Pick-up location and time: Colombo, 0700 hrs
  • Trip Outline
  • Itinerary
  • Reviews
  • Booking
  • Short Circle Sri Lanka-5 days tour


    This 5 day Sri Lanka cultural triangle tour is one of the best opportunities to see all major historical sites on a trip. The cultural triangle tour takes you to many important places with historical and natural importance. The tour includes 5 of the seven UNESCO world heritage sites on the island namely; Sigiriya, Dambulla, Kandy, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura while wildlife reserves, lakes, and remote hamlets are places to explore with activities such as wildlife safari, visiting the elephant orphanage in Pinnawala.

    Sri Lanka cultural triangle tour starts from Colombo or at any other place convenient for you, but the pick-up location should be within Colombo. If the pick-up location is far from Colombo, there will be a supplement charge for the transfer.

    The pick-up location and time will not affect the tour at all, because this is a private tour and the vehicle is reserved only for you and your associates. Having a private vehicle for the tour means that you can enjoy the tour while having maximum privacy, the tour will run at your own pace. An air-conditioned modern vehicle with a local driver/guide will be allocated for your trip.


    Is this trip right for you?

    • The entire trip is private (transfers and sightseeings), only you and your associates take part in the trip.
    • This 5 days trip packs a lot in. It’s one of the most popular Sri Lanka tours, we run in our Original style, perfect for those, who look for a one week trip and a desire to do the most with it. If you are after a more leisurely trip in Sri Lanka or a shorter trip please check our other tour itineraries.
    • Sri Lanka can get extremely hot in the summer. While we aim to do our walking tours, city tours early in the morning or afternoon, when it’s cooler, remember to keep water on you and to bring a hat, sunscreen, a long-sleeved shirt, and anything else that will protect you from the sun.
    • Part of travelling with Seerendipity means respecting local cultures and sensibilities. That way you get the most out of your interactions with local people and environments. We visit a number of temples on this trip and to enter them you must have clothes that cover wrists and below the knee. Same time you have to remove the head covers and shoes upon entering the temple. Please click here to know more about the rules and regulations pertaining to Sri Lanka temple visits.

    Places you visit on this trip


    Highlights

    • Touring Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle.
    • Experience Sri Lanka’s historical and cultural heritage while visiting thousands of years old monuments.
    • Cycling through the ancient monuments in Polonnaruwa.
    • Kandy sightseeing tour with Kandyan cultural show, gem museum, silk garden.
    • Take a 360-degree panoramic view from the summit of the Sigiriya rock fortress.
    • Walking through the Spice Garden while learning about herbal trees and plants and spices.
    • Walk in the Tea plantations and Royal Botanic Gardens of Peradeniya, Victoria Park and many more.
    • Wildlife safari of Minneriya national park in search of wild elephants, crocodiles, bears and other wild creatures with local guide and driver.
    • Walking tour of Pinnawala elephant orphanage.
    • Walkthrough the trees, plants and veins as well as the orchid house of Peradeniya garden.

    Hotel

      • Sigiriya Village hotel (2 nights).
      • Oakray regency hotel-Kandy (1 night).
      • Galway hotel-Nuwara Eliya (1 night)

    Trip includes

    • Accommodation for 4 nights in standard hotels.
    • Daily breakfast (4 breakfasts), starting from day 2.
    • Daily Dinner (4 Dinners), starting from day 1.
    • Entrance fees and activity cost for below,
      • Anuradhapura ancient city
      • Polonnaruwa ancient city
      • Dambulla cave temple
      • Sigiriya rock fortress
      • Pinnawala elephant orphanage
      • Temple of the tooth relic
      • Spice garden
      • Kandy sightseeing tour
      • English speaking tour guide
      • Pick-up and drop-off from the airport or hotel in Colombo
      • Kandyan cultural show
      • Royal botanical garden.
    • Meeting arrangements at the airport on arrival and departure.
    • Entire ground transportation as per the itinerary in a modern air-conditioned vehicle.
    • The above are Nett and include all government taxes.

    Trip excludes

    • Expenses of personal nature such as tipping, porters, laundry, telephones, etc.
    • Trekking through the Horton plains national park
    • Minneriya national park safari

    Book now & pay later

    Reserve your tour now and pay as you begin the trip. Send us the duly filled tour booking form, we will arrange your tour and you can make the payment as you meet us on the first day of the trip.


    Best price guaranteed

    We guarantee the best price. If you find the same tour package at a cheaper price elsewhere, we do match the price of other tour packages and furthermore add a 10% discount to it.


    No hidden fees

    The price you see on the product pages is the exact same price that you see in the final stage of the trip booking. There are no hidden fees and taxes such as hotel supplements, transport supplements, GST, BTT, service charge, nation-building tax, hotel tax etc.


    Additional information

    • Confirmation will be received at the time of booking
    • A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
    • Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
    • Children must be accompanied by an adult
    • The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
    • A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Infant seats, available
    • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
    • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate.

    COVID-19 special information

    • All customer touchpoints are frequently cleaned
    • Social distancing is maintained in vehicles
    • To reduce crowds, all tours are private
    • Masks are required they are provided by Seerendipity tours
    • You must fill out a travel information form
    • Temperature checks are mandatory
    • You must book this activity online, as the ticket office is closed

    For more information or changes to the itinerary please write to us at admin@seerendipitytours.com.


    Important information:

    The time predicted to travel between cities may be varied depending on the traffic. If you have any time constraints, due to the departure flights, appointments etc, please inform us in advance, so that we can plan your Sri Lanka cultural triangle tour accordingly.

    Please contact us at least a day before your Sri Lanka cultural triangle tour, so we can easily arrange our vehicles and guides. We do arrange hotel pick up from 40+ hotels for this trip. We do cover all hotels on the western and southern coast as well as Colombo airport.

    The Sri Lanka cultural triangle tour can be booked with luxury accommodation as well as economical accommodations. The tour can be booked with 5-star hotels, four-star hotels, three-star hotels... however the standard tour package is planned with four-star compatible hotel accommodations. You will be notified of the hotel name before finalizing the Sri Lanka cultural triangle tour. The rate can make a notable difference across different hotels categories.

 

Itineraries

Day 1

Time : 7:00 am

COLOMBO / ANURADHAPURA / SIGIRIYA

Arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport, meet & greet by "Seerendipity Tours" representatives and proceed to the hotel in Sigiriya, En-route visit Anuradhapura ancient city. The journey from Colombo to Anuradhapura takes around 5 hours. We estimate that you reach Anuradhapura at around noon.

Anuradhapura city tour (3 hours)

After a leisurely lunch break, you explore ancient monuments in the ancient city. You visit Srimahabodhi, Ruwanweli stupa, twin pond, Jetawanrama dagoba and many ancient monuments.

Anuradhapura is the first capital of Sri Lanka dating back to 3rd century BC. It was the capital of Sri Lanka for more than 1000 years and the country was ruled by more than 100 kings and queens from Anuradhapura. Today Anuradhapura is visited by local and foreign tourists. Ancient Buddhist temples, Palaces, Museums, Parks, and lakes are some of the important places to visit in the city.

After the city tour drive to the hotel in Sigiriya on A9 road, the journey will take about 1 hour

Accommodation

Hotel gimanhala

Meals

No meals included today

Day 2

Time : 8:00 am

SIGIRIYA / POLONNARUWA

Breakfast at hotel and leave for the iconic historical monument of Sigiriya rock fortress, the drive take around 10 minutes from your hotel.

SIGIRIYA HIKE (3 hours)

Sigiriya is one of the oldest landscaped gardens in the world, dating back to 5th century AD. The Sigiriya was built by King Kashayapa and consisted of many parts such as Sigiriya water garden, Sigiriya fortress, Sigiriye Gallery with paintings, mirror wall with old scripts. The paintings of Sigiriya were also originated in the 5th century AD. The paintings are still in very good shape.

After climbing Sigiriya rock, leave for the 2nd most ancient capital of Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa. The journey will take around 1 hour, en-route stop for the lunch break.

POLONNARUWA CITY TOUR (2 hours)

The Polonnaruwa city tour includes a visit to the Historical Museum and a visit to the ancient city.

The historical city of Polonnaruwa is the 2nd most important historical city in Sri Lanka. Many kings ruled the island from Polonnaruwa and 3 Buddhist kings namely Vijayabahu, Parakramabahu and Nissankamalla are the most important rules who ruled the country from Polonnaruwa. Today Polonnaruwa houses a large number of temples, palaces, parks, hospitals and many other buildings of historical importance.

SAFARI AT MINNERIYA NATIONAL PARK (optional)

Minneriya national park safari is an optional activity and can be included to your Sri Lanka cultural triangle tour. The Minneriya safari lasts around 2 hours and you will be able to spot a large number of animals such as wild elephants, deer, monkeys, crocodiles, wild buffaloes.

Minneriya national park is most popular to spot wild elephants and there are opportunities to spot many large herds of wild elephants. A large number of the wild elephant gathering is frequent in the grasslands of the park near the Minneriya tank. These herds are consisting of several hundred animals in some instances.

Accommodation

Hotel gimanhala

Meals

Breakfast included

Day 3

Time : 7:00 am

SIGIRIYA / KANDY

After breakfast leave for Kandy, en-route visit spice garden and Dambulla cave temple. (the journey takes around 3 hour)

DAMBULLA CAVE TEMPLE HIKE (1 hour)

Dambulla golden cave temple is another important historical site with religious importance. The temple is dating back to 1st century BC. The temple believed to have provided shelter to the King Walagambahu in the 1st century BC, during the south Indian invasion. Later the King had built the temple after regaining his throne. Today it is a Unesco world heritage site and harbours more than 100 statues. The ceiling and wall paintings of the temple cover more than 2100 square feet.

WALK THROUGH THE SPICE GARDEN (1 hour)

Spices is a very important commodity for the island for many centuries, even today spices help the island to earn a large amount of hard currency. The village of Matale holds the reputation as the centre of the spice trade. You will encounter many spice gardens here and you are able to visit one of them and learn about the local spices.

KANDY TEMPLE OF THE TOOTH (1 hour)

The temple of the tooth relic also an important world heritage site in Sri Lanka and houses the tooth relic of Buddha. The temple rises next to the Kandy lake, near the modern part of Kandy city. The temple is visited by thousands of foreign as well as local travellers every day.

KANDYAN CULTURAL SHOW (1 hour)

This is a perfect opportunity to experience the typical Sri Lankan dancing and music. This is a live performance by expert dancers of Sri Lanka and the performance lasts 1 hour.

Accommodation

Oakray regency hotel

Meals

Breakfast and Dinner included

Day 4

Time : 8:00 am

KANDY / PERADENIYA / NUWARA ELIYA

After leisurely breakfast leave for Nuwara Eliya, en-route visit Tea garden and factory, Ramboda waterfall and Peradeniya botanical garden. The tour also includes a city tour of Kandy with visits to the upper lake, gem museum, handicraft centre.

PERADENIYA BOTANICAL GARDEN

The botanical garden of Peradeniya is the first botanical in Sri Lank and most popular botanical garden on the island. The first activity of the day is a leisurely walk through the hgarden to see hundreds of trees, plants, veins and orchid species.

TEA FACTORY

After peradeniya botanical garden, proceed to Nuwara Eliya via Ramboda. In Ramboda you will be stopping at Tea factory and later at the Ramboda waterfall.

Check-in the hotel at noon and at 14.00 hrs you will deparet to Horton plains national park.

HORTON PLAINS NATIONAL PARK 

You will make a 3 hours trek in the horton plains national park while enjoying beautiful scenery as well as birds, many other animals as well as trees and plants. 

Accommodation

Galway forest lodge hotel

Meals

Breakfast and Dinner included

Day 5

Time : 8:00 am

NUWARA ELIYA / KITULGALA / COLOMBO

After leisurely breakfast at hotel, leave for Colombo, en-route stop at Kitulgala for optional white-water rafting and lunch.

 

 ..............................End of the trip...........................

  1. Pamela:

    Our guide, Sameera, made it possible for us to see a lot of different parts of Sri Lanka, which was a great experience. His knowledge made our trip so much better. He taught us interesting things about Sri Lankan history and culture and gave us useful tips on how to best use our time. This gave us the chance to fully enjoy the things that each place had to offer. We were worried about how to get around on Sri Lanka’s tricky roads before our trip. But Jayweera planned the trip so that we spent as little time as possible on the road, so we could enjoy the sights and sounds of this beautiful country to the fullest. We really appreciated how much Jayweera cared about our safety and how much he wanted us to enjoy our trip. His hard work made our tour even better, turning it into an unforgettable adventure. We would highly suggest him and the trip.

  2. Lara:

    This trip is good for people who don’t have much time in Sri Lanka but still want to see the most important historical sites.

  3. Limen:

    Well planned Sri Lanka trip with plenty of time to visit ancient monuments as well as many other activites. Despite all these activites we had plenty of time to relax and plung into the pool. The Minneriya safari was an importnat highlight. Hotels are good with nice food and guide was super.

  4. Raja:

    This was both my first tour of Sri Lanka and my first experience working with Seerendipity. I’m really happy I went with Seerendipity for my trip to Sri Lanka. I felt totally taken care of and safe from the time I arrived at the airport until I was dropped off at my final destination. My tour driver/guide was a fountain of information, and I would not hesitate to suggest Seerendipity, a local firm, and Sam, our guide, to any visitor visiting Sri Lanka.

  5. Brendon:

    We enjoyed the trip as a pair. According to evaluations, the trip was well-planned with nice accommodations, a friendly guide, good meals, and a comfy private vehicle. The 5-day journey covers cultural sites, temples, animal parks, mountains, and more. Gayan was our guide and provided much of information.

  6. Radha:

    At our beach resort, I went on my second short excursion with Seerendipity, and it was, once again, an absolutely wonderful experience…The local expertise of the driver and guide was outstanding, and we were able to experience the authentic Sri Lankan culture. We had the most incredible time, and I will definitely be returning.

  7. Antoinette:

    We were a couple and enjoyed the trip lot. As many reviews say, it is a nice program, the trip was perfectly planned with nice accommodation, a very friendly guide, good meals, and a comfortable private vehicle. The tour includes a lot within 5 days and such as cultural places, temples, wildlife parks, mountains, and many many more. We had Gayan as a guide, which gave us a lot of information along the way.

  8. Zeela johan:

    A lot of travelling within 3 days, it should have been at least 4 days I feel

  9. Gabriel Koma:

    An excellent, well-rounded introduction to Sri Lanka. You are kept busy with a broad range of activities and yet can also enjoy a few pockets of down-time by the pool as well! The hotels are well-chosen and the staff are extremely helpful and polite.

  10. Lisa Cornel:

    Our trip ‘Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle Tour’ taken at the end of December was fantastic. Our Tour Guide Saman was very knowledgeable, kind, and helpful. The information he provided on Sri Lanka throughout the tour helped us to enjoy a beautiful county, understand the history, and respect the culture.

  11. kuth huang:

    Really amazing trip, many colourful tastes and experience. We have seen more than we would have expected and really a lot in 3 weeks.

  12. Tania menon:

    Fast-paced trip with loads to see but not the most free time if that’s a priority for you. I felt very safe the entire time. Please keep the physical requirements in mind before booking as you might have to climb Sigiriya in the rain!

  13. Neoel Menon:

    Very happy with the trip

  14. Clamons addiz abbas:

    Sri Lanka is a magic little country, full of historical monuments and ancient structures.

  15. William rode:

    My 2nd short trip with Seerendipity from our beach resort and once again was totally fantastic …the local knowledge of the driver/guide was fantastic and we got to see the real Sri Lanka and we had the most amazing time ….i will be back

  16. Tamsyn shroeder:

    A high paced but comfortable way to see the highlights of Central Sri Lanka. Excellent accommodation, inclusions, transport, and importantly lots of contact and interaction with the locals. Would highly recommend.

  17. Gheena sander:

    A wonderful insight into a fascinating country and its rich historical past. Seerendipity makes it easy to see and experience so many things in such a short amount of time!

  18. Wilhelm sander:

    An incredible way to experience this beautiful country in a fast and efficient way. A very active itinerary that rewards you with lots of ancient monuments, some nature.and comfort, not to be missed if you only have a short time in Sri Lanka and want to see the sights!

  19. Jeoffrey kondrad:

    We booked Sri Lanka hill country tour with seerendipity earlier. They have done it very well so we booked this cultural triangle trip with them topo. They have planned both trips perfectly. Our guide was Milan and very knowledgeable and friendly guy.

  20. Brenda Mc callum:

    This was my first Sri Lanka tour and first-time interaction with Seerendipity. I am so glad I chose Seerendipity for my Sri Lanka trip. From the arrival at the airport to the drop off at my final destination I felt completely looked after and safe. My tour driver/guide was a wealth of knowledge and I have no hesitation in recommending Sam (our guide) and Seerendipity (local company) for any traveller in Sri Lanka.

  21. Sandra Govind:

    Place is very clean and well maintained. While I was hesitant at the start because of the height, enjoyed the visit. The top view is breathtaking.

  22. Isabdeen:

    Great price/value – friendly driver – knowledgeable tour guides – cover lots of important historic sides of Sri Lanka. Day 1 was long, about 6 hours drive and visit lot of monuments, however we had some time to dip into the pool. Day 2 and 3 are much much better. You need cover ups for legs/arms for the temples and wear socks as you visit temples because temple gardens are really hot and full of sand.

  23. Kaufmann:

    We booked a day trip with an online portal and it was locally organized by Seerednipity tours and afterwards, we came to know about this trip and booked directly with them. Surprisingly the rates are 30% lower than the rates on portals for a similar kind of trip. The quality of the trip is very good accommodation nice, clean and quiet. Highly recommendable.

  24. Gerhard:

    Great tour of the highlights of Sri Lanka with a great variety of historical places

  25. Imitiaz:

    We had Jayasinghe for our guide. Such a knowledgeable, sincere man. Always with a big smile for us and everyone else he met enroute. He was very considerate (kept the car quiet in the morning ride so we could catch up on sleep) and changed plans to accommodate us when we got tired. The car felt new and clean and the aircon was blessedly cold. The sights were all beautiful, but note that by regulation, our guide could not act as a guide there. But he arranged very knowledgeable site guides.

  26. Jin gau:

    Excellent trip with a good mixture of culture, and history, and relaxing. Our very knowledgable and caring guide Shantha made this trip with his fun personality unforgettable.

  27. Elena karashowa:

    It seems they do not worry about the payment, because we had not paid them at the time we made the booking, but everything was perfectly planned.

  28. Nelly:

    A great trip that is jam packed with visiting historical monuments for 3 days. You see a lot of Sri Lanka in 3-days and I feel like being 1 week here. Be ready to be exhausted at the end of your trip. The tour guides are amazing and you learn so much from them.

  29. Zhan souze:

    Amazing trip to an incredible country, exceptionally led by Janaka as our tour leader. Felt safe and well looked after at all times. Temples, palaces, treks and tasty, tasty food that you won’t forget in a hurry. Book now – you’re guaranteed a warm welcome by some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met.

  30. Imitiaz bakir:

    Good accommodation, vehicle, food and guide

  31. Gozales:

    Amazingly hospitable people, pity about enhanced security checks but understandable, it won’t sort out political dissent, only debate and discussion may. Travelling a lot within 3 days

  32. Roger Abboud:

    The trip was amazingly well organised and included lots of places in a short space of time and gave us a great insight into Sri Lanka’s history, and culture. Sam our tour leader was exceptional his enthusiasm and knowledge was second none!

  33. Noel chakraborthi:

    A very nice and short trip with plenty of sightseeing. Our guide Shama was very nice, helpful and very knowledgeable.

  34. Dimpek Mai:

    Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle Tour is a great way to get to know the historical past of Sri Lanka this beautiful country and its friendly people. It packs in touring, visiting monuments, temples, trekking, villages. Just one warning – be prepared for the fact that your face will ache from smiling so much!

  35. Ghina ali:

    We felt it very comfortable because we had already paid for most of the trip. However, we paid the local tour operator at teh airport, but everything is perfectly planned.

  36. Justin gunther:

    Good trip but lot of travelling

  37. Rudolf.P:

    Visited dozens of ancient monuments and temples. Our guide Roma was very nice and helpful.

  38. Neil Lorenzo:

    Great trip with an amazing local guide.

  39. Imitiaz bakir:

    Our first trip to Sri Lanka and Southern Asia. Sri Lanka is an amazing country and very beautiful.

  40. Mathew:

    Excellent trip with a nice vehicle, good guide and good food.

  41. Imogan Issac:

    A good trip for those who are short on time in Sri Lanka and would like to visit the main historical monuments.

  42. Valerie illham:

    A wonderful short trip with a nice and friendly guide. Very comfortable vehicle and hotels.

  43. Ruban gerhard:

    Excellent cultural trip with lots of ancient monuments!Beautiful country and people -a feast for the senses. Privacy and comfort were at its best with a comfortable vehicle, good hotels, excellent guide and delicious meals.

  44. Malkom shroeder:

    The Cultural triangle trip was quite short 3 days, but we managed to see and experience a lot of different places- temples, palaces, wildlife, village life and the Tea Factory. The train safari was interesting and the bike ride another good way to see life up close.

  45. Ian:

    A good trip for those who are short on time in Sri Lanka and would like to visit the main sites. We felt very safe and comfortable the whole time. I would definitely recommend

Add a review

Please wait...