Tour Overview
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.
Where you spend the nights
| Area / base | Nights |
|---|---|
| Negombo | 1 |
| Sigiriya / Habarana | 2 |
| Kandy | 2 |
| Total nights | 5 |
Trip at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Duration | 6 days / 5 nights |
| Tour type | Special Interest |
| Group size | Private tour: 1–12 guests |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Best season | All year |
| Approx. road distance | ~445 km |
| Guide languages | English, German and Hindi (others on request) |
| Departure dates | Any date – private tour, all year |
Highlights
- Negombo fish market
- Village cooking on lotus leaves
- Spice garden masterclass
- Home cooking class in Kandy
- Tea tasting at a tea factory
- Colombo street-food evening walk
Itinerary
Every tour is 100% flexible and customizable. This itinerary is a starting point – we can change the order of the days, add or remove nights, swap activities or extend the tour to match your exact dates, pace and interests.
Hotels and accommodation are not included in the standard tour price. You are free to book your own stays, or let us organise a complete accommodation package for you in your preferred hotel tier (guesthouse, 3★, 4★, 5★ or boutique/villa). We work with hotels across the island and can quote your whole trip as one package.
Please contact us before you place a booking so that we can finalise your customised itinerary and your accommodation plan, confirm availability for your dates and send you a final price.
Family, senior and accessibility friendly. We can arrange an elder-friendly set-up (slower pace, shorter drives, ground-floor rooms, lift-access hotels, wheelchair-friendly vehicles and skip-the-climb alternatives such as the Sigiriya museum and gardens or the Pidurangala base viewpoint) and a child-friendly set-up (child and booster seats, family or connecting rooms, hotels with pools, shorter driving days and kid-friendly meals).
Guides and languages. Our chauffeur-guides work in English, German and Hindi, and we can arrange French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Chinese and Japanese speaking guides on request.
Meals. The meals shown in the itinerary are what we include when we arrange your accommodation on half board. If you book your own hotels, your meals follow your own hotel booking – tell us which you prefer.
Any start date. All tours are private and run on any date you choose, all year round, subject to availability. Tell us your arrival and departure dates and we will build the itinerary around your flights.
Contact us before booking: [info@lankaitinerary.com] · WhatsApp [+94 XX XXX XXXX]
Ayubowan! Your Lanka Itinerary chauffeur-guide meets you in the arrivals hall at Bandaranaike International Airport with a name board and a cold drink. Negombo is only 20 minutes away, so there is time to rest after the flight. In the late afternoon, take an easy walk along the Dutch-era canal, visit the busy fish market (best before noon) or watch the outrigger fishing boats return at sunset. Your guide will brief you on the journey ahead over dinner.
Meals: Dinner · Overnight: Negombo · Travel: 20 min (10 km) · Distance: ~10 km
Drive to the Cultural Triangle. In the afternoon, join a village family to cook a traditional rice-and-curry lunch served on lotus leaves, with a bullock cart and catamaran ride.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner · Overnight: Sigiriya / Habarana · Travel: 20 min · Distance: ~150 km
Start early (7:00 am) to climb Sigiriya before the heat and the crowds. The 5th-century citadel of King Kashyapa rises 200 m above the jungle: walk through the symmetrical water gardens, see the famous cloud-maiden frescoes and the mirror wall, pass between the giant lion paws and reach the palace ruins on the summit for a 360° view. After lunch, visit the Dambulla Cave Temple (UNESCO), five caves filled with over 150 Buddha statues and painted ceilings. Return to your hotel for a relaxed evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Sigiriya / Habarana · Travel: 40 min each way · Distance: ~45 km
Drive south to Kandy through Matale. Stop at a spice garden to see cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and pepper growing and learn how they are used in Ayurveda and Sri Lankan cooking. Continue to Kandy, check in and in the evening watch a traditional Kandyan dance and fire-walking show. Then visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (UNESCO) for the evening puja, when drummers and pilgrims bring flowers to the golden shrine.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Kandy · Travel: 2.5 hrs (95 km) · Distance: ~95 km
Morning market visit and cooking class with a Kandyan family, then an afternoon tea-tasting session at a nearby tea factory.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner · Overnight: Kandy · Travel: Half day · Distance: ~30 km
Drive to Colombo for a guided street-food walk in Pettah and Galle Face Green (hoppers, kottu roti, isso wade), then transfer to the airport.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch · Overnight: — · Travel: 3.5 hrs · Distance: ~115 km
Includes / Excludes
Price Includes
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with licensed English-speaking chauffeur-guide (SLTDA)
- Meals as listed in the itinerary (daily breakfast and dinner as standard)
- Entrance fees to all sites listed in the itinerary
- All cooking classes, market visits and tastings listed
- Street-food walk with tastings
- Local SIM card with data for the lead traveller
- Bottled water in the vehicle daily
- All government taxes and service charges
- 24/7 support while you travel
Price Excludes
- Accommodation (not included in the standard price – we can book any hotel tier for you; see 'Accommodation options')
- International flights
- Sri Lanka ETA (visa) – free for 40 nationalities since 25 May 2026; fee applies to others
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- Lunches and drinks unless listed
- Camera/video permits at some sites
- Tips for guide, driver and safari trackers (suggested USD 10–15/day for your chauffeur-guide)
- Optional activities (e.g. hot-air balloon, zip-line, extra safaris)
- Personal expenses (laundry, phone, shopping)
- Early check-in / late check-out
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal options can be arranged in all classes – tell us when booking.
Yes. The tour is private for your group with your own vehicle and chauffeur-guide – you won't share with strangers.
Of course. You can add or remove days, change hotels, upgrade to boutique or luxury properties or swap activities. We'll send a revised quote within 24 hours.
The price is per person based on two adults sharing a room in the hotel category shown. Prices vary by season, hotel choice and group size – request a quote for your exact dates.
Send an enquiry or click Book Now. We confirm availability, then you secure the tour with a deposit; the balance is paid before arrival. [Insert your real deposit and payment terms.]