Kingdoms of Ceylon (10 Days)

A beach town on the western coast known for its long-standing fishing industry, with sandy beaches, water sports, diving among corals, and a decades-old shipwreck just offshore.

Ruins of a city that briefly served as the capital in the 12th century, including pagodas, image houses, meeting halls, a citadel, a restored former temple of the tooth relic, and a palace with its surrounding legends.

The capital for over a thousand years until the 10th century AD, with pagodas, monastic buildings and ponds spread across a wide area, including the Jetavanarama stupa, the Sri Maha Bodhi tree and the ruins of the Abhayagiri Monastery.

Sri Lanka's second major capital, flourishing between the 10th and 13th centuries, with ruins including the Gal Vihara, the Vatadage, the lotus bath, the Lankathilaka Temple and a statue linked to King Parakramabahu.

Caves of the Golden Temple dating to the 1st century BC, with murals of the Buddha's life, hundreds of Buddha and deity figurines across five main caves, and a large golden Buddha statue outside the complex.

A 5th-century rock fortress built for King Kasyapa, entered through a gateway shaped like a lion's paws, with well-known frescoes, terraced gardens, working cisterns and tunnels leading up to the palace ruins.

A spice and herbal garden near Matale growing spices and herbs in their tropical setting, with guided tours explaining their uses and links to Ayurveda.

An evening performance of traditional Kandyan dance and music, including fire dancers and sword dancers, alongside the chance to see craft traditions such as gem crafting, woodcarving and batik.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 16th century to house the Buddha's sacred tooth relic, with painted halls, carved pillars and golden statues.

One of the country's taller waterfalls, visited as a stop on the drive towards Nuwara Eliya.

A former British hill station with period cottages, villas and mansions, an old red-brick post office, and open spaces such as Queen Victoria Park and Lake Gregory.

Montane grasslands and cloud forest near Ohiya, with views from the World's End precipice, the Baker's Falls, and a chance to see endemic wildlife.

A temple visited in the afternoon alongside the Hakgala Gardens.

A hill town surrounded by tea fields, with views towards Little Adam's Peak, a walk over the Nine Arches Bridge, and a stop at the Demodara Railway Station with its loop-over track.

The island's second-largest national park on the southeastern coast, home to leopards, wild water buffalo, sloth bears, elephants and a wide range of other mammals, birds, reptiles and fish.

A well-preserved fortification from the Portuguese and Dutch era, with the Maritime Museum, the Galle National Museum, a lighthouse, and cobblestoned streets bearing Dutch names.

A boat ride through the river's mangrove channels near Balapitiya, passing crocodiles, water monitors, a cinnamon-growing island, waterbirds and a stop for fish massage.

A hatchery on the southwestern coast caring for endangered sea turtle species, with the chance to see, touch and feed baby turtles and injured adults.

The country home of architect Geoffrey Bawa at Bentota, visited on a tour of its gardens and the parts of the house open to the public.

A tour of Sri Lanka's capital taking in landmarks such as the Old Lighthouse, the Old Parliament, Galle Face Hotel, Galle Face Green, the Gangarama Temple and the National Museum, along with its shopping areas.