Spiritual Tour – 10 nights 11 days

DAY 01 : Meet greet and transfer from Airport to Negombo.

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Located at the mouth of Negombo lagoon, set amid lush grove coconut  palms feels the real spirit of the sea.

Outrigger canoe and the catamaran used as fishing vessel still can be seen and also has a small port.

Dinner and Overnight stay in Negombo.

DAY  02 :  Breakfast at the Hotel.

Transfer from Negombo to Pinnawala.

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The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is one of Sri Lanka’s most popular tourist attractions. The orphanage’s population has now mushroomed to around 65, making it the world’s largest collection of captive elephants. The elephants here range in age from newborns to elderly matriarchs, and include orphaned and abandoned elephants, as well as those injured in the wild.

 

Lunch at outside restaurant.

 

Transfer from Pinnawala to Dambulla.

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Dambulla  rock temple was built by king Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C. and is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s many cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. meters of painted walls and ceilings is the largest area of paintings found in the world. It contains over 150 images of the Buddha of which the largest is the colossal figure carved out of granite rock and spanning 14 meters.

 

Dinner and overnight stay in Dambulla.

 

DAY 03 : Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer from Dambulla to Anuradhapura.

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Anuradhapura is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province, Sri Lanka and the capital of Anuradhapura District. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of an ancient Sri Lankan civilization. It was the third capital of the Kingdom of Rajarata, following the kingdoms of Tambapanni and Upatissa Nuwara.

The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the Centre of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries. The city lies 205 km (127 mi) north of the current capital Colombo in the North Central Province, on the banks of the historic Malvathu Oya. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and one of the eight World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.

It is believed that from the fourth century BC until the beginning of the 11th century AD it was the capital of the Sinhalese. During this period it remained one of the most stable and durable centers of political power and urban life in South Asia. The ancient city, considered sacred to the Buddhist world, is today surrounded by monasteries covering an area of over sixteen square miles (40 km²).

Dinner and overnight stay in Anuradhapura.

DAY 04 : Breakfast at the Hotel.

Transfer from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa

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Poḷonnaruwa  is the main town of Polonnaruwa District in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Kaduruwela area is the Polonnaruwa New Town and the other part of Polonnaruwa remains as the royal ancient city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa.

The second most ancient of Sri Lanka‘s kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated Chola invaders in 1070 to reunite the country once more under a local leader.

The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site.

Currently the new Polonnaruwa is undergoing a major development project known as the “Awakening of Polonnaruwa” under the concept of President Maithripala Sirisena. It envisions the development of all sectors in Polonnaruwa including roadselectricityagricultureeducationhealth and environment will be developed comprehensively.

Lunch at outside restaurant.

 

Dinner and overnight stay in Polonnaruwa.

 

DAY 05 : Breakfast at the Hotel.

Transfer from Polonnaruwa to Sigiriya.

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Climb the 5th century Sigiriya Rock fortress which is a UNESCO world heritage site, built by King Kashyapa(477-495). The spectacular citadel of Sigiriya rises sheer and impregnable out of the plains of the dry zone. It is the country’s most memorable single attraction, a remarkable archeological site made unforgettable by its dramatic setting. The rock was the innermost stronghold of a 70 hectare fortified town. A moat, rampart and extensive gardens including the renowned water gardens ring the base of the rock. Visit the world-renowned frescoes of the ‘Heavenly Maidens’ of Sigiriya, which are in a sheltered pocket of the rock approached by a spiral stairway.

 

Lunch at outside restaurant.

 

Dinner and overnight stay in Sigiriya .

 

DAY  06 : Breakfast at the Hotel.

Transfer from Sigiriya to Kandy .

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Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Kandy which is a UNESCO world heritage site. The historic city about 480m above sea level surrounded by mountains was known to Sri Lankan as Kanda Uda Rata, which means the hill country. Kandy was home to Sri Lanka’s last independent Kingdom, which survived two centuries of colonial incursion before finally falling to the British at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Visit the Temple of the tooth, The royal Botanical Gardens, the Peradeniya University campus and catch a panoramic view of the picturesque town from Upper lake Drive.

 

Early evening, you will visit a Kandyan Dance performance and be treated to a spectacular fire walking finale.

 

Kandy is also famous for its shopping, gems and jewelry, handicrafts, batiks, silks ect. And you will have the opportunity of browsing to your heart’s content.

 

Lunch at outside restaurant.

 

Dinner and overnight stay in Kandy.

 

DAY 07 : Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya

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Lunch at outside restaurant.

 

Nuwara Eliya meaning “the city of dawn” is the town at the highest elevation (about 2000m above sea level) in Sri Lanka and its tallest peak, Piduruthalagala (2555m) could be seen from here. The city, established by the British in the nineteenth century, and known as “Little England” and is a popular holiday resort for Sri Lankans & tourists due to its cool climate and quaint colonial feel with its little bungalows surrounded by hedgerows. Nuwara Eliya is also the heart of the tea country and you can visit a plantation and a factory en route here and witness how the famous “Ceylon Tea” is brewed.

 

About 15km away is Seetha Amman Temple, said to be built at the spot where Ravna held Sita captive, as related in the Ramayana. The small temple has a collection of statues, including a couple of Kali images.

 

Dinner and overnight stay in Nuwara Eliya.

 

DAY  08 : Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer from Kandy to Katharagama

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Lunch at outside restaurant.

 

Kataragama Temple, Kiriwehera and Sella kataragama are famous attractions in Kataragama city. The temple of Kataragama is an important sanctuary for Hindus and Buddhists. The temple of Kataragama is dedicated to the divinity with six faces and twelve hands, which is known as Skanda-Murukan or Subrahmanya among the Hindus. Sinhalese Buddhists believe that Kataragama Deviyo is a Buddhist Guradish deity who helps his disciples who are in need. Manik River (Manik Ganga) Flow down near to this Kataragama temple. Kataragama perahera Colourful festival held on month of July. It Includes Various Cultural Dancing events and rituals. Fire walking also a very famous event in Kataragama temple. One main Purpose of this fire walking is remove illnesses from our body. Kiri Vehera is among the Solosmasthana, the 16 most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites of ancient Sri Lanka. This stupa which is 95 ft. in height with a circumference of 280 ft. is located 800 m North to the famous Ruhunu Maha Kataragama Devalaya. Venerable Kobawaka Dhamminda Thera is the present Chief Prelate of Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya Sella Kataragama is a very important place in Kataragama. About 4 miles from Sella to Kataragama. At the long distance, fast a love seen was between Skanda Kumar and Valliamma at here. Sella Kataragma has many Kovils. Those are Ganapathi Kovil, Siva Kovil, Kataragama Kovil, Valliamma Kovil, Lakshmi Kovil and Saman Devalaya.

 

Dinner and overnight stay in Katharagama.

 

DAY 09 : Breakfast at the hotel.

 

Transfer from Katharagama to Galle

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Lunch at outside restaurant.

 

It is situated in 113 kilometers away from Colombo. The Galle Fort, also known as the Dutch Fort or the “Ramparts of Galle”, is a historical, archaeological and architectural heritage monument, which even after more than 423 years maintains a polished appearance, due to extensive reconstruction work done by Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. Galle lighthouse, Galle clock tower, Groote Kerk – Galle, All Saints’ Church – Galle, National Museum in Galle, Old Dutch Hospital, National Maritime Museum Galle are main archaeological and architectural heritage monuments in Galle fort. The fort has a colorful history, and today has a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population. The Sri Lankan government and many Dutch people who still own some of the properties inside the fort are looking at making this one of the modern wonders of the world. The heritage value of the fort has been recognized by the UNESCO and the site has been inscribed as a cultural heritage UNESCO World Heritage Site under criteria IV, for its unique exposition of “an urban ensemble which illustrates the interaction of European architecture and South Asian traditions from the 16th to the 19th centuries.”

 

Dinner and overnight stay in Galle.

 

DAY 10 : Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer from Galle to Colombo.

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Enjoy a city tour of Colombo which is the largest city and former administrative capital of Sri Lanka and is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and remnants of a bygone colonial era. Due to its large harbor and its strategic position along the East-West sea trade routes, Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago. However it was only made the Capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815. The main city is home to a majority of the Sri Lanka’s corporate offices, restaurants and entertainment venues. On this tour you will visit many of the historical, religious and commercial sites of Colombo including the historic and bustling Fort and Pettah, the elite residential Cinnamon Gardens, the Galle face Green, Viharamahadevi Park and much more.

 

Lunch at outside restaurant.

 

After the lunch proceed to Kalaniya Raja Maha Viharaya

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The history of Kelaniya dates back to pre-Christian times. The city was related to the history of Ramayana as his king Yakkha, Vibhisana, was friendly to Rama in his fight against Ravana. Consequently, the cult of Vibhisana as the tutelary divine of Kelaniya continues to present itself.

The annals, Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa, record in detail the tale of the Buddha’s visit to Kelaniya on the eighth year after his Enlightenment. The jeweled throne, on which the Buddha sat while preaching, is said to have been enshrined in the stupa at the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya.

The temple is also famous for its image of the reclining Gautama Buddha and paintings by the native artist Solias Mendis which depict important events in the life of the Buddha, in the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, also incidents from the Jataka tales. It is the venue for the Duruthu Maha Perehera procession each January. An 18-foot stone statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara has been erected at the temple.

Dinner and overnight stay in Colombo.

 

DAY 11 : Breakfast at the hotel.

 

Lunch at outside restaurant.

Transfer from Colombo to Airport for the departure.