Colombo

Follow the footsteps of Lord Rama, Sita and Hanuman to the sites linked with the Ramayana epic in Sri Lanka. Visit Munneswaram, the Seetha Amman Temple at Ashok Vatika, Divurumpola, the Ravana caves and falls of Ella, and Hanuman's herbal mountain at Rumassala.

Taste your way across Sri Lanka. Visit fish and spice markets, cook with village families and home chefs, learn to make hoppers and kottu roti with street-food masters, and join a tea-tasting session – all combined with the key cultural sights.

Visit the most sacred Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka, including the 'Atamasthana' (eight sacred places) of Anuradhapura, Mihintale, the Dambulla caves, the Temple of the Tooth and Kelaniya. Take part in offerings, a meditation session at a forest monastery and a Poya (full-moon) observance if dates allow.

Discover Sri Lanka's colourful capital – colonial landmarks, temples, markets and seaside promenades – in a private half- or full-day tour.

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.

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.