Western Province · commercial capital
Colombo
Sri Lanka's busy capital — a useful arrival and departure stop with colonial quarters, good food and a seafront promenade.
14 days · 13 nights
14-Day Complete Sri Lanka
Two weeks covering the island's main regions — ancient cities, the east coast, the hills, wildlife and the southern beaches — at a pace with rest built in.
- Duration
- 14 days · 13 nights
- Route
- Colombo Airport → Cultural Triangle → Trincomalee → Kandy → tea country → Ella → Yala → south coast → departure
- Vehicle
- SUV
Highlights
What this tour covers
- Cultural Triangle: Sigiriya, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa
- East coast beaches at Trincomalee
- Kandy and the tea country by road
- Ella with a free day
- Yala National Park at dawn
- Galle Fort and the south coast
Key experiences
- Ancient cities and rock fortresses
- East coast snorkelling at Pigeon Island
- Temple of the Tooth and Kandyan dance
- Tea country by road
- A free day in Ella
- Yala wildlife at dawn
- Galle Fort before you fly
Day by day
14 days · 13 nights itinerary
A planned route with realistic driving times. Days can be reordered, extended or shortened when we build your version.
Day 1
CMB · Negombo
Colombo Airport to Negombo
A short transfer after your flight so you can eat, swim or sleep rather than drive across the island. Fish markets and a seafront dinner if you arrive with daylight.
Approx. 30–60 mins.
Overnight: Negombo
Day 2
Negombo · Dambulla · Sigiriya
Negombo to Sigiriya
The long run inland with the Dambulla cave temples as the natural stop. Arrive by late afternoon and settle near the rock.
Approx. 4–5 hrs of driving plus the Dambulla stop.
Overnight: Sigiriya area
Day 3
Sigiriya climb · Polonnaruwa
Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Minneriya
Early climb of the fortress, then the medieval capital of Polonnaruwa by bicycle — or an evening safari where the elephants gather.
Local driving only.
Overnight: Sigiriya area
Day 4
Sigiriya · Trincomalee
Sigiriya to Trincomalee
Across the dry zone to the east coast, reaching Trincomalee by early afternoon. Beach, harbour views and the Koneswaram temple on the cliff.
Approx. 2.5–3 hrs.
Overnight: Trincomalee
Day 5
Nilaveli · Pigeon Island
Trincomalee and Pigeon Island
A boat out to Pigeon Island for snorkelling over coral, or a slow beach day if you would rather not move. Best conditions are roughly May to October.
Short local transfers to the jetty.
Overnight: Trincomalee
Day 6
Trincomalee · Dambulla · Kandy
Trincomalee to Kandy
West across the island to Kandy, with Dambulla available if you skipped it earlier. Arrive for the evening offering at the Temple of the Tooth.
Approx. 4–5 hrs of driving plus stops.
Overnight: Kandy
Day 7
Peradeniya · Kandy city
Kandy
A full day in the hill capital: botanical gardens, the market, the gem district, and a Kandyan dance show in the evening.
Local sightseeing only.
Overnight: Kandy
Day 8
Ramboda · tea estate · Nuwara Eliya
Kandy to Nuwara Eliya
The climb into tea country with waterfalls, a factory tasting and estate views. Cool evening at about 1,900 m.
Approx. 2–2.5 hrs of driving plus stops.
Overnight: Nuwara Eliya
Day 9
Haputale · Ella
Nuwara Eliya to Ella
Across the high estates and down into Ella, with coffee stops and viewpoints along the way.
Approx. 2–2.5 hrs of driving plus stops.
Overnight: Ella
Day 10
Ella · Diyaluma Falls or local walks
A free day in Ella
No scheduled driving. Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam's Peak, a tea estate walk or the trip to Diyaluma — your choice.
Optional excursions only.
Overnight: Ella
Day 11
Ravana Falls · Budduruwagala · Yala
Ella to Yala
The descent out of the hills past Ravana Falls and the rock-carved Buddhas at Budduruwagala, arriving beside the park by late afternoon.
Approx. 2.5–3 hrs of driving plus stops.
Overnight: Yala area
Day 12
dawn game drive · Mirissa
Yala safari to the south coast
First light in the park, then breakfast and the road west to Mirissa or Weligama for a change of pace and a swim.
Safari, then approx. 2.5–3 hrs to the coast.
Overnight: Mirissa / Weligama
Day 13
Mirissa · Whale watching or beach day
South coast at leisure
Whale watching in season, a surf lesson in Weligama, or nothing at all. This is the rest day the whole itinerary has been building toward.
Local excursions only.
Overnight: Mirissa / Weligama
Day 14
coast · Galle · Colombo Airport
Galle Fort and departure
A morning walk on the Galle ramparts, then the expressway north to the airport with a buffer for your flight.
Approx. 2.5–3.5 hrs from the coast to the airport, plus the Galle stop.
Overnight: Departure
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle for all fourteen days
- Professional chauffeur for the whole tour
- Fuel, tolls and the driver's costs
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Route planning before the trip and adjustments during it
- Bottled water in the vehicle
Not included
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Entrance tickets to sites, parks and gardens
- Safari jeep and park fees
- Train and boat tickets
- Snorkelling, surfing and other activities
- Personal expenses and travel insurance
Optional experiences
- Train from Nanu Oya to Ella
- Whale watching in Mirissa (season permitting)
- Wilpattu instead of Yala for a quieter safari
- East coast extension when Trincomalee is at its best
- Cooking class or village experience
Travel notes
- Two weeks is long enough to stop trying to see everything — we deliberately keep two slower days.
- The east coast leg (days 4–5) makes most sense roughly May to October; outside those months we usually reroute.
- Day 2 and day 6 are the longest drives; both have good stopping points.
- Tell us your must-sees and we will rebuild the order around them.
Vehicle
1–4 passengers
A higher, roomier vehicle suited to hill-country roads, longer driving days and travellers who prefer more space for passengers and bags.
All vehicles →Pricing
Quoted for your dates
The price depends on the vehicle, travellers, hotels and dates. We send a written quote for the whole trip — per vehicle, not per person — before you confirm anything.
Pricing questions →Places on this route
Where you will spend your time
North Central Province · Cultural Triangle
Sigiriya
A 5th-century rock fortress rising about 200 m above the jungle, and the most iconic single sight in Sri Lanka.
Central Province · hill capital
Kandy
The last royal capital of Sri Lanka, set around a lake and home to the country's most sacred Buddhist temple.
Central Province · tea country
Nuwara Eliya
Sri Lanka's tea heartland at about 1,900 m — cool, green and often misty, with colonial-era architecture and endless estates.
Uva Province · hill country
Ella
A small hill-town of tea estates, waterfall walks and long valley views — the easiest place in Sri Lanka to slow down for a few days.
Southern Province · national park
Yala
Sri Lanka's most famous national park, known for leopards, elephants and a landscape of scrub, lagoons and rock outcrops.
Southern Province · beach town
Mirissa
A curved bay on the south coast for swimming, whale watching and slow afternoons — a classic end to a hill-country itinerary.
Southern Province · fort town
Galle
A UNESCO-listed Dutch fort on the southern coast — ramparts, lanes, cafés and the best-preserved colonial town in Asia.
FAQ
Questions about this tour
Do we stay in the same vehicle for the whole tour?
Yes. The same car and the same chauffeur stay with you from pick-up to drop-off, which is the main practical advantage over booking separate transfers.
Can we add Jaffna or the east coast beaches?
We can, though it changes the route considerably. Jaffna adds a long northern leg; Arugam Bay suits the surf season. Send us your dates and priorities and we will tell you what fits.
Is 14 days too much driving?
Not with this route — most days are three hours or less of driving, and two days are deliberately free. If you dislike long drives, we can shorten the legs further by rearranging the base towns.
Interested in this tour?
Ask about the 14-Day Complete Sri Lanka.
Send us your dates and group size and we will come back with availability, the day-by-day plan and a price.