Speak with us
14 days · 13 nights · private
Two weeks, and nothing has to be rushed
The full arc — Anuradhapura and Mihintale, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Kandy, the hill country train, Ella, Yala, and then four unhurried days on the south coast with whales offshore in season. One car, one driver-guide, fourteen days.
One price agreed before you book. Nothing is charged on this website.
Day by day
Fourteen days covers the whole cultural and southern arc without a single day that feels like transit. Everything here can be moved, swapped or stretched.
Day
1
Land, then Negombo
Twenty minutes from the airport, on the sea. The right place to spend a first night rather than starting with a four-hour drive.
Day
2
Sigiriya and Dambulla
The rock in the morning — frescoes, mirror wall, lion’s paws, the summit before the heat. Dambulla’s five cave temples afterwards.
Day
3
Polonnaruwa, then a village
The medieval capital by bicycle, flat and spread out and full of stone Buddhas. Then a village afternoon and lunch cooked over a fire.
Day
4
Anuradhapura and Mihintale
The oldest of the capitals: enormous brick stupas, monastery ruins, and the Sri Maha Bodhi, grown from a cutting of the tree the Buddha sat under. Mihintale afterwards, where Buddhism arrived on the island, up a long flight of steps to a view worth the climb.
Day
5
Spices, and into Kandy
A spice garden on the road south, then Kandy and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic at pooja time if we can manage it.
Day
6
Tea country, and the train to Ella
A working tea factory, then the slow train through the hills. Doors open, legs out, tea estates the whole way.
Day
7
Ella
Nine Arches Bridge, Little Adam’s Peak, waterfalls, cool air and not much of a schedule.
Day
8
Down to Yala
An afternoon game drive: leopards, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, and a great deal of birdlife. Never promised, always possible.
Day
9
The coast
Mirissa or Weligama, and nothing planned. Swim, eat, watch the boats come in.
Day
10
Galle Fort
Dutch ramparts with a living town inside them. Best walked late in the day when the stone goes gold.
Day
11
Whales, or not
Optional and seasonal: blue whales and dolphins out of Mirissa, one of the better places on earth for it. Or stay on the sand. Both are correct answers.
Day
12
A day that is yours
No plan at all. Beach, spa, a cafe, a book. Two weeks earns you this.
Day
13
Bentota, and back towards Colombo
A river boat safari or watersports if you want them, a long lunch if you do not, then on to Colombo.
Day
14
Departure
Breakfast, then the airport — or a last drive around Colombo if your flight is late.
Length
14 days, 13 nights
Start and end
Colombo, or the airport
Transport
Private air-conditioned car with driver-guide
Hotels
Not included
Meals
Not included
Effort
Easy to moderate
Best months
December to April, west and south
Whales
Roughly November to April out of Mirissa
Included
- +Airport pickup and drop-off
- +Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver-guide throughout
- +Tea plantation and factory visit
- +Bottled water throughout
- +All government taxes and service charges
Not included
- –Entrance fees at sites and attractions, paid directly and priced by nationality
- –Yala park entry and the safari jeep
- –The whale watching excursion
- –Hotels and all meals
- –Travel insurance
- –Personal spending and tips
Who it suits
Honeymooners and anyone else who does not want to spend a holiday packing. Four days on the coast at the end changes the whole shape of the trip — you go home rested rather than needing a holiday from the holiday.
This route covers the Cultural Triangle, the hills and the south. It does not go to Jaffna or the east coast — if you want those, say so and we will build a different fourteen days. Shorter trip? The 10-day explorer keeps the culture and the safari with less time on the sand.
Ask for a date
Give us your dates and your numbers. You get a full itinerary and one price covering everything listed, before you commit to anything.
Or WhatsApp +94 77 086 0671.
Questions
What does it cost?
The vehicle and driver-guide are $700 for the whole trip in a Kei car, and that steps up with the vehicle: $840 in a sedan, $980 in an SUV, $1120 in a van, $1260 in a bus. On top of that it is $10 per person per day, which is $140 each over fourteen days. So one person in a Kei car is $840, two sharing a Kei car is $980 or $490 each, and four in a sedan is $1400 or $350 each. The final price depends on group size and any changes, so ask and we will quote your actual trip.
Can I change it?
Yes. Add nights, drop the whale trip, swap a beach day for another ruin, start somewhere else. The sequence is built around driving distances, so that part we would defend.
Does fourteen days cover the whole island?
It covers the Cultural Triangle, the hill country, Yala and the south coast thoroughly. It does not include Jaffna, Trincomalee or Arugam Bay — the north and east need their own days, and we can build that instead if it is what you want.
Is it good for a honeymoon?
It is the one honeymooners take. Relaxed pace, and four days by the sea at the end.
What is included?
Airport transfers, a private air-conditioned car with driver-guide for the fortnight, the tea factory visit and water throughout. Hotels and meals are not included. Site entry fees, the Yala jeep and the whale excursion are quoted separately so you can see each cost.