Pick up from the airport. A choice of accommodation for overnight stay in Negombo (close to the airport) or the Capital City of Colombo (45 minutes drive)

Your overnight stay is in Sigiriya, 180 km from Colombo. On the way, visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Dambulla Rock Temple and climb Sigiriya.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage - the 24 acre Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage with the world's largest herd of elephants breeding in captivity where you can watch baby elephants feed or frolic in the river waters. 20 elephants have been born here since 1984.
Dambulla Rock Temple - a World Heritage Site, the fascinating rock temple has hundreds of Buddha statues, many carved out of the rock inside the caves.
Sigiriya - another World Heritage Site is also called the 'Lion Rock' and looms out of the plains. This is where the famed frescoes adorn the walls high above.

Travel the 260 km distance to Sri Lanka's most famous ancient capitals and return to Sigiriya for the night.
Anuradhapura - Founded in 400 BC the city remained the Capital for 1400 years. It flourished with temples, dagobas, monasteries and palaces with finest of stone sculptures after the arrival of Buddhism in 247 BC and the ruins that you can see today are amazing.
Polonnaruwa - The capital shifted to Polonnaruwa in the 11th Century for 200 hundred years and in addition to outstanding sculptures of Buddha statues and temple ruins, you can see the vast 2,400 hectare irrigation tank - Parakrama Samudraya.

Your next stop is Kandy, the Hill Capital, 150 km away with many interesting sites to see including the Temple of the Tooth, the beautiful botanical gardens and an opportunity to witness Kandyan dancing.
Sri Dalada Maligawa - The focal point of Kandy is the Temple of the Tooth where the tooth relic of Lord Buddha is enshrined. Located on the edge of Kandy Lake, the temple is adorned with elegant wall murals, ornate gateways, pillars and steps carved in stone.
Royal Botanical Gardena, Peradeniya - An unrivalled collection of trees, plants and flowers amidst sixty hectares of landscaped beauty, it is an unforgettable experience to walk through the gardens, visiting the Orchid House, spice gardens and tree-lined avenues.
Kandyan Dance Performance - No ceremony in Sri Lanka is complete without Kandyan dancers and the dance form is a proud, cultural heritage of the country.

From cool Kandy to the more chilly hills of Nuwara Eliya is a 2-3 hour drive along misty, winding roads with a panoramic view of hills and valleys, especially picturesque tea gardens.
Nuwara Eliya - a hilly holiday resort town at an altitude of 1,868 m (6,128 ft) with a splendid view of undulating hills and valleys covered with tea bushes and greenery. Blessed with a salubrious climate, where flowers and vegetables grow in abundance, the temperature here varies from 14C at least to 21C at most.

From the crisp cool climes to the warmth of the shore is about a 5 hour drive. This is where you can relax and unwind on the beach or enjoy some energetic water sports. Bentota - Enjoy a whole day at Bentota beach with a panoramic river cruise plus plenty of exciting water sports on the picturesque estuary where the river meets the sea. Enjoy a fabulous barbecue dinner at the hotel in the evening.

Bentota is just one and half hours from Colombo.
Colombo - Depending on your flight schedule, you will enjoy a tour of the City of Colombo, with some exciting shopping for ethnic arts and crafts, stylish clothes or gems and jewellery, before you are dropped off at the airport.