Cultural Triangle Tour

07 Nights / 08 Days

Overview

If you are an enthusiastic traveller wanting to truly gain deep insights into local history and Buddhism and how it is linked with Sri Lanka culture, these “Cultural Tours” are the perfect choice. Explore theIf you are an enthusiastic traveller wanting to truly gain deep insights into local history and Buddhism and how it is linked with Sri Lanka culture, these “Cultural Tours” are the perfect choice. Explore themost renowned sacred cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Yapahuwa & Kandy with us
& take the Buddhist teaching with you…… You are sure to be enlightened!!!

Duration

The package is originally designed for 07 nights/08 days. But we are always happy to cater to our valuable clients requirements and therefore, it can be customized for different durations as per request.

Tour Overview

Day 01 - Arrival | Negombo

After arrival our representative will welcome you at the airport and proceed to Negombo. Relax after checking in to the hotel.

Negombo

Evening visit Negombo city while seeing different historical places such as Angurukaramulla Temple, Dutch Canal and some old churches such as St. Mary’s Church. You are welcome to go for a boat ride along the Dutch Canal and if you are interested visit the fish market to experience the livelihood of a traditional fishing community in Sri Lanka.

Overnight stay at a beach hotel in Negombo.

Day 02 - Negombo | Anuradhapura

After breakfast at the hotel proceed to Anuradhapura.

Anuradhapura 

Anuradhapura is one of main ancient kingdoms in Sri Lanka which goes back to the 5th century B.C. Visit all the ruins of the kingdom and sites of special interest including the sacred Sri Maha Bodiya and Isurumuniya Temple. This sacred city was established around a cutting from the ‘Tree of Enlightenment’, the Buddha’s fig tree, brought there in the 3rd century B.C. by Sanghamitta, the founder of an order of Buddhist nuns. Anuradhapura, a Ceylonese political and religious capital that flourished for 1,300 years, was abandoned after an invasion in 993 AD. Hidden away in dense jungle for many years, the splendid site, with its palaces, monasteries and monuments, is now accessible once again.

Overnight stay at a hotel in Anuradhapura. Thuparamaya Temple Anuradhapura

Day 03 - Anuradhapura | Mihinthale | Habarana

After breakfast proceed to Mihintale. Arrive in Trincomalee and check-in to the hotel.

Overnight stay at hotel in Trincomalee.

Mihintale

Mihintale is where Buddhism was first introduced to Sri Lanka. Mihintale is regarded as the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. The rock is home to many shrines and rock dwellings. A grand stairway of 1,840 steps made out of granite slabs 15” wide leads to the summit from where one could get a
splendid view of the surrounding countryside.

On the way to Habarana visit Dambulla Cave Temple..

Dambulla

Dambulla is a vast isolated rock mass 500ft high and a mile around the base. Here is found the famous Rock Temple dating to the First century BC. The caves of Dambulla sheltered the King Walagamba during his 14 years of exile from Anuradhapura. When he regained the throne he built the most magnificent of rock temples to be found on the island.

Proceed to Habarana and overnight stay at a hotel in Habarana.

Day 04 - Habarana | Polonnaruwa | Habarana

After breakfast enjoy an elephant back ride in Habarana. Then proceed to Polonnaruwa, one of the main ancient kingdoms in Sri Lanka.

Polonnaruwa

Visit Polonnaruwa, which was the second capital of Sri Lanka, built in the 11th and 12th centuries AD, and which is a World Heritage Site. Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya with 4 four splendid statues of the Buddha in ‘Upright’, ‘Sedentary’ and ‘Recumbent”
postures carved out of rock, the Audience Hall, the Lotus Bath, the statue of King Parakramabahu, and the Parakrama Samudraya – a lake built by King Parakramabahu the Great.

Proceed to Habarana for an overnight stay.

Day 05 - Habarana | Sigiriya | Matale | Kandy

Proceed to Sigiriya Rock fortress after breakfast.

Sigiriya

The magnificent 5th century A.D. rock-fortress citadel of a fugitive king, where history merges with melodrama. A gallery of frescoes of shapely be-jewelled maidens still glows with vibrant colour. It is believed these paintings depict the “apsaras” or goddess es and some say it represents the lightning and clouds. Another distinctive feature of Sigiriya is the Mirror Wall which is located just below the paintings. The surface of this wall is well polished and covered with writings known as “Sigiri Graffiti” which are a form of poems. The Lion Staircase leads to the summit and the special feature of this is the massive Lion Paw which is carved out of rock. The brick wall is still preserved in its original form. Sigiriya is being currently excavated and restored by UNESCO under the Cultural Triangle Project and according to sources is most likely to be declared as a Wonder of the World.

Then visit Kandy via Matale where you can find spice gardens.

Matale

Visit a spice garden in Matale to see many different types of spices Sri Lanka is famous for. Just 25 km from the hill capital of Kandy, the Matale spice gardens are among the best on in the island. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed.

Kandy

Visit the Temple of The Sacred Tooth Relic in the evening. Kandy ‘s main attraction is the Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th century AD. This sacred relic has ever since been the symbol of sovereignty for its rulers and is always enshrined in great splendour. If you are visiting Kandy during July-August, a definite must see is the Esala Perahera, known to be one of the most popular Sri Lankan events. Termed as
Asia’s grandest pageant, this spectacular annual event is held to honour the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha and to obtain blessings of the guardian deities of Sri Lanka.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Kandy.

Day 06 - Temples (Gadaladeniya, Ambekke, Lankathilke)

After breakfast visit Gadaladeniya, Embekka and Lankathilaketemples.
In the evening do a city tour in Kandy and visit the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Royal Botanical Gardens

Six kilometres from Kandy, at Peradeniya, the magnificent 57 hectare Royal Botanical Gardens, laid out in 1832, are among the finest in the world. Its treasures of tropical flora include fine collections of orchids, aromatic spices, medicinal herbs, palms and rare, endangered plant species.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Kandy.

Day 07 - Kandy | Colombo

Elephants at Pinnawala Sri Lanka

After breakfast in Kandy proceed to Colombo. On the way to Colombo visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, established in 1975, commenced with seven orphans. Today some of these orphans enjoy the fortune of seeing their grandchildren born in the same location. The original objective of establishing the orphanage inclined more towards tourism, but it soon became a conservation and educational centre. With the help of local and foreign elephant experts, Pinnawala started a scientific captive-breeding program for elephants.

Check in to a hotel in Colombo.

Evening visit Kelaniya Temple and Gangarama Temple with Colombo city tour.

Colombo

Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka – it is the traditional gateway to the Orient. Colombo which has a population of over a million distributed over fifteen zones, has three main zones, each of which has a distinctive character. Fort, the centre of metropolitan activity, Pettah the bustling bazaar area and the old Cinnamon Gardens, now fashionably known as Colombo 7 with its spacious mansions and better residential areas.

Day 08 - Departure

After breakfast proceed to the airport for departure.