Sri Lanka Explorer
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Experience Overview
If you're looking for a place where Hindu temples, Buddhist shrines, churches and mosques can all be found on the same stretch, Sri Lanka ticks every box. On this 12-day adventure, you’ll head from laidback Negombo to ancient Anuradhapura. Explore the secrets of the north, the hidden places of Jaffna and the beautiful coastline of Trincomalee. Learn about the spiritual heart of the country in the temples of Kandy, look out for local wildlife on safaris and spend time with locals keen to share their homes, food and stories.
Highlights
- Explore Jaffna, an area of Sri Lanka only recently opened to tourism, where you’ll learn about Tamil culture and visit Point Pedro – Sri Lanka’s northernmost point.
- Find the perfect spot to kick back under a swaying palm tree along Trincomalee Beach’s sandy shoreline. Then, stop by a local village to join the community in making a traditional Tamil meal.
- Observe wild elephants from basic tree houses and hopefully catch an outstanding sunset in Wasgamuwa National Park – one of the most biodiverse protected areas in Sri Lanka.
- Visit Sigiriya's Lion Rock – a UNESCO World Heritage site – and if you’re game, climb the steps to the top for amazing views over the jungle.
- Witness ritual and devotion in the spiritual heart of the country during a visit to Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth.
Trip Details
Product Code: 2190
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: Private vehicle, Train
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Explorer, Budget
Tour Operator:
Intrepid Travel
Supplier Code: HPSS
Starts: Negombo, Sri Lanka
Finishes: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Duration: 12 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Light
Includes
Meals: Breakfasts (10), Lunch (1), Dinner (1)Accommodation: Hotel (11 nights)
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $2920 ($243 /day)
Itinerary
Ayubowan! Welcome to Sri Lanka. Your adventure begins in the town of Negombo with a welcome meeting at 5.30 pm tonight. If you arrive early, you can get into the spirit of seaside Sri Lanka with a walk, checking out the local fishing boats and maybe feasting on some fresh seafood. You might also like to explore the surrounding countryside on a hired bicycle. After your meeting tonight, maybe head out to an optional group dinner to get to know each other.
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Travel north by private vehicle to Anuradhapura today. Along the way, you’ll visit the Negombo Fish Markets and get a feel for daily life in the local fishing community. Continue to Anuradhapura – the grand ruins here point to its status as Sri Lanka’s ruling city for almost one and a half millennia. Hop on a bike for a guided cycling tour of the various archaeological sites like the stupas, citadel and the monasteries. You’ll also stop by the Bodhi Tree Temple – the second-most sacred site in Sri Lanka. The rest of your evening is free to explore on your own. Your leader will have some great suggestions for dinner.
Included Activities:
- Anuradhapura - Bodhi Tree Temple
- Anuradhapura - World Heritage Site of ancient kingdom ruins
- Anuradhapura - Bike tour
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Travel north today by train to the coastal Tamil town of Jaffna – inaccessible for years due to the civil war. Journey around the Jaffna Peninsula, soaking in the views of Point Pedro – Sri Lanka’s northernmost point. You’ll also stop to see the healing waters of Keerimalai Spring, the ruined dagobas of Kantarodai and Nilawari – a bottomless well where it’s said that the Hindu God Rama shot an arrow to get water. Tonight, visit a local home and learn to cook traditional Jaffna cuisine, then enjoy the fruits of your labour for dinner.
Included Activities:
- Jaffna - Jaffna Peninsula tour
- Jaffna - Cooking class & family visit
- Anuradhapura - Scenic train ride from Anuradhapura to Jaffna
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Head out to explore more of Jaffna with your leader today. First up, you’ll head to a hands-on pottery class run by a local, family-owned business, where you’ll learn about the art of pottery and various techniques from the potter. After, head to lunch in a local Hindu home, where you’ll feast on a traditional vegetarian meal and learn more about the Hindu community in Jaffna. This afternoon, visit a beautiful library that was carefully restored after the war, and see the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil – an important local Hindu site. Then, return to your accommodation for a relaxing evening.
Included Activities:
- Jaffna - Jaffna Library
- Jaffna - Pottery making experience
Optional Activities:
- Jaffna - Fort visit (1600 LKR)
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Say goodbye to Jaffna and move on to bright and sunny Trincomalee. Discover the beach vibes of ‘Trinco’, relax in the shade of a palm tree and try ‘toddy’ straight from its flowers. Trincomalee was one of the world’s finest deep-water harbours, attracting famous sailors like Marco Polo to its shores. There are no activities planned today, so there's plenty of time to relax around the pool or head to the beach.
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Visit a local village today and learn how local tappers extract toddy from palmyra trees, and how the leaves of the palmyra are woven into various household items. Then, join some local women to see how odiyal kool (Tamil seafood soup) is prepared and try some for yourself. You’ll have free time this afternoon, so maybe you’d like to visit the colourful and intricate Pathirakali Amman Hindu temple or sit back, relax and enjoy the lazy beach lifestyle.
Included Activities:
- Trincomalee - Palmyrah Toddy and Food experience
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Drive from Trincomalee towards Dambulla, stopping along the way to visit the Zero Plastic Impact Center. This Intrepid Foundation partner supports almost 100 local artisans producing plastic-alternative products like reusable woven basket bags and clay water bottles. Try your hand at bamboo and coconut shell crafting and take home your own traditional Sri Lankan mask. After, visit the Dambulla Cave Temple – this UNESCO World Heritage site is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. Many of the caves are full of large, colourful statues and paintings related to Gautama Buddha and his life. After returning to Dambulla, there’s the option of a wildlife drive in Minneriya National Park to seek out elephants, sambar deer and leopards in the evergreen scrublands. If you’d prefer to relax, don’t worry, there will be another wildlife outing tomorrow.
Included Activities:
- Dambulla - Cave Temples
- Sigiriya - Zero Plastic Impact Centre Visit, an Intrepid Foundation partner
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Today is a real Sri Lanka highlight – a visit to Sigiriya's Lion Rock. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this ancient, carved-rock fortress rises dramatically above the surrounding plains and, if you’re game, you can climb the many stairs to see the amazing views of the surrounding jungle. After, head out for a wildlife safari at Minneriya National Park – home to Sri Lankan elephants and sloth bears, and claimed to be the best park in the world to witness elephants in large herds in their natural habitat (the best sightings are in August and September). Later, return to Dambulla and enjoy a free evening.
Included Activities:
- Sigiriya - Lion Rock Fortress visit
- Minneriya National Park - Entrance fee
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Leave Dambulla this morning and head on to Kandy, the last capital of Sri Lanka’s ancient royal era. On the way, stop at a spice garden, where hints of cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, clove, nutmeg and vanilla lace the air as you learn the secrets of cultivating these shelf favourites. When you arrive in Kandy, head to a Kandayan dance show full of colourful traditional costumes.
Included Activities:
- Kandy - Spice garden visit
- Kandy - Cultural Dance Performance
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Start the day with a visit to the Giragama Tea Factory to learn how the famous local tea is grown. Then, head to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. This golden-roofed temple is home to Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic – a tooth of the Buddha. After, enjoy the rest of the day to explore on your own. Perhaps you’d like to take a walk around the beautiful lake in the centre of town, visit the local Buddhist temple or while away the afternoon among the trees and flowers of the Royal Palace Park.
Included Activities:
- Kandy - Temple of the Tooth
- Kandy - Tea Factory Visit
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Drive to Colombo today – the nation's capital. Stop by some of the city's main sights on a bus tour, including Independence Square, Parliament and the National Museum, ending at Barefoot Fair-Trade Store for a spot of shopping. Here, you can find a collection of handicrafts from around the country and support small cottage industries. If you’re lucky enough to be in Colombo on a Saturday, you can visit Good Market – a local market full of stalls showcasing social enterprises and responsible businesses. Tonight, there's an optional final group dinner to celebrate your journey together.
Included Activities:
- Colombo - City tour
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
There are no activities planned for today and you can depart the hotel at any time. If you'd like to extend your stay, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time.
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Tour Operator
Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company, dedicated to providing sustainable, experience-rich travel opportunities. They’ve been the leader in ethical, small-group travel since 1989 - taking people around the world for more than 30 years. They’re the world’s largest travel B Corporation - dedicated to being the best travel company for the world. In 2002, they established The Intrepid Foundation so their travellers could make a lasting impact on the communities they had visited. Although Intrepid Travel absorbs all administrative costs of The Intrepid Foundation, they are separate legal entities, allowing The Intrepid Foundation to grow independently. Intrepid Travel is made up of a collection of tour operator brands and 28 destination management companies all united by one vision: To change the way we all see the world.
In Business Since 1989
Reviews
Hilary - Traveled, March 2024
What a great trip around Sri Lanka, Asa was an excellent guide. A fabulous tour.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/14/2024
Catherine - Traveled, March 2024
A excellent full on tour of SriLankas North & other cultural highlights.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/14/2024
Annapurna - Traveled, March 2024
This was my first Intrepid trip and I had a fantastic time. The itinerary was really well-thought out and our group leader Cham was marvellous.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/27/2024
Bernard - Traveled, March 2024
Aa great trip to see the northern parts of Sri Lanka which is less touristy so felt more with the religion and people than trying to find a selfie. Beautiful country with some very nice people...
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/27/2024
Louise - Traveled, March 2024
An amazing introduction to the country, I chose this tour as this went to the North of the Island which tends to be overlooked. Chamm our guide was knowledge and helpful. He really made the trip.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/29/2024
Joanna - Traveled, March 2024
Sri Lanka Explorer is an excellent introduction covering so much of the county in unexpected luxurious accommodation. Highlights were swimming in the healing well in Jaffna, spotting elephants from the bus, toddy drinking in Trinco & excellent home cooked meal. Our guide Cham is a credit to Sri Lanka with his local knowledge & bird identification;I’ll never forget an Intermediate Egret!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/31/2024
Bernard - Traveled, March 2024
Aa great trip to see the northern parts of Sri Lanka which is less touristy so felt more with the religion and people than trying to find a selfie. Beautiful country with some very nice people...
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/27/2024
Karen - Traveled, February 2024
Anuradhapura, Jaffna & Trinco have plentiful rich cultural sites - with fewer tourist crowds - and adventures by train, bus, bike & boat means you see a lot of local life along the way which we enjoyed with Cham, our lovely well-organised tour leader. The pace of the tour is fine with the right amount of time in each place. We really enjoyed it!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/27/2024
Carolin - Traveled, January 2024
Can highly recommend this amazing trip. We saw and experienced Sri Lanka and its beauties to the fullest on this trip. Also our tour guide Matisha was awesome: very knowledgeable, super positive and really wanted us to get to know this beautiful country, food and culture. Sanjay, his assistant was always taking good care of us. Enjoyed the whole trip to the fullest.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/10/2024
Susana - Traveled, January 2024
Our guide for Sri Lanka was named Mahendra and he was excellent. His knowledge was very thorough and he had a very friendly tone calling us “ his dear friends” which we all loved. His co workers were also amazing, Ugali was so careful in navigating the coach and Thataga was also very diligent in looking after our needs such as filling our water, passing around different things for us to look at and taste such as rice stalks, red bananas and other delicacies. The team made us all feel like a family and we had lots of fun banter, little jokes when someone was late to get to the bus… we clapped them on in fun. The activities were all so varied and we learnt a lot about the customs, history and culture. The food was wonderful… lots of buffets to try different curries and seeing the dance with costumes was a highlight. My favourite part was the Elephant Safari as the elephants were so close to our jeep. There are no complaints as it all went well. I would really recommend the Sri Lankan Explorer as a trip. 11 out of 10 !!!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/23/2024
Sumitren - Traveled, January 2024
Really amazing trip that showcases the wonders of Sri Lanka. Best holiday I have had. The guide team could not have done more for us. Thank you!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/17/2024
Rachel - Traveled, January 2024
Sri Lanka 12 day tour - hits every part of a holiday you want and more you didn’t even know you wanted! Mahendra, Upali and Tareka - what a crew! It is so nice to see the people love their country and make us feel a part of it. The Sri Lankan people are so proud.. and so they should be. It was incredible!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/18/2024
Laura - Traveled, January 2024
The Sri Lankan explorer tour was an amazing and eye opening experience. Our tour guide Mahendra was passionate, knowledge but above all kind and helpful! Thank you for everything!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/17/2024
Christine - Traveled, December 2023
Easily one of best trips I have been on. Good balance of activities, sightseeing and down time. Many unexpected inclusions. Exceptional guide.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/29/2023
Courtney - Traveled, December 2023
The Sri Lanka Explorer trip provided a wide range of experiences, from temples to beachside escapes. This was my second Intrepid trip to Sri Lanka, and it was wonderful to be able to visit Jaffna this time around. Nilanga was an excellent tour leader and went above and beyond for our group to make the journey great for everyone.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/28/2023
Cindy - Traveled, December 2023
The opportunity to go to Jaffna, where less tourists go, was outstanding as it’s beautiful and has so much to see!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/28/2023
Hazel - Traveled, November 2023
Having been on tours with another company in the past and now used Intrepid I would be loathed to use any other tour
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/29/2023
Linda - Traveled, November 2023
I can highly recommend this trip to Sri Lanka. Intrepid include all aspects of this beautiful country and have excellent staff to guide us and the itinerary is varied and informative.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/29/2023
Anna Lia - Traveled, July 2023
Good trip with a mix of cities, rural areas and beach time. Some long travel days but nothing too extreme. A very good introduction to Sri Lanka, its people, its culture and its food (make sure you try some fresh buffalo curd!!)
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/18/2023
