Sri Lanka Pilgrimage Tour — Ramayana Trail & Sacred Sites

• 08:00 — Pickup from your hotel in Bentota.
• 10:00 — Arrive Rumassala, Unawatuna, Galle. Visit the Japanese Peace Pagoda (Sama Cetiya) — a magnificent white stupa built by Japanese Buddhist monks as a symbol of world peace, perched on a hill above the Indian Ocean with panoramic views across Galle Bay. The Rumassala hill is believed in Sri Lankan folklore to be the piece of the Himalayan mountain dropped by Hanuman during the Ramayana, and is home to a unique collection of rare Ayurvedic medicinal herbs found nowhere else in Sri Lanka.
• 11:30 — Visit Sri Vivekaramaya Temple (Hanuman Temple) — a significant Hindu temple at Rumassala dedicated to Lord Hanuman, one of the key Ramayana pilgrimage sites on the southern coast.
• 13:00 — Lunch at a local restaurant in Galle area (own expense).
• 14:30 — Drive to Thissamaharama — approximately 1.5 hours.
• 16:30 — Arrive Thissamaharama. Visit Thissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara — one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites in southern Sri Lanka, an ancient stupa dating to the reign of King Kavantissa, father of the great King Dutugemunu.
• 18:00 — Check in to your hotel in Thissamaharama.
• 19:00 — Dinner and rest. (own expense)

06:00 — Early morning visit to Kataragama — one of the most sacred and revered pilgrimage destinations in all of Sri Lanka, drawing Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and indigenous Vedda devotees from across the island and the world.

Key sites at Kataragama:

• Kataragama Devalaya — the main Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Muruga (Skanda), one of the most powerful and ancient deity shrines in Sri Lanka
• Kiri Vehera — the sacred white Buddhist stupa within the Kataragama complex, one of the oldest stupas in Sri Lanka dating to the 3rd century BC
• Menik Ganga River — the sacred river where pilgrims ritually bathe before entering the temple complex

09:00 — Depart Kataragama for Ella — approximately 2 hours through spectacular hill country scenery.

11:30 — Arrive Ella. Check in to your hotel.

12:30 — Lunch in Ella (own expense).

14:00 — Visit Ravana Waterfall — one of the most visited waterfalls in Sri Lanka, cascading 25 metres down a dramatic rock face directly beside the main road between Wellawaya and Ella. The waterfall is deeply linked to the Ramayana legend — according to folklore King Ravana used the caves behind the falls to hide Sita.

15:30 — Visit Ravana Cave — a historic rock cave in the Ella hills linked to the legendary King Ravana. The cave features ancient carvings and rock formations and is surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty. Local legend holds that this is where King Ravana sheltered Sita during her captivity in Lanka.

17:00 — Return to hotel in Ella.

19:00 — Dinner in Ella town (own expense). Explore Ella's vibrant restaurant and café strip.

08:00 — Breakfast at hotel.

09:00 — Scenic drive from Ella to Nuwara Eliya through spectacular tea country — approximately 2 hours. The road winds through some of the most beautiful highland landscapes in Sri Lanka passing colonial-era tea factories and rolling green plantations.

11:00 — Arrive Nuwara Eliya. Visit Seetha Amman Temple (Seetha Eliya Seethai Amman Thirukkovil) — also known as Ashok Vatika Sita Temple, this Vaishnavite Hindu temple is one of the most significant Ramayana pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka. Located in the Nuwara Eliya district at over 1,800m elevation, the temple's folklore is deeply connected to the Ramayana — this is believed to be the site of Ashoka Vatika, the garden where Ravana kept Sita during her captivity. The temple is built beside a stream where Sita is said to have bathed, and footprints believed to be Ravana's can be found in the surrounding rocks.

13:00 — Lunch in Nuwara Eliya (own expense).

14:30 — Visit Hakgala Botanical Garden — the second largest botanical garden in Sri Lanka at 1,745m elevation, covering 27 hectares of extraordinary highland flora. Originally established as a cinchona plantation in 1861, the garden is also significant in Ramayana mythology as part of the legendary Ashoka Vatika. Features rose gardens, orchid houses, fern collections and remarkable alpine plantings.

16:30 — Check in to hotel in Nuwara Eliya.

19:00 — Dinner (own expense).

08:00 — Breakfast at hotel.

09:00 — Drive from Nuwara Eliya toward Bentota via Ramboda — approximately 30 minutes.

09:30 — Visit Ramboda Hanuman Temple — a significant and dramatic Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman, perched on the hillside at Ramboda overlooking a spectacular waterfall and valley. According to Ramayana mythology, Hanuman searched this region of the hill country for the Sanjeevani herb to heal Lakshmana. The temple offers extraordinary panoramic views across the central highlands.

11:00 — Begin final drive to Bentota via the expressway.

14:30 — Approximate arrival at your hotel in Bentota.