Sri Lanka Cultural Treasures

Day 1: Colombo Pick-up – The best of Kandy City Tour – Overnight in Kandy (L, D)

The tour starts with a shore meet and greet with our driver and guide upon your arrival at the Colombo Port. We will then transfer to Pinnawela Village (approximately 2 hours driving).

11:00   En route, we will make a stop for our first visit to the Millennium Elephant Foundation – an organization and charity set up to rescue and care for captive Asian elephants in Sri Lanka. The foundation is situated on a 15-acre estate by the name of Samaragiri, which is located 10 km northwest of Kegalle, within the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka.

12:30   Stop to enjoy a nice local lunch in Pinnawela.

14:00   Visit the Spice Garden in Mawanella.

17:30   Arrive in Kandy and get to see the traditional Sri Lanka Cultural Dance Performance.

18:45   We will visit the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic. Referred locally as the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is the most revered site in the country. The temple was built in the 16th century AD and is located adjacent to the Royal Palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, overlooking Kandy Lake.

20:00   Transfer to our city hotel for check-in and relaxation. Enjoy dinner at the hotel and have the rest of the day free at your own leisure. Overnight at The Golden Crown Hotel, Kandy.

Day 2: Kandy – Giragama – Colombo Port Return (B, L)

08:30   Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and check out

09:30   We proceed to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya - 5.5 km to the west of Kandy, located near the Mahaweli River, the longest river in Sri Lanka.

The Garden is renowned for its collection of orchids, including more than 4000 species of plants, including orchids, spices, medicinal plants, and palm trees. Attached to it is the "National Herbarium of Sri Lanka".

12:00   Stop to enjoy a nice lunch at Xiang Yun Chinese Restaurant in Kandy.

13:00   We return to our vehicle for a transfer back to Colombo Port.

14:00   Make a stop en route to visit the Giragama Tea Factory, one of the premium tea plantations in Kandy.

The terroir and climate of Sri Lanka is perfect for tea cultivation because the tea coming out of Sri Lanka – Ceylon Tea – was excellent. High quality, excellent flavor, unique. Since then, the name Ceylon was erased from the rest of the country upon its independence from the British in 1948 but the tea industry is the one place where the name Ceylon is still used and means something positive. Ceylon tea is still to this day, known as one of the best teas in the world.

15:30   Continue our return to Colombo. The trip ends with our driver escorting you safely back to the port in good time for your ship’s departure. Thanks for choosing Shore Excursions Asia!