Heritage Tour
Colombo
- Negombo - Anuradhapura - Polonnaruwa - Sigiriya - Dambulla - Kandy
- Colombo
( 6 Days/5 Nights )
Day
1: Colombo - Negombo
Meet on arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake,
30 km north of Colombo. A warm welcome by our representative, and then
we drive you along the road of the Negombo scenery to your hotel selected.
Stay overnight.
Day
2: Negombo - Anuradhapura - Sigiriya - Dambulla
After breakfast, early start for an overland journey (250km - north
of Colombo) to Auradhapura, the first capital and undoubtedly the grandest
city of the ancient Sri Lanka. Many significant places of historical
an archaeological interest should not be missed; a visit of Sri Maha
Bodhi (Sacred Bo-Tree), is the city's holiest site, and was grown from
the tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment. Then visit Ruwanweliseya
the most famous of all the Dagobas - it originally depicted the perfect
"bubble shape" that modern restoration has not been able to
accurately reproduce, Samadhi Buddha statue is one of the most famous
statues, depicting the Buddha in a state of "Samadhi" or deep
meditation shapeand a visit of the Thuparama Dagoba, the oldest of many
temples in Anuradhapura, is believed to contain the right collar-bone
of Buddha.
Transfer from anuradhapura to Kandalama/Sigiriya. Overnight stay at hotel.
Day
3: Polonnaruwa - Sigiriya - Dambulla
After breakfast, we pick you up at hotel and depart by minivan for sightseeing
tour of Polonnaruwa -the 2nd capital city of Sri Lanka, built in the
11th and 12th centuries AD, and which is a world heritage site. Here
you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Gal Viharaya - where
4 splendid statues of the Buddha "Upright", "Sedentary"
and "Recumbent" postures carved out of rock, the Audience
Hall (the former pavilion), the Lotus Baht, King Parakramabahu's statue
and the Parakrama Samudraya Lake (the largest man-made reservoirs),
built by King Parakramabahu the great. There are also monuments of famous
places of worship such as the Shiva Temple, the Lankathilake, the Watadage
(tooth-relic temple), the Gal Pota (The Stone Book), the Kiri Vehera
(the white stone dagoba).
Then we proceed to the spectacular of 5th Century Rock Fortress of Sigiriya. It's a great experience not to be missed; we climb up the 5th century rock fortress which is a world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa (477-495). The "Lion Rock" is a citadel of unusual beauty rising 200 meters from the scrub jungle. The rock was the innermost stronghold of the 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart, and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. Aside from Sigiriya, you will be lead to witness the world-renowned frescoes of the "Heavenly Maidens" of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway - theses frescoes are painted in earth pigments on plaster.
Overnight at a hotel.
Day
4: Sigiriya - Dambulla - Kandy
After breakfast, we travel across Kandy via Dambulla. En route visit
the Dambulla Rock Temple, which was donated by King Walagambahu in the
1st century BC to Buddhist monks - Dambulla is a World Heritage site
and is the most impressive of Sri Lanka's cave temples. The complex
of five caves with its over 200 sq.metres of painted walls and the ceiling
are the largest area of paintings found in the world. Theses caves contain
over 150 image of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure
of the Buddha carved out of rock spanning 14 metres.
We keep driving to Matale, a tiny town 24km north of Kandy, is encircled by hills with its pleasant park featuring. Visit a spice garden in Matale to see the different spices, which Sri Lanka is famous for. You will be introduced to different spices and shown how some of these spices are grown and processed.
Then take a city tour of Kandy, the last capital of Sri Lanka, We take you drive around the Kandy Lake built by the last Sinhala "King Sri Wickrama Rajasinglehe" in 1798. We travel around the town to witness the sights attraction; bazaar, art & craft center, a gem museum and a lapidary . In the evening visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic. You are witness to the culture show featuring traditional Sri Lanka dancing and then transferred to hotel for dinner and stay overnight.
Day
5: Kandy - Colombo [B-L-D]
After breakfast, we continue driving to Colombo. Also visit the Peradeniya
Botanical Garde, built as a pleasure garden by a Sinhala King and was
expanded by the British. It is 147 acres in extent and provides an amazing
variety of trees, plants and flowers. Thereafter transfer from Peradeniya
to Colombo.
Arrive in Colombo, take a city tour to visit a 100 year old clock tower and the old Parliament in Fort, a Hindu and a Buddhist temple, residential area where you will find the stately homes of the affluent and the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall - BMICH, an outright gift to Sri Lanka for the People's Republic of China and several British built colonial buildings.
The last visit in the evening is Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara Temple; Buddhist Temple traditionally believed to be the site visited by the Buddha 2500 years ago. According to the Mahavamsa, the unusual "paddy-heap" shaped dagoba at Kelaniya marks the spot where the Buddha, on the request of a Naga King, sat on a "gem-studded throne" to preach the Dharma to his subjects and convert them. It is ascribed to King Yatala Tissa of the 3rd century. Have a delicious dinner at a local Chinese restaurant and then transfer to hotel for stay overnight.
Day
6: Depart Colombo
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Bandaranaike International
Airport in Katunayake, to connect your next departure flight.
