The Land of Ceylon

Arrival at the airport at least 2 hours in advance. Boarding formalities and departure for Colombo. Night on board.

Assistance at the airport on arrival and transfer to Colombo. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast. Transfer to Galle, the epic capital of the south, the place where classic Dutch architecture meets a tropical setting, creating a vivid atmosphere of beauty. Galle was one of Ceylon's main ports, a city rich in history as it was the center of Dutch rule in the 17th century and Galle's majestic 90-hectare fort bears witness to this. The Dutch Museum and the Dutch church are two tourist attractions in Galle, which is also known for its handmade decorative objects. As one of the best preserved cities in Southeast Asia, it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue to Yala National Park. Spanning almost 130,000 hectares, the park spreads its glory across vast grasslands, shrublands, ponds and dunes: it is the heart of Sri Lanka's wildlife and the lands of a civilization that thrived during the rule of the Sri Lankan kings. Drive by jeep into the park where you will find herds of elephants, bears, sloths, jackals, herds of birds, as well as the highest density of leopards in the world, making Yala one of the best destinations in the country. Dinner and accommodation. 

Breakfast. Departure for Ella, a small village in the middle of the mountains that offers spectacular views and leisurely walks through nature, tea plantations, temples and waterfalls. In the evening, when the sky is clear, you can see the stars and the distant glow of the houses. Drive to Nuwara Eliya, a picturesque town on the shores of Lake Gregory, surrounded by mountains with beautiful scenery, also known as "Little England" for its colonial architecture or "City of Light" for its meaning in Sinhalese. This is followed by a visit to a tea factory to see the tea making process up close, learning about the plants, the machines the leaves have to pass through and the different varieties of tea this island is known for. The visit ends with a tea tasting. Transfer to Kandy. In the evening, watch a traditional dance show. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast. Visit to Kandy's main attractions. This World Heritage city was the capital of the last Sinhalese state on the island to fall under foreign rule. Visit the Temple of the Buddha's Tooth, where you can also see the palace and gardens that share the complex with the temple and the artificial lake that surrounds a large part of the city. Continue to Matale, an agricultural area in the island's Central Province that led the rebellion in 1848 and today stands out for its contribution through iconic crops ranging from tea, rubber and vegetables to a variety of spices. Visit a spice garden to learn about the island's wide variety of spices and their properties. Also enjoy a 10-minute Ayurvedic massage. This is followed by a visit to the Golden Temple of Dambulla, a World Heritage Site and an important place of pilgrimage for 2200 years. The complex of 5 cellars, with more than 2000 m2 of painted walls, is the largest area of paintings found in the world and contains more than 150 Buddha images. Transfer to Habarana. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast. Transfer to Pidurangala Rock. A secret treasure whose history is closely linked to Lion Rock, Sigiriya Fortress and the king who made it his royal residence. Continue to Polonnaruwa, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Here you can see the ruins of the Royal Palace, as well as the Gal Vihare, a stone shrine with three statues of Buddha in different postures: sitting, standing and reclining. There is also the statue of Parakrama Bahu, all examples of Sri Lankan stone sculptures. Transfer to the hotel in Habarana. Dinner and accommodation. 

Breakfast. Departure for Sigiriya, the "Fortress of Heaven", which is perhaps the most fantastic on the island. It is also known as the "Lion Stone", because of a lion that used to stand at the entrance to the fortress. The stone rises to a height of around 152 meters. At the top are the foundations of what was once a grand palace with gardens and a swimming pool. Cultural visit to the village of Hiriwaduna, with a short stroll around the lotus flower pond, a visit to a Sinhalese village in an ox cart that has been used for hundreds of years to cultivate the land. Dinner and accommodation. 

Breakfast. Visit to the Silver Temple, a Buddhist shrine carved into the rock with a 9-meter reclining Buddha, surrounded by impressive walls. Continue to Negombo, a historic coastal city with an important colonial heritage. Tour of the city, which has several buildings dating back to the time of Dutch and Portuguese political and cultural domination. Visit to the Dutch fort and the Catholic Church of Santa Maria. Dinner and accommodation. 

Breakfast. At a time to be arranged locally, transfer to Colombo airport. Boarding formalities and departure for Portugal. Night on board.