Departing 9 July 2026
Sri Lanka, known in colonial times as Ceylon, is an island of contrasts and deep spirituality. This tour traces the evolution of its civilisation and Buddhism through its most significant sites in the Cultural Triangle, where Professor Coningham can offer unique insights from his extensive experience excavating in this region. Begin at Anuradhapura, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s oldest inhabited cities. Continue to Sigiriya’s dramatic rock fortress and explore Dambulla’s cave temples, covered on every surface with colourful ancient religious art. Moving forward through Sri Lanka’s history, visit Polonnaruwa, known for its beautiful reclining Buddha and ancient irrigation systems. Then in Kandy, visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Lanka’s most revered Buddhist site and a place of Sri Lankan legend and pilgrimage. Travel by scenic train to Ella, a colonial hill station surrounded by rolling tea estates, with some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. Conclude in Galle, a coastal city with an atmospheric 17th-century Dutch fort filled with cobbled streets, and historic shop-houses, with palm-fringed beaches on its doorstep.
Tour highlights
- Uncover the secrets of the ancient capital of Anuradhapura with the archaeologist who co-directed its most significant excavation
- Experience one of the world’s most beautiful rail journeys through Sri Lanka’s highlands, with sweeping views of valleys, waterfalls, and terraced hills
- Sample outstanding Sri Lankan cuisine, from hoppers at breakfast (a kind of filled bowl-shaped rice-flour pancake) to samosas, roti and fragrant curries at dinner
- Enjoy an elephant safari at unspoiled Udawalawe National Park, one of the best places in the world to see elephants in their natural habitat.
- Stay in historic, boutique or stylish hotels throughout, avoiding typical ‘tour group’ accommodation
Itinerary at a glance
Day 0: Those taking Temple World’s recommended flights from London will depart this evening with Sri Lankan
Day 1: Tour starts today in Colombo | Late afternoon city tour | Sunset Drinks | Dinner and overnight Colombo
Day 2: National Museum | Drive to Anuradhapura | Mihintale Caves | Check into hotel in Anuradhapura
Day 3: Full day Anuradhapura | Sacred Bodhi Tree Shrine | Jetavana Monastery | Mirisirvati Reservoir | Overnight Anuradhapurs
Day 4: Abhayagiri Monastery | Transfer to Sirigiya via Ritigala and Aukana Buddha Statue | Dinner and overnight Sigiriya
Day 5: Hike up to Sigiriya Fortress | Dambulla Cave Temples | Dinner and overnight Sirigiya
Day 6: Full day Polonnaruwa UNESCO site | Rock Temple of Gal Vihara & 14m Reclining Buddha | Overnight Sigiriya
Day 7: Transfer to Kandy in Hill Country | Nalanda Shrine | Spice Garden | Temple of the Tooth | Overnight Kandy
Day 8: Transfer to Nuwara Eliya | Visit a Tea Plantation and Factory | Scenic Train to Ella via Nine Arch Bridge | Overnight Haputale
Day 9: Optional walk in the tea fields to scenic look-out | Transfer to Udawalawe NP | Elephant Safari | Transfer to Galle for overnight.
Day 10: Guided walking tour of Dutch Fort ramparts and historic architecture | Afternoon at leisure for swimming or exploring. Overnight near Galle.
Day 11: Tour ends after breakfast | Transfer to Colombo Airport | Those on TW flights catch a daytime service to London arriving same day.
Notice about operational control of this tour
Temple World has a long-standing collaboration with the University of Cambridge to plan and operate tours for its Alumni as part of the Alumni Travel Programme. Where minimum numbers are achieved and a tour departs, 10% of the tour cost will be given by Temple World to the University of Cambridge as a donation for each traveller who has a connection to the university (alumni/staff etc). This includes any friends/family travelling with them. However, please note that the University of Cambridge has no control over the operation of the tours in the Programme, which are the sole responsibility of the Operator/s concerned (in this case, Templeworld Limited).
Day 0: 8 July 2026 For those flying from the UK only
Day 1: 9 July 2026 Tour starts in Colombo
Day 2: 10 July 2026 Colombo - Negombo - Anuradhapura
Day 3: 11 July 2026 Anuradhapura
Day 4: 12 July 2026 Anuradhapura to Sigiriya
Day 5: 13 July 2026 Sigiriya & Dambulla
Day 6: 14 July 2026 Polonnaruwa
Day 7: 15 July 2026 Sigiriya to Kandy
Day 8: 16 July 2026 Kandy to tea country
Day 9: 17 July 2026 Hill Country to Galle via Udawalawe NP
Day 10: 18 July 2026 Galle
Day 11: 19 July 26 Galle - Colombo and end of tour
Dates and Prices
Prices are in UK£, per person, based on double occupancy
| Room Type | Price | Single Supplement | Optional Flight from London | Availability |
| Standard | £3,195 | £850 | £800-£1200 return approx | Rooms available |
Inclusions
Hotel accommodation in a twin or double bedded rooms with ensuite bathroom throughout, all excursions with local guides including entrance fees, full board (except Day 1 which includes a dinner only), and Day 11 (the tour ends after breakfast), expert leader.
Exclusions
International flights, visa if required, breakfast/lunch on Day 1 (day of arrival), lunch or dinner on Day 11 (day of departure), travel insurance, drinks, tips to drivers & local guides, (estimated amount around US$150 pp) personal expenses such as telephone calls, spa treatments, hotel incidentals if used.
Optional flights
Temple World can arrange flights from London to coordinate with this tour. The cost of our recommended flights start at around £1100 flying direct from London (return) per person if booked well in advance, including taxes, using Sri Lankan Airlines.
Sri Lankan Airlines has a direct Heathrow to Colombo flight daily at 21:30 arriving 12:45 the next day, and a service from Colombo back to London direct every day at 13:-5 arriving into Heathrow at 20:00 the same day. We will arrange a group transfer at Colombo airport to coincide with the flight arrival/departure of the main flights.
Booking your own travel
You are most welcome to book your own flights to coordinate with this tour. The start and end point of the tour is Colombo, unless adding an optional extension. We can arrange private transfers to meet any flight (supplement applies).
Other airlines which fly into Colombo include Air India (via Delhi – cost from £700 upwards), Emirates (via Dubai – cost from £890 upwards), Etihad (via Abu Dhabi) and Qatar (via Doha). There are lots of other indirect options but the prices aren’t necessarily any lower than flying direct. We can book any airline or route on request, including flights from regional and non-UK airports, or you are welcome to make your own international flight arrangements.
*Very important! Those who plan to book their own flights should not make any binding or non-refundable arrangements until their place has been confirmed in writing on the tour and Temple World has confirmed that it is a guaranteed departure.
Notice about operational control of this tour
Temple World has a long-standing collaboration with the University of Cambridge to plan and operate tours for its Alumni as part of the Alumni Travel Programme. Where minimum numbers are achieved and a tour departs, 10% of the tour cost will be given by Temple World to the University of Cambridge as a donation for each traveller who has a connection to the university (alumni/staff etc). This includes any friends/family travelling with them. However, please note that the University of Cambridge has no control over the operation of the tours in the Programme, which are the sole responsibility of the Operator/s concerned (in this case, Templeworld Limited).
Immunisations
Check the latest country-specific information and advice from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) on the TravelHealthPro website. Vaccines commonly recommended for Sri Lanka alongside standard childhood vaccines for life in the UK and annual Covid/Flu boosters if applicable: Tetanus. A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is mandatory if arriving from a country with a risk of Yellow Fever such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania or Zambia.
Entry Regulations
Your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the day you arrive into Sri Lanka. A visa is required by most nationalities. Most nationalities can obtain a short stay visa (known as an ETA) on the following official website: http://www.eta.gov.lk. The ETA is issued through an online system. No passport copies, documents or photographs are required. The fee is US$50 except for citizens of China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan, for whom the visa is free.
Fitness Guideline
We have graded the fitness level required for participation in this tour as Moderate.
This is a full itinerary, with some long days of travelling. Travel by road can be slow in Sri Lanka, so road journeys are lengthy even when not going very far. Patience is a prerequisite!
The most energetic visits of the tour will be to Dambulla, Sigiriya and Mihintale (all in the cultural triangle area). Most other sites/visits won’t be strenuous at all. The Dambulla cave temples are reached via a stairway of 800 steps broken up into three sections. At Mihintale, many of the remains are part or all the way up a flight of 1840 granite steps. The stairs can be taken relatively slowly, and the steps are mainly fairly shallow, and wide enough to sit down and rest when needed, whilst still allowing others to pass.
The biggest challenge is the morning spent at Sigiriya rock fortress, which, if you’d like to climb to the top involves a fairly steep ascent partly on carved stone steps and partly via a staircase attached to the side of the rock. See images of this and other sites by clicking on this link. There are other tourists waiting to get up behind you on fairly narrow staircases, so there are two main places to rest between sections (and you can take things fairly slowly) but in-between rest areas you need to be able to keep moving. However, the view at the top is simply spectacular. We anticipate that some of the group may opt to skip walking to the top, in which case there are gardens and ruins at its base to explore independently, as well as a museum. You can of course skip any of the three sites which involve more steps, however we just want to make people aware that there isn’t usually a cafe or gift shop to wait at at these sites, so you might need to sit on a stone in the sun/under a tree whilst waiting for the group to return. You can of course also opt to stay behind at the hotel that day and just enjoy the pool and other facilities.
Whilst sightseeing we may be strolling around a site for a few hours at one time, without the guarantee of somewhere shady to stop and rest for all that long. At the sites of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa we will be outside for almost the whole day, although we will of course stop for lunch and will do our best to offer regular breaks and refreshments.
Shoes cannot be worn when walking on some of the remains (particularly the day at Polonnaruwa) and the stones can get rather hot in the sun, but socks can be worn. In July the weather is usually pleasant (and can be cool in the Hill Country) but at times it can be rather hot in the Cultural Triangle area where temperatures in the middle of the day could reach 33°C. It is important that everyone is able to keep up with the group (or is prepared to wait independently for the group to return, if they opt out of an excursion) so that we can see everything in the time allocated. We won’t be rushing about, but equally aren’t able to wait for long periods for very slow walkers to catch up if they want to join in with all sightseeing.
Many of the sites during the tour are not wheelchair accessible. If you routinely use sticks or a cane to walk short distances we regret that this tour won’t be suitable, but please contact us as we will be happy to arrange a private trip to Sri Lanka with your own guide instead, which can be personally tailored to match your mobility requirements. If you hike using hiking poles for balance and stamina over longer distances/slopes, those are perfectly fine to bring.
We know that age is not always a reliable indicator of fitness, but prospective participants over the age of 80 will be given a letter to be signed by their GP to say they are fit enough to undertake this tour.
Trip Scholar
Professor Robin Coningham (Cantab) Chair of Early Medieval Archaeology, Durham University
Professor Coningham studied archaeology and anthropology at King’s College, Cambridge and, after a six-month appointment as Graduate Scholar of the British Institute in Eastern Africa, returned to King’s as a Scholar to complete his PhD under the supervision of the late Dr F.R. Allchin, FBA. He has spent over 25 years conducting archaeological research across South Asia, including fieldwork in Bagladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. He was for many years co-director of a major excavation at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, analyzing the organization and development of the city’s extra-mural settlements. This work recognized the centralizing role played by Buddhist monasteries within the hinterland as well as the role of irrigation in sustaining colonization in the island’s Dry Zone. Prof Coningham holds the Chair of Early Medieval Archaeology at Durham University and in 2014 was appointed the inaugural holder of UNESCO’s Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage.
Lectures during our tours
All our tours are accompanied by an academic ‘trip scholar’ as well as local guides. The local guide or guides provide the day-to-day guiding on our tours, whilst the trip lecturer will give regular lectures on his/her specialist subject throughout to provide an academic overview. Lectures/talks usually last 30-40 minutes including questions and answers (if applicable). These are generally held in the evenings before dinner and attendance is optional. On some tours lectures may be given in other locations such as during longer bus journeys or at a site, depending on the lecturer and the schedule. We don’t usually specify before travel which days the lectures will be given (for operational reasons) but guests can expect them roughly every other day as a minimum, with some lecturers giving some kind of talk or presentation more frequently.
Pre-Tour Extensions
For those who are able to arrive a few days early into Colombo, we have a selection of wonderful coastal and beach hotels we can recommend in Negombo, and also extra nights at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo for those who would like to adjust to the climate and time zone for a day or two before the tour starts. Please enquire for options and prices.
Post-Tour Extensions
For those with more time, why not add an extra few nights in the charming town of Galle, with its strollable city centre and excellent restaurants and boutiques. Alternatively, we can suggest the following extension ideas a little further afield:
Maldives
Why not add 4-7 nights in the amazing atolls of the Maldives, just a short 90 minute hop by air from Sri Lanka. Weather in July can be a little changeable but generally days should be warm and sunny. with the odd rain-shower. We’ve inspected several island resorts and would be delighted to help you pick an option which suits your budget and interests.
East Coast Sri Lanka
A 40 minute scheduled floatplane from Colombo, the coastal city of Trincomalee (or Trinco, as it’s known locally) and the relaxed resort area of Passadukah make excellent extensions to the tour as the weather on this side if the island is ideal in July. Accommodation is limited to around 3-4 recommended hotels and resorts; please enquire for details and a suggested itinerary for a 3-5 night stay in either location, as relaxing or as cultural as you’d like.
A host of bespoke private extensions within Sri Lanka and stop-overs beyond Sri Lanka (to India and more) can also be added to any specification, please speak to Lia, our tour coordinator for more details, at lia@templeworld.com.
