Ancient Kingdoms Tour –
8 Days 7 Nights

Day 1 – Airport/ Negombo Over Night Negombo

Day 2 – Negombo/ Dambadeniya/ Yapawwa/ Anuradhapura
Over Night Anuradhapura

You will be starting day 2 by heading towards Dambadeniya- the 3rd kingdom of Sri Lanka. It also used to be a rock fortress back in its day and also consists of the temple that held the sacred tooth relic before being transferred to Kandy. The ruling heir was King Vijayabahu III in the 13th century AD and it is believed that the Dambadeniya period was the “Golden Era” of Sinhalese literature.

After lunch, you will get to visit the Yapawwa rock- an ancient fortress which rises to the height of 90m above the surrounding plains. Built by King Buwanekabahu I (1272- 1284 AD) in the 13th century BC, this is considered as the 4th kingdom of Sri Lanka. The rock fortress has a strong resemblance to the Sigiriya rock fortress while also being another kingdom that housed the sacred tooth relic.

Day 3 – Anuradhapura/Avkana Over Night Anuradhapura

On day 3, you will be heading to visit Anuradhapura. As Sri Lanka’s first kingdom and the hub of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura has seen the reign of more than 100 kings. UNESCO declared Anuradhapura as a world heritage site in 1982. Here you will get to visit the “Atamasthana” or eight sacred places that are the main sites in the sacred city of Anuradhapura. You will get to cover the following: Sri Maha Bodhi, Loha Pasada or Brazen Palace, Ruwanweliseya, Thuparama, Abhayagiriya, Mirisawetiya, Lankaramaya and Jetavanarama.

Before calling it a day, there will be a final stop at the Avukana Buddha statue which is known to be a masterpiece of man’s artistry and creative skill. Built during the reign of King Dhatusena in the 5th Century, the Avukana statue stands high at 40m- being the tallest Buddha statue of the country.

Day 4 - Day 4 – Anuradhapura/Mihintale/Polonnaruwa/Sigiriya
Over Night Sigiriya

On day 4, the first stop of the day will be at Mihintale- a rocky hill, considered to be the cradle of Sinhalese Buddhist civilization. King Devanampiyathissa- the ruler of Anuradapura during the 3rd century BC was converted to Buddhism by Arahath Mahinda at this historic place. Mihintale was originally a pleasure garden to the Kings of Anuradhapura even before King Devanmpiyathissa and later it was converted into a monastery.

After lunch, you will embark to visit Sri Lanka’s second Kingdom- Polonnaruwa. Unlike Anuradhapura, the monuments at Polonnaruwa are concentrated in clusters within close proximity. Polonnaruwa’s architectural features, sculptures, paintings and writings on stone have its own identity not only by Buddhism but also by Hinduism as well. UNESCO declared Polonnaruwa a World Heritage Site in 1982.

Day 5 - Sigiriya/Dambulla/Kandy Over Night Kandy

Day 5 kickstarts with a visit to Sigiriya- the world-famous rock fortress. The 360-meter-high-rock converted to a fortress by the parricidal King Kashyapa I. The surrounding lands of the rock were transformed and Sigiriya was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.

After lunch, you will be taken to visit Dambulla- a famous cave-dwelling since several centuries before Christ. The entire cave temple complex has exquisite murals covering 2100 m2 and 160 statues of different figures in various postures resembling a mixture of religious and sculptures. Dambulla Cave Temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

Towards later in the evening, relax and view the cultural show in Kandy that showcases the rich cultural heritage of Sri Lanka. The show features traditional dance performances, drumming, and other cultural performances. The highlight of the show is the Kandyan dance, a form of dance that originated in the Kandyan Kingdom and is characterized by its graceful movements and colorful costumes. The show also includes performances of other traditional dances, such as the ves dance, the devil dance, and the mask dance. In addition to the dance performances, you will also get to enjoy and experience traditional music and drumming performances.

Day 6 - Kandy/Gadaladeniya/Lankathilake/Embekka/Kandy Over Night Kandy

Start day 6 by visiting Dalada Maligawa (Temple of Tooth Relic). This is one of the most venerated Buddhist shrines in the world as it is the home of the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha. It is located in the picturesque valley in the hill country. In the 4th century AD Prince Dantha and Princess Hemamala brought the sacred Tooth relic to Sri Lanka, from India. Then the sacred Tooth Relic became the palladium of the Sri Lankan Kings and was well guarded in all the kingdoms.

The next stop of the day is at Gadaladeniya ancient temple. This is considered to be the largest constructed stone temple in Sri Lanka. This was built by King Buwanakabahu IV of the Gampola Kingdom in 1344 AD. The temple was constructed on a summit of a rock according to a South Indian architectural design.

After lunch, continue your journey to Lankathilake Vihara built by King Bhuvanekabahu IV of the Gampola Kingdom in 1344 AD. It is considered to be one of the most magnificent architectural edifice created during the Gampola kingdom era. The Vihara is built on the summit of rock and is a fine example of a Buddhist – Hindu shrine of the 14th century.

End the day with the final stop for the day- The Embekka Devalaya. The speciality of Embekke Devalaya is that it is a monument par excellence of Sri Lankan Architecture with unique beauty that had been created by the talented craftsmen at the time. This was built by King Wickramabahu III who reigned the Gampola Kingdom during 1357-1374 A.D. The wooden carvings seen at Embekke Devalaya are the most outstanding and are 514 in total. This therefore, made UNESCO recognize these as the most outstanding wooden carvings to be found in anywhere in the world.

Day 7 – Kandy/Pinnawala/Colombo Over Night Colombo

On your way back to Colombo on the 7th day, you will get to experience the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage- the largest captive elephant breeding centre in the world established in 1975. The orphanage was originally founded in order to afford care and protection to the orphaned wild elephants found wandering in and near the forests of Sri Lanka.

After lunch, visit the the Kelaniya Temple which is only about a 30-minute drive from your hotel. The Kelaniya temple is believed to have been visited by the Buddha during his 3rd and final visit to Sri Lanka. Its history therefore goes before 500 BC.

End the day by experiencing a mini city tour with a stop at the famous Gangarama Temple.

Your Tour Package Includes

Your Tour Package Excludes