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Essential Sri Lanka

11 days
From Negombo to Colombo
4.5
16 traveler reviews
Essential Sri Lanka - Intrepid Travel

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Plan your adventure:
Tour Operator:
Intrepid Travel
Max group size:
16
Age range:
18 to 35
Operated in:
English
Tour id:
82831
Image of a map showing the route of the tour

Highlights

  • Stroll Negombo's seaside and local fish market
  • Explore Sigiriya's ancient rock fortress
  • Visit the Golden Temple of Dambulla
  • Enjoy a scenic train ride to Ella
  • Go on a safari in Yala National Park

Itinerary

Expand All
  1. Introduction
  1. Day 1 Negombo
  2. Day 2 Dambulla
  3. Day 3 Kandy
  4. Day 4 Kandy
  5. Day 5 Ella
  6. Day 6 Ella
  7. Day 7 Tissamaharama
  8. Day 8 Unawatuna
  9. Day 9 Unawatuna
  10. Day 10 Colombo
  11. Day 11 Colombo
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Download this tour’s PDF brochure and start tour planning offline

What's Included

Expand All
  • Accommodation
  • Guide
  • Meals
  • Additional Services
  • Transport

What's Not Included

  • Flights
  • Insurance
  • Optional
  • Additional Services

Operated by

Intrepid Travel

Number of tours

1,295

Age Range

5 to 99 years old

Response time

9 hours

Response rate

88%

Back in 1989, two guys from Melbourne, Australia by the names of Darrell and Manch set off on an adventure to the other side of the world. They travelled to Africa and without air conditioning on their modified truck, they filled it with supplies, some beer, a bunch of aviator sunglasses, and...

Read more

Sustainability Initiatives

Reduce Carbon Emissions

Animal Welfare

Supporting Destinations

Sustainability Programs

Your Peace of Mind Options

Cancellation Policy

A transparent overview of applicable fees.

Travel Insurance

Be covered for any unforseen circumstances.

Customer Reviews

  • Overall Rating
    Excellent
    4.5
  • Itinerary
    Excellent
    4.7
  • Guide
    Excellent
    5.0
  • Transport
    Excellent
    4.7
  • Accommodation
    Excellent
    4.1
  • Food
    Excellent
    4.3
  • 4.6
  • Most Recent
  • Most Popular
  • Highest First
  • Lowest First
  • Essential Sri Lanka reviewer 1
    · January 30th, 2020
    Amazing tour! Everything was super organised and the our tour guide Sam made the trip unforgettable. We felt we got to see so much of Sri Lanka in such a short space of time and can’t wait to return one day. Be prepared to pay extra for some of the optional activities but they are so worth it! Some meals are also not included but Sam made sure to always take us to affordable and authentic places. Can’t recommend this tour enough!
    Show more
    Intrepid Travel commented on this review
    Thanks for your feedback Rosa!
    Trip date: January 2020
  • SC
    · January 21st, 2020
    I had an amazing time in Sri Lanka, such a beautiful country. Prasad the guide was fantastic from beginning to end. He always went the extra mile to make sure the trip was enjoyable, safe and ran smoothly. He shared a lot of local knowledge and was very professional. We got so much done including additional activities that the tour guide went out of his way to organise. The transport and hotels were all to good standard and I would highly recommend this tour.
    Show more
    Intrepid Travel commented on this review
    From us and Prasad thanks so much for your feedback Sinead! Sri Lanka is certainly a stunning place and we're so glad you enjoyed your time there.
    Trip date: January 2020
  • A
    · September 18th, 2019
    Mathisha was such a brilliant tour leader - he made the trip so special!! He provided such great knowledge and also made the trip feel very personalized!
    Trip date: December 2018
  • A
    · September 18th, 2019
    My Essential Sri Lanka Trip with Intrepid exceeded all my expectations.The wonderful group of people I traveled with made the trip exciting and enjoyable. The trip had the right balance between included activities and free time. My favourite location was Ella in Central Province and I would have loved to spend an extra day there exploring! Overall, I feel grateful for a fantastic trip and to have memories for a lifetime.
    Show more
    Trip date: December 2018
  • A
    · September 18th, 2019
    Mathisha was an excellent guide who gave our tour such a personal touch!
    Trip date: December 2018
  • A
    · September 18th, 2019
    Perfect tour! Had both hiking and adventurous activities but also relaxation time.
    Trip date: December 2018
  • A
    · September 18th, 2019
    The trip was well planned out with lots of activities and optional activities that showcased Sri Lanka.
    Trip date: December 2018
  • A
    · September 18th, 2019
    Our tour guide went above and beyond to make sure we had the best time possible and saw the real Sri Lanka
    Trip date: December 2018
  • A
    · September 18th, 2019
    I would like to compliment Ranjan on his managing of our group and all that he did to accommodate us and keep us safe and happy during our trip! Keeping a group of 13 females between the ages of 18 and 3 happy is difficult and he was up to the task. I wish I knew in advance that the group would be 1% female and the number of people in the group. The larger the group the more difficult it is to please everyone's requests and personalities. I will not do a tour for 18-29 again after this experience. Everyone was chasing instagram moments more than they were wanting to experience the destination. I am extremely disappointed that at our first night's meeting Ranjan told our group that we would not be taking the train from Kandy to Ella, but instead a bus. He was told that Intrepid already told us of this detail and that was incorrect. This train ride is advertised as a highlight of the trip. I booked my trip in March so see no reason why a seat could not be booked within the 9 months in preparation of this trip. When you travel to the other side of the world for a once in a lifetime trip, with a set itinerary, you are counting on it. Intrepid should have had the appropriate number of confirmed seats booked for us. If I was booking this trip myself, the ticket would have been booked. Ranjan made an effort to take us to the train station and get standing room only seats on the train but it was just too packed for our large group. We wasted hours in the day trying this but I thank him for his effort and ideas trying to get us onto a train. I'd like to thank Ranjan for being concerned about us on our trip and warning us of things we should be careful for. I'd like to thank him for connecting us with safe tuk tuk drivers when we wanted to go off on our own and for staying up waiting to make sure we made it home safe. Also, for helping us make our Christmas and New Years holidays memorable and for celebrating the holidays with us. He was very helpful when asking questions about the value of products and rides to places and also always had our particular interests in mind through the whole trip. He was also helpful in making post-trip arrangements with an additional night at the hotel and transportation. Thank you, Ranjan!
    Show more
    Trip date: December 2018
  • A
    · September 18th, 2019
    Very unorganized, guide didn’t seem to know what we should be paying for out of pocket/ what was included on our trip, when we had free time we’d organize something sndvthe gyide would take us somewhere else because hisvfriends were there.
    Trip date: December 2018

Dates & Availability

11 days
Essential Sri Lanka
From Negombo to Colombo

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Reach out to the experts at Intrepid Travel with your enquiry, they usually respond within 9 hours.

Good to Know

  • Currency
    Rs
    Sri Lanka Rupee
    Sri Lanka
  • Plugs & Adapters

    As a traveller from USA, Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand you will need an adaptor for types D, M.

    Type D
    Sri Lanka
    Type M
    Sri Lanka
  • Vaccines
    • These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
    • Typhoid - Recommended for Sri Lanka. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
    • Hepatitis A - Recommended for Sri Lanka. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
    • Tuberculosis - Recommended for Sri Lanka. Ideally 3 months before travel.
    • Hepatitis B - Recommended for Sri Lanka. Ideally 2 months before travel.
    • Rabies - Recommended for Sri Lanka. Ideally 1 month before travel.
    • Yellow fever - Certificate of vaccination required if arriving from an area with a risk of yellow fever transmission for Sri Lanka. Ideally 10 days before travel.
    • Japanese B encephalitis - Recommended for Sri Lanka. Ideally 1 month before travel.
  • Visa
    • Unfortunately we cannot offer you a visa application service. Whether you need a visa or not depends on your nationality and where you wish to travel. Assuming your home country does not have a visa agreement with the country you're planning to visit, you will need to apply for a visa in advance of your scheduled departure.
    • Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
  • Payment information
    • For any tour departing before January 25th, 2025 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after January 25th, 2025, a minimum payment of $400 is required to confirm your booking with Intrepid Travel. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 60 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
    • Some departure dates and prices may vary and Intrepid Travel will contact you with any discrepancies before your booking is confirmed.
    • The following cards are accepted for "Intrepid Travel" tours: Visa, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal. TourRadar does NOT charge you an extra fee for using any of these payment methods.
  • Cancellation Policy
  • Accessibility
    Some tours are not suitable for mobility-restricted traveller, however, some operators may be able to accommodate special requests. For any enquiries, you can contact our customer support team, who are ready and waiting to help you.

Videos

  • TourRadar presents The Dambulla Cave Temple
  • TourRadar presents Ella to Kandy by Train
  • TourRadar presents Sigiriya Rock
TourRadar presents The Dambulla Cave Temple