Day Trips from Negombo

Declared by UNESCO as a world heritage city, Anuradhapura is regarded as Sri Lanka’s first known kingdom and the capital of the island for many centuries. Being well known for its cultural and religious value, the city attracts many local and foreign visitors who want to explore the ancient history of Sri Lanka.  See the remains of the Brazen Palace, which was once 9 stories high, and the Sri Maha Bodhi a Bo Tree, which is over 2000 years old and grew from the branch of the very tree beneath which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Visit the ruins of the Ruwanweliseya Dagaba and see the 2nd-century BC shrine, containing the Buddha’s collarbone relic. Explore the Abhayagiriya temple and the Jetawanaramaya dagobas.

Start your day of adventure with a pickup bright and early at 7:00 AM when your chauffeur arrives to pick you up at your accommodation. After a scenic car ride (2.5-hours) you will reach the destination of Bentota. The first location you will visit whilst in Bentota is the Bawa estate in Lunuganga. While visiting the estate you will get to see the beautifully designed gardens that are now open to the public. Some of the buildings of the estate are also now a country house hotel. The tour of the estate takes 2-hours, during which, you will learn of the fascinating history behind this place.  Continue on your travels to Kosgoda for your visit to the Turtle Hatchery. Whilst here, you will get to spend 30 to 40-minutes learning about sea turtles and their conservation. One of people's favourite parts of the hatchery is the touch pools, deep tubs of seawater with baby sea turtles swimming in them. Visitors are allowed to pickup and handle them under supervision. There are also fully matured sea turtles of different kinds, receiving treatment for various ailments or wounds. Once you leave the Turtle Hatchery behind, you will venture to Balapitiva for your chance to go on a lovely Boat Safari in Madu River. Balapitiya is a little southern town lying in marshy wetlands. The area is a high bio-diversity zone that relies on the lagoon created by Madu River as it flows into the Indian Ocean. Your safari will take you on a ride down the river. You will get to see the dense mangrove forest that grows along the marshy banks of the river and the forms of wildlife that call the roots home. Your guide will also take you to some of the larger free standing islands on Madu River. On one such island you will find an old Buddhist monastery.  During the safari, you will also get to try a very popular attraction, the fish massage. This ‘massage parlor’ is a hut standing on stilts in the middle of the river. A netted-in area contains the ‘massage fish’. You will be sitting on the deck of the hut with your feet in the water, while the fish work their magic. After this relaxing boat tour, you will return to Negombo around 2:30 PM. You will arrive back at your hotel at 6:00 PM for an evening of rest and relaxation after a long day of adventure.

After being transported in private car with local English speaking tour guide from Negombo, you will reach your first destination: Sri Lanka's largest rock, Dambulla Cave Temple, which is built on a 600-foot high rock at an elevation of 1118 feet from sea level. It is home to the worlds most acclaimed cave complex of magnificent Buddha images and rock paintings of vivid colors and shapes from the 2nd-century BC to the Kandyan era of the 18th-century.  Your second visit is to Sigiriya Rock, a site of historical and archaeological significance dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 meters (660 feet) high. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Culavamsa, this site was selected by King Kasyapa for his new capital. Finish your day with a tour to see the crafts of the traditional artisans in Sigiriya, including wood carvers and batik makers. Learn about the process of their work and purchase some great souvenirs.  At the end of the trip, your guide will take you back to your hotel in Negombo.

You'll be picked up from your hotel in Negombo, Colombo, or Mount Lavinia at 7:30 AM to drive to Galle and visit the Dutch fort. The fort is a historical, archaeological, and architectural heritage monument. Even after more than 400 years, it remains intact and well maintained thanks to the extensive reconstruction work done by Sri Lanka's archaeological department. Next, you'll visit Ambalangoda, known for its exquisite collection of native masks. Many generations of artisans have carved these beautiful artifacts. Afterwards, drive on to Balaptiva for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, you'll take a boat trip on the Madu Ganga River. Discover the unspoiled beauty of the Madu Ganga estuary, a wetland ecosystem that opens to the Indian Ocean. Finally, you'll visit a turtle hatchery in Kosgoda before heading back to your hotel. Visitors can see the newborn turtles and even be a part of the process of releasing them into the sea!  

Spend a day at the largest and one of the oldest National Parks in Sri Lanka - Wilpattu, which is also among the top national parks and world-renowned for its leopard population. The park is unique to others in the country with its dense country woodland and masses of birds, lying inland from the coast in the Northern Province. Meet your guide at your accommodation in Negombo and begin your journey around 6:00 AM. Reach Wilpattu National Park after approximately 4 hours. Wilpattu is 508 square miles (131.694 hectares) and was declared as a National Park in 1938. The special feature of this park is the large number of Villus (lakes), where you can watch wildlife and many species of birds. Leopards and elephant herds are the most famous animals in the park. Spotted Deer, Sambhur, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Wild Buffalo, Sloth Bear, Mongoose, Crocodile, and Peacocks are also found here. After your safari, enjoy a local lunch at the Puttalam Hotel then return to your accommodation. 

Your day will begin with pickup from your Colombo or Negombo hotel from where you will transfer to Kandy. En route to Kandy you will visit a tea factory and a tea plantation. You will later visit the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden, which was formed by Alexandar Moon in 1821 during the British colonial period. He used the garden for coffee and cinnamon plants, and the garden includes more than 4,000 species of plants including orchids, spices, medicinal plants, and palm trees. Following the gardens you will enjoy lunch at a recommended restaurant, after which you will visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy. This is the site that Lord Buddha’s sacred tooth relic calls home. The Kandy Temple of Tooth Relic is the most sacred and venerated temple in Sri Lanka, and is a must-see when visiting Sri Lanka. You will then enjoy a Kandy city tour which will include time for shopping. Following that you will transfer back to Colombo to be dropped off at your Colombo or Negombo hotel.

Embark on an adventure and become a part of the city and learn the history behind one of Asia’s richest cultures. Journey into the North of Sri Lanka’s Capital and Urban Metropolis, Colombo, to witness its most spectacular sights. See the remains of one of the most distinct tourist attractions of Negombo, the 17th century Dutch Fort which now houses a prison. Explore the traditional fishing town of Sri Lanka and the small thatched palm houses lined with fishermen’s huts that feeds into the Dutch-era Hamilton Canal on the water's edge. Gaze at the lavish and grand nature of the Neo-classical St.Mary’s Church that features a ceiling decorated with vivid religious paintings.

After being collected from your Negombo hotel at approximately 7:00AM, you will embark on a 2 to 3-hour journey to your white water rafting location. Once arriving at the Kelani River, your adventure water rafting experience will begin. After being assigned one of the modern rafts, you will receive a comprehensive safety briefing by a professional water rafting instructor. The distance you will cover is approximately 5-kilometers, and the river and its surrounding will make you feel enchanted, providing you with a memorable experience during your adventure water rafting tour in Kitulagala. On completion of the tour, you will be transferred to the Plantation Hotel for a well earned buffet lunch by the river. Following your lunch, you will begin your 4-hour journey back to Negombo.

Start your memorable boat ride through the Dutch canal. This was at one time an important link in the transportation route which supplied the Dutch colonial administration. You will continue your ride through the Canal to the lagoon which is fed by a number of small rivers and a canal. It is linked to the sea by a narrow channel to the north, near Negombo city. It is surrounded by a densely populated region containing rice paddies, coconut plantations and grassland. The land is used for fishing and agriculture. The lagoon has extensive mangrove swamps and attracts a wide variety of water birds including cormorants, herons, egrets, gulls, terns and other shorebirds.  Finally, you will reach Muthurajawela Wetland that provides a home for a diverse range of flora and fauna, some of which are endemic and threatened. It is also an important area for migratory birds, making it a primary recreational and educational destination in Negombo. 

Explore Sri Lanka's last remaining virgin rainforest with this private tour with pick up from cities in the Western province such at Colombo, Negombo, Bentota and Kalutara. Benefit from the flexibility of having a personal guide throughout the day that can provide your with facinating cultural information. Relax with a convenient pickup and drop-off service in a climate-controlled vehicle. Get a taste of the land with a local lunch. Spend 4 hours in the rainforest while visiting spectacular waterfalls, summiting Sinharaja's tallest peak, and hiking through the lush rainforest. Admire the jungle trees, orchids, and a large array of bird species.