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Southern Sri Lanka Mini Tour -3 Days Private Tour
Spend 3 memorable days with a full-day safari at Yala national park. You will be travelling along the south and west coast while encountering ancient Forts, pristine beaches, wildlife parks teeming with elephants, leopards and bears and picturesque hill country on this 3 days private tour.
Trace the famous tourist places on the south coast on this rollicking 3-day tour of Colombo, Galle, Mirissa, Yala and Nuwara Eliya as well as part of Sri Lanka's hill country. Explore the icons and discover local spots in the perfect introduction to the pristine beaches in the south. Begin in throbbing Colombo and explore the spice gardens, museums, and forts by walk and drive. Travel to the most famous national park in Sri Lanka, Yala, which is one of the most popular for spotting leopards. Same times encounter the Galle Fort, which is the most popular iconic tourist attraction in the south and also a UNESCO world heritage site.
This 3-day tour offers the perfect introduction for first-time visitors to Sri Lanka. The trip includes round-trip private transport from Bandaranaike International Airport or your hotel in Colombo, Mount Lavinia, Negombo or any other beach resort on the west coast.
Start: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Finish: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Group size: Min 1 person
Nature of tour: Private
Why you'll love this trip
- The trip includes all sightseeing and transfers on private vehicles.
- The hassle-free trip includes all necessary components of the trip such as accommodation, meals, transportation, guiding, taxes and Seerendipity takes care of all of it.
- Trekking through the tea garden / Ceylon tea trail, spice garden.
- Guided walking tour of Galle fort to witness ancient constructions.
- Safari T Yala national park to see wild creatures such as leopards, crocodiles, elephants, deer, bears etc.
- Take a break from bustling cities in the hill country resort of Nuwara Eliya, where you can catch your breath and spend the night in the faded opulence of your heritage stay.
- This trip is perfect for people who like to get the most on a 3 days trip to Sri Lanka, as long travel days are kept to a minimum on an itinerary that hits several icons of central Sri Lanka.
Is this trip right for you?
- This compact trip packs a lot in. It’s one of the most popular Sri Lanka trips we run in our original style, perfect for those with little time and a desire to do the most with it. If you are after a more leisurely trip or an adventure trip, please browse our tour itinerary page.
- In Sri Lanka, it can be extremely hot in the summer. While we organize our walking tours and city tours early in the morning or evening, 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 visited a number of temples on this trip and to enter them you must have clothes that cover your wrists and below the knee. Please click here to know more about the rules and regulations pertaining to Sri Lanka temple visits.
Places you visit on this trip
- Yala national park (Safari).
- Galle Fort (1 hour 30 minutes walk in the garden).
- Sri Lanka Tea plantations tour. Read more on the Sri Lanka tea plantation tour.
- Spice and herbal gardens and learn about dozens of spices and herbs grown in Sri Lanka.
- Madu river estuary (river safari).
- Mask Museum.
- Hikkaduwa beach.
Highlights
- Touring Sri Lanka's South and west coast.
- Nuwara Eliya sightseeing tour and visiting downtown.
- Walking through the Spice Garden while learning about herbal trees, plants and spices (this will be an easy walk that lasts about 1 hour).
- Walk in the Tea plantations and Royal Botanic Gardens of Peradeniya and many more (The walk in the botanical; garden lasts around 1 hour and you will cover about 2 km).
- Visiting a tea factory (Scottish) and see the entire process of tea manufacturing and taste a cup of unblended Ceylon tea.
- Wildlife safari of Yala national park in search of leopards, wild elephants, crocodiles, bears, jackals and other wild creatures with a local guide and driver.
Hotels
This tour includes accommodation in a 4-star standard hotel, please inquire about other categories of hotels if required.
Trip includes
- 2 nights (3 days) of accommodation in standard hotels
- Daily Breakfast at the hotel, 2 breakfasts (starting from day 2)
- Daily dinner at the hotel, 2 dinners (starting from day 1)
- Nuwara Eliya sightseeing tour
- Ceylon tea trail
- An Ayurveda spa treatment
- Entrance fees for
- Guided walking tour of Galle Fort
- Madu river safari
- Mask Museum
- Spice garden
- Sea turtle conservation project
- Tea factory and tea tasting
- All-inclusive Yala national park safari (with jeep hire)
- Pickup and drop-off at the airport or local hotels
- All passengers are fully insured during the sightseeing tours
- Meeting arrangement at the airport
- Entire ground transportation in an air-conditioned, modern, fuel-efficient private vehicle
- Service of an English-speaking driver/guide for the entire tour (please inquire about other languages)
- Driver/guide meals and lodging
- Highway toll
- All current taxes
Trip excludes
- The expenses of personal nature such as telephone, Internet
- Gratuities
Cancellation policy
Cancel five days prior to arrival for a full refund
Choose your payment method
We offer you mainly three payment options credit card payments, bank transfers or payment on arrival. You can choose whatever is the most convenient payment option for you. If you opt for payment on arrival we will collect a 10% advance payment from you as a guarantee, once the booking is confirmed.
Optional Activities
You can take part in one of our regular charity works by dedicating a few hours of your day. We arrange charity activities such as distributing food, school items, and medicine among the kids and poor people and everything is funded by our company. Please let us know in advance if you wish to attend one of those special occasions so that we can organize it near your hotel.
Book now & pay later
Reserve your tour now and pay later. Send us the duly filled tour booking form, and 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 and commissions
The price you see on this page 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 GST, BTT, service charge, nation-building tax, hotel tax etc.
Additional information
- The trip can be booked with a single room for the entire trip with a single supplement (please inquire about your chosen category of the hotel)
- 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 is approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infant seats are available
- Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This is a private tour/activity.
- You can reach us 24 hours a day through our hotline 0094-77-4440977
COVID-19 special information
- We assist you to take a tourist visa to Sri Lanka, however, you have to apply online through https://www.eta.gov.lk/.
- All customer touchpoints are frequently cleaned
- Social distancing is maintained in vehicles
- To reduce crowds, all tours are private
- Masks are required, please bring your own
- You must fill out a travel information form
- Temperature checks are mandatory
- You must book this activity online, as the ticket office is closed
Itineraries
Day 1
Colombo / Bentota / Galle / Yala
You will be met and warmly greeted by your personal chauffeur guide at the Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport or your hotel in Colombo and drive to Yala via Galle (Approx. a 6-hour drive with sightseeing),
Stop At Galle Fort, Galle Fort is the UNESCO world heritage site in the south and the most important iconic tourist attraction in southern Sri Lanka, which sits halfway on the track to Yala from Colombo.
River safari of Madu, this Ramsar wetland is a natural jewel with a large tract of mangrove forest and a wide range of wildlife such as monkeys, crocodiles, and monitors as well as a large number of aqua avian fauna species.
Other important places to encounter on the program are the spice garden, mask museum, sea turtle conservation project and moonstone mines.
TURTLE HATCHERY
Projects have been launched to conserve the population of turtles that are reaching extinction and such projects are found along the southern coast of Sri Lanka where turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. The turtle digs a hole on the Beach, Lays her eggs and covers it with sand where it is supposed to, incubate by the heat of the sun. What often happens is, the eggs are dug out by fishermen and sold to people who consume them.
But now the eggs are bought up by the conservation projects and are hatched the Natural way in enclosed areas where the Birds don’t have a chance of picking them up and the babies are let into the sea after two days at night time which offers them a better chance of survival.
SPICE GARDEN
Visit a spice garden at Bentota where spices and herbs used for Sri Lankan cuisine and medication are grown Spices of Sri Lanka attracted the early sea-faring merchants who made the long voyages to purchase this precious merchandise.
MADU GANGA BOAT RIDE
In the global context, the ecological importance of this site has garnered it the ‘Ramsar Wetland’ status in 2003 being the second largest wetland in Sri Lanka with a colossal 915 hectares with 23 islands inhabited by nearly 300 families. The River Sanctuary is now a Tourist Development Area and a Special Area Managed (SAM) by the Coast Conservation Department. Balapitiya is where the ‘Madu Ganga’ makes its home.
CITY OF GALLE
Galle is one of the ancient seaports of Sri Lanka and was an anchor point in the Silk Route. It was later discovered by the Portuguese where they built a fortress and the Dutch that succeeded them fortified it further. This fortress is today a World Heritage Site.
GALLE FORTRESS
The fort has a colourful history, and today has a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population. The Sri Lankan government and many Dutch people who still own some of the properties inside the fort are looking at making this one of the modern wonders of the world. The heritage value of the fort has been recognized by UNESCO and the site has been inscribed as a cultural heritage UNESCO World Heritage Site under criteria iv, for its unique exposition of "an urban ensemble which illustrates the interaction of European architecture and South Asian traditions from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
The Galle Fort, also known as the Dutch Fort or the "Ramparts of Galle", withstood the Boxing Day tsunami which damaged part of the coastal area of Galle town. It has been since restored. The Galle Fort also houses the elite Amangalla resort hotel, located near the Dutch Reformed Church. It was originally built in 1684 to house the Dutch Governor and his staff. It was then converted into a hotel and named then as the New Oriental Hotel in 1865, which catered to the European passengers travelling between Europe and Galle Port in the 19th century.
UNAWATUNA BEACH
Unawatuna Beach is located just south of Galle, the main city in the south and 125km from Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. This 4km expanse of palm-fringed sand is said by some to rank amongst the twelve best beaches in the world. This beach is a paradise for all those who yearn to enjoy the silence of the sea and dive deep into the blue waters of the ocean. There is a reef protecting the beach, which makes it perfectly a safe haven for bathing. Other major attractions of this southern beach include shallow waters for swimming and diving. Within its reach, there is an accessible, reasonably well-preserved coral reef that serves as the base for snorkelling.
HIKKADUWA
Hikkaduwa is one of the most popular tourist destinations in southern Sri Lanka. It is 98 km south of Colombo and its beautiful beaches a lot of glamour to this town. It is the place where you can have a glimpse of the fascinating underwater world and see the creatures that inhabit the unfathomable depths of the sea. The famed coral gardens are located here. Just get hold of a glass-bottomed boat or goggles and flippers and plunge into the ocean.
Spend Overnight in Yala
Accommodation
Yala
Meals
Dinner included at the hotel
Day 2
Yala
Early morning breakfast and leave for Safari at Yala national park.
The full-day jeep safari takes to most areas that tourists don't see in regular safari. The safari lasts more than 6 hours. Here you see a large number of animals such as elephants, deer, mungos, monkeys, deer, crocodiles, buffalo etc. Your personal jeep and the driver arrange your picnic lunch, which comprised delicious rice and curry also with fruits for dessert.
Accommodation
Overnight stay in Yala
Meals
Breakfast and Dinner at the hotel,
Picnic lunch during the safari
Day 3
Yala / Nuwara Eliya / Colombo
After breakfast leave for Colombo via Sri Lanka's hill country, En route,
Stop At Gregory lake, Sita Amman temple and Haggala botanical garden.
Visiting Haggala botanical garden, which is one of the biggest and most popular botanical gardens in Sri Lanka and harbours a large number of trees, plants, veins, orchids, verandahs and many other flora species. Take a walk around the garden which lasts around 1 hour.
Stop At: Gregory Lake
You will also do a walking tour of Nuwara Eliya and visit the oriental market, Balay Bazar. After the city tour proceeds to the hotel in Colombo.
Meals
Breakfast included at the hotel
End of the tour
Ivan– :
Can have a nice time on the beautiful beaches during the trip. same times had a wildlife safari, and we wanted to see the leopards, but not chance this time. But southern Sri Lanka tour was a nice program and very interesting itinerary for a 3 days tour. Amara was extremely knowledgeable about the Sri Lanka, its culture, wildlife and the history of srilanka. Hhe was friendly and very accommodating to our needs. We very highly recommend srilanka 3 days tour.
evie– :
It was our second visit to Sri Lanka and we wanted to see some interesting places in south of the country and we wanted to spend more time on relaxing. 3 days Sri Lanka tour to southern Sri Lanka was idela program for us. It includes many interesting places like Yala, Udawlawe and Galle. Very relaxing trip
Sean Allan– :
The trip is short and we purposely booked it because we did not want to spend much time on sightseeing tour. We are very happy with the 3 days short trip and enjoyed a lot. We were able to see lot of things thanks to the proper planoing. Yala safari was the most memorable part of the trip and gave us perfect opprtuinity to see a large number of animals. Gihan was a very good guide and very helpful, good hotels and good vehicle too.
hams meagrow– :
Verry good Sri Lanka trip, very relaxing trip and enjoyed the beaches, wildlife and beautiful scenery in the hill country.
robin– :
Fantastic! Everyday I felt immersed, educated and safe in the Sri Lankan culture, history, wildlife, thanks to Sams hospitality and knowledge of Sri Lanka. The Itinerary was thorough and exciting – it exceeded expectations. Loved the wildlife tour and visit to the leisurely walk on the beach and all of the conversations about Sri Lankan people, history, culture, religion and spirituality.
Susan– :
We thoroughly enjoyed the southern Sri Lanak tour. Wildlife tour was the best. Our guide, Amara has a great sense of humor — which we enjoyed — and was very informative about the various sites and nature. Thanks, Amara, for a fun, interesting and tasty morning!
Debbie– :
If you are expecting to see leopards, and elephants, taste delicious seafood, walk in an ancient city with small stops along the way and dip into the warm waters of Indian Ocean – this is it. There is no end to things on the plus side, we went to places that we possibly wouldn’t have visited without planning it through an operator. Spice/herbal garden, mask museum, moonstone mines, Kande vihara, and turtle conservation are some of them. We really looked forward to enjoying the wildlife tour because we like wild animals. But Sri Lanka’s southern tour was a lot more than watching fascinating wildlife in Sri Lanka. We are very happy wiht the trip and well worth our timer and money.
Sharon– :
I feel the tour can be more interesting if the duration of the trip can be increased.
Erin– :
If you want to be entertained while enjoy the Sri Lanka beaches, take a SriLanka south coast tour with Amara. It’s clear Amara loves his country and his job, he has very good knowledge of his country, people, customs, history, religion, and nature and has a wonderful sense of humor. The tour was well organized with good hotels, and food well worth tourist attractions. Yala safari was the best and the walking tour of Galle fort was second.
Jim– :
We had a great tour with Sam! He took us to a number of great places in south sri lanka and pointed out important attractions we probably would have missed if we had done the tour on our own. Even better, he provided great context on the history, culture and nature of Sri Lanka and shared his own unique perspective. His English is outstanding.
Kumi Zu– :
I really enjoyed the trip. Sam was a perfect guide and took us to so many great eating places. Also, the hotels were much better than expected. I especially liked the hotel in Yala. It is an exhausting 3 days but you get so much out of it, so very good for a first impression on Sri Lanka:)
Taylor– :
Do it. You won’t regret it. I feel like I got to see so much in within a short time. It’s not a ‘relaxing’ pace, but we covered so much ground and saw so much each day. Wonderful experience!
Avril– :
There is no better way to see the Sri Lanka’s south coast! If you are lucky enough to get Sam as a guide , he will change your life! This is a great intro to Sri Lanka, accomodation was great, good food and excellent guide.
Neuman– :
Had a wonderful experience with Seerendipity. Sri Lanka is such a beautiful country and our wonderful guide made sure all our needs were met and that our trip was a memorable one. I will definitely travel with Seerendipity and explore the other part of Sri Lanka.
Gilbert– :
A fantastic Sri Lanka trip with some of the best sceneries and activities in Sri Lanka. It is a short trip but contains lot of fascinating stuff. comfortable accommodation, fantastic food and the best tour leaders imaginable!
laurel– :
The southern Sri Lanka tour was a great way to experience some the highlights of this beautiful country. the tour has a very interesting blend with cultural sites, temples, forts, national parks, beaches and many many more. Exceptional food, lovely people, stunning scenery.
Rasumos melanki– :
The trip is good but it is fully packed. We did not have much time to relax despite the access to fascinating beaches. Good food, accommodation. wildlife tour was a really important highlight. overall experience is good. Excellent guide too.
Richard– :
Just been on the southern Sri Lanka tour and would most definitely recommend it. The whole trip was a great insight into Sri Lanka, covering history, wildlife, fascinating beaches, traditions and people. Accommodation was excellent and the tour guide superb.
Bredon– :
As a passionate traveller I really think Seerendipity offers the best value trips with excellent itineraries ( based on my research on internet) and complete peace of mind to enjoy Sri Lanka.
Nelly– :
Fantastic way to see teh beauty of Sri Lanka. Ticks all the main boxes, but at a pace that is not too ‘full on’ – you even get to unpack in some lovely hotels. Meet the people, eat the food, and experience a country with an amazing history.
peter– :
Very interesting tour itinerary including many cultural, religious, and historic sites in the Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle.The hill country was fascinating and very agreeble climate. Our exceptional tour guide, sam. was very knowledgeable, taught us a great deal, and ensured all of us was listened to and properly looked after throughout.
David– :
This south coats tour of Sri Lanka was absolutely superb. We wanted to have a short trip and specifically looked for a trip to south coast as we have travelled tp many other parts of Sri Lanka. The trip was excellent with national parks, beautiful beaches, temples, forts and beautfiul countryside. I learnt a lot even though I have been before. The tour guide knowledge was exceptional. I would thoroughly recommend this tour and Seerendipity.
Justine– :
A fantastic trip that includes the best of Sri Lanka with comfortable accommodation, fantastic food and the best tour guideimaginable!
Christine– :
This trip was a great way to see Sri Lanka’s south coat. wonderful experince with wildlife tour, Mirissa whale watching, Galle fort and south coats beach. Excellent accommodation with good food, all made this a trip worth doing. This experience was enhanced by having a very approachable and most knowledgeable tour guide, able to impart his knowledge succinctly and with humour.
Melinda– :
There are large number of interesting places to visit on this interesting tour . However, we were travelling a lot duirng the trip but never felt it. Very well planned
young Hui– :
We wanted to see the wildlife in Sri Lanka and booked it from our beach hotel. It was a dream come true and we had one of the best wildlife tours. The full day safari of Yala was fantastic and our jeep driver did a good job to show us animals. everythign was good and hill country was also good will lot of scenery
Ria mohammed– :
Very good trip. The trip is more like a wildlife tour. because the most memorable part of the trip was the full day safari at yala national park.
Peter moples– :
Excellent srilank trip with fantastic safari at Yala. The jeep ride was bit uncomfortable with frequent ups and downs in the park. Niuce food, nice hotel and good service from nihal, our driver guide.
Kiara Rao– :
Very good trip and Yala safari was the best
serena medoza– :
We are happy with the trip. But what is sad is you have no time to enjoy the beaches, nice sandy beaches. Very nice vehicle, comfortable hotels, delicious food and excellenbt guide
Neamo riza– :
Worth every penny, very good jib
Kumal miu– :
Excellent trip of Sri Lanka to see nice secenry while enjoying the beaches. Wildlife tour was fantastic and we enjoyed a lot. We were lucky enough to see all major animals in the park and our jeep driver kuma provided a fantastic service. He was on the phone many times and communicating with fellw jeep drivers in the poark and findout where are the animals were roaming at that time. In that way he took us to 2 leopards, elephants, crocodiles, bear and many otehr creatures. Our driver/guise jihan was very kind, helpful and packed with lot of information.
Julie shoy– :
The trip is good but lot of ytravelling in 3 days. Our driver/guide did a good job and he was fantastic. Good hotels, good vehicle and over all good experince.
James kuoni– :
Fantastic Sri Lanka trip. It is short but it gives you a good view over the fascinating tropical island. The beaches on the south coast are great and we had a fantastic time while enjoying the tropical beaches. One of the memorable trips for us. Our guide sam was a very nice and helpful, he did a fantastic job.