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Top 10 Places For Sri Lanka Excursions From Kalutara

Sanjeewa Padmal (Seerendipity)

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Kalutara is one of the most popular beaches on the west coast of Sri Lanka and a large number of leading Sri Lankan beach resorts sit on the pristine beaches of Kalutara. There is a big demand for Sri Lanka excursions from Kalutara, especially from the gusts, who spend their holidays in the beach resorts. We receive many emails from guests with questions like “What are the best Sri Lanka excursions available from Kalutara?”, “Can we book excursions to Kandy and Galle?” “What are the possibilities for day trips from Kalutara?”, “Can we book day trips from Kalutara to Kandy?” Therefore I thought of crafting this blog post in order to give a few day trip ideas for our readers, who wish to explore this fascinating island on day trips from Kalutara.  

Spend five memorable days on a tour of Sri Lanka with a variety of sightseeing activities. Visit the Golden Temple of Dambulla, bicycle around the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, tour Sigiriya Rock Fortress, and see the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa) — all UNESCO World Heritage sites.

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History of Kalutara in a nutshell

Kalutara is one of the historically important cities on the island, and one of the biggest cities on the west coast of Sri Lanka. The history of Kalutara dates back to the pre-Christian era, and its name is mentioned in ancient chronicles like Mahawamsa. Kalutara is full of interesting places that come under historical, natural, and modern to entice travellers on their tour to Sri Lanka. The bustling roads of Kalutara have many temples, colourful and bustling markets, and interesting insights into the modern and fast-growing 21st-century city.

There are many interesting places to visit from Kalutara and most of them are reachable within a few hours of drive. Some of them are popular iconic tourist attractions, while some others are small, local villages; however, there is something for every traveller with a short tour from Kalutara.

Kitulgala popularly known as the adventure playground of Sri Lanka is part of most Sri Lanka adventure trips such as 4 day Sri Lanka adventure tour and one day Sri Lanka adventure tour from Colombo.

1. White water rafting tour day trip from Kalutara

Kitulgala famous for its primaeval rain forests and natural beauty is one of the best places for adventure holidays in the country. It is only 2 hours drive to Kitulgala from Colombo, therefore, Kitulagla one-day trip from Colombo is very popular among travellers. Kitulagala was the place where the award-winning film Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed. 

White water rafting, kayaking, mountain climbing, mountain walking, and mountain biking are some of the adventures that can be performed in the area. This one-day excursion from Kalutara includes 2 activities white water rafting and a rainforest trek.

Sri Lanka excursions to Kitulgala from Kalutara

2. Sri Lanka excursions to Madu River Safari

Madu River estuary is one of the Ramsar wetlands on the island and is regarded as one of the most valuable ecological assets on the island. Madu River is a popular destination for a day trip from west coast beach resorts and southern coast hotels. The tour from Kaluata to Madu River estuary is a half-day program and it includes not only a boat tour at River Madu But also visiting the sea turtle conservation project, a visit to the Bentota beach as well as a visit to Kande Vihara temple.

One day tour to Madu River in a nutshell

3. Sri Lanka excursions to Mirissa

Now whale watching can be booked on a day trip from Kalutara Sri Lanka, thanks to the southern expressway. It had been a two days tour with an overnight stay in Mirissa in the past, however, with the opening of the southern expressway, the travelling time from Kalutara to Mirissa and vice-versa is reduced by about 3 hours, making it just a 2 hours drive, on one way.   

The excursion starts very early morning (around 4.00 AM), this is mainly due to the fact that all participants should report to the Mirissa harbour between 6.00 AM-6.30 AM. The boat leaves the harbour at around 6.30 AM and after a 1-2 hours journey in a comfortable vessel, you come to the whaling protected area in the Indian Ocean. Apart from whales, one can see the dolphin and a large amount of coral while passing the great reef.

Sri Lanka excursions to the south coast with whale watching in a nutshell

Colombo 1 day tour includes dozens of interesting places in downtown Colombo including Gangarama temple, Wolvendaal Church, Galle Face Pettah and Independence memorial hall. Click here for more information.

4. Day Trips From Kalutara to Colombo

Colombo is the largest city in the country with fifteen administrative regions; Colombo 1 to Colombo 15. Colombo provides many attractive places within its borders. There are many Buddhist and Hindu temples that are dating back many 100s of years. There are many monuments built during the Colonial era too. Today Colombo is most famous for its large number of small shops that sells various products at an affordable price.

Program for one day trip to Colombo from Kalutara

5. Sri Lanka one-day excursion to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

One of the most popular day trips from Kalutara Sri Lanka and it is a very enjoyable family trip. Pinnawala Elephant orphanage is one of the most popular tourist attractions and it was started in 1975 with five elephants, today it is the home of the largest elephant herd in the world.  The elephant herd is comprised of more than 85 elephants including two orphans and a few sick. The best time to visit the orphanage is the feeding time from 09.15 and from 13.15.

Usually, the tour to Elephant orphanage Pinnawala can be easily combined with a few other important tourist places such as the Royal botanical garden and tooth relic temple. The package that includes all these places namely Pinnawala elephant orphanage, Tooth relic temple, and Royal botanical garden can already be booked with Seerendipity tours. They offer this package as a ready-made Sri Lanka trip.

Sri Lanka excursion to Pinnawala in brief

6. Sri Lanka excursions to Kandy from Kalutara

Kandy being the cultural centre of the country is a must-visit place for travellers, especially foreign travellers. Kandy is a beautiful city surrounded by mountains and tea gardens and it proudly possesses the most sacred Buddhist temple on the Island, the tooth relic temple. Kandy was the last kingdom of Sri Lankan kings, which was ceded to the British crown in 1815. Since 1815 Colombo was the capital of Sri Lanka and it was in the hand of British governors, who control the country on behalf of the British Queen.

The Temple of the toth is considered to be the most sacred temple for the Buddhists in Sri Lanka and is visited by thousands of devotees as well as travellers every day. Elephant orphanages, tea factories, spice gardens, botanical gardens, Gadaladeniya, and Embekke are considered other important places around the city. Kandy is part of most Sri Lanka trips and it belongs to the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka.

Kalutara excursion to Kandy in a nutshell

Visiting the Galle fortress is one of the most important activities on the day trip from Kalutara to Galle along with activities like visiting the sea turtle conservation centre, and boating in the Madu river estuary.

7. Galle sightseeing tour 1 day from Kalutara

Galle is the largest city in southern Sri Lanka with nearly one million populations. Galle is one of the world heritage sites on the island owing to the Galle fort. Galle Fort is the best-preserved fortified city built by Europeans in Asia. Some of the other attractions in southern Sri Lanka are Turtle hatchery, Gemstone mining in Meetiyagoda, mask factory, Hikkaduwa coral reefs, and stilt fishermen.

Kalutara tours to Galle in a nutshell

Sri Lanka 3-day tour with Sigiriya rock fortress, Dambulla golden temple Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya

8. Sri Lanka hill country tour from Kalutara

This two-day tour with an overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya covers the breathtaking mountains of Sri Lanka.  One will come to the tea country in Sri Lanka here you find the endless tea garden and green-capped mountains and cascading waterfalls. One can sip a fresh cup of the best Ceylon tea in a tea factory. Small England which is located 1800 m above sea level is also on the itinerary. Kandy being the most famous city for Buddhists in the country contains many historical Buddhist monuments in and around the city.

The historical city of Nuwara Eliya has a close relationship with Ramayana, an epic story that dates back to 7000 years, and many Ramayana monuments are to be found near nearby places. Sita temple and Ashok Vatika or Haggala botanical garden are the most important Ramayana reminiscence here.

Two-day Sri Lanka tour to visit the hill country of Sri Lanka Itinerary

This 3-day Sri Lanka tour includes important cultural and historical monuments such as Sigiriya rock, Dambulla golden temple, Polonnaruwa and Kandy. The tour also includes wildlife tours, a spice/herbal garden, Peradeniya botanical garden, and many other places.

9. Kalutara tour to Sigiriya, Dambulla

Sigiriya and Dambulla are the most popular tourist attractions in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka and it is believed that a visit to Sri Lanka is incomplete if a tourist misses those UNESCO-designated world heritage sites. The tour can be accomplished within a day; however, these one-day trips start very early morning from Kalutara, due to the distance and duration of the drive lasting at least 3 hours in one way.

One-day excursion to Sigiriya from Kalutara

10. Kalutara tours to Sinharaja rain forest

Sinharaja rain forest, the natural world heritage in Sri Lanka is a place not to be missed by the people who love nature. This primaeval forest harbours a large array of Fauna and Flora with high bio-diversity. The forest reserve harbours a large number of animal, vertebrate, bird, amphibian, and fish species. This one-day excursion is offered to you as an alternative to the Sinharaja adventure tour.  The track leads you through the picturesque natural vegetation, waterfalls, streams, and mountains.

The program to visit Sinharaja from Kalutara

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