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Top 10 Places for Sightseeing in Sri Lanka

Sanjeewa Padmal (Seerendipity)

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Top 10 Places for Sightseeing in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the best tropical islands for holidays in Asia. Venturing on a few Sri Lanka sightseeing tours such as Kandy – Nuwara Eliya tour, Cultural triangle tour or multiday Sri Lanka trip is the best way to explore this tropical island. Whether it is a multiday Sri Lanka tour such as 14 days in Sri Lanka or a beach holiday package with few sightseeing tours, proper planning is extremely important to the success of your holiday.

With a rich historical past that goes back to the stone age, Sri Lanka has evolved from the stone age settlements to a country that is synonymous with trade, religion, art, fashion, romance, food and architecture.

Undertaking a few Sri Lanka sightseeing tours is the best way to experience what Sri Lanka has to offer. Below mentioned Sri Lanka sightseeing tours are carefully curated to show you the highlights of each destination.

From Colombo city tour that show you important places in Colombo to Sri Lanka sightseeing tours that cater to the culinary expectations of travellers and day tours that enable travellers to explore important places lies outside of Colombo to the neighbouring cities such as Kandy, and Galle, you can easily plan a Sri Lanka sightseeing tour that meets your requirement.

What are the best Sri Lanka sightseeing tours?

Sigiriya rock fortress
Sigiriya rock fortress is a popular 2-day trip place in Sri Lanka and one of the most visited tourist sites in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Sightseeing tours are a big deal in the region, once you landed on the island and begin to travel around the island you will come to know why. The island offers some of the most scenic terrains that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Even though Sri Lanka is a small island it is not possible to see, all that it offers, in a Sri Lanka sightseeing tour (unless it expands over a few weeks), so in order to use your time effectively and see maximum during your Sri Lanka trip, I recommend taking part at least in few Sri Lanka sightseeing tours, to see and do what you like most.

We have chosen 10 Sri Lanka sightseeing tours and this article gives a better idea of what this Sri Lanka sightseeing tour entails. Go through this article and discover some of the best Sri Lanka sightseeing tours.

If you have time constraints and looking to finish the tour within a day all the below options can be considered as possible activities for you. All our Sri Lanka sightseeing tours are private tours and can be customized to meet your requirements. The approximate duration of the activities are mentioned in each activity, the approximate time can differ due to various reasons such as traffic condition, and waiting time at each stop.

1. Sri Lanka sightseeing tour – Kandy

This packed day tour will allow you to experience the history, magnificence and architectural splendour of Kandy. Halfway down the track to Kandy from Colombo, near the river of Rambukkana, you visit one of the most popular landmark tourist sites in the country, the Pinnawala elephant orphanage.

Be ready to be spellbound when you visit the temple of the tooth relic, the Kandy Museum, the breathtaking royal botanical garden, and Udawattakele sanctuary, and also enjoy a stroll along the bank of Kandy lake. Once you have enjoyed the undeniable beauty of the old part of the city, which belongs to UNESCO world heritage sites, you can drop by the Royal botanical garden, which is just outside of the city.

Our local, experienced guide will also introduce you to the historical and cultural aspects of this hill country capital of Sri Lanka.

How long is the Kandy sightseeing tour? 9 hours

What time starts the Kandy sightseeing tour? 6.30 AM

Galvihara
Galvihara of Polonnaruwa is an important Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka and part of most cultural tours such as 5 days Sri Lanka tour.

2. Sri Lanka tour – Cultural triangle

It is hard to top this spectacular cultural experience, but join an unmatchable guided Sri Lanka tour and visit some of Sri Lanka’s cultural and historical hot spots. Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle is the tourist circuit which connects Historical sites of Anuradhapura, Kandy and Polonnaruwa.

The cultural triangle is so-called because it’s a shape formed by the locations of Anuradhapura, Kandy and Polonnaruwa on a map. Usually, Sri Lanka tours to the cultural triangle start either in Kandy or Anuradhapura. The cultural triangle of Sri Lanka is the home of four major UNESCO world heritage sites on the island. The cultural triangle of Sri Lanka-Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Kandy and Dambulla – is a well-trodden path, but a well-experienced and knowledgeable local guide makes sure that you experience beyond the obvious.

What is the duration of the Sri Lanka cultural triangle sightseeing tour? 2 day

What is the starting time of the Sri Lanka cultural triangle sightseeing tour? 07.30

Colombo galle face

3. Sri Lanka sightseeing tour – Colombo

Create your own Colombo sightseeing itinerary or stick to our program and easily travel from one place to the next. This can be an open tour or a pre-planned tour with Hop-on, hop-off private car tour. This is the ideal program to explore the city at your own pace while saving money and time. There will be more than a dozen stops at important places in the city, where you are free to have as much time as you are required to study the location. The places of visit include religious sites, historical places, bazaar areas, shopping malls, and beaches.

What is the duration of the Colombo sightseeing tour? 5 hours

What is the starting time of the Colombo sightseeing tour? 07.30 AM

galle2 e1529138619876
Galle Fort

4. Sri Lanka interactive cooking class with southern Sri Lanka

Some people opine that local food is one of the best ways to experience a foreign country and we have a Sri Lanka sightseeing tour just for that! The delicious Sri Lanka food tour with Sri Lanka food tour also includes many other important places and activities.

This interactive cooking class with a Sri Lanka sightseeing tour of southern Sri Lanka allows you to explore some of the very popular attractions on the island such as Gallefort, Hikkaduwa beach, Galle city, Bentota etc. Same time the program includes interesting activities such as River Safari, a Sea turtle farm and learning about masks with visits to the Ambalangoda mask museum.

Spend 2 hours with our Sri Lankan cook and actively take part in cooking a delicious Sri Lankan meal with seafood, vegetables and rice. You also have the great opportunity to taste Sri Lankan alcohol with your self-prepared meal.

Your participation in the cooking tour starts as you meet our local cook. Then, you will be escorted to the Galle vegetable and fish market and guided through the process of selecting the best price at the best rate. The cooking class wind up with a delicious dinner. Don’t forget to collect your recipe you might be able to make it again at home. You will learn the basics of Sri Lankan cooking, such as the preparation of curry powder and how to use spices in rice and curry.

Explore the quintessential narrow cobblestone paths and steep winding streets in this architectural masterpiece and unravel colonial history. When a storm led the Portuguese seafarers to the island’s southern port city of Galle, they marvelled at the rich natural wealth of the island.

In the second wave, it is a Portuguese army showed up in the Galle port, it was not a cordial visit and they took over the control of the maritime region. The incident took place in 1505 and later Sri Lanka was controlled by two more popular colonial rules of Europe as well, Dutch and English. Galle fort was occupied by all these colonial rules, but the fort is essentially attributed to Dutch.

Galle Fort is a UNESCO world heritage site and the best-preserved colonial city in southern Asia. Today Galle fort is the important centre of Dutch colonial heritage. Experience the Dutch architecture of the many centuries-old neighbourhoods in this amazing one-day Sri Lanka sightseeing tour. The tour also includes several other activities and places such as boating in the Ramsar wetland of Madu, visiting a sea turtle farm, Hikkaduwa beach, Bentota beach, mask museum etc.

What is the duration of the southern Sri Lanka sightseeing tour? 5 hours

What is the starting time of the southern Sri Lanka sightseeing tour? 07.30 AM

sinharaja forest reserve tour
Sri Lanka sightseeing tour of Sinharaja rainforest is a popular Sri Lanka jungle tour that enables travellers to experience the rich ecological environment of the rainforest

5. Sri Lanka sightseeing tour to Sinharaja rainforest

Sinharaja rainforest is the only natural forest which is designated as a UNESCO world heritage site in Sri Lanka. Sinharaja rainforest is placed with great historical, geological and natural importance. Situated in the wet zone of Sri Lanka’s western province, the Singaraja rainforest is an important catchment area for the entire island. It has a large collection of Faun and Flora with a large number of them endemic to the island. Sinharaja rainforest is considered as the

What is the duration of the Sri Lanka sightseeing tour to the Sinharaja rainforest? 5 hours

What is the starting time of the Sri Lanka sightseeing tour to the Sinharaja rainforest? 07.30 AM

whale watching in sri lanka

6. Sri Lanka whale watching

Sri Lanka is one of the whale-watching hot spots in southern Asia, especially the sea off southern Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the world to spot whales. But the whale watching tours are not offered when the south-west monsoon (From May to October) is in full force, due to the rough sea.

Sri Lanka’s waters are very rich in marine creatures and whales are just one creature you can spot easily off the Sri Lanka coast there is a very high chance of spotting whales here. The sea off southern Sri Lanka is a very rich feeding ground for whales.

A large number of Whales migrate to Sri Lankan water from the Arabian sea and mingle with Sri Lankan resident whales, during the southwest monsoon (from October to June). They have the best setting to thrive here with plenty of food and warm water. As a result, Sri Lanka has become the whale-watching capital in Asia. Based on the customer feedback, there is a 95% success rate of spotting whales in the sea off southern Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan whale-watching tour can be booked in two variations from Colombo, as below. However, we recommend you book a 2-day whale-watching tour if possible, therefore, the travellers are able not only to see the whales but also to explore the important tourist attractions in southern Sri Lanka like Hikkaduwa, Galle and Mirissa beach.

What is the duration of the Sri Lanka whale-watching sightseeing tour (one-day tour)? 8 hours

What is the starting time of the Sri Lanka whale-watching sightseeing tour? 04.30 AM

What is the duration of the Sri Lanka whale-watching sightseeing tour (2 days tour)? 2 days

What is the starting time of the Sri Lanka whale-watching sightseeing tour? 7.30 AM

One of the Sri Lanka sightseeing tours to experience -nature, culture, history

Hikkaduwa marine sanctuary
Hikkaduwa marine sanctuary is one of the 2 marine sanctuaries in Sri Lanka that harbour a large array of sea creatures.

7. Snorkelling and diving

The best surfing spots such as Hikkaduwa, Unawatuna, and great reef expose you to some of Sri Lanka’s fascinating underwater sceneries. It is not necessary to be an experienced diver to see the rich underwater world in the sea off Sri Lankan shores.

There are many sites around the island with shipwrecks and coral reefs accommodating many species of exotic fish and flora species. There are many beaches around the island offering the best surfing experience to travellers but we have chosen Hikkaduwa beach due to its proximity to Colombo. It is a well-known surfing and diving site that can be explored within a day.

Hikkaduwa is a well-known beach holiday destination very crowded during the high season (November to April) – A large number of holiday lovers gather here from many parts of the nearby beach resorts to explore the rich underwater world in Hikkaduwa.

These 3 popular methods can be used to explore the underwater Fauna and flora of Hikkaduwa. Diving, Surfing and riding in a glass-bottom boat are the three methods. You can spot here a large number of exotic fish species, sea turtles and coral reefs here. The water off Hikkaduwa is clear, clean and calm and has the best settings for a dive and snorkelling.

What is the duration of the Sri Lanka sightseeing tour with snorkelling? 7 hours

What is the starting time of the Sri Lanka sightseeing tour with snorkelling? 5.30 AM

adventure sports

8. Whitewater rafting Kitulgala

Now it is time to talk about an adrenaline-pumping action because we have discussed many activities and covered culture, history, nature and wildlife. Kitulgala is well known as the playground of adventure lovers. It offers many possibilities to perform various types of adventure activities such as whitewater rafting, rock climbing, trekking, waterfall abseiling, mountain biking, bird watching, caving etc. This Sri Lanka sightseeing tour lasts only 8 hours for travellers who are based on the west or southern coast of Sri Lanka. For the travellers who are based in Kandy, the duration of the tour is around 6 hours.

What is the duration of the Sri Lanka sightseeing tour for whitewater rafting? 7 hours

What is the starting time of the Sri Lanka sightseeing tour for whitewater rafting? 7.30 AM

One of the Sri Lanka sightseeing tours to experience nature, adventure activities

madu

9. Sri Lanka sightseeing tour to Madu river

Madu River is a Ramsar wetland and a very popular place in Sri Lanka for boat tours. This boat tour is one of the most popular sightseeing tours in Sri Lanka, and a large number of foreign travellers make it every year. The river safari at Madu river lasts about 2 hours and allows the visitors to experience beautiful and very important riverine vegetation. The travellers are able to see the mangrove forests and other riverine vegetation with animals such as monkeys, water monitors even crocodiles accidentally. Aqua bird species such as cormorants, kingfishers, and herons are very common in the area.

Madu River is one of the most popular wetlands on the island for boat tours. Rich biodiversity along with easy access from Colombo and beach resorts on the west coast give it a upperhand, when it comes to boat tours, against all other wetland on the island. Madu river can be booked as a standalone activity from Colombo and beach resorts. Most local tour operators combine Madu river trips with Sri Lanka south coast tour itineraries, therefore the travellers can not only explore the south coast but also enjoy the rich fauna and flora of the Madu river estuary. Most importantly it saves a lot of time and money for the tarvellers. save time and money

What is the duration of the Sri Lanka sightseeing tour to Madu River? 7 hours

What is the starting time of the Sri Lanka sightseeing tour to Madu River? 7.30 AM

Lanka tours

10. Sri Lanka village tour with barbeque dinner

This village tour with barbeque dinner will take place in the village of Hikkaduwa and it is one of the very popular Sri Lanka sightseeing tours offered by Seerendipity tours. The village tour allows you to experience the typical Sri Lankan village life.

The tour also includes a boat tour in the Hikkaduwa lagoon, a visit to a family in the village, and a visit to the village temple. coir industry is a popular cottage industry in the village and you have the opportunity to see the various products manufactured by village folk using coir. This interesting tour winds up with a barbeque dinner with fresh seafood on the beach of Hikkaduwa. Sip a glass of arrack and enjoy your barbeque dinner while taking a glimpse of the gorgeous sunset.

What is the duration of the Sri Lanka village tour? 8 hours

What is the duration of the Sri Lanka village tour? 7.30 AM

Sri Lanka sightseeing tours listed above can be customized to meet your specific requirements, if you wish to have more information on any of the above-mentioned Sri Lanka sightseeing tours please get in touch with us at admin@seerendipitytours.com or seerendipitytourslk@gmail.com.