Sigiriya Day Trip

If you love to explore the wonders of ancient architecture and discover hidden secrets, with the added fun of wild elephant spotting, this tour will give you what you need. You will be amazed by the architecture of the Sigiriya rock fortress and the unbelievable technology of the 6th century B.C. The paintings at the cave temple of Dambulla take you to a different world. Both sites are UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Itinerary

• 06:00 — You will be picked up from your hotel in Colombo, Negombo or Mount Lavinia and driven to Sigiriya.
• 09:30 — Arrive at Dambulla cave temple, built by King Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C. It is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples: a complex of five caves with over 2,000 square metres of painted walls and ceilings, the largest area of paintings found in the world. It contains over 150 images of the Buddha, the largest a colossal figure carved out of rock spanning 14 metres.
• 11:00 — Arrive at Sigiriya and start climbing the rock fortress. Sigiriya is famous for its toadstool of golden-hued granite protruding into the searing blue sky from a hot, flat wilderness of scrubland, which transforms in the rainy season into a water garden.
• 15:00 — Afternoon safari in Minneriya National Park. The park extends about 21,000 acres (8,889 hectares). Dry-zone plant and animal species are common and elephants are numerous — unlike in other national parks, they can be spotted at very close range.
• 18:00 — Leave Dambulla and proceed back to your hotel in Colombo.
• 21:00 — You will be dropped off at your hotel in Colombo, Negombo or Mount Lavinia.

What you get

• Pick up and drop off at the hotel.
• Transportation by an air conditioned vehicle.
• Service of an English speaking driver.
• All parking and highway tickets.
• All current taxes.

What you don’t get

• Any meals.
• Entrance fees to any site or attraction.
• Any activity cost.
• Any other expenses not mentioned in the What you get section.
• Gratuities (recommended).