Sightseeing

Ten days is the most popular length for a first trip to Sri Lanka, and this route shows why. You will see the ancient rock fortress of Sigiriya, the royal city of Kandy, the tea country, the leopards of Yala and the colonial charm of Galle – the five experiences almost every traveller comes for.

One week, the best of Sri Lanka. This compact itinerary covers the island's cultural and scenic highlights – Sigiriya, Dambulla, Kandy, the tea country and the Ella train – and finishes in Colombo so your drive to the airport is short.

Short on time? In five days you can climb Sigiriya, explore the Dambulla caves, experience Kandy's Temple of the Tooth and taste fresh tea in the misty hills of Nuwara Eliya.

Sri Lanka has eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and five of them are on this tour. Travel through 2,500 years of history: the sacred city of Anuradhapura, Mihintale where Buddhism arrived, the palace in the sky at Sigiriya, the medieval capital of Polonnaruwa, the Dambulla caves and the royal city of Kandy.

A deeper journey for travellers who want more than the headline sights. Spend four nights in the Cultural Triangle with time for Anuradhapura, Ritigala's forgotten forest monastery and a village day, then move into the hill country for tea estates, cloud-forest hikes and the famous train.

Our most affordable tour packs the royal city of Kandy and the cool tea country into three days. Stay in clean, friendly, well-reviewed guesthouses, travel with a private driver and see the essentials without paying for luxuries you don't need.

Four days, two UNESCO sites and one great price. Hike Pidurangala for sunset, climb Sigiriya, explore the Dambulla caves and experience Kandy – all with a private driver and simple but comfortable guesthouse stays.

A short break that combines the best of the south: a leopard safari in Yala, whale watching in Mirissa and a sunset walk in Galle Fort. Perfect before or after a Maldives holiday or a business trip to Colombo.

Sri Lanka's railways were built by the British to carry tea, and they remain the best way to see the island. This itinerary puts the train at its heart: the full Kandy–Ella journey, a sunrise at Lipton's Seat, and a final coastal ride south to Galle.

Sri Lanka is Asia's best-kept safari secret: leopards, elephants, sloth bears and more than 400 bird species on an island you can cross in a day. This tour visits four national parks – Wilpattu, Minneriya, Udawalawe and Yala – with a naturalist guide and comfortable lodges close to the park gates.