Sigiriya

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.

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.

Our signature journey is the complete Sri Lanka experience in two unhurried weeks. You will climb the Sigiriya rock fortress, cycle among the ruins of Polonnaruwa, watch wild elephants gather in Minneriya and attend the evening ceremony at Kandy's Temple of the Tooth.

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.

A curriculum-linked tour for school and university groups, covering history, geography, ecology and global citizenship. Students study ancient water engineering in Polonnaruwa, tea economics in the hill country and elephant conservation in Udawalawe, and spend a day with a partner rural school.

The classic backpacker route with the hassle taken out: we book your hostels and guesthouses, reserve train seats, arrange key transfers and a safari, and give you a local SIM and 24/7 WhatsApp support – you travel independently by train, bus and tuk-tuk at backpacker prices.

Climb the Lion Rock and see 2,000-year-old cave temples in one unforgettable day, with hotel pick-up from Kandy, Negombo or Colombo.