Island of Wonder (5 Days)

About this experience

This five-day private tour links the hill country around Kandy with the southwestern coast, taking in Sri Lanka's Central Highlands, its tea country, and the beaches and colonial towns south of Colombo. It moves from the cultural heart of Kandy through the cool climate of Nuwara Eliya down to Bentota and Galle before returning to the airport.

Travellers get a mix of cultural sites such as the Temple of the Tooth Relic and the Galle Fort, nature encounters at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, a tea estate and factory, the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery and the Madu River, plus free time to explore towns such as Nuwara Eliya on foot.

A chauffeur guide drives you throughout in a private vehicle, with fuel, tolls and water included, collecting you at Colombo airport on arrival and returning you there at the end; hotels and meals are arranged separately.

Your service advisor

Chathum Executive

Have questions about this service or want it arranged around your dates? Reach Chathum 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.
All prevailing taxes and service charges.

Not included

Hotel Accommodation and Meals.
Entrance Fees.
Chauffeur Guide's Accommodation.
Expenses of personal nature.
Visa and Related Expenses.

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 Kandy

Day 1 — Airport → Kandy

On arrival at Colombo International Airport you are met by a Lakpura chauffeur guide and driven to Kandy, where you check in to your hotel before an afternoon and evening of cultural activities.

Technical tours of arts and crafts

Visit workshops covering gem crafting, woodcarving and batiks.

Kandyan Cultural Show

Watch an hour-long show of traditional Kandyan dancing and music, including fire dancers and sword dancers performing to drumming.

Arian Zwegers · CC BY 2.0

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Visit the orphanage in the Sabaragamuwa province, home to around 70 elephants that have been displaced or lost from their natural habitat, making it the largest captive herd of elephants in the world.

Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0

2 Nuwara Eliya

Day 2 — Kandy → Nuwara Eliya

After breakfast you visit Kandy's most important religious site before driving up to Nuwara Eliya, stopping en route at a waterfall and a tea estate.

Temple of the Tooth Relic

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

A.Savin · FAL

Ramboda Falls

Stop at Ramboda Falls, the 11th tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka, on the way to Nuwara Eliya.

A.Savin · FAL

Tea Estate and Factory

Take a guided tour of a tea estate and factory to learn how Ceylon Tea is grown and processed, a tradition introduced commercially by James Taylor after tea was first planted at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya in 1824.

Nuwara Eliya town

In the evening explore the former British hill-station town, with its cottages, villas and mansions, the old red-brick post office, Queen Victoria Park and the shores of Lake Gregory.

Abdul malik77 · CC BY-SA 4.0

3 Bentota

Day 3 — Nuwara Eliya → Bentota

After breakfast you check out and drive to the coast, stopping at a turtle hatchery before reaching Bentota.

Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery

Visit the hatchery on the southwestern coast, which cares for five endangered sea turtle species nesting on Sri Lankan shores, including baby turtles and injured adults, as part of the Kosgoda Turtle Care Program.

AI-generated image · not an actual photograph

4 Bentota

Day 4 — Bentota → Galle → Bentota

After a relaxed morning you head to Balapitiya for a river boat safari, then continue to Galle to explore its old colonial city before returning to Bentota.

Madu River boat safari

Take a boat ride through the mangroves of the Madu River, passing basking crocodiles and water monitors, a small island with cinnamon harvesting, a fish massage stop, and waterbirds in their natural habitat.

SUPindia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Galle Fort and Old Colonial City

Explore Galle, once a Portuguese and Dutch headquarters, including the well-preserved Galle Fort, the Maritime Museum, the Galle National Museum, the lighthouse and the fort's cobblestoned streets.

Rovin Shanila · CC BY-SA 4.0

5 Airport

Day 5 — Galle → Airport

After breakfast you check out and are driven to the airport for departure.

Please note

Public transportation nearby
Infant seats available

Not wheelchair accessible
Not stroller accessible
Not suitable for pets
Infants must not sit on laps
Not recommended for people with heart conditions
The entrance tickets to the sites are not included in the price.
Pick-up can be arranged in Colombo as well (From any hotel within 05 km from the Galleface Green)

Cancellation policy

More than 6 days notice: full refund
Less than 6 days notice: 50% refund
Less than 2 days 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 5 days, with no other travellers joining.

Where does the tour start and end?

Day 1 starts at Colombo airport (CMB) and day 5 ends at Colombo airport (CMB). 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 4 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.