Short tour

3-Day Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle Tour: Sigiriya, Dambulla & Kandy

Sri Lanka

Duration
3 days / 2 nights
Tour type
Culture & Heritage
Location
Sri Lanka

Overview

Short on time but keen to see the best of Sri Lanka’s heritage? This 3-day Sri Lanka cultural tour packs three UNESCO World Heritage experiences into a relaxed, private route. You will climb the 5th-century Sigiriya Rock Fortress, step inside the painted Dambulla Cave Temple and visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy.

Between the big sights you will ride a bullock cart through a farming village, stop at a Matale spice garden and watch a traditional Kandyan dance performance. Travel is by air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking chauffeur-guide, and the route starts and ends near Colombo Airport (Negombo). It is an ideal first taste of the island, or a stopover add-on before a beach holiday.

Highlights

  • Sigiriya Rock Fortress
  • Dambulla Cave Temple
  • Village bullock cart ride
  • Matale spice garden
  • Temple of the Tooth
  • Kandyan dance show

Itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Colombo Airport (Negombo) to Sigiriya via Dambulla

    Meet your chauffeur-guide at the airport or your Negombo hotel and head north through the coconut belt toward the Cultural Triangle (about 4 to 5 hours). In the afternoon, visit the Dambulla Cave Temple, where five caves hold more than 150 Buddha statues and ceiling murals dating back over 2,000 years. Continue to Sigiriya for a village experience with a bullock cart ride and a catamaran trip on a village lake. Overnight in Sigiriya.

  2. Day 2

    Sigiriya Rock, Spice Garden and Kandy

    Start early to climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress, famed for its mirror wall, ancient frescoes and the Lion's Paw gateway, and enjoy views over the jungle plains before the heat builds. After lunch, drive south to Matale for a guided walk through a spice and herb garden. Arrive in Kandy in the late afternoon and enjoy an evening Kandyan cultural dance show. Overnight in Kandy.

  3. Day 3

    Kandy City Tour and Departure

    Visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Lanka's most sacred Buddhist shrine, then stroll around Kandy Lake and the city market. Take time at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, known for its orchid house and giant avenue of palms. Transfer to Colombo Airport (about 3.5 to 4 hours) for your departure flight.

Good to Know

Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) for all temples. Sigiriya is best climbed at opening time, around 7:00 AM.