Tour Overview
Travelling alone doesn’t mean being alone. This tour is designed for solo travellers, with a trusted chauffeur-guide, safe and social hotels, and experiences where you meet local people – a cooking class, a village lunch and café evenings in Ella.
Choose a private departure, or join our fixed-date small groups of solo travellers to share costs and stories. We offer 24/7 WhatsApp support throughout.
Where you spend the nights
| Area / base | Nights |
|---|---|
| Sigiriya / Habarana | 3 |
| Kandy | 1 |
| Ella | 2 |
| Mirissa | 2 |
| Total nights | 8 |
Trip at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Duration | 9 days / 8 nights |
| Tour type | Special Interest |
| Group size | Solo or small group of solo travellers (max 10) |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Best season | December – April |
| Approx. road distance | ~890 km |
| Guide languages | English, German and Hindi (others on request) |
| Departure dates | Any date – private tour, all year |
Highlights
- Vetted guides & 24/7 WhatsApp support
- Option to join a small solo group
- Sigiriya & Pidurangala sunset
- Home cooking class in Kandy
- Kandy–Ella train
- Whale watching & Galle Fort
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.
Start dates. This tour is private and runs on any date you choose within its season, subject to availability. It operates in January, February, March, April, December – outside those months the conditions make it either impossible or much less rewarding, and we will say so and suggest an alternative rather than take the booking. 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]
Your chauffeur-guide welcomes you at the airport and you head straight inland to the heart of the Cultural Triangle. The drive passes coconut estates, paddy fields and roadside fruit stalls – stop for a fresh king coconut on the way. Check in to your hotel near Sigiriya, surrounded by forest and lakes, and spend the evening by the pool while the rock fortress glows on the horizon.
Meals: Dinner · Overnight: Sigiriya / Habarana · Travel: 4 hrs (160 km) · Distance: ~160 km
Climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress in the cool of the morning with your guide, who brings the story of King Kashyapa, his frescoes and water gardens to life. Rest at the hotel through the midday heat. In the late afternoon, hike Pidurangala Rock (about 45 minutes, with a short scramble at the top) for the best view of Sigiriya itself – a favourite with photographers at sunset.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Sigiriya / Habarana · Travel: Short local drives · Distance: ~25 km
Morning village experience with bullock cart, catamaran and a home-cooked lunch on lotus leaves. In the afternoon visit the Dambulla Cave Temple.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner · Overnight: Sigiriya / Habarana · Travel: 20 min · Distance: ~30 km
Drive to Kandy, then join a local family for a market visit and cooking class. Evening at the Temple of the Tooth.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner · Overnight: Kandy · Travel: Half day · Distance: ~95 km
Board one of the world's most beautiful train journeys (reserved seats arranged by us; subject to availability). For about 6–7 hours the train winds past tea estates, waterfalls, tunnels and misty villages, climbing to the island's highest station at Pattipola. Your driver takes the luggage by road and meets you at Ella station. Evening at leisure in this relaxed hill town.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Ella · Travel: Train 6–7 hrs · Distance: ~175 km
For keen walkers: hike Ella Rock (4–5 hours return, moderate) with a local guide through eucalyptus forest and tea plantations to a dramatic summit viewpoint. In the afternoon, enjoy a gentle walk with a tea estate supervisor to learn how pluckers harvest two leaves and a bud, followed by a tasting.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Ella · Travel: Local · Distance: ~15 km
Drive to Udawalawe National Park, where herds of elephants graze against the backdrop of the hills. Udawalawe's elephants are resident rather than migratory, so herds are seen on almost every drive – though no operator can guarantee a sighting. After the safari, visit the Elephant Transit Home at feeding time, where orphaned baby elephants are cared for and later released into the wild (an ethical alternative to captive attractions).
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Mirissa · Travel: 4.5 hrs incl. safari · Distance: ~170 km
Set sail at 6:30 am with a responsible operator to look for blue whales, sperm whales, spinner dolphins and turtles off the south coast (best from November to April). Back on land, spend the afternoon on Mirissa beach or climb Coconut Tree Hill for sunset.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Mirissa · Travel: 4–5 hrs boat · Distance: ~40 km
Morning walk in Galle Fort, lunch in a café and transfer to the airport (2.5 hours).
Meals: Breakfast · Overnight: — · Travel: Local · Distance: ~180 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
- Jeep safaris as listed, including park entrance fees
- Reserved train tickets where listed (subject to availability)
- Whale-watching boat trip with a responsible operator
- Local SIM card with data
- 24/7 WhatsApp support
- Cooking class
- 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
Sri Lanka is generally safe, and travelling with a vetted chauffeur-guide adds security. We choose well-located hotels, provide a local SIM card and offer 24/7 support.
On private departures a single supplement applies. On fixed-date solo groups you can choose a shared room with another solo traveller of the same gender to avoid it.
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.]