Have a few days off and want to travel, enjoy and spend less while at it? I have you covered. Sri Lanka it is. Here's my 4 day itinerary for Sri Lanka.
BUT WAIT. You must be thinking about the reason why I chose this destination for you. Okay. Then let's address the question- Why Sri Lanka?
- Because it has the perfect mix of naturally scenic places, culture, history and amazing wildlife activities.
- The visa application process is simple. Visa is generally on arrival and it's better to apply online and get it before you land in Sri Lanka. You can apply for your online visa here
- It's cheap and budget friendly. So that's an important box ticked.
So let me plan a 4 days-4 nights itinerary for Sri Lanka so that you don't have to spend your time and effort for the same.
Your detailed 4-day Itinerary for Sri Lanka
Day 1 : ARRIVAL IN COLOMBO - PINNAWALA - KANDY
-> Arrive at the Colombo international airport (CMB) in the morning. Remember to exchange your money at the airport as they give you the best exchange rate.
-> Your driver will greet you at the airport. This vehicle you board from the airport is your private air-conditioned car throughout the trip. You'll cover all the places within the country by road as it's a pretty small island nation. Have your breakfast on the way to Pinnawala at a local bakery/restaurant and get a taste of some local cuisine.
-> On reaching Pinnawala, visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage - a refuge for orphaned elephants. Experience the magic of witnessing a herd of elephants walk past you. If you wish to feed an elephant, then purchase a separate ticket to get a fruit basket.
On exiting the orphanage, cross the road to the other side and enjoy some local street shopping with impressive stores for clothes and wooden antiques. Walk along the market to reach the water stream where you can see elephants having a bath and enjoying themselves.
-> Enroute to Kandy, stop at the Ayurveda Herbal Garden. Learn about the various plant species and Ayurveda's medicinal and general benefits in daily life. On reaching Kandy, spend time exploring the city a bit.
Enjoy a walk along the Kandy lake and soak in the natural beauty of the place.
-> Visit the arts and craft centre, silk factory and gem emporium to see Sri Lanka's handicraft making. All three centres are in the same location. Therefore, you don't have to travel much. After you're done with it, see the Kandyan Dance and Cultural show that takes place in the same handicraft complex.
-> Check-in at Hotel Topaz in Kandy and enjoy the delectable Sri Lankan buffet dinner.
Day 2 : KANDY - RAMBODA - NUWARA ELIYA
-> Have your buffet breakfast at Hotel Topaz and leave for the Temple of Tooth Relic.
-> Reach the Temple of Tooth Relic preferably by 9:30-11am. Why this time? Since these are the Pooja timings, you can see the traditional proceedings live. If you want to understand the cultural and historical significance of this Buddhist UNESCO World Heritage site in Sri Lanka, then I recommend you to hire a guide here. Besides the shrine complex & the prayer hall, explore the museum of the loyal elephant Raja and relax in the beautiful green courtyard breathing in the spiritual atmosphere.
-> Thereafter, proceed for Nuwara Eliya. Enjoy the scenic views along the way.
-> Visit the tea-factory and tea plantation. First of all, you see how the tea is brought in, cleaned, processed, refined and packed in the tea-factory.
Furthermore you visit a tea-plantation yourself and enjoy the sight of tea-carpeted hills. Finally, shop at the Ceylon tea store and take back some quality Sri Lankan tea with you.
-> Visit the Ramboda waterfalls and experience nature at it's imperious best as you walk along a small downhill trail to reach the site.
After witnessing the cascading white streams flowing nonchalantly, walk to the Ramboda hotel and enjoy a great buffet lunch.
-> Drive further and reach the Nuwara Eliya town. On your way to the hotel, make a stop at the Gregory Lake.
Soak in the sights of distant green hills and a beautiful inviting lake sitting in the luscious grass banks. Also, take a boat tour to savour the views of this British colonial town.
-> Check-in at Hotel Daffodils in Nuwara Eliya and spend the rest of the evening enjoying your dinner and walking along the streets exploring the town.
Day 3 : NUWARA ELIYA - YALA - TISSAMAHARAMA
-> After having your breakfast, proceed to Yala.
-> En-route visit the grand Rawana waterfalls. Chill at the waterfalls for a while sipping coconut water and then shop for some souvenirs at the nearby local shops.
-> Check-in at the Ekho Safari Hotel in Tissamaharama.
-> In the afternoon, get onto a jeep and head to the Yala National Park for a wildlife safari. Keep your ears and eyes open for sighting wildlife enroute to the National Park.
During our journey, an elephant fascinatingly stood in the middle of the road to wish us good luck so I hope you too have our kind of luck. Spot elephants, deer, monkeys, peacocks, water buffaloes, sloth bears, leopards and a variety of birds in the park.
I advise you to go post your lunch as you have better chances of spotting more animals at that time.
-> Return to your hotel in Tissamaharama and enjoy the luxuries it has to offer besides a great buffet dinner.
Day 4 : TISSAMAHARAMA - KOSGODA - HIKKADUWA
-> Have your breakfast and then head to Galle.
-> Visit the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site - The Galle Fort. Stroll around the humongous dutch fort area. Firstly spend time at the lighthouse relishing the view of the beach and the endless stretch of the Indian Ocean.
You'll see places of worship belonging to all religions even from the lighthouse. Furthermore, explore the various cafes and restaurants and enjoy some ravishing seafood and mocktails. Finally, walk the streets of Galle Fort and treat yourself to some retail therapy with the myriad number of local shopping options available. If you have the time, then do enjoy the sunset view from the lighthouse.
-> Thereafter head to the Sea Turtle Protection Center in Kosgoda. Here you can see different kinds of turtles being rehabilitated after suffering injuries & choking on the metal, plastic that people dump in the oceans.
Do befriend a hatchling and see these beautiful creatures warm your heart.
-> Proceed to the famous moonstone mine in Mitiyagoda. See the entire procedure of digging, finding, extracting, cleaning, shaping and polishing of the unique gems believed to be blessed by the moon. Buy a gem or two too if you like as the gem store across the mine offers good discounts to travellers.
-> Continue to the Madu river Biodiversity Area for an exciting boat safari in the middle of mangrove forests. Traverse through the waters as you get to see mangrove caves from the inside thanks to the dense vegetation.
Not only that, you also get to visit the islands of the lagoon. Here you meet the locals and learn how they use the natural resources to extract raw materials for products that can be used both for business and medicinal purposes. Also, you can choose to get a fish pedicure in the various pedicure pools that come along the way.
-> Check-in at the Citrus Hotel in Hikkaduwa.
Take a dip in the pool enjoying the spectacular sunset view. Enjoy your dinner and relax at the wonderful beach inside the hotel property.
Day 5 : HIKKADUWA - AIRPORT (CMB)
-> Have your breakfast and proceed to the airport in time for your departure flight, bidding adieu to this beautiful country!
So that was my 4 days - 4 nights itinerary for Sri Lanka. If you have any questions or queries, then feel free to drop me a mail. The itinerary for Sri Lanka that I've made encompasses a bit of everything. It gives you a wholesome experience of the place which is my primary objective.
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Happy travels!
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