Wheelchair-Accessible Sri Lanka Tour – 8 Days

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

An unhurried drive inland in your ramp-equipped van, with a comfort stop roughly every 90 minutes at places we know have a usable toilet. Check in at an accessible ground-floor room near Sigiriya and take the rest of the day slowly.

Meals: Dinner · Overnight: Sigiriya / Habarana · Travel: 4 hrs (150 km) · Distance: ~150 km

The summit of Sigiriya is not accessible – there is no lift and around 1,200 steps, and we will not sell you a climb you cannot make. What is accessible is genuinely worth the day: the symmetrical water gardens on level paved and compacted paths, the boulder gardens as far as the first terrace, and the site museum, which was step-free and lift-served when we last checked it and is among the best museums in the country – we re-confirm its access before every booking. In the afternoon we drive to the Pidurangala approach for the classic head-on view of the rock, which is reachable by vehicle. The Dambulla caves are a stepped climb with no alternative route, so we visit the Golden Temple complex at the base instead and your guide will show you photographs and explain the cave paintings.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Sigiriya / Habarana · Travel: 40 min each way · Distance: ~30 km

Polonnaruwa is the most accessible of Sri Lanka's ancient cities. Your driver takes you from monument to monument inside the archaeological park, so the Gal Vihara rock sculptures, the Vatadage and the Royal Palace each involve only a short roll on compacted ground – uneven in places, but manageable with a companion. In the afternoon, a private jeep safari to see wild elephants, with a transfer board and your companion and guide assisting into the jeep; the jeep itself is not adapted, so tell us your transfer needs honestly and we will tell you honestly whether it will work for you. We use Minneriya in August and September, Kaudulla from October to December and from May to July, and Hurulu Eco Park from January to April.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Sigiriya / Habarana · Travel: 1 hr each way · Distance: ~30 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

The Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya are the most genuinely accessible attraction we know of in Sri Lanka: 60 hectares of flat, sealed paths, an accessible toilet near the main entrance and a buggy we can book to cover the longer distances. After lunch we drive the lake circuit and stop at the Arthur's Seat viewpoint, which can be enjoyed from the vehicle. The Temple of the Tooth has a stepped entrance and is extremely crowded at puja time; we can attempt it with assistance if you wish, or view the complex from the esplanade – your call, made on the day.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Kandy · Travel: City sightseeing · Distance: ~30 km

A long but straightforward transfer down to the west coast, mostly on the expressway once we reach Colombo, with two comfort stops at places we have checked. Your Bentota hotel has an accessible room with a roll-in shower, step-free access to the restaurant and pool terrace, and a beach wheelchair so you can actually get onto the sand rather than looking at it.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner · Overnight: Bentota · Travel: 4.5 hrs with stops (190 km) · Distance: ~190 km

A free morning at the beach – the hotel's beach wheelchair is yours, and a Madu River boat safari is possible with assistance if you would like one, since the boats board from a low jetty. Transfer to the airport in the afternoon; Bandaranaike International offers accessible check-in and assistance on request, and the routes through to the gate are step-free; we book the assistance in advance and stay with you until you are handed over to it.

Meals: Breakfast · Overnight: — · Travel: 2 hrs to airport (95 km) · Distance: ~95 km