5-Day Ancient Capitals Tour — Kandy, Anuradhapura & Polonnaruwa

• 06:00 — Pickup from your hotel in Bentota.
  09:30 — Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple (UNESCO) — five cave shrines, 150+ Buddha statues, 2,100sqm of mural paintings.
  12:00 — Lunch near Sigiriya (own expense).
  13:30 — Climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress (UNESCO) — 180m granite peak, 5th century royal palace, frescoes and Lion's Paw entrance.
  17:00 — Check in to hotel in Sigiriya or Habarana area.

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, capital from 4th century BC to 11th century AD, covering 40 square kilometres (UNESCO).

Key sites:

• Sri Maha Bodhi — sacred fig tree grown from cutting of the original Bodhi Tree, planted 288 BC, oldest documented tree in the world
• Ruwanwelisaya Stupa — great white dome stupa built by King Dutugemunu
• Jetavanaramaya — once the third tallest structure on earth
• Thuparamaya — first stupa ever built in Sri Lanka, enshrining the collarbone relic of the Buddha
• Abhayagiri Monastery — vast monastic complex housing 5,000 monks
• Isurumuniya Temple — rock temple with extraordinary carved reliefs

13:00 — Lunch in Anuradhapura (own expense).
15:00 — Continue exploring — royal pleasure gardens, ancient ponds, moonstone carvings and guardstones.
17:30 — Check in to 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 (UNESCO).

Key sites:

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

13:00 — Lunch in Polonnaruwa (own expense).
15:00 — Visit Parakrama Samudra — 2,500-hectare ancient irrigation reservoir still supplying 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 — Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (UNESCO) — Kandyan architecture adorned with gold, silver, bronze and ivory.
10:30 — Kandy Lake and royal palace grounds.
12:00 — Lunch in Kandy (own expense).
13:30 — Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens — 147 acres, 4,000+ plant species.
16:00 — Optional Kandy Cultural Show (own expense).

Day 5: Kandy — Pinnawala — Bentota

07:00 — Breakfast at hotel.
08:30 — Drive toward Bentota with stop at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
11:00 — Continue drive to Bentota.
13:30 — Approximate arrival at your hotel.