We write itineraries for a living and this is the shape most of them take. Ten days is enough to see the four Sri Lankas — ancient, highland, wild and coastal — without any day being a write-off.
The route
Days 1–2: Sigiriya. Drive north from the airport, about four hours. Sigiriya Rock at 7am on day two, Dambulla in the afternoon, and an optional elephant safari at Minneriya if the herds are in.
Day 3: Polonnaruwa, then Kandy. Cycle the medieval capital in the morning and continue south. Three hours of driving.
Day 4: Kandy. Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, the lake, and the evening puja at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Day 5: Nuwara Eliya. The climb into tea country, with Ramboda Falls and a factory tour. Three hours, all of it scenic.
Day 6: The train to Ella. Nanu Oya to Ella in reserved seats, roughly four hours. Your driver takes the luggage round by road.
Day 7: Ella to Yala. Little Adam’s Peak at dawn, then down to the dry zone. Three hours.
Day 8: Yala safari, then the coast. First jeeps through the gate at 5.30am, breakfast afterwards, then two hours west to the beach.
Days 9–10: The south coast and Galle. Whale watching from Mirissa in season, Galle Fort on the final morning, and 90 minutes on the expressway to the airport.
Why this order
Three reasons. It front-loads the long drive to day one, when you have just landed and are going to sleep anyway. It puts the physically demanding parts — Sigiriya, the hill walks — early, while you still have energy. And it ends at the beach, which is where a holiday should end.
What we would change for different travellers
- With young children: swap Yala for Udawalawe and add a night at the beach, cutting Polonnaruwa.
- Travelling May to September: replace the south coast with Trincomalee or Arugam Bay, and add a day to the drive.
- Interested in wildlife above all: drop a Kandy night and add a second safari.
- Honeymooning: cut Polonnaruwa and Nuwara Eliya, add two beach nights, and upgrade the hotels.
The costs
As a private tour with a driver-guide and mid-range hotels, this route costs from around USD 1,190 per person based on two sharing, plus roughly USD 130 per person in entrance fees. Doing it independently by bus and train would come in somewhere near USD 500 per person and take considerably longer.
We run this exact route as Classic Sri Lanka in 10 Days, and we will happily rearrange it for your dates.
