Dedicated Solo Departure: All inclusive Tour of Sri Lanka

Your fare excludes:

D​ay 1 Fly to Colombo

Fly to Colombo. On arrival you will be met by your expert tour guide and transferred to your hotel in the coastal town of Negombo, a short drive from Colombo.

D​ay 2 Explore Sigiriya

This morning travel to Sigiriya, home to the 5th-century UNESCO World Heritage-listed Rock Fortress, 'Lion Rock'. Built by King Kassapa as the centre of his short-lived kingdom, pass between a pair of colossal lion’s paws and climb to the top for panoramic views. Explore the surrounding gardens as well as admiring the world-renowned Heavenly Maidens frescoes.

D​ay 3 Discover Polonnaruwa

Visit the ancient kingdom of Polonnaruwa, another UNESCO World Heritage-listed site. The capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th to the 12th-century, it is a well-preserved city of stupas, frescoes and statues. While here, explore the Gal Viharaya, a magnificent group of rock temples and the Vatadage, an ancient structure with elaborate stone carvings. Return to Sigiriya.

Day 4 Anuradhapura

Drive to celebrated Anuradhapura. The city's greatest treasures are its dagobas; domes enshrining sacred relics. The most notable is the Ruwanwelisaya Dagoba, dating back to the 2nd-century BC, which you will visit today along with the Thuparamaya, said to contain the collarbone of Buddha. Discover the city's most renowned relic, the 2,250-year-old sacred Bo Tree. Emperor Asoka's daughter brought to Anuradhapura a branch of this tree, under which Buddha is said to have gained enlightenment.

D​ay 5 Dambulla Rock Temple

After breakfast, travel to Dambulla where you will tour the Rock Temple. Dating back to the 1st-century BC, the temple is made up of five cave sanctuaries where you'll find some of Sri Lanka's most important Buddha images. Visit a spice garden in Matale where you can see cinnamon, cardamom, pepper creepers and other spice trees growing and watch a cooking demonstration. Continue through majestic hill country to the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka's cultural hub.

D​ay 6 Cultural Kandy

This morning, visit the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens. Later, visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, one of the most revered Buddhist sites in the world. Stolen at Buddha's funeral, the tooth was smuggled into Sri Lanka hidden in the hair of a princess who fled from India. Explore the remains of the Royal Palace, now a museum. This evening you will watch a colourful cultural dance performance.

Day 7 Nuwara Eliya

Drive to Nuwara Eliya, the 'Little England' of Sri Lanka. Situated at 2,000m above sea level, Nuwara Eliya is the main hill station of Sri Lanka and is known for its excellent tea production due to the cool climate which creates tea with a unique flavour. Visit a tea plantation and tea factory en route. This afternoon enjoy high tea at the Grand Hotel.

D​ay 8 Udawalawe

Travel to the Elephant Transit Home located near Udawalawe National Park, where abandoned baby elephants are cared for before they are released into the park. Continue to Yala, Sri Lanka's premiere national park.

D​ay 9 Yala National Park

Enjoy morning and afternoon jeep safaris around the park. It is home to elephants, deer and the elusive leopards, of which one of the world's largest populations can be found.

D​ay 10 Coastal Drive to Galle

Drive to the Hummanaya Blow Hole, the second largest of its kind in the world. After lunch, continue to Dikwella Wewurukannala Temple, dominated by an image of a seated Buddha that is over 48 metres high. Continue the drive along the coastline towards Galle. Stop along the way at Weligama where you may see the unique stilt fishermen, an old tradition practised by around 500 fishing families in the region.

D​ay 11 Old Galle

Explore the Southern capital city of Galle, Sri Lanka's finest colonial treasure, and once the greatest port in Ceylon. See the lighthouse, the Old Town and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Dutch Fort, before wandering narrow streets dotted with Dutch colonial villas, museums and antique shops.

D​ay 12 Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery

Travel to Colombo, stopping at Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery en route. The hatchery is home to Sri Lanka's pioneering sea turtle conservation project, established in 1981 to protect the local turtle population.

Day 13 Explore Colombo

Embark on a city tour of Colombo this morning. Explore the Fort district, the historic centre of the city. Wander through Pettah Market. Visit the Dutch Church of Wolvendaal, dating back to 1749, Kelaniya Buddhist Temple, a major pilgrimage site for Buddhist devotees, and Colombo's finest museums. Late evening transfer for your departure flight.

Day 14 Fly Colombo to Australia

Fly to Australia arriving home the same day.

Please note: Only breakfast is included today.

Transfers: In the event that your flight departs outside of the majority group departure time, you will be transferred to the airport by a shared coach (not with other tour passengers). If you are on a shared coach transfer, you may have to walk for a few minutes to get to the coach.

Solo Traveller from $9,380pp

• 23 November - 7 December 2024 

Solo Traveller from $9,580 per person

• 22 November - 6 December 2025 

Contact our experienced travel team on 1300 414 198 for pricing on your preferred departure date.

Please note prices are subject to availability at time of booking or until sold out and may change without notice. The prices above include flights departing Brisbane, airline fuel surcharges and taxes which are subject to change.

Your accommodation has been selected for convenience of location, comfort or character, and can range from a business hotel in one city to a family-run guesthouse in a smaller town or a heritage-type hotel.

In remote areas, accommodation may be of a lower standard and may not have western amenities. Hotels are generally rated as local three to four-star standard however please note that there is no international classification system for hotels and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the Australia and India. Rest assured that all hotels used are regularly inspected by our partners to ensure that standards are met.

Dedicated Solo departures smaller group sizes - Max Group Size of 18

When is the best time to visit India?

The best time to visit is from November to March when you'll experience pleasant warm dry days and low humidity.

Tipping:

Customary tipping amount of approximately US$60pp (AU$87pp) is paid locally in India.

Visas:

Entry visas are required by all visitors to India. Please be advised that your passport must have at least six months validity left on it when you arrive back into Australia.

Transport:

Coaches: Coaches with air conditioning are used on our group tours for city sightseeing, short excursions to the countryside and longer transfers where necessary. Due to Indian Government regulations the use of curtains, tinted glass windows are prohibited across India. Main and inner-city roads in India have a reputation for being very congested. For this reason, it may not always be possible to return to your hotel after sightseeing to freshen up before going to the restaurant for dinner. Roads in India have generally been improved over recent years, but traffic and/or weather conditions may extend driving times. Road construction work usually covers an enormous section of road - not just one or two kilometres as you may be used to. For this reason, the timings listed in the sections above are approximations only.

Air: Internal flights are based on economy class, with reputable airlines. Pre-flight seat allocation is not available on international and internal flight sectors.

Fitness:

This is rated as a physical level 2 tour and requires walking, some steps and extended time on your feet. A reasonable level of fitness is required, as you'll be spending time on your feet and doing a bit of walking to cover short distances during your daily sightseeing. There will also be some climbing of steps and climbing on and off of coaches and boats. Download the detailed tour dossier for details of your chosen tour.