Number or Pax per booking: 1-10 Transportation and sightseeing tours:: Private Cancellation:: Full refund up to 24 HRS before the trip
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Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle tour: Sri Lanka 3-day tour


Encounter ancient temples, stupas, dagobas, untamed wilderness, beautiful botanical gardens, picturesque hill country, and memorable cultural shows in this memorable Sri Lanka 3-day tour.

From magnificent temples to wildlife sanctuaries and laid-back villages, the Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle Tour offers a plethora of opportunities to entice those in search of an adventure. This Sri Lanka 3-day 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 of Ayurveda.


Start: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Finish: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Group size: min. 1 person

Nature of tour: Private


Why you'll love this Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle tour

  • 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 and 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 out of a 3-day 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 Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle tour right for you?

  • This compact trip packs a lot. 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-day cultural triangle tour can be booked with 3 types of accommodations 3-Star Hotels, 4-Star Hotels, and 5-Star Hotels.


Inclusions of Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle tour

  • 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)
  • A 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 arrangements at the airport
  • Entire ground transportation by air-conditioned, modern, fuel-efficient private vehicle
  • Service of an English-speaking driver or guide for the entire tour (please inquire about other languages)
  • All current taxes

Trip excludes

  • The expenses of personal nature, such as telephone, Internet, and 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 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. 


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 and pay later

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


The 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 hotel)


Additional information

  • A 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 two 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 or activity.
  • You can reach us 24 hours a day through our hotline at 0094-77-4440977

Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle Tour-3 Days Private Tour

Itineraries

Day 1

Colombo / Sigiriya

The "Seerendipity tours" representatives will be waiting for you when you land at Bandaranaike International Airport so that you can make your way to your accommodation in Sigiriya or Habarana.
Stops along the way,

Elephant orphanage in Pinnawala, Sri Lanka
Elephants of varying ages and sizes are cared for at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, where they share meals, baths, playtime, and even mating. These are wilderness abandons or damaged animals. Calves are also produced successfully in captivity.
Next,

Dambulla, Sri Lanka's "Golden Temple"
The most spectacular of Sri Lanka's cave temples dates back to the 1st century BC. A drip line was dug into the rock above the five caves to prevent water damage. The caverns' interiors have painted ceilings adorned with religious imagery and depictions of numerous deities. Buddha and bodhisattva statues can be found here. Several of the temple's caverns have been renovated into shrines. The caves date back to the time of the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa dynasties, and they were constructed at the foot of a rock that is 150 meters tall. UNESCO has designated the Dambulla Cave Temple as a World Heritage Site. When it comes to Sri Lanka's old buildings, the Dambulla cave monastery has been kept the finest.

Activities planned for teh day
Traveling to Dambulla to see the Golden Temple and the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Accommodation
Sigiriya
Meals for the day
There will be no meals today.

Day 2

Sigiriya / Polonnaruwa / Sigiriya

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we set off to visit the ancient cities of Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya.

Polonnaruwa
The city of Polonnaruwa is Sri Lanka's second most ancient. After Anuradhapura, it became Sri Lanka's capital. Polonnaruwa, the second-oldest Sri Lankan kingdom after the Kandyan one, was made the country's capital in 1070 when King Vijayabahu I beat the invading Chola.

Ancient Polonnaruwa, a testament to the discipline and magnificence of the earliest kings of the Kingdom, is still one of the best-planned archaeological relic sites in the country today. Scenes from the 1982 Duran Duran music video Save a Prayer were shot there because of its beauty. UNESCO has designated the historic city of Polonnaruwa as a World Heritage site.

The city tour features many examples of ancient craftsmanship in Sri Lanka, such as palaces, dagobas, and temples. The following are just some of the sights you'll see on your 3-hour guided tour of Polonnaruwa's ancient city.
Nissankamulla Palace (a royal audience hall with outstanding brickwork) and the Royal Palace (the residence of King Parakramabahu, the era's most prolific and skilled builder) are two examples.

• Gal Viharaya (home to some of the country's most impressive rock carvings)
Good examples of vaulted shrine chambers may be seen in the Thuparama and Lankathilaka Image Houses.
• Vatadage (Suggests how a full vatadage may have appeared)
Statue of ancient Sri Lanka's greatest ruler, Parakramabahu; Rankoth Vehera (the largest stupa in Polonnaruwa).

The Sigiriya Rock
Sigiriya is found in the Matale District of the Central Province, close to the city of Dambulla. A enormous rock column approximately 200 meters (660 ft) in height dominates the historical and archaeological site to which the name alludes. This location was chosen by King Kasyapa (477–495 CE) to serve as the new capital of Sri Lanka, as recorded in the ancient chronicle Culavamsa. On top of this rock, he constructed his castle and adorned its walls with vibrant frescoes. Halfway up the face of this rock, on a tiny plateau, he constructed a lion-shaped doorway. Shgiri, meaning "Lion Rock," is the origin of the area's moniker. After the monarch died, the capital city and the palace were left unoccupied. Until the early 14th century, it served as a Buddhist monastery.

''Minneriya safari''
This will involve a vehicle safari with a forest guide, where you may encounter elephants, bears, wild boars, dears, buffalo, monkeys, and perhaps even leopards in their natural habitat. Let's go back to Habarana.

Events for teh day
Minneriya Safari, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, and the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa
Accommodation
Sigiriya
Meals for the night.Foods
Breakfast

Day 3

Sigiriya / Kandy / Colombo

After breakfast, you'll check out of your Kandy hotel and begin the drive to your Colombo lodgings, stopping by the Temple of the Tooth Relic and the Royal Botanic Garden.

While the rest of Sri Lanka was under British dominion, the city of Kandy was under the control of the A dynasty until 1815. The Chieftains of Kandy, who had been dismayed by the king's brutality, eventually gave it to them. Because it is home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth of the Buddha, Kandy is now considered a major city in Sri Lanka.

Temple of the tooth relic
Kandy, Sri Lanka is home to the Buddhist Sri Dalada Maligawa, also known as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. The relic of the tooth Buddha is kept at the palace complex of the erstwhile Kingdom of Kandy. Those who think that whomever has the relic controls the country have given it significant political weight since ancient times. Partially because of the temple, the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Royal palace in Kandy
King Sri Wickrama Rajasinhe was the last monarch to call the Royal Palace home before he was deposed by British forces and Kandyan chieftains in 1815. The Temple of the Tooth was once a part of a larger palace complex that also comprised the Raja Wasala (King's Palace), the Magul Maduwa (Royal Audience Hall), the Meda Wasala (Queens' Palace), the Palle Wasala (King's Harem Quarters), and the Ulpange (Queen's Bathing Pavilion).

Kandy Cultural Arts Center
Sri Lanka's rich cultural history includes a long tradition of arts and crafts. Wood carving, mask making, drum making, mat weaving, handlooms, lac-work, rush and read items, etc. are all examples of traditional Sri Lankan crafts that are major industries in many regions of the island.

Botanical Grden
In the 16th century, a Kandyan king built the Botanical Garden of Peradeniya as a pleasure garden for himself and his court. Beautiful and a great spot to view birds, this garden is one of the greatest in all of Asia.

Herb and spice garden
Stop by a garden in Matale where the herbs and spices that go into Sri Lankan cooking and medicine are farmed. Early seafaring traders were drawn to Sri Lanka by its spices and made the treacherous journey to the island to stock up.

Scheduled Events for teh day
Visit the Kandy Royal Palace, the Kandy Museum, the Temple of the Tooth Relic, the Spice and Herb Garden, and the Kandy Arts & Crafts Centre.
Accommodation
There is no accomodation available today.
Foods
Breakfast

The Cultural Triangle Tour of Sri Lanka has come to an end.

  1. Penang:

    Very happy with the trip, good service from the operators and the guide was wonderful

  2. Graham:

    very well organized trip, good hotels, good food, nice and friendly guide and affordable.

  3. 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.

  4. Rubine:

    Safari was the best. We never come so close to wild animals in our life.

  5. 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!

  6. 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.

  7. Sarina britt:

    Very entertaining guide with good knowledge about Sri Lanka and its history.

  8. 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!

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

  14. 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

  15. 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.

  16. Dave:

    Saman gave us a great overview of Sri Lanka history and religion. He was a wealth of information and a knowledgeable guide. Thanks!

  17. 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

  18. 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.

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

  21. Howard:

    It was a nice and well planned trip

  22. 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.

  23. 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.

  24. Ziha:

    Rosha was a Great guy, very knowledgeable made us feel right at home.

  25. 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.

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