Culture and hiking in Sri Lanka

You arrive at the airport in Colombo, where you are met by our local representatives in Sri Lanka. You are then transferred to Habarana, where you spend your first evening in Sri Lanka.

Hotel (example): Acme Grand hotel

After breakfast, you are picked up at your hotel and driven to Pidurangala Rock Temple, located just a few kilometres from Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Pidurangala is less visited and more challenging, but rewards you with beautiful views and a fascinating history closely linked to Sigiriya.

After lunch, you continue to Ritigala Nature Reserve, where you explore the remains of an ancient Buddhist monastery hidden deep in the jungle. The area is known for its rich biodiversity and is a true haven for birdlife, and according to local stories, also home to wild elephants and leopards further inside the forest.

At the end of the day, you are driven back to your hotel in Habarana, filled with impressions from Sri Lanka’s wild and spiritual side.

Hotel (example): Acme Grand Hotel

After breakfast, you are picked up at your hotel and driven to the iconic Sigiriya Rock Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The walk to the top is short but challenging, and the reward is a magnificent view of the surrounding landscape and the ruins of the ancient palace, set among gardens, water features and defensive walls.

After lunch, you continue to Sri Lanka’s former royal capital Polonnaruwa, dating back to the 11th century. The site is best explored by bicycle, and you visit the most important archaeological highlights, including temples, palace ruins, Buddha statues and the vast water reservoir Parakrama Samudraya.

At the end of the day, you are driven on to your next hotel, filled with history, culture and a few well-earned cycling kilometres.

Hotel (example): Sudu Araliya Hotel

The day begins with sightseeing. After breakfast, you are driven to Mahiyangana Raja Maha Vihara, one of Sri Lanka’s oldest and most sacred Buddhist temples. The stupa is believed to mark the site where Buddha, according to tradition, visited Sri Lanka for the first time. You also gain insight into the culture of the country’s indigenous people, the Vedda, who have a fascinating history.

After lunch, you continue towards the Knuckles Mountains, where your first proper walk awaits. The route leads to Mini World’s End, an ideal warm-up with approximately 10–12 km of walking and beautiful views. The trail is easy to follow, and you can choose whether to walk with a guide or independently.

After the walk, you are driven on to your hotel, where you can relax after a day filled with both cultural experiences and active travel.

Hotel (example): Wathsala Inn

Today is all about true walking holiday experiences. After breakfast, you are driven to the starting point of today’s walk in the Knuckles Mountains, where the route begins at a tea plantation at the foot of the mountains. From here, the trail follows uneven paths through plantations, jungle and forest before descending into the valley on the eastern side of the range.

The destination is the isolated village of Meemure, which can only be reached on foot. Along the way, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the surrounding nature, and in Meemure you can take a refreshing dip at a beautiful waterfall.

The Knuckles Mountains are one of Sri Lanka’s best walking areas, offering routes of all difficulty levels. Today’s walk lasts approximately 4–5 hours, and your local guide accompanies you throughout.

After the walk, you are driven back to your hotel, pleasantly tired in the legs and rich in memorable nature experiences.

Hotel (example): Wathsala Inn

After breakfast, you are picked up at your hotel and driven to Kandy, Sri Lanka’s cultural capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arrival at the hotel, you have time on your own to explore the city, which offers lively markets, temples and a vibrant atmosphere around the lake.

In the evening, you meet your guide and visit the famous Temple of the Tooth, one of the most important holy sites in Buddhism. According to tradition, Buddha’s tooth is kept here, having been smuggled to Sri Lanka in AD 313. The temple dates back to the time of the Kandy kings and is today one of the country’s most atmospheric and significant places.

The visit concludes with a colourful dance performance at the Kandyan Art Association & Cultural Centre, located right next to the temple, a lively and memorable end to the day.

Hotel (example): Thilanka Hotel

Travelling by train in Sri Lanka is simply fantastic. After breakfast, you are picked up at your hotel and driven to the train station, where you board the train from Kandy to Hatton. The journey takes around two hours and offers some of the country’s most beautiful scenery, with rolling hills, tea plantations, valleys and mountains.

Upon arrival in Hatton, you are met by your driver and driven on to Aberdeen Falls. Here, a short walk of approximately 3 km return leads you down to the impressive waterfall. The walk takes about 30–40 minutes and is easy to follow, allowing you to choose whether to walk with a guide or on your own.

Aberdeen Falls plunges nearly 100 metres down through the Kehelgamuwa Mountains and remains an impressive sight, even though the water flow is lower today than in the past.

After the experience, you are driven to your hotel in Nallathanniya, where you spend the night, ready for new adventures in the highlands.

Hotel (example): Wathsala Inn

After breakfast, you climb Adam’s Peak, also known as Sri Pada. Most of the route from the base to the summit consists of stone and cement steps, illuminated along the way, making it easy to follow. For Buddhists, the footprint at the top is believed to be that of Buddha himself, and the mountain is an important pilgrimage site for several religions.

The ascent takes around five hours and is the most challenging walk of the journey. You can choose whether to walk with a guide or make the ascent independently. The reward at the top is both the view and the atmosphere, a truly special experience.

After the walk, you are driven on to Nuwara Eliya, also known as “Little England”. The town is beautifully located in the highlands and offers a cool climate, green hills, tea plantations and wide-ranging views, a striking contrast to the lowlands and the coast.

Hotel (example): Tea Bush Hotel

After breakfast, you are picked up and driven to Horton Plains National Park, a high-altitude nature reserve covering approximately 10,000 hectares. The park is known for its rich wildlife, including deer, giant squirrels, wild boar and a wide variety of birdlife, and according to surveys, leopards also live in the area, although they are rarely seen.

You follow a beautiful circular walking trail through the national park, which leads you to the dramatic World’s End, where the landscape suddenly drops vertically towards the lowlands. Your guide accompanies you on the walk and shares knowledge about the surrounding nature along the way.

After the walk, you are driven back to your hotel, where the rest of the day is at leisure, perfect for relaxing in the highlands.

Hotel (example): Tea Bush Hotel

After breakfast, you are driven to the railway station in Haputale, where you set off on a spectacular train journey to Ohiya. The train winds its way through mountains and tea plantations, offering some of the most beautiful views of the lush highlands along the way.

From Ohiya, today’s walk begins towards Bambarakanda Falls, the highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. The route follows mountain trails with panoramic views over tea plantations and small villages. Along the way, you pass a smaller waterfall hidden in the forest, where there is time for a refreshing dip and a lunch break. The walk takes approximately 4–5 hours, and experienced walkers can complete the route independently. You choose whether to walk with a guide or on your own.

After the walk, you are driven back to Haputale, where you spend the night, another day filled with classic Sri Lankan nature.

Hotel (example): Olympus Plaza Hotel

After breakfast, you are picked up at your hotel and driven to the starting point of today’s walk. You follow the Tea Estate Trail, which winds its way through lush tea plantations and rolling green landscapes. The walk takes around five hours, and along the way there is the opportunity for guided visits to tea estates, where you can learn about the entire tea process, from leaf to cup, and perhaps even try picking tea yourself. Your guide accompanies you throughout the walk.

After the walk, you are driven on to Ella, beautifully set among tea plantations in the southern highlands. Ella is a charming mountain town and an ideal base for enjoying views over the green valleys of Badulla and exploring the surrounding area on foot.

Hotel (example): Heavens Edge Hotel

After breakfast at your hotel in Ella, you are ready for another beautiful day of walking. Today’s route takes you to Ella Rock, with your guide accompanying you throughout.

The walk takes approximately 3–4 hours and is challenging, but the effort is rewarded with stunning views from the summit. The trail begins along the railway line, continues past small waterfalls and then winds its way through jungle paths before reaching the highest point.

If you still have energy, you can take an additional shorter walk in the afternoon and climb Little Adam’s Peak, where the trails lead through tea plantations and forest, offering beautiful views over the Ella area.

Hotel (example): Heavens Edge Hotel

After breakfast, you are picked up at your hotel and driven towards Udawalawa. Along the way, you stop at the beautiful Ravana Falls and visit Buduruwagala Temple, where seven figures, including an impressive Buddha statue over 15 metres tall, are carved directly into the rock face.

You then continue to Udawalawe National Park, which is known for its rich wildlife and especially its large herds of elephants. You also visit the elephant orphanage before heading out on safari in the national park. Here, you have excellent chances of spotting elephants, crocodiles, deer and a wide variety of birdlife, and if you are lucky, perhaps even a leopard.

After the safari, you are driven on to Weligama, where the next few days are dedicated to beach time, relaxation and ocean views.

Hotel (example): Crystal Villa Weligama

No holiday in Sri Lanka is complete without time at the beach, and this part of the journey begins now. You stay in Weligama, known for its relaxed atmosphere, long sandy beaches and beautiful sunsets.

The days are at leisure, with plenty of opportunities for both activity and relaxation. You can join a whale-watching tour, try surfing, diving or snorkelling, go fishing, or simply sit back and enjoy life by the Indian Ocean.

Hotel (example): Crystal Villa Weligama

Another day of pure beach bliss in Weligama. The day is at leisure, and you choose your own pace.

You can go whale watching, take a fishing trip, try surfing, diving or snorkelling, or simply enjoy the sun, the beach and the beautiful sunsets. If you feel like adding a touch of culture, you can take the train to Galle and explore the atmospheric old fort, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hotel (example): Crystal Villa Weligama

Today the tour ends and you'll be picked up from your hotel and taken to the airport in time to catch your flight home or further afield.