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Try The Best Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle Tour In Just 3 Days
Encounter ancient temples, stupas, dagobas, untamed wilderness, beautiful botanical gardens, picturesque hill country, and memorable cultural shows in this memorable Sri Lanka 3 days tour.
From magnificent temples to wildlife sanctuaries and laid-back villages, Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle tour offers a plethora of opportunities to entice those in search of an adventure. This Sri Lanka 3 days trip might seem like a short trip but it is not short of interesting cultural, historical, and natural attractions. This 3-day Sri Lanka trip through the cultural triangle in the central province reveals the guide. The fabled cities of Sigiriya, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa, and Kandy will impress their grandeur, while Colombo provides a true snapshot of modern life. Search for wild elephants in Minneriya national park and learn about the Sri Lankan medicine Ayurveda.
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Start: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Finish: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Group size: Min 1 person
Nature of tour: Private
Why you'll love this trip
- Experience the character of Sri Lanka's cultural triangle on a hop-on hop-off tour, weaving through the narrow alleyways and exploring ancient temples, palaces, statues, parks, lakes, and forts
- See the Sigiriya rock fortress up close, which is a wonder of ancient engineers with intricate ancient paintings that date back to the 5th century AD. The paintings illustrate the beautiful ladies, who lived in this sumptuous rock fortress with the king
- Visiting Dambulla golden temple, which is one of the oldest cave Buddhist temples in the world that hides hundreds of ancient statues and paintings
- Take a break from bustling cities in the hill country resort of Kandy, 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
- The trip includes all sightseeing and transfers on private vehicles
- Trekking through the tea garden / Ceylon tea trail and hill country
- Take the chance to get closer to Sri Lanka's incredible wildlife at Minneriya National Park
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 traveling with Seerendipity means respecting local cultures and sensibilities. That way you get the most out of your interactions with local people and environments. You will visit a large number of temples on this trip and to enter them you must have clothes that cover up to your wrists and below the knee. Please click here to know more about the rules and regulations pertaining to Sri Lanka temple visits.
Hotels
This Sri Lanka 3 days cultural triangle tour can be booked with 3 types of accommodations 3-Star Hotels, 4-Star Hotels, and 5-Star Hotels.
Trip includes
- 3 days (2 nights) of accommodation in the chosen category of hotels with daily breakfast and dinner
- Hop-on hop-off Kandy city tour, kandy walking tour, and shopping tour
- Hop-on hop-off Polonnaruwa ancient city tour and museum tour
- Guided cultural tour to Sigiriya rock fortress
- Guided temple tour of Dambulla golden temple and tooth relic temple
- Technical tour of Tea factory and garden (Ceylon tea trail)
- Walking tour of Peradeniya botanical garden
- Entrance fees for
- Spice garden with a serving of herbal drink
- Tea factory and tea tasting
- Pickup and drop-off at the airport or local hotels
- Kandyan cultural show
- Meeting arrangement at the airport
- Entire ground transportation by air-conditioned, modern, fuel-efficient private vehicle
- Service of an English-speaking driver/guide for the entire tour (please inquire about other languages)
- All current taxes
Trip excludes
- The expenses of personal nature such as telephone, Internet, Gratuities
- Entrance fees to the below sites
- Entrance fees and jeep hire to Minneriya national park safari
- Sigiriya rock fortress
- Dambulla golden cave temple
- Polonnaruwa historical city
- Tooth relic temple
- Peradeniya botanical garden
- Pinnawala elephant orphanage
Cancellation policy
Cancel 24 hours 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 the 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.
Choose your language
This Sri Lanka cultural triangle tour can be booked in many languages such as French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Hindi. There will be a supplement charge for the above-mentioned language-speaking guide, please inquire.
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 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 charges, nation-building tax, hotel tax, etc.
Single supplement
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)
Additional information
- Confirmation will be received at the time of booking
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
- The 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
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This is a private tour/activity.
- You can reach us 24 hours a day through our hotline at 0094-77-4440977
COVID-19 special information
- All customer touchpoints are frequently cleaned
- Masks are required in some places, please bring your own
Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle Tour-3 Days Private Tour
Itineraries
Day 1
Colombo / Sigiriya
Arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport, meet & greet by "Seerendipity tours" Representatives and proceed to the hotel in Sigiriya/Habarana.
En-route visits,
Pinnawala elephant orphanage
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, the foster – home of elephants of different ages and sizes feeding, bathing, playing together and even mating. These have been found injured or left abandoned in the wilderness. There are even little baby calves born in captivity.
Next,
Golden temple Dambulla
Dating back to the 1st Century BC, this is the most impressive cave temple in Sri Lanka. It has five caves under an overhanging rock, carved with a drip line to keep the interiors dry. Inside the caves, the ceilings are painted with religious images as well as various gods and goddesses. There are images of the Buddha and the bodhisattvas. The temple has several caves which have been converted into shrine rooms. The caves were built at the base of a 150m high rock during the period of the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa kingdoms. The famous Dambulla Cave Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Dambulla cave monastery remains the best-preserved ancient edifice in Sri Lanka.
Activites planned for today
Visiting Pinnawala elephant orphanage, Dambulla golden temple
Accommodation
Overnight in Sigiriya
Meals
No meals served today
Day 2
Sigiriya / Polonnaruwa / Sigiriya
Breakfast at Hotel Leaves for the Historical city of Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya rock fortress.
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa is the second most historical city in Sri Lanka. It was made the capital of Sri Lanka after Anuradhapura. The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 to reunite the country once more under a local leader.
Today the ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains one of the best-planned archaeological relic sites in the country, standing testimony to the discipline and greatness of the Kingdom's first rulers. Its beauty was also used as a backdrop to film scenes for the Duran Duran music video Save a Prayer in 1982. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
The city tour includes palaces, dagobas, and temples, and provides a good example of Sri Lankan historical craftsmanship. In this 3-hour guided tour of the Ancient city of Polonnaruwa, you will cover some of the following attractions;
• Royal Palace (Palace of King Parakramabahu, the most prolific and gifted builder of the era)
• Nissankamulla Palace (Royal audience hall with impressive stonework)
• Gal Viharaya (Contains some of the best rock sculptures in the country)
• Thuparama & Lankathilaka Image Houses (Good examples of vaulted shrine rooms)
• Vatadage (Gives an idea of what a complete vatadage may have looked like)
• Rankoth Vehera (Largest stupa in Polonnaruwa)
• Parakramabahu Statue (Statue of one of the greatest kings of ancient Sri Lanka)
Sigiriya rock
Sigiriya is located in the central Matale District near the town of Dambulla of the Central Province, Sri Lanka. The name refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 meters (660 ft) high. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Culavamsa the site was selected by King Kasyapa (477 – 495 CE) for his new capital. He built his palace on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock, he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure —Sīhāgiri, the Lion Rock. The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king's death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.
Minneriya safari
This will include a Safari tour by jeep with a jungle tracker, where you can see animals in the Jungle, including elephants, Bears, Wild boar, Dear, Buffalo, Monkeys and many other animals if you are lucky, leopards too. Return to Habarana.
Activites planned for today
Visiting Polonnaruwa ancient city, Museum, Sigiriya rock fortress, Minneriya safari
Accommodation
Overnight in Sigiriya
Meals
Breakfast
Day 3
Sigiriya / Kandy / Colombo
After breakfast leave for the hotel in Colombo, En route, the Kandy city tour, stop At Tempel of the tooth relic, Royal botanical garden and Kandy.
Kandy
A ruled in Kandy up to 1815 although the rest of the island was under the British regime. Finally, it was ceded to them by the Chieftains of Kandy who were disappointed over the king’s cruel deeds. Today Kandy is one of the most important cities owing to the presence of the Temple of the Sacred tooth of the Buddha.
Tooth relic temple
Sri Dalada Maligawa or the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a UNESCO world heritage site partly due to the temple.
Kandy royal palace
The last king to reside in the Royal Palace was King Sri Wickrama Rajasinhe until he was overthrown by the British in 1815 with the aid of Kandyan chieftains. Once part of a large palace complex that included the Raja Wasala, (King’s Palace), Magul Maduwa (Royal Audience Hall), Meda Wasala (Queens’ Palace), Palle Wasala (King’s Harem Quarters) and Ulpange (Queen’s Bathing Pavilion), together with the Temple of the Tooth.
Kandy arts and craft center
Arts and crafts are an integral part of Sri Lanka’s ancient cultural heritage. Traditional Sri Lankan crafts are vital industries in many parts of the island that include wood carving, mask making, drum making, mat weaving, handlooms, lac-work, rush and read products etc.
Botanical garden
The Botanical Garden of Peradeniya was a pleasure garden of a Kandyan King of the 16th Century and was later made into a Botanical Garden during the British regime. This garden; one of the best in Asia is a place of beauty and a site for bird watchers.
Spice garden
Visit a spice garden at Matale 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.
Activites planned for today
Kandy city tour, Kandy museum, Tooth relic temple, spice/herbal garden, Kandy arts and craft centre, Kandy royal palace
Accommodation
No accommodation for today
Meals
Breakfast
End of the Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle tour
Penang– :
Very happy with the trip, good service from the operators and the guide was wonderful
Graham– :
very well organized trip, good hotels, good food, nice and friendly guide and affordable.
Ruwen– :
Very nice Sri Lanka short trip. We had the opportunity to see many interesting places in the Sri Lana triangle. Good guide and explained a lot about Sri Lanka’s history and culture.
Rubine– :
Safari was the best. We never come so close to wild animals in our life.
Arunabha– :
It was a wonderful Sri Lanka 3 days tour with gayan. We visited a dozen of ancient monuments along with many unesco sites. Our guide Gayan did a great job and he is so friendly and knowledgeable. he personalized the tour to our liking! We loved the herring the best! he even helped us purchase best ceylon tea to take home as souvenir. Would recommend this Sri Lanka tour for anyone like short Sri Lanka trip!
Janett– :
It was a short trip to Sri Lanka but very interesting. Our guide Rohan is such an interesting guy. It was fun and informative 3 days in Sri Lanka.
Sarina britt– :
Very entertaining guide with good knowledge about Sri Lanka and its history.
Dimpek agarwal– :
Sri Lanka 3-day 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!
Loita– :
The Sri Lanka cultural triangle was very nice trip. Even though it was a 3 days Sri Lanka trip, we felt like it was a one-week trip because we had visited a large number of places. I think we were able to cover the entire cultural triangle in Sri Lanka. Our Sri Lanka tour was very interesting partly because of our wonderful guide Amaara. Thank you Amaara.
Bennie– :
It was an ideal trip for us. We had a very short stay in Sri Lanka and did not want to spend a lot of time sightseeing in Sri Lank because we wanted to relax. This time we thought of visiting Sri Lanka cultural places and ancient temples. It was a wonderful 3 days trip and visited all major historical monuments, gardens, museums, temples, UNSECO world heritage sites and many more. Our guide Kusum suggested us a wildlife tour in a national park near temple and it was very nice. Well planned tour at a very nice rate. Good hotels, good food, nice vehicle and good guide.
Gwendolyn– :
Wir sind als Familie nach Sri Lanka geflogen und wollten gerne ein bisschen mehr wissen und sehen von Sri Lanka. Roshan hat uns sehr freundlich empfangen, spricht perfekt mehrere Sprachen (wie wir auch) und hat unsere Führung in Sri Lanka gemacht. Die Gebäude und Denkmäler kriegen eine ganz andere Bedeutung wenn man die Geschichten dahinter erfährt. Auch mit etwas Humor aufgelockert hatten wir ein schönes Erlebnis und empfehlen Roshan sehr.
Lottie– :
Excellent rip about Sri Lanak cultural monuments, but for me it was too much! Visiting dozens of historical monuments, temples, and many other sites withing 3 days…we had very little time for relax.
Naigi imtiaz– :
We had a good time exploring the Sri Lanka’s temple, historical monuments food and history. Kusum, our guide love and passionate for all things we came across on this tour. We tasted many different things and had a nice bottle of arrack on one evening on recomedation of Kusum, it was good. Would recommend as a nice introduction to Sri Lanka.
Rudmila– :
We booked the Sri Lanka cultural tour with Seerendipity and had an amazing time. Our guide, roshan is truly passionate about what Sri Lanka has to offer to travellers. I would highly recommend roshan he is a fantastic and passionate local guide
Mark– :
Great tour to sri Lanka cultural triangle – Jaya was very knowledgeable about Sri Lanak’s culture, history, customs. We really enjoyed the tour, however we had to travel a lot within 3 days and visited a many places. Basically it involved many stops every day. most places visited was religious or historical monuments. safari was good and we saw a large number of wild elephants. However, we saw many elephant outside the park too as we were heading to Polonnaruwa.
Dave– :
Saman gave us a great overview of Sri Lanka history and religion. He was a wealth of information and a knowledgeable guide. Thanks!
Erin qui– :
This trip provided me and my family with everything we wanted and more – discovery of the major tourist attractions and in-depth discussion of history and culture
Petra– :
Lot of travelling in 3 days time. If there had been more time for leisure and sightseeing it would have been better.
Sanjeewa Padmal (Seerendipity tours)– :
Dear Ms petra
Thanks for the comment. This is a new product and we are keep adding changes to it as to make it more interesting to travelers. Please be kindly informed this tour package is specially designed to travelers to cover Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle within 3 days. However, this tour package is fully customizable private tour.
Lisa Conner– :
Our trip ‘Sri Lanka Cultural 3-day tour’ taken at the end of August 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.
Rudmila– :
My first trip to Sri Lanka, it was terrific. We just wanted to have a short trip to Sri Lanka. The tour was suggested by the local company and we glad we didi it. Everything was well organized and visited a large number of places like temples, ancient places, wildlife parks, cities, gardens and many more. Very good price. Average hotels with good, clean and safe rooms. good food and excellent guide.
Howard– :
It was a nice and well planned trip
Jim– :
We had a great Sri Lanka tour with Rosha, who was so knowledgeable and passionate about his country. We learned so much about Buddhism, sri lanka’s history, culture, nature and its people and how it to be as today. Really good to experience real Sri Lanka food, drink and fruit.
Jamine– :
We like our guide rosha. He’s a funny and intelligent guy with a clear passion for history of his country. He showed up on time and was pretty energetic. We enjoyed his company, and we know covid has disrupted a lot of, well, everything. Trouble is, the cultural tour was a bit of a dumpster fire. We wasted lot of time visiting places due to the covid-19 rules and regulations…nothing and listening to a jumbled history of Sri Lanka peppered with some editorial comments on the state of affairs with law enforcement and covid outcomes. I am all for local color, but this was supposed to be about the food.
Ziha– :
Rosha was a Great guy, very knowledgeable made us feel right at home.
Rachel– :
Rosha is a great host. His knowledge of the history and culture of Sri lanka is wonderful. He is very impressive and we really enjoyed our cultural tour. Highly recommended.