An active tour discovering Sri Lanka’s historic, cultural and natural wonders on foot. Hike through jungles and mountains, explore ancient cities and walkthrough rural villages and tea plantations. Exploring on foot allows you to slow down and take in Sri Lanka in a different way to the less active visitor.
Highlights
- 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- City walks
- Hikes, nature trails and waterfalls
- Adams Peak pilgrimage
- Beach stay
You will be accompanied by a certified and experienced Wayfarer’s tour guide.
All our itineraries are flexible and can be customized.
Day 1: COLOMBO- Discover the capital city on foot.
Welcome on arrival at the airport, by a Wayfarers Team Member and transfer to Colombo. Take an evening walking tour around Colombo fort and the old city, that gives a greater understanding into the history and multicultural nature of this city. Visit places of religious worship, street and wet markets, some hidden gems of Colombo and enjoy tasty street food along the way.
Day 2: DAMBULLA- Explore an ancient cave temple followed by a walk along jungle and village trails.
After breakfast, travel to the city of Dambulla, in the heart of Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle. Visit one of Sri Lanka’s many UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Cave Temples of Dambulla. Climb to the top for sweeping views and an exploration of a series of 5 cave temples. The ancient kings of Sri Lanka turned the rock caves into a temple complex almost 2000 years ago. The caves showcase a variety of well preserved, Buddhist paintings, inscriptions, statues and other archeological artifacts. The roundtrip to the top takes approximately 3 hours.
Transfer to an eco-lodge in the rural countryside surrounding Dambulla. Enjoy a walking trail in the evening. Walk through neighboring villages to meet the local people, hike through lush rice paddies, pass by lakes and view an interesting variety of birds and wildlife along the way.
Day 3: SIGIRIYA & POLONNARUWA- Climb an iconic rock citadel in the morning and explore ruins of ancient Sri Lanka’s second capital, in the afternoon.
Depart early and hike through the jungle trails to climb Sigiriya rock. The most iconic of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO world heritage sites, the Sigiriya rock fortress, sits a top a monolith rising 200m high from the scrub jungles of an otherwise flat terrain. The rock fortress still stands as a testament to the master engineers of ancient times, boasting its detailed architecture, fortifications and look outs, cut out on the rock face and a network of ponds and streams a top the rock. A series of steps and steel stairways ascend to the top of the rock. The famous-colored paintings of the Sigiriya Damsels can be found along the way, as well as an enormous set of lion paws carved out of the rock, the remains of an ancient gateway. Enjoy sweeping views a top the rock along with the archeological ruins of the citadel. The roundtrip to the top of the rock and back to the hotel takes about 4 hours.
In the afternoon visit the old city of Polonnaruwa, another magnificent UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore ruins of Sri Lanka’s second oldest kingdom and its vast network of man-made lakes and rivers that still enables this dry zone region to be the largest rice producer on the Island. The old city archeological site houses ruins of the ancient city, from buildings and monuments to royal palaces and magnificent temples. The walk around Polonnaruwa takes about 3 hours.
Day 4: KNUCKLES MOUNTAINS- Experience the chill of the central highlands.
After a hearty Sri Lankan breakfast, set off on a journey to Rangala, a village in the mountainous center of the island. Upon arrival in Rangala, take a short hike (20 mins) to a waterfall, where you can spend the rest of the afternoon swimming and relaxing. You will be provided with a homecooked Sri Lankan “buth” packet, a parcel of food containing rice, local vegetable curries and meat, for lunch.
Hike back to your accommodation, in the mountains. Enjoy a warm meal and drinks around the campfire.
Day 5: KNUCKLES MOUNTAINS- A full day of hiking trails.
Spend the day trekking along the numerous trails of the Knuckles range. Take in beautiful scenery and meet local villagers along the way. Packed breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided.
Day 6: TEA FACTORY & NALLATHANNIYA- Scenic drive through the central highlands with a tea factory experience on the way.
After a relaxed breakfast, travel by car along scenic hill country roads, to the small town of Nallathanniya. Stop on the way to visit a local tea factory to witness the production process of world-famous Ceylon tea.
Upon arriving at Nallathanniya, rest up in preparation for your midnight ascent of Adams Peak. Nallathanniya is situated at the foot of Adams Peak and is the most common base for pilgrims and tourists climbing Adams Peak.
Day 7: ADAMS PEAK- Take the pilgrimage up the challenging Adams Peak Mountain for amazing sunrise views.
Depart around 1.30am and begin your climb alongside other pilgrims and tourists. Reach the summit in time for the 6am sunrise, which can be magical. Reach the summit too late and the mist may have taken over! Either way completing this climb is a positive and exciting experience. Stop along the way at the many refreshments stops for warms cups of tea with locals, take part in a pooja (blessing) ritual at the temple on top of the peak or just enjoy the cool weather conditions. The significance of Adams Peak, locally know as “Shri Padha” (sacred foot) is the foot print carved a top the rock (now in cement). The foot print belongs to Lord Buddha to Buddhists, Adam according to Christians and Lord Shiva to the Hindu’s.
Descend following sunrise and return to your hotel for a shower and a hearty breakfast. Proceed to a tea plantation bungalow in Bandarawela for some rest and relaxation.
Day 9:BANDARAWELA & ELLA- Relaxation in the hills.
Spend the morning relaxing at the tea estate. If inclined visit neighboring town of Ella for sightseeing, hiking and pubs! Ella is a small hillside town popular amongst tourists for its scenic hiking trails, waterfalls, cool weather, yoga retreats and lively city center full of shops, pubs and restaurants.
Day 10: UDAWALAWE & SOUTH COAST- Swap tropical hills for tropical beaches with an elephant orphanage in between.
After breakfast, travel to the Elephant Transit Home Udawalawe for feeding time (12 noon). Sri Lanka’s prevalent human elephant conflict leaves many baby elephants orphaned. The ETH is operated by Sri Lanka wildlife authorities to foster and care for these baby elephants (usually for up to 4 years) until they are fit to re-enter the wild. They are raised in a controlled wild habitat, an especially protected area of the surrounding Udawalawe National Park, another elephant hotspot in Sri Lanka. The elephants congregate 2-3 times a day at the orphanage headquarters to get their daily quota of milk prior to heading back into their jungle habitat.
Day 11: GALLE- Get swept up in the old-world charm of a Portuguese era fort city.
Take an exciting tuk-tuk ride to the neighboring city of Galle. Spend the day walking your way through the Galle Fort, another captivating ‘live’ UNESCO World Heritage site. Galle, the city, is the largest and busiest in southern Sri Lanka. Tucked away in a corner sticking out into the ocean is the old city, fortified by a fort, where time has surely slowed down. This UNESCO World heritage site was built in 1600’s by the Portugese followed by an extensive fortification by the Dutch. You will discover that the fort ramparts are well-preserved along with a lighthouse, clock tower, houses, churches and buildings, built by the Dutch and Portuguese. Many of these buildings now host chic restaurants, private villas, boutiques and guesthouses, without compromising on the authenticity of the fort. The fort is best and easiest explored on foot.
Day 12: Transfer to the airport.
Transfer to the airport for your flight back home.
