Nature, Hills and Wildlife (6 Days)

About this experience

This six-day tour links Sri Lanka's cultural heartland, central highlands and southern wildlife and coastal belt in one continuous route, travelling by private vehicle with a chauffeur guide. It opens near Dambulla with an elephant encounter and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, climbs into the tea country around Nuwara Eliya, drops down through Ella's hills on the way to Yala, and finishes via a Yala safari and the old fort town of Galle before reaching Colombo.

Travellers get a mix of wildlife, culture, scenery and gentle walking: elephants at Pinnawala, a Kandyan cultural show, a scenic highland train ride, a working tea factory, the grasslands and waterfalls of Horton Plains, the Nine Arches Bridge and Little Adam's Peak at Ella, a leopard-country safari in Yala National Park, and the Dutch-era streets of Galle Fort.

The tour is operated with a chauffeur guide throughout, so the road sections through the hill country and down to the south coast are handled without the traveller having to drive.

Your service advisor

Mewan Manager

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

Email WhatsApp

What’s included

Included

Transport in a Private Car, inclusive of all chauffeur accommodation.
Service of an English-Speaking Chauffeur Guide throughout the tour.
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 — Dambulla → Kandy (days 1–2)

These two days combine an elephant encounter near Dambulla with a visit to Kandy's most sacred temple and an evening of traditional performance.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Pinnawala is home to young elephants displaced or lost from their natural habitat, and holds the largest captive herd of elephants in the world with around 70 animals. Visitors can watch the elephants up close, including their river baths twice a day.

Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic

This UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kandy was built in the 16th century to house and protect Lord Buddha's sacred tooth. Its passageways and halls are painted in red, cream and black, with carved pillars and golden statues throughout.

A.Savin · FAL

Cultural Show

An hour-long Kandyan cultural show presents some of Sri Lanka's traditional art forms, including fire dancers, sword dancers and Kandyan dancers performing to drumming.

Arian Zwegers · CC BY 2.0

3 Nuwara Eliya

Day 3 — Nuwara Eliya (days 3–4)

Two days in and around Nuwara Eliya cover a scenic train journey, a tea factory visit, the town itself and a trek in Horton Plains National Park.

Scenic Train Ride

The train journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya passes through highland countryside, with views of tea plantations and villages set against misty mountain backdrops.

Chamal N · CC BY-SA 3.0

Tea Factory Excursion

A guided visit shows how Ceylon tea is made, from watching tea pluckers at work in the fields to a tour covering fermentation, rolling, drying, cutting, sieving and grading. The visit ends with a tea tasting and background on why Ceylon tea is rated so highly.

Explore the Beautiful City

Nuwara Eliya was the premium hill-country holiday resort of the British in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and retains cottages, villas and mansions from that period. Visitors can walk its streets, call at the old red-brick post office, and relax at Queen Victoria Park or on the shores of Lake Gregory.

Abdul malik77 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Horton Plains National Park

Horton Plains, near Ohiya, protects montane grasslands and cloud forest with many endemic species. A walk here takes in the view from the precipice known as World's End and the spray of Baker's Falls, along with information on archaeological finds made in the area.

Faslan at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

5 Yala

Day 5 — Nuwara Eliya → Ella → Yala

The route to Yala passes through Ella, where a short hike takes in some of the area's best-known sights before continuing south.

Explore the Marvels of Ella

The walk through Ella passes tea fields and rocky stretches with views of Little Adam's Peak, crosses the Nine Arches Bridge, and finishes at Demodara Railway Station, known for its loop-over track design.

Dan arndt · CC BY-SA 4.0

6 Colombo

Day 6 — Yala → Galle → Colombo

The final day combines a morning safari in Yala with a stop in the old fort town of Galle before reaching Colombo for departure.

Yala National Park

Yala is the island's second-largest national park, on the southeastern coast, with a chance of spotting Sri Lankan leopards, wild water buffalo, sloth bears and herds of elephants. The park also supports many other species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates.

Ranmith Welikala · CC BY-SA 4.0

Old Colonial City of Galle

Galle was once a headquarters for the Portuguese and Dutch, and its fort is one of the best-preserved fortifications in Asia. The old town can be explored on foot along cobblestoned streets with Dutch names, taking in the Maritime Museum, the Galle National Museum and the lighthouse.

Rovin Shanila · CC BY-SA 4.0

Departure

After breakfast, the tour ends with a transfer to Bandaranaike International 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 back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for people with heart conditions
Entrance tickets are not included in the price.

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 6 days, with no other travellers joining.

Where does the tour start and end?

Day 1 starts at Dambulla and day 6 ends at Colombo. 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 5 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.