Kandy

For travellers who want to earn their views. Cycle to Polonnaruwa, trek the wild Knuckles Range, raft Kitulgala's rapids, climb Adam's Peak by night with the pilgrims, hike Ella Rock and finish with a leopard safari in Yala.

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.

See Sri Lanka the local way – from the back (or the driver's seat) of a tuk-tuk! Travel back roads from Kandy through tea country to the south coast, stopping in villages and at viewpoints most tourists never see. Choose a local tuk-tuk captain or drive yourself after a training session (local permit arranged).

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.

The hill country is Sri Lanka at its most beautiful – green hills of tea, waterfalls, cool air and colonial bungalows. This tour follows the tea trail from Kandy to Ella with gentle hikes, a factory visit, the most scenic train ride on the island and sunrise at Lipton's Seat.

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.

The perfect balance: eight days of culture, tea country and wildlife followed by four nights on the beach to unwind. It suits couples and families who want to see the island but also come home rested.

Hand-picked romantic hotels, private experiences and plenty of time together. Enjoy a sunrise hot-air balloon flight option over the Cultural Triangle, a candlelit dinner in a tea bungalow, a private safari in Yala and three nights in a beach villa in Tangalle.