Sri Lanka is only 4.5 hours from Dubai, yet in one week you can climb a fifth-century rock fortress, watch wild elephants, sleep in a tea planter's bungalow and finish on a palm-fringed beach. The trick is the order. We start in the dry Cultural Triangle, rise into the hills, ride the famous train through the tea estates and then descend to the south coast to rest. That way the long drives come early and the trip ends slowly.
You travel in a private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking chauffeur-guide who stays with you for all eight days. This is how most Sri Lankans would do it, and it is far better than trains and taxis: your guide knows which roadside stall makes the best hoppers, when Sigiriya's queues build and which tea factory still rolls leaves by hand. Driving times are realistic rather than quick: Colombo to Sigiriya takes about four hours, Kandy to Nuwara Eliya three, Ella to Mirissa four. Roads wind and speeds are low, so we never schedule more than one long drive in a day.
The Ella train is the highlight for many. We reserve seats from Nanu Oya to Ella, about three hours through tea estates, waterfalls and tunnels, and your driver meets you at the other end with the luggage. Hotels are chosen for their setting: a jungle lodge facing Sigiriya rock, a lake-view hotel in Kandy, a colonial-era tea bungalow, an eco-lodge looking down the Ella Gap and a beach hotel in Mirissa. Expect warm days in the lowlands, around 30 degrees, and cool evenings in tea country, down to 12 degrees, so pack a fleece.
It suits active couples, friends and families with children over six. Food is a joy: rice and curry, string hoppers, fresh seafood and tropical fruit, with halal meat widely available. Arjun Menon, our Asia specialist, adjusts the route for the monsoon: from May to September we can swap the south coast for the east, around Trincomalee and Pasikudah.
Highlights
- Sunrise climb of Sigiriya's Lion Rock, 1,200 steps to the summit
- Jeep safari in Minneriya or Kaudulla to see wild elephants
- Evening ceremony at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy
- Tea factory visit and a night in a planter's bungalow
- Reserved seats on the scenic train from Nanu Oya to Ella
- Galle Fort's ramparts and the beaches of Mirissa
Day by day
Day 1Arrive in Colombo, drive to Sigiriya
Your flight from Dubai lands at Colombo in the morning after about 4.5 hours. Your chauffeur-guide meets you outside arrivals with cold water and a SIM card. The drive north to Sigiriya takes around four hours, broken by lunch at a roadside rice and curry house in Kurunegala. Arrive at your lodge by mid-afternoon to rest by the pool, with the rock rising above the jungle. In the evening, your guide briefs you on tomorrow's early start. Dinner included. Overnight in Sigiriya.
Day 2Sigiriya Lion Rock and an elephant safari
Leave at 6.30 am to climb Sigiriya before the heat and the crowds: around 1,200 steps past the frescoes and the giant lion's paws to the ruined palace on top, about two and a half hours there and back. After breakfast and a rest, set out at 2.30 pm for a jeep safari in Minneriya or Kaudulla, chosen on the day by your guide according to where the herds are. Elephant sightings are very likely, especially from July to October. Dinner included. Overnight in Sigiriya.
Day 3Dambulla cave temple, spice garden and Kandy
Visit Dambulla's cave temple, five caves of painted Buddhas and ceilings dating back over two thousand years, a 25-minute drive from the lodge. Continue south past a spice garden in Matale, where you learn how cinnamon, cardamom and pepper are grown, and reach Kandy in about two and a half hours. In the early evening, attend the ceremony at the Temple of the Tooth, followed by a Kandyan dance performance with drummers and fire walkers. Overnight in Kandy.
Day 4Peradeniya gardens and up into tea country
Start at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Peradeniya, famous for its avenue of royal palms and its orchid house. Then the road climbs into the hills, about three hours to Nuwara Eliya, past the Ramboda falls and terraces of tea bushes. Stop at a working tea factory to see withering, rolling and drying, and taste the season's flush. Arrive at your planter's bungalow in time for afternoon tea by the fire, as evenings here can be cool. Dinner included. Overnight in Nuwara Eliya.
Day 5The scenic train to Ella
Your guide drops you at Nanu Oya station for the morning train to Ella, about three hours through tea estates, pine forest, tunnels and waterfalls; the most beautiful stretch is after Haputale. Your driver takes your luggage by road and meets you in Ella. In the afternoon, walk to the Nine Arch Bridge, ideally timed for a passing train, then climb Little Adam's Peak, an easy 45-minute hike, for the sunset over the Ella Gap. Overnight in Ella.
Day 6Down to the south coast at Mirissa
Leave Ella after breakfast and stop at the Ravana falls on the way down through the gorge. The drive to the coast takes about four hours, passing the reservoirs and paddy fields of the southern plains. Arrive at your beach hotel in Mirissa in the early afternoon and spend the rest of the day swimming or walking to Coconut Tree Hill for the sunset. Mirissa's beach restaurants grill the day's catch on the sand each evening. Overnight in Mirissa.
Day 7Galle Fort and a beach afternoon
From December to April, whale-watching boats leave Mirissa harbour at 6.30 am, with blue whale sightings common; this is optional. Later, drive 45 minutes along the coast to Galle, whose Dutch-built fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk the ramparts, the lighthouse and the lanes of cafés and boutiques with your guide, and watch stilt fishermen at Koggala on the way back. Farewell dinner at your hotel is included. Overnight in Mirissa.
Day 8Expressway to Colombo airport and fly home
Breakfast by the sea, then the drive to Colombo's airport on the southern expressway, about two and a half to three hours. Your chauffeur-guide stays with you until check-in. For late flights, we can add a stop in Colombo for lunch and a short city tour of Galle Face Green and the Pettah market. Your flight to Dubai takes about 4.5 hours, so you can be home the same evening.
Hotels by tier
Choose the tier in the price box; the difference is priced per adult for the whole stay.
Named hotels or similar of the same standard if one is full; we tell you before you pay the balance.
What is included
Included
- Return flights from Dubai, Economy, 30 kg baggage
- 7 nights in your chosen tier with daily breakfast, plus four dinners
- Private air-conditioned car with English-speaking chauffeur-guide for 8 days
- Sri Lanka ETA fee, arranged by our visa team for eligible nationalities
- Entrance fees: Sigiriya, Dambulla cave temple, Temple of the Tooth, Peradeniya gardens
- Shared jeep safari in Minneriya or Kaudulla National Park with park fees
- Reserved train seats from Nanu Oya to Ella
- Tea factory visit with tasting
- Bottled water in the car and a local SIM card on arrival
Not included
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Tips for your chauffeur-guide, around AED 40 to 50 per day suggested
- Travel insurance
- Optional whale watching from Mirissa, December to April, from AED 260 per person
- Camera fees at some temples
Departures and prices
Price per adult, twin share, standard hotels. Seats are held with our airline and hotel partners.
| Dates | Departure | Seats left | Per adult | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 28 Nov to Sat 5 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 10 | AED 5,120 | |
| Sat 12 Dec to Sat 19 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 4 | AED 6,140 | |
| Sat 26 Dec to Sat 2 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 10 | AED 6,140 | |
| Sat 9 Jan to Sat 16 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 7 | AED 5,120 | |
| Sat 23 Jan to Sat 30 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 10 | AED 5,120 | |
| Sat 6 Feb to Sat 13 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 10 | AED 5,120 | |
| Sat 20 Feb to Sat 27 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 10 | AED 5,120 | |
| Sat 6 Mar to Sat 13 Mar 2027 | Flexible | 10 | AED 5,810 | |
| Sat 20 Mar to Sat 27 Mar 2027 | Flexible | 7 | AED 4,650 | |
| Sat 3 Apr to Sat 10 Apr 2027 | Flexible | 10 | AED 5,120 | |
| Sat 17 Apr to Sat 24 Apr 2027 | Flexible | 10 | AED 4,650 | |
| Sat 1 May to Sat 8 May 2027 | Flexible | 10 | AED 4,650 |
Where it is
Questions about this holiday
When is the best time to visit Sri Lanka?
Is the visa really included?
Is the Ella train comfortable?
Is it suitable for children?
Is halal food available?
Can I add the Maldives at the end?
Travellers on this holiday
The Ella train seats were reserved on the right side as promised, and the views over the tea estates were unreal. Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, then three lazy nights in Mirissa. Whale watching off the south coast was a bonus we had not counted on.
Sri Lankan born but raised in Leeds, so it was my husband's first time and my first in twenty years. Arjun found a driver-guide who spoke Sinhala and English and knew where to get proper egg hoppers. Nine Arches Bridge at sunrise and the tea factory in Nuwara Eliya were lovely.
Very good trip with boutique hotels throughout. The drive from Kandy up to Nuwara Eliya was slow and winding, and my daughter was carsick most of the way. Seeing a leopard on the morning safari made up for all of it.
Adventure-minded group of four friends. Little Adam's Peak hike, white water rafting at Kitulgala and a surf lesson at Weligama. The office handled the electronic travel authorisation for all four of us. Our driver was a gem and introduced us to his family's roadside fruit stall.
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