Sigiriya Lion Rock

Private Experiences

Begin the tour by meeting your tour leader in Colombo and set off for the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. After exploring the history museum of Polonnaruwa, discover the ruins of the ancient city. Later, check in to a 3-star hotel in Sigiriya for your overnight stay.  The next morning, enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Set off for the Dambulla golden cave temple which was the site where a king of Anuradhapura took refuge from the South Induan invasion in the 1st-century BC. Learn about how when the king recaptured the region 13 years later, he converted the caves into a monastery and gifted it to the Buddhist monks. After this, head over to the ancient Sigiriya Rock, where a 5th-century prince who had committed patricide made it his hideout. Also make a stop at the Pidurangala ancient cave temple. At the end of the tour you will be returned to Colombo and dropped off at the start point.

Explore the best of Sri Lanka with this tour to the Golden Temple of Dambulla, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens, rolling tea tea plantations in Ella, the chance to see wild elephants in the Udawalawe National park. Have your hotels, dinners, and breakfasts arranged for you in this fantastic tour package. Day 1Be welcomed by your guide at the Colombo International Airport where your guide will take you to your hotel in Negombo. Day 2Journey from Colombo to Sigiriya after getting your negative test results and eating a filling breakfast. Visit the Golden Temple of Dambulla, the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. Relax before heading to the ancient rock fortress Sigiriya before having dinner and staying at a 4star hotel in Sigiriya. Day 3Travel to Kandy after a hearty breakfast to visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic which holds the most important Buddhist relic in Sri Lanka. Take some time to unwind in your hotel before proceeding to see the amazing flora at the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens. Eat dinner and stay overnight at a four star hotel in Kandy. Day 4Next, have a full breakfast before heading to Ella to walk among the lush tea plantations. Learn more about the colonial history of Sri Lanka and take in the stunning landscape views. Return to your hotel in Ella for dinner and to rest. Day 5After breakfast, drive to Udawalawe National park where you can spot elephants in their natural habitat.

After pickup from your hotel in Colombo, Negombo or Mount Lavinia, drive to Dambulla. Visit the Dambulla Cave Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site then spend overnight in Sigiriya. On day two get an early start and drive to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Polonnaruwa. Take a cycling tour through the well-preserved ancient city to see the beautiful stupas or dagobas, moonstones, parks, buildings and stunning statues. In the afternoon, you will be taken to the 5th-century rock fortress of Sigiriya, regarded as one of the Wonders of World and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Spend overnight in Sigiriya.   On day three after leisurely breakfast, visit an archetypal Sri Lankan village. Experience a bullock cart ride, see traditional cultivation methods, enjoy a boat ride and an authentic Sri Lankan lunch at a village house. After lunch, continue to Kandy, stopping at a wood carving center and a spice garden in Matale. Upon arrival, take a city tour of Kandy including a visit to the temple of the sacred tooth relic, upper lake drive, the market square, and more. Spend overnight in Kandy.     After breakfast on the fourth day, you will depart from Kandy and be driven back to your hotel in Colombo, Negombo or Mount Lavinia, or dropped off at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.

Start your tour at 6:30 AM with pickup from your hotel in Kandy. The first stop on your itinerary will be the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. which you will reach at approximately 9:00 AM. Rising from the central plains, the iconic rocky outcrop of Sigiriya is perhaps Sri Lanka's single most dramatic sight. Near-vertical walls soar to a flat-topped summit that contains the ruins of an ancient civilization, where you will discover spellbinding vistas across mist-wrapped forests in the early morning. Climb a series of vertiginous staircases attached to sheer walls to reach the top of the ruins. Pass a series of frescoes and a pair of colossal lion's paws carved into the bedrock. Marvel at the surrounding landscape of lily-pad-covered moats, water gardens, and quiet shrines that surround the site. After visiting the fortress, proceed to a local village in Sigiriya to experience a village tour. Get a chance to go on an oxen cart ride, and experience the world from the view of a local farmer. Afterwards, take a relaxing catamaran safari through a calm lake. Stroll through the golden fields ripe with their harvest of paddy. Watch a traditional cooking demonstration, that teaches you the basics of Sri Lankan cuisine. Delight your taste buds with a home-cooked lunch; made over a wood-fire and served on fragrant lotus leaves placed over woven trays.  After experiencing the village life of Sri Lanka, travel onwards to Minneriya National Park to go on safari. See the famous Sri Lankan elephants, rare bird species, saltwater crocodiles, Indian pythons, and an abundance of flora and fauna. On completion of the jeep safari at approximately 6:00 PM and return to your hotel in Kandy, stopping along the way for dinner, at your own expense.

Explore two of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO-listed highlights on a privately guided day trip to Dambulla and the Sigiriya Rock from Colombo. Start with an early morning pickup from your hotel in Colombo. Make your first stop at the Dambulla Cave Temple. View Sri Lanka’s countryside and villages as you journey to the atmospheric Dambulla Cave Temple, a Cliffside cave complex packed with Buddha images and frescoes. Enter the historic caves of the Golden Temple of Dambulla, dating back to the 1st century BC. View the ancient murals depicting the life story of Lord Gautama Buddha. Look at the hundreds of figurines of Buddha and other deities scattered throughout the five main caves. Visit the Cave of the Divine King, Cave of the Great King, and the Great New Monastery. See the giant golden Buddha Statue just a little distance outside the cave complex. Go to Sigiriya to visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress. Climb the 5th century AD rock fortress, Sigiriya, where King Kassapa ruled. Walk through the entrance framed by the paws of a lion that is quite appropriate for its name, the Lion Rock. View the beautiful unfading murals that brought Sigiriya its fame. Climb the steep staircase to see the terraced gardens and still-working cisterns. Go through the tunnels leading to the palace as you get a feel for times long past.

Begin your 14-hour tour with an early-morning drive to Sigiriya. When you arrive, climb the Sigiriya Rock fortress, considered to be the 8th Wonder of the World. In the 5th century, King Kashyapa built a palace atop the rock. Sigiriya commemorates some of the turbulence of Sri Lanka’s history. Stop to enjoy a restaurant lunch before heading to Dambulla. Visit the UNESCO-listed cave temple built by King Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C. It is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The complex of 5 caves features more than 2,000 square meters of painted walls and ceilings. See 150 images of the Buddha, of which the largest is a 14-meter-high image carved out of the rock.

Following an early morning pickup at your accommodation in Colombo, head directly to Sigiriya Rock on arrival. Bring your own snacks or make sure to have a proper breakfast at your accommodation before the tour. You'll arrive at Sigiriya Rock Fortress after an approximately 4-hour car ride. Gaze in awe at the massive column of rock that, according to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Culavamsa, was selected by King Kasyapa as the site of his new capital. Near-vertical walls soar to a flat-topped summit that contains the ruins of an ancient civilization, thought to be once the epicenter of the short-lived kingdom of Kassapa. Enjoy the fascinating morning views across the mist-wrapped forests. Climb the Sigiriya Rock fortress and arrive at the Lion Rock. Explore numerous unfading murals and continue your hike at the steep staircase leading to the terraced gardens and cisterns. Walk through the tunnels leading to the palace and get a feeling for the history of this unique place. Proceed to Sigiriya at around 1:30 PM for a walking tour of the village. Discover a bund of a Wewa, a man-made reservoir. Get on a bullock cart ride and experience the rural village life. Then, aboard a tandem canoe and join for a catamaran safari at a scenic lake. Stop to enjoy a traditional restaurant lunch prepared by the villagers at your own expense. Savor a typical buffet-style meal served on lotus leaves. Witness the preparation methods by the local women and participate in the preparation of a curry. Following lunch, take a three-wheeler tour back to the starting point in Sigiriya. Start the journey back towards your accommodation in Colombo at around 6 PM. En-route you may stop at Restaurant at your choice and have dinner at your own expense.

Get picked up from your hotel and driven to Minneriya National Park for a morning game drive. Unlike in other national parks, hundreds of animal species live here and you might spot elephants at close range!  After the park, you'll trek through a typical Sri Lankan village. The trek begins with an awesome walk along the bund of a Wewa (manmade reservoir). The area, surrounded by jungle and marshland, and the village, bustle in the morning or evening. The amazing birdlife and butterflies—and maybe even a crocodile or two—only add to the excitement and charm of the village and its surroundings. You will continue your tour with a bullock cart ride up to a village house where you can enjoy a delicious local lunch.

Day 1: Colombo/Sigiriya You will be greeted by your personal chauffeur guide at the Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport and transferred to Sigiriya. Day 2 : Polonnaruwa/Sigiriya Visit the UNESCO world Heritage city of Polonnaruwa, the well-preserved city with ancient dagobas, moonstones, beautiful parks, massive buildings and stunningly beautiful statues. In the afternoon, explore the 5th-century rock fortress of Sigiriya. Day 3: Sigiriya/Kandy Visit the impressive cave temple of Dambulla, also a UNESCO world heritage site, a batik factory and a spice garden. In the afternoon, peruse Kandy with a visit to the temple of the sacred tooth relic, the upper lake drive, market square, gem lapidary and more. Day 4: Kandy/Nuwara Eliya Visit the Peradeniya Botanical Garden and then drive to Nuwara Eliya. En route, visit a tea plantation and factory where the best tea in the world is produced. Day 5: Nuwara Eliya/Colombo Enjoy a city tour of Nuwara Eliya in the morning. A favorite retreat of the British during colonial times, the town is dotted with English country-style houses and half-timbered bungalows. After the city tour, you will be driven to Colombo and on the way you can visit Devon and St. Claire's waterfalls. Day 6: Colombo/Airport Arruve at  the airport.

Day 1 Meet your driver and proceed to your hotel in Dambulla. See the Dambulla Golden Cave Temple along the way. Dinner and overnight stay in Dambulla. Day 2 After a leisurely breakfast, visit the Sigiriya Rock Fortress and the Polonnaruwa historical city. Dinner and overnight stay in Dambulla. Day 3 After a leisurely breakfast, leave for Kandy. Visit a spice garden along the way. After arrival in Kandy, enjoy a sightseeing tour and visit the Tooth Relic Temple and Royal Botanical Garden. Dinner and overnight stay in Kandy. Day 4 After an early morning breakfast, head to the Kandy Railway Station and board the train for Nuwara Eliya. Stop to visit a tea plantation along the way. Dinner and overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya. Day 5 After the breakfast, head for Yala. Visit a waterfall and the Sita Temple along the way. After arriving in Yala, enjoy an afternoon safari. Dinner and overnight stay in Yala. Day 6 After the breakfast, leave for Bentota. Visit Galle Fort, the Madu River estuary, and  the Sea Turtle Conservation Centre along the way. Dinner and overnight stay in Kalutara/Bentota. Day 7 After the breakfast leave for Colombo. Your driver will drop you off at your hotel or the airport after your Colombo sightseeing tour.