhere between 2-6 hours with an average of 4 hours depending on how far out at sea the mammals are located.
If travelling between 01 May - 31 Oct the morning is spent visiting UNESCO World Heritage Listed Galle fortress - first constructed by the Portuguese in 1588, then expanded and extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century.
Our final stop today, is Colombo and the bustling city centre for a guided tour. We explore the Fort area in the north of the city, famous for its government buildings and interesting shops. Taking a stroll along Galle Face Green and watching locals play cricket before heading over to stunning Gangarama Temple.
Overnight: Colombo | Breakfast
Goodbye Sri Lanka
Monday. Our tour concludes today with an onward departure transfer to the airport.
Alternatively, consider spending some extra time exploring Sri Lanka's beautiful tropical coastline or simply relax and soak up the sun with a good book. Extend your stay by a day, a week or even two! We offer a variety of properties for you to choose from. Browse our best places to visit and Sri Lanka's best beaches pages for suggestions on what to see and do on your holiday. Alternatively, head to India to spot more wildlife! If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please let us know so we can accommodate your request.
Breakfast
Upgrade to a private tour
We now offer a private version of Wild About Sri Lanka. Experience our most popular Sri Lanka wildlife tour, travelling in the comfort of your own bubble, surrounded by family or friends. Our Sri Lanka Highlights & Wildlife private tour can depart any day of the week, with a minimum of two travellers.
Prices & Dates
All departure dates are guaranteed to operate when there are 2 persons booked on the tour. 'Twin/Double' prices are per person when there are 2 people on the same booking sharing a room. 'Single' prices are applicable to solo travellers and anyone wanting the privacy of their own room. Room sharing is not available on this tour.
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Hotels
The hotels listed below are ones which we frequently use on this tour. We reserve the right to substitute these hotels to ones of a similar standard.
Radisson Hotel Colombo, Colombo
The Radisson Hotel Colombo (formerly OZO Colombo) is a modern and stylish hotel, with sweeping Indian Ocean views from its rooftop infinity pool and many of its rooms. There's free WIFI access throughout the hotel and the guestrooms are bright and airy with all modern amenities. To top it off, there's also a fantastic fitness centre and a restaurant serving delicious, authentic Sri Lankan cusine. The hotel is centrally located on Marine Drive, near Galle Road and just a 10 minute drive from the city centre.
Sofia Colombo City Hotel, Colombo
Sofia Colombo City Hotel is located near Kollupitiya Beach and offers modern accommodation with excellent amenities. The hotel features an outdoor pool, a rooftop terrace with a restaurant and bar, and free WiFi throughout. At Sofia Colombo’s Seascape Restaurant, guests can enjoy panoramic views of the Indian Ocean alongside delicious meals. Additionally, guests have access to a fully equipped fitness centre, as well as 24-hour front desk and room service, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable stay for all.
Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo
Voted one of the best 5 star hotels in Colombo, the Cinnamon Lakeside is the perfect urban getawary with elegant and spacious rooms and excellent facilities. All guestrooms have a spectacular view of either the city's skyline or the tranquil waters of the Beira Lake and feature a pillow menu for the ultimate night's sleep and WiFi. The Azmaara Spa offers a tantalizing range of treatments administered by Balinese therapists. The resort also houses ten different restaurants, considered the best in Colombo, including the specialty lounge bar, 7 Degrees North.
Jetwing Lake, Dambulla
The Jetwing Lake hotel is a brand new property with spacious and comfortable rooms that enjoy a contemporary design blended with splashes of Eastern influenced decor. The ensuite facilities are magnificent and in keeping with the luxurious feel of the property as a whole. Each room also comes with a balcony, from which guests can get some fresh air and enjoy the spectacular views. Within the complex there is a pool, spa and fitness centre, where guests can while away their free time. There is also a restaurant, which serves sumptuous meals.
Radisson Hotel Kandy, Kandy
The stylish Radisson Hotel Kandy (formerly OZO Kandy), prides itself on its smart facilities and stunning mountain surrounds. Its highlight being the rooftop pool where you can soak up panoramic views over Kandy whilst enjoying a cocktail or two. The hotel’s all-day dining restaurant serves a tasty array of Asian and international cuisine using only fresh and handpicked produce. Other amenities include a fitness centre and complimentary WiFi, with guestrooms boasting signature soft beds and rain showers.
Jetwing St Andrew's, Nuwara Eliya
Jetwing St. Andrew's is a unique colonial retreat set in a former country house and surrounded by landscaped gardens. All the spacious rooms are classically furnished with elegant wood and offer free WiFi and flat-screen TVs. The grounds of the hotel give a great feel of colonial splendour and guests can wake up to a typical English breakfast and enjoy a stiff brandy at the bar later in the day. Fine dining is offered at the Old Course Restaurant and the hotel also boasts an antique snooker table, which is the oldest in Sri Lanka.
Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort, Udawalawe National Park
Situated on 7 acres of land, the Grand Udawalawe Safari Resort is the only hotel of its class in the area. Rooms are spacious with beautiful hard wood flooring and artwork depicting the wildlife of Udawalawe. Food here is delicious and plentiful with an extensive breakfast menu. The outdoor pool is a great place to relax by and enjoy a refreshing splash in after a good day on safari. Well located just a few minutes drive from Udawalawe National Park.
Jetwing Yala, Yala National Park
Right next to Yala National Park, Jetwing Yala offers superb accommodation in a spectacular location. Guest rooms are beautifully decorated and all come with private balconies and contemporary en suites. The hotel also benefits from a stunning out door pool, a desirable beachside location and a number of excellent restaurants. Choose from elegant dining at the Dining Room or tapas at the Lounge. Perfectly located on the outskirts of Yala National Park.
Mandara Resort, Weligama & Mirissa
Overlooking the famous Red Cliff Mountains, Mandara Resort is one of Sri Lanka's newest boutique hotels. Guest rooms are spacious and well presented with beautiful wooden flooring and idyllic seaside views. Guests can take advantage of a stunning out door pool, full gym facilities and an on site ayurveda spa. Meals are served at the main restaurant, which dishes up a fantastic array of local and international cuisine. The resort is well located on the beach front of Mirissa and Weligama.
Tour felt rushed and we were in the car constantly, 2nd night at another stop is beneficial to break up the travel / driving, ending on day 10 breakfast is wasted time,spend another night mid week instead, giving feedback is essential but not the last thing on a 15hour travel day. Food disappointing”
The first couple of days were very full. It might be worth doing two nights in Dambulla and taking in the national park close by, and reducing the time in Kandy to one night rather than two.
The hotel quality was generally excellent. The Mirissa hotel looked a bit worn but the location was perfect. ”
My tour was split effectively into the basic tour at the beginning and the "wild" more safari type at the end.
I had 2 Guides, the first was quite dour, not unfriendly but not friendly. He was brusque and seemingly did not have time for social niceties. He had a lot of information but was not clear in terms of instructions for scheduling etc. He did provide water bottles and re-filling of these and also wi-fi, I am not sure if these are standard within the On the go tours package, but he emphasised that he had organised them.
Our second guide was great, very informative, patient, friendly and spoke about the culture of the country and etc which made the toud feel much more personal. Obviously this was a group of only 5 people, so it was easier for him to be this connected through the size of the group and the time to dedicate to organising us.
Sadly the main drawback to the tour was created by other members of the group! A very disagreable woman who liked to talk constantly over the guide, telling us all kinds of useless information about her home country and also being rude to other members of the group. I realise there is little to nothing which can be done about other members, the guide in the second group was very patient with her. The first guide lost his temper and brought the group together to tell us all off on our last night - not the best note to leave on!”
Akthar was very good. He was very helpful and had a nice manner about him. He was very knowledgeable and shared his knowledge in an appropriate manner. He was also fair, if we chose not to participate in an activity, he refunded us the entry fee.
Re the tour, thoroughly enjoyed it. The sightseeing activities had a nice mix about them. The standard of the hotels was good with the exception of one. Not a fault of OTG but alcohol, wine, is all imported and expensive and then has a 30% plus charge added on! Might be good to flag?
The hotel in Mirissa was poor. It was the Sri Lankan new year, but the room was dirty, blood on dressing table stool and curtains, water was not hot and WiFi was very weak.
Also fee and tipping money in the trip notes needs to be updated, as it appears everything has gone up. We had a mix of LKRs and US Dollars but totally amount was requested in LKRs.
Whale watching was poorly supported by the group but we had to wait while 2 of the party went out on the boats and saw only Dolphins, price has increased substantially. Galle Fort appears to be a better option.
But all in all a very enjoyable tour, looking forward to China, once the visas are sorted!!”
The tour was excellent. Akhthar was exceptional & I would highly recommend him.”
Great experience - Brilliant tour of Sri Lanka, taking in national parks, UNESCO treasures, tea plantation and packing/sorting factory, mountain climbing, ocean picnic, boat, superbly organised by guide Manoj - oh and wonderful hotels! ”
We arrived in Sri Lanka on the 20th April this year and headed out on the tour on 21st April missing the Easter Sunday hotel bombings in Colombo. Despite our obvious shock at the attacks, our group decided to continue with the tour. Manoj was able to give us updates on everything happening regularly and answered our questions as honestly and clearly as he could. He made us feel that our safety was the first priority both of himself and On The Go tours.
We were always given options if there was any doubt about a destination and he was always willing to be guided by our thoughts. He was warm, caring and helpful.
I understand that additional On The Go staff were also visiting our accommodations prior to our arrival and making sure that all was OK- a great service appreciated by us all.
Unfortunately it was quite difficult to get the full picture of the real daily life of Sri Lankans but we certainly got a taste of the beautiful country and many of the things it had to offer. My daughter and I would especially like to thank On the Go tours for changing our Colombo accommodation from the Ozo Hotel to the Cinnamon Bay for the final stay at the end of the tour.
My only suggestion- we continued with a small group to complete the Wild about Sri Lanka tour. Being a biologist and lover of nature I think it would have been great if our guide Deeptee had been able to provide a couple of pairs of binoculars for game and bird viewing, it would have made our experience richer.
We were also very appreciative of his willingness to add in a couple of small tours that was of interest to the group. We loved the turtle hatchery and boat tour. The whole experience was really well run and professional.
Thank you On The Go, and we send everyone in the Sri Lanka team our very best wishes.”
The tour was great. It was a really varied itinerary which included all of the highlights I was hoping to see. Akhtar was a fantastic guide, great fun and organised everything superbly. It would not have been nearly as good without him ”
The tour and tour guide were both very good, covering a good range of places, historical sites, wildlife etc.
On the tour, we specifically enjoyed Sigriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Train ride from Kandy to N.E, Yala and Uda Walawe National Parks, Village tour with home cooked food and Galle Fort.
The tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and ran a good tour. He helped us to get the best from the experience and kept us on track. ”
Aktar is a very good tour leader. He is very helpful and knowledgeable, as well as being a very nice person. If he does have a fault it is that sometimes he talks a bit too much. As a result, sometimes people 'turn off; and may miss a significant announcement. But overall he is one of the best tour leaders that I have encountered.”
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Tour felt rushed and we were in the car constantly, 2nd night at another stop is beneficial to break up the travel / driving, ending on day 10 breakfast is wasted time,spend another night mid week instead, giving feedback is essential but not the last thing on a 15hour travel day. Food disappointing”
