Essential Sri Lanka
From AUD $1230
Small Group
Light
Rating
(15 reviews)
Essential Sri Lanka
11 days
Small Group
Basic
Light
English
Experience Overview
Take Sri Lanka, boil it like the tea leaves the country’s famous for and strain out all the best stuff. On this 11-day trip, you’ll travel through natural paradise, small, friendly villages and UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Take Sri Lanka, boil it like the tea leaves the country’s famous for and strain out all the best stuff. On this 11-day trip, you’ll travel through natural paradise, small, friendly villages and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Search for elephants in Udawalawe National Park and walk to the top of Sigiriya Lion Rock Fortress. Feast on spicy curry prepared by a local in Ella and hike through lush mountains. Relax on the beach in Hiriketiya – perfect for lounging and sipping cocktails – and do it all with a new group of friends!
Highlights
- Cruise around in a 4WD on a wildlife safari, searching for elephants, lone leopards and aquatic birdlife in Udawalawe National Park.
- Learn the benefits of washing down a spicy curry with piping-hot Ceylon tea during lunch in a lush mountain village near Ella in a local’s home.
- Kick back on the warm sands of paradisical palm-lined Hiriketiya, with plenty of free time to relax and soak up the sun at the beach.
- Leave the imprint of your face on the train window as you stare out wide-eyed on a journey from Kandy to Ella – this scenic rail ride is basically a 6-hour nature documentary, there’s so much amazing scenery!
- Walk to the top of the Sigiriya Lion Rock Fortress. Explore the ruined fortress on the top of the rock, learn about the region’s history and see the Lion’s Gate – a staircase with two huge stone lion paws on either side.
Trip Details
11 days
Train,Private vehicle
Small Group
English
Negombo, Sri Lanka
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Basic
18 - 39 Year Olds Only
Light
Itinerary
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Optional Activities:
- Dambulla - Cave temples (entrance) (7 USD)
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Included Activities:
- Sigiriya - Lion Rock Fortress
Optional Activities:
- Kandy - Cooking Demonstration and Dinner in a Local Home (12 USD)
- Kandy - Batik Painting Workshop (28 USD)
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Optional Activities:
- Kandy - Botanical Gardens (10 USD)
- Kandy - Cooking Class in a Sinhalese Home (12 USD)
- Kandy - Temple of the Tooth (7 USD)
- Kandy - Cultural Dance Performance (7 USD)
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Included Activities:
- Kandy - Scenic train ride to Ella
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Included Activities:
- Ella - Nine Arch Bridge
- Ella - Lunch at a Local Family Home
- Ella - Pekoe Trail Hike
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Included Activities:
- Udawalawe National Park - Wildlife safari
Accommodation:
- Permanent Tent (with basic ensuite) (Number of Nights: 1)
Accommodation:
- Hostel (multi-share) (Number of Nights: 1)
Accommodation:
- Hostel (multi-share) (Number of Nights: 1)
Included Activities:
- Colombo - Guided market visit
- Galle - Walking tour
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
- Flights to and from origin and destinations
- Airport transfers (arrival and departure)
- Anything else not explicitly listed in tour inclusions
- Recommended gratuities/tipping
- Optional activities/tours
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Visas, meals and beverages not stated in the list of inclusions.
When meals are not included, your tour leader (where available) will be happy to help with restaurant recommendations, bookings, and directions. Please let us know if you have any dietary needs or preferences. We willdo our best to accommodate these, though we cannot guarantee that every request can be met.
You are responsible for your personal belongings throughout the tour. You will need to carry your own bags between the vehicle and your hotel room. Drivers will assist with loading and unloading luggage from the vehicle.
Travellers requiring wheelchair access should contact our sales and service team, who can make enquiries on your behalf.
This tour requires an Average level of fitness. Activities are paced gently and include leisure time. You may be expected to join guided walks of up to one hour, navigate short stairways and mild inclines, and manage your own luggage. You should also be able to board and exit all transport without assistance.
Travellers are expected to be self-sufficient and capable of handling all aspects of their journey. Please discuss your circumstances and support needs with your booking agent to confirm this trip is suitable.
If you are unsure, we recommend consulting your doctor before booking or travelling. (Note: I assume each tour has a different description depending on level of fitness required).
If a planned site visit is unavailable due to changes in operating hours or holiday closures, the itinerary may be altered, or a comparable activity will be substituted where possible and subject to availability.
Visa conditions can change. Once you receive your travel documents, check with the relevant embassy, consulate, or immigration office of your destination for the latest information.
- It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct and valid travel documents and to comply with all entry requirements.
- Non-Australian citizens must also confirm visa and identification requirements with the appropriate consulate or visa agency.
- Certain occupations (for example, journalists, government officials, or those working in charities) may face additional restrictions when applying for visas, which could affect the type of application required.
Duration: 11 days
Trip Type: Small Group
Activity Level: Light
Take Sri Lanka, boil it like the tea leaves the country’s famous for and strain out all the best stuff. On this 11-day trip, you’ll travel through natural paradise, small, friendly villages and UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 07 Jun 2026
Customer Reviews
04/14/2024
Sri Lanka was an incredible country to explore, made even better with the great people from Intrepid and especially the helpfulness of our guide Chathu!
04/13/2024
This was the perfect trip to experience the highlights of Sri Lanka! Good food, good people and beautiful sights. I’ll be back to Sri Lanka for sure
Tour Operator
Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company, dedicated to providing sustainable, experience-rich travel opportunities. They’ve been the leader in ethical, small-group travel since 1989 - taking people around the world for more than 30 years. They’re the world’s largest travel B Corporation - dedicated to being the best travel company for the world. In 2002, they established The Intrepid Foundation so their travellers could make a lasting impact on the communities they had visited. Although Intrepid Travel absorbs all administrative costs of The Intrepid Foundation, they are separate legal entities, allowing The Intrepid Foundation to grow independently. Intrepid Travel is made up of a collection of tour operator brands and 28 destination management companies all united by one vision: To change the way we all see the world.
In Business Since 1989
04/14/2024
Sri Lanka was an incredible country to explore, made even better with the great people from Intrepid and especially the helpfulness of our guide Chathu!
04/13/2024
This was the perfect trip to experience the highlights of Sri Lanka! Good food, good people and beautiful sights. I’ll be back to Sri Lanka for sure
04/10/2024
Amazing trip would recommend! Great variety of activities, transport and accommodation with lots of local experiences. Loved this tour and Sri Lanka.
04/09/2024
Essential Sri Lanka was unreal, 2 weeks of a fast paced over view of such an incredible country. I can’t wait to come back. Our intrepid leader was awesome and so passionate about his country. I can’t recommend coming to Sri Lanka enough.
02/19/2024
What a great 11 days in Sri Lanka! Our leader Uthpala gave us such a great insight into her country. Loved the safari and all the food we tried!
01/25/2024
I had the best time on this trip! Lochana, our tour guide, went above and beyond to make sure we were having the best experience possible and was always ready to help out with anything. Sri Lanka is a beautiful, green country and I would not have been able to see this much of it in 12 days without a tour. We were also a fun group and became friends very quickly :) Only negative was that Intrepid at times could have organized some things better. Overall I would highly recommend this tour!
01/06/2022
The tour and our guide Nandana were amazing! Would really recommend - it's a great trip to see lots of different areas of Sri Lanka.
01/06/2022
One of the best trips that I've ever been on! Sri Lanka is such a beautiful and friendly country to travel around. Our tour guide, Nandana, really made the trip the best it could have been. He was so attentive to the group and knowledgeable about the country. Thank you Nandana!
01/06/2022
This was an amazing tour! such an incredible country. I must say Nandana was the most excellent tour guide I've ever had. So incredibly knowledge and a wonderful person to be around. He led this tour magnificently. so if you are considering a Sri Lankan tour with intrepid I advise that you specifically ask for Nandana to be the guide.
01/04/2022
A brilliant and safe way to see Sri Lanka; busy with lots to do but also enough time to relax. Would suggest booking a few extra days at the beach at the end to make the most of the sun before you leave this beautiful country!
01/24/2024
Sri Lanka is such a beautiful country and Lochana was a great tour leader. This trip had a good balance between being active and resting. The Galle to Colombo train was not good as it is very crowded and unsafe for female travellers. Overall though, I had a great time.
01/24/2024
Sri Lanka is a beautiful country that I would recommend visiting. Our guide Lochana was awesome and went above and beyond to make us all comfortable and share her culture. The Galle to Colombo train should be removed from the itinerary as it was crowded and unsafe for female travellers.
12/24/2023
This was a trip of a lifetime! My first group tour with intrepid and I could not rate it high enough. My tour leader did the most fantastic job showing me around Sri Lanka. There was no part of this tour which I didn’t like. Am definitely going to be booking more tours with this company!
11/30/2023
Fantastic tour with an incredibly knowledgeable tour guide and a group of people than made the experience unforgettable
09/26/2023
This tour has changed my life. I’ve made friends for a life time and learn things about myself that I needed to learn. Hashan our tour guide is one of those people in life that you will never forget. He is special and no doubt the best your guide I have ever had. He is so talented and intelligent. Every nish thing you asked, he had an answer for it. He was always there for us and made me feel welcome, safe and protected. He always had a good vibrant attitude during the trip and wanted to please every single one of us with the things we needed/or wanted to do. Hashan is a very friendly and kind person that lives to teach others and make people fall in love with Sri Lanka.
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