Bentota Full Day — Temple, River Safari & Sea Turtles

• 06:00 — Pickup from your hotel in Bentota.
• 09:30 — Visit Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple — five ancient cave shrines dating to the 3rd century BCE, home to over 150 Buddha statues and 2,100 square metres of mural paintings. One of the greatest Buddhist complexes in Asia (UNESCO).
• 12:00 — Lunch near Sigiriya (own expense).
• 13:30 — Climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress — the legendary 5th century royal citadel of King Kassapa I rising 180m above the jungle. Pass the famous frescoes and the iconic Lion's Paw entrance to reach the summit palace ruins with panoramic views across the jungle canopy (UNESCO).
• 17:00 — Check in to your hotel in Sigiriya or Habarana area.
• 19:00 — Dinner and rest.

07:00 — Breakfast at hotel.
08:00 — Drive to Anuradhapura — approximately 1.5 hours.
09:30 — Full day exploration of Anuradhapura Ancient City — Sri Lanka's first great kingdom and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, capital from the 4th century BC to the 11th century AD. Covering over 40 square kilometres, this sacred city is home to some of the most revered Buddhist monuments on earth.
Key sites within Anuradhapura:
Sri Maha Bodhi — the sacred fig tree grown from a cutting of the original Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, planted in 288 BC, the oldest documented tree in the world
Ruwanwelisaya Stupa — the great white dome stupa built by King Dutugemunu, one of the largest structures in the ancient world
Jetavanaramaya — once the third tallest structure on earth, this massive brick stupa took 15 years to build
Thuparamaya — the first stupa ever built in Sri Lanka, enshrining the collarbone relic of the Buddha
Abhayagiri Monastery — the vast monastic complex that once housed 5,000 monks
Isurumuniya Temple — rock temple with extraordinary carved reliefs
13:00 — Lunch at local restaurant in Anuradhapura (own expense).
15:00 — Continue exploring the sacred city — royal pleasure gardens, ancient ponds, moonstone carvings and guardstones.
17:30 — Check in to your hotel in Anuradhapura or Habarana.

07:00 — Breakfast at hotel.

08:30 — Drive to Polonnaruwa — approximately 1 hour.

09:30 — Full day exploration of Polonnaruwa Ancient City — Sri Lanka's spectacular second ancient capital, flourishing between the 11th and 13th centuries under great kings including Parakramabahu I. Compact, well-preserved and visually stunning (UNESCO).

Key sites within Polonnaruwa:

• Royal Palace of Parakramabahu — the seven-storey royal palace ruins with walls still standing 30 metres high
• Gal Vihara — four magnificent Buddha figures carved directly into a single granite face, including a 15-metre reclining Buddha, considered the pinnacle of ancient Sri Lankan sculpture
• Rankot Vihara — the largest stupa in Polonnaruwa at 55 metres high
• Lankatilaka — the towering 17-metre brick shrine housing a colossal standing Buddha
• Vatadage — the circular relic house with intricate moonstones and guardstones
• Lotus Pond — the extraordinary eight-petalled stone bathing pool

13:00 — Lunch in Polonnaruwa (own expense).

15:00 — Visit Parakrama Samudra — the vast inland sea reservoir built by King Parakramabahu I. At 2,500 hectares this ancient irrigation marvel still supplies water to thousands of farmers today.

17:00 — Drive to Kandy — approximately 2.5 hours.

19:30 — Check in to hotel in Kandy.

07:00 — Breakfast at hotel.

08:30 — Visit Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic — the most sacred Buddhist site in Sri Lanka, housing the relic of the Buddha, UNESCO World Heritage 1988. Intricate Kandyan architecture adorned with gold, silver, bronze and ivory.

10:30 — Kandy City Tour — stroll along Kandy Lake (Kiri Muhuda), visit the royal palace grounds and the Natha and Paththini Devala shrines surrounding the temple complex.

12:00 — Lunch in Kandy (own expense).

13:30 — Visit Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens — 147 acres, 4,000+ plant species, famous orchid houses, spice gardens and the landmark avenue of royal palms.

16:00 — Optional: Kandy Cultural Show — traditional Kandyan dance performance established 1982 (own expense).

19:00 — Dinner in Kandy (own expense).

07:00 — Breakfast at hotel.

08:30 — Drive toward Bentota with a stop at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage — watch elephants bathe in the Maha Oya River and learn about Sri Lanka's elephant conservation programme.

11:00 — Continue drive to Bentota.

13:30 — Approximate arrival at your hotel in Bentota.