Three parks and a whale

Twelve days for people who came for the animals

Length: 12 days, 11 nights
Pace: Steady
Bases: 7
Best months: Feb to Mar
From: $1,980 · $165/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

Wilpattu peaks February to June and Udawalawe February to July, but this route also crosses the Cultural Triangle and finishes on the south coast, and those are the constraint rather than the parks. The whales run to April, April is punishing on the rock, and from May the south coast is shut. February and March are the only months all four line up, which is the honest answer rather than a longer one.

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

7 bases, 6 changes of hotel. The longest stay is 2 nights in Wilpattu.

Negombo
1 night, day 1
Wilpattu
2 nights, days 2 to 3
Dambulla
2 nights, days 4 to 5
Kandy
2 nights, days 6 to 7
Haputale
1 night, day 8
Udawalawe
1 night, day 9
Galle
2 nights, days 10 to 11
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: Airport → Negombo
Arrive, pick and drop, leisure.
- Airport → Negombo
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
Morning fish market, lagoon ride, check-in, Wilpattu lagoon, evening loris tour.
- Morning fish market
- Lagoon ride
- Wilpattu lagoon
- Evening loris tour
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Gentle
Day3
Day 3: Wilpattu
Morning or evening safari.
- Morning or evening safari
If you want morefull-day safari
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Full days
Transfer
No intercity drive planned

Stop 3 · Cultural Triangle

Dambulla

Days 4–5 · 2 nights

Day4
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 4: Wilpattu → Sigiriya, overnight Dambulla
Leisure.
- Wilpattu → Sigiriya, overnight Dambulla
If you want morePidurangala Rock
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Gentle
Day5
Day 5: Sigiriya, same hotel
Morning Sigiriya Rock, village trek, evening safari.
- Morning Sigiriya Rock
- Village trek
- Evening safari
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Full days
Transfer
No intercity drive planned

Stop 4 · Hill country

Kandy

Days 6–7 · 2 nights

Day6
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 6: Sigiriya → Kandy
Dambulla cave, spice garden, check-in, cultural show, Maligawa.
- Dambulla cave
- Spice garden
- Cultural show
- Maligawa
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Gentle
Day7
Day 7: Kandy, same hotel
Morning botanical garden, full Kandy city tour, shopping, evening leisure.
- Morning botanical garden
- Full Kandy city tour
- Shopping
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Gentle
Transfer
No intercity drive planned

Stop 5 · Hill country

Haputale

Day 8 · 1 night

Day8
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 8: Kandy → Haputale
Tea factory experience, Nanu Oya-Haputale train, Lipton's Seat.
- Tea factory experience
- Nanu Oya-Haputale train
- Lipton's Seat
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Steady

Stop 6 · The southeastern parks

Udawalawe

Day 9 · 1 night

Day9
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 9: Haputale → Udawalawe
Ravana waterfall, evening Udawalawe safari.
- Ravana waterfall
- Evening Udawalawe safari
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Steady

Stop 7 · West and south coast

Galle

Days 10–12 · 2 nights

Day10
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 10: Udawalawe → Galle
Morning elephant feeding, Madu River, evening leisure.
- Morning elephant feeding
- Madu River
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Gentle
Day11
Day 11: Galle
Morning whale watching, turtle hatchery, Galle Fort + city tour, evening leisure.
- Morning whale watching
- Turtle hatchery
- Galle Fort + city tour
Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Pace
Gentle
Transfer
No intercity drive planned
Day12
Travel day · timing to be confirmed
Day 12: Galle → airport
Galle → airport.
- Galle → airport
Meals
Breakfast
Pace
Steady

What it costs

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

Comfort

$1,980

$165 a day · single supplement $675

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

$2,970

$248 a day · single supplement $1,130

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

$4,510

$376 a day · single supplement $2,030

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.

Wilpattu National Park and jeep
$40
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Sigiriya rock fortress
$35
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Dambulla cave temples
$10
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Kandyan dance performance
$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
Tea factory tour and tasting
$8
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Minneriya or Kaudulla and jeep
$40
In the price
Yes, we cover it
Udawalawe National Park and jeep
$40
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
Whale watching boat, MirissaSeasonal and weather-dependent.
$45
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
PidurangalaOptional.
$6
In the price
No, paid on the day

Entrance fees for Three parks and a whale
Site	Fee	Included
Wilpattu National Park and jeep	$40	Yes, we cover it
Sigiriya rock fortress	$35	Yes, we cover it
Dambulla cave temples	$10	Yes, we cover it
Kandyan dance performance	$10	Yes, we cover it
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic	$12	Yes, we cover it
Peradeniya botanical gardens	$10	Yes, we cover it
Tea factory tour and tasting	$8	Yes, we cover it
Minneriya or Kaudulla and jeep	$40	Yes, we cover it
Udawalawe National Park and jeep	$40	Yes, we cover it
Elephant transit home	$5	Yes, we cover it
Madu Ganga river boat, two hours	$18	Yes, we cover it
Whale watching boat, MirissaSeasonal and weather-dependent.	$45	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
PidurangalaOptional.	$6	No, paid on the day

Covered by us: $281
If you do the optional ones: $6