Horse riding tour (7 Days)

About this experience

This seven-day tour combines horseback riding with sightseeing across four distinct landscapes: the beaches around Kalpitiya, the jungle and reservoir country near Dambulla, the ancient sites of the cultural triangle, and the tea-covered hills of Nuwara Eliya. Travel between regions is by private vehicle, with a chauffeur guide accompanying the full trip.

Riders go out each day for a few hours with horses accustomed to their routes, covering sand beaches, forest trails, village paths and plantation tracks. Alongside the riding, the itinerary takes in Dambulla's cave temples, Sigiriya rock fortress and the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, giving a mix of activity and cultural sightseeing over the week.

The tour runs privately rather than as part of a group, so the schedule and pace are set around your party alone. Hotel stays, meals and site entrance fees are arranged separately from the tour itself.

Your service advisor

Rupuni Senior Executive

Have questions about this service or want it arranged around your dates? Reach Rupuni directly — replies usually within a few hours during Sri Lanka business hours.

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What’s included

Included

Transport in a Private Vehicle, Fuel, Parking & Highway tolls.
Service of English-Speaking Chauffeur Guide.
04 Horse Rides in Kalpitiya, Dambulla & Nuwara Eliya

Not included

Hotel Accommodation and Meals.
Entrance fees to the respective sites.
Chauffeur Guide's Accommodation.
Expenses of personal nature.

Tour route

Day-by-day waypoints across Sri Lanka. Each marker is where you spend the night; lines trace the daily drive.

Day-by-day itinerary

Download itinerary (PDF)

1 Negombo

Day 1 — Airport → Negombo

Arrival at Colombo International Airport, where you are met by a chauffeur guide and driven to Negombo.

Negombo

Time allowing, there is a chance to explore the town before an overnight stay in Negombo.

AI-generated image · not an actual photograph

2 Kalpitiya

Day 2 — Negombo → Kalpitiya

After breakfast, drive to Kalpitiya for the first riding session of the tour.

Horse riding at Kalpitiya

Meet the equestrian guide and horses for an afternoon ride along long white sand beaches, passing through small fishing villages.

Church of St. Anne

The ride passes the Church of St. Anne, a pilgrimage site for Christians, before returning to the hotel for the night.

3 Dambulla

Day 3 — Kalpitiya → Dambulla

After breakfast, continue to Dambulla to visit its cave temples and ride out towards Kandalama in the evening.

Golden Temple of Dambulla

Enter the historic caves dating back to the 1st century BC, viewing ancient murals of the life of Lord Buddha and hundreds of Buddha and deity figurines across the five main caves, including the Cave of the Divine King, the Cave of the Great King and the Great New Monastery, as well as the giant golden Buddha statue outside the complex.

Lankapic · CC BY 2.5

Horse riding towards Kandalama

In the evening, ride towards Kandalama along the lake and through forest to Kaldiya Pokuna, a meditation site for Buddhist monks, through vegetation that is home to monkeys, peacocks, buffaloes and sometimes crocodiles, before returning to the hotel.

4 Dambulla

Day 4 — Dambulla → Sigiriya → Dambulla

A morning ride through the countryside is followed by a visit to Sigiriya rock fortress, with a return to Dambulla for the night.

Horse riding through villages

Ride through villages, vegetable crops and banana plantations, alternating with tall grasses in territory used by elephants moving through the region.

Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Climb the 5th-century rock fortress built by King Kasyapa, entering through the lion's paw gateway and viewing the fame unfading murals, the terraced gardens, the still-working cisterns and the tunnels leading to the former palace.

Wrobell · CC BY-SA 3.0

5 Nuwara Eliya

Day 5 — Dambulla → Kandy → Nuwara Eliya

The journey continues to Kandy to visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic, then on to Nuwara Eliya with a stop at Ramboda Falls.

Temple of the Tooth Relic

Visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site, built in the 16th century to house and protect Lord Buddha's sacred tooth, with its painted halls, carved pillars and golden statues.

A.Savin · FAL

Ramboda Falls

Stop near Pussellawa at Ramboda Falls, the 11th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka, visible in part from the A5 highway, with a path before the bridge leading up for a closer view of the upper falls.

A.Savin · FAL

6 Nuwara Eliya

Day 6 — Nuwara Eliya

A day built around horse riding through the tea country surrounding Nuwara Eliya.

Horse riding in Nuwara Eliya

Set out from the racetrack to ride through tea plantations and along narrow paths towards Gregory Lake, in a hill town built in a style recalling the English countryside, sitting at altitude with cool, fresh air.

7 BIA

Day 7 — Nuwara Eliya → BIA

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for departure, marking the end of the tour.

Please note

Public transportation nearby
Infants must sit on laps
Infant seats available

Not wheelchair accessible
Not stroller accessible
Not suitable for pets
Not recommended for people with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for people with heart conditions
Comfortable clothes and hats recommended.

Cancellation policy

More than 24 hours notice: full refund
Less than 24 hours notice: no refund

To cancel, reply to your booking confirmation email or message us on WhatsApp.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a private tour?

Yes. The tour is private to your group: your own air-conditioned vehicle and an English-speaking chauffeur guide for all 7 days, with no other travellers joining.

Where does the tour start and end?

Day 1 starts at Colombo airport (CMB) and day 7 ends at BIA. Every stop in between is reached by road in the same vehicle, so there is no other transport to arrange.

Are hotels included?

The base price covers the vehicle and chauffeur guide. In the booking box you can add hotels for all 6 nights at Budget (3★), Standard (4★) or Luxury (5★ and boutique) level, on half board. Hotels we hold contracts with for your dates are named in the price; for any other night our team books a hotel of the same class after you pay.

What vehicle will we travel in?

It depends on your group: a car for 1–2 guests, a van for 3–5, a large van for 6–8 and a bus for 9–15. Choose the number of guests in the booking box and the price updates to match.

Are entrance fees included?

Not in the base price. Set Tickets to Included in the booking box to add the entrance fees and safari jeeps for the sights on this itinerary; the booking box lists exactly which ones are covered.

Can we have a national guide?

Yes. A chauffeur guide is always included, and you can add a government-licensed national guide who travels with you for the whole tour. Choose it under Guide in the booking box; the vehicle is sized for the extra seat.

Can we change the itinerary or the dates?

Yes. Every tour is private, so it can start on any date you choose. To change stops, add nights or combine it with another tour, write to us in the booking notes or plan your own trip at lakpura.com/plan-your-trip.