The full island

Fourteen days, and a proper safari in the middle

Length: 14 days, 13 nights
Pace: Steady
Bases: 9
Best months: Feb to Mar
From: $2,170 · $155/day

per person, twin share, excluding international flights.

IndicativeThese prices are modelled from market rates and have not been costed yet. We will quote a real figure when you enquire.

When this trip works

Everything in this route has to peak together, which is a lot to ask of fourteen days. In February and March it does: Wilpattu and Yala are in the dry season, the hill country is clear, and the south coast is swimmable. January, April and December each have one leg off its best. Outside December to April we would rebuild it around the east.

October — out of season

It is October now, and this route reads out of season this month.

Prime
Good
Mixed
Out of season

The shape of it

Colombo and the westCultural TriangleHill countryThe southeastern parksWest and south coast

9 bases, 8 changes of hotel. The longest stay is 3 nights in Dambulla.

Negombo
1 night, day 1
Wilpattu
2 nights, days 2 to 3
Dambulla
3 nights, days 4 to 6
Kandy
2 nights, days 7 to 8
Haputale
1 night, day 9
Ella
1 night, day 10
Udawalawe
1 night, day 11
Yala
1 night, day 12
Wadduwa
1 night, day 13
Fly home

Day by day

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, where they are included that day.

Stop 1 · Colombo and the west

Negombo

Day 1 · 1 night

Day1
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 1: Negombo, arrival
Negombo, arrival.
- Negombo, arrival
Meals
Dinner
Pace
Barely moves

Stop 2 · Cultural Triangle

Wilpattu

Days 2–3 · 2 nights

Day2
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 2: Negombo → Wilpattu
Fish market, lagoon boat ride, check-in, evening leisure.
- Fish market
- Lagoon boat ride
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Gentle
Day3
Day 3: Wilpattu
Full-day Wilpattu safari.
- Full-day Wilpattu safari
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Steady
Transfer
No intercity drive planned

Stop 3 · Cultural Triangle

Dambulla

Days 4–6 · 3 nights

Day4
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 4: Wilpattu → Dambulla
Morning leisure, Aukana statue en route, check-in.
- Aukana statue en route
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Gentle
Day5
Day 5: Dambulla → Sigiriya → Dambulla
Sigiriya Rock, village trek.
- Sigiriya Rock
- Village trek
If you want moreMinneriya safari
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Full days
Transfer
No intercity drive planned
Day6
Day 6: Dambulla → Polonnaruwa → Dambulla
Polonnaruwa full site by car, Piumali lunch, Giritale cycle ride.
- Polonnaruwa full site by car
- Piumali lunch
- Giritale cycle ride
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Steady
Transfer
No intercity drive planned

Stop 4 · Hill country

Kandy

Days 7–8 · 2 nights

Day7
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 7: Dambulla → Kandy
Dambulla cave, spice garden, cultural show, Temple of the Tooth.
- Dambulla cave
- Spice garden
- Cultural show
- Temple of the Tooth
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Gentle
Day8
Day 8: Kandy
Botanical garden, Ambakke + Gadaladeniya + Lankatilaka, evening Kandy city tour + shopping.
- Botanical garden
- Ambakke + Gadaladeniya + Lankatilaka
- Evening Kandy city tour + shopping
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Gentle
Transfer
No intercity drive planned

Stop 5 · Hill country

Haputale

Day 9 · 1 night

Day9
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 9: Kandy → Haputale
Tea factory visit, Nanu Oya-Haputale train.
- Tea factory visit
- Nanu Oya-Haputale train
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Steady

Stop 6 · Hill country

Ella

Day 10 · 1 night

Day10
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 10: Haputale → Ella
Lipton's Seat, Little Adam's Peak, evening dinner outside (Ella vibe).
- Lipton's Seat
- Little Adam's Peak
- Evening dinner outside (Ella vibe)
Meals
Breakfast
Pace
Steady

Stop 7 · The southeastern parks

Udawalawe

Day 11 · 1 night

Day11
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 11: Ella → Udawalawe
Nine Arch, elephant feeding Udawalawe.
- Nine Arch
- Elephant feeding Udawalawe
If you want moreUdawalawe safari
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Steady

Stop 8 · The southeastern parks

Yala

Day 12 · 1 night

Day12
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 12: Udawalawe → Yala
Optional Yala safari, relax.
- Udawalawe → Yala
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Steady

Stop 9 · West and south coast

Wadduwa

Days 13–14 · 1 night

Day13
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 13: Yala → Galle → Wadduwa
Madu River + turtle hatchery, Galle Fort.
- Madu River + turtle hatchery
- Galle Fort
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Gentle
Day14
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 14: Wadduwa → airport
Wadduwa → airport.
- Wadduwa → airport
Meals
Breakfast
Pace
Barely moves

What it costs

One route, three levels of hotel. The itinerary does not change.

Comfort

$2,170

$155 a day · single supplement $740

Well-run three-star hotels and family-owned guesthouses, chosen for location and the people who run them rather than the star rating.

Private air-conditioned vehicle and driver-guide throughout
Daily breakfast
All transfers and road tolls
24-hour local support line

Boutique

$3,290

$235 a day · single supplement $1,250

Small boutique hotels, tea-estate bungalows and design-led beach houses. Twelve rooms rather than a hundred.

Everything in Comfort
Breakfast and one further meal daily
Park fees and site entrances as itemised
A trip designer on WhatsApp for the duration

Luxury

$4,830

$345 a day · single supplement $2,175

The best rooms on the island: colonial bungalows, private villas and lodges with their own naturalists.

Everything in Boutique
All meals, and a private chef where the property allows
Private guiding at every site rather than shared
Airport fast-track on arrival and departure

per person, twin share, excluding international flights.

Entrance fees, itemised

Site fees in Sri Lanka are high and rising: Sigiriya alone is thirty-five dollars. Most operators bury them in the exclusions. Here is the whole list, with what we cover and what we do not.

Sigiriya rock fortress
$35
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Polonnaruwa ancient city
$25
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Dambulla cave temples
$10
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
$12
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Peradeniya botanical gardens
$10
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Kandyan dance performance
$10
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Tea factory tour and tasting
$8
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Elephant transit home
$5
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Madu Ganga river boat, two hours
$18
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Turtle conservation project
$8
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Galle FortA living town; there is no ticket.
Free
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Minneriya or Kaudulla and jeepOptional.
$40
In the price
No, paid on the day
Udawalawe National Park and jeepOptional.
$40
In the price
No, paid on the day
Yala National Park and jeepOptional.
$45
In the price
No, paid on the day

Entrance fees for The full island
Site	Fee	Included
Sigiriya rock fortress	$35	Yes, we cover it
Polonnaruwa ancient city	$25	Yes, we cover it
Dambulla cave temples	$10	Yes, we cover it
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic	$12	Yes, we cover it
Peradeniya botanical gardens	$10	Yes, we cover it
Kandyan dance performance	$10	Yes, we cover it
Tea factory tour and tasting	$8	Yes, we cover it
Elephant transit home	$5	Yes, we cover it
Madu Ganga river boat, two hours	$18	Yes, we cover it
Turtle conservation project	$8	Yes, we cover it
Galle FortA living town; there is no ticket.	Free	Yes, we cover it
Minneriya or Kaudulla and jeepOptional.	$40	No, paid on the day
Udawalawe National Park and jeepOptional.	$40	No, paid on the day
Yala National Park and jeepOptional.	$45	No, paid on the day

Covered by us: $141
If you do the optional ones: $125

Who this is for

Travellers with a fortnight who genuinely want all of it and will not be back soon

And who it is not

Visitors between May and September, when the parks and the south coast are both out of season

Included

Private vehicle and driver-guide throughout
Thirteen nights accommodation
Daily breakfast and twelve dinners
Full-day Wilpattu safari (day 3)
Nanu Oya to Haputale train
Elephant feeding at Udawalawe (day 11)
Madu River boat and turtle hatchery (day 13)
All entrance fees marked included above

Not included

International flights
Travel insurance
Visa or ETA
Minneriya

Make it yours

This is a starting shape, not a fixed departure. The changes people ask for most:

Rebuild the last week around Trincomalee and Arugam Bay for a May to September departure
Add two nights at Anuradhapura for the oldest capital
Drop Yala and extend the coast if safaris are not the draw

Ask about this trip Talk to a trip designer