Ancient Capitals

Meet on arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport and will transfer to Anuradhapura Hotel. In the afternoon, leave for Anuradhapura City Tour; the first capital of Sri Lanka. Here you will see the remains of the Brazen Palace (which was once nine storey high) and the Sri Maha Bodhi; a Bo Tree over 2,000 years old, grown from the branch of the very tree beneath which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Return for dinner and overnight stay at hotel.

After breakfast, visit the ruins of the Ruwanweliseya Dagaba. See the 2nd Century BC shrine containing the Buddha’s collarbone relic, the Abhayagiriya temple and the Jetawanaramaya Dagobas. Next, visit the Kuttam Pokuna or twin ponds and the Samadhi Buddha a statue of the Buddha in a meditative pose, which is being acknowledged worldwide as a masterpiece. After that proceed to Polonnaruwa, the second capital of Sri Lanka in the 11th and 12th centuries. Visit the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Lankatilleke Vihare (3rd Century AD), the Thuparama Dagoba and the Gal Vihare, three splendid statues of the Buddha in upright, sedan and recumbent postures, all carved out of a large rock. Other interesting sights are the Lotus Bath, Tivanke Image House with the best-known Buddhist frescoes of Sri Lanka, and man- made ParakaramaSamudra’ built by ParakaramaBahu the Great. Check in at a hotel in Sigiriya

Enjoy breakfast before proceeding to Sigiriya and climb the Rock Fortress built by King Kasyapa (473-491 AD) – the patricide God King. Having climbed the rock you will encounter the remains of the Palace and its environs. See the famous frescoes. Enroute to Kandy, explore the Dambulla Rock Cave Temple followed by a stop at the Spice Garden in Matale. In Kandy, tour the Temple of the Tooth Relic and watch a cultural dance performance.

Following breakfast, embark on a Kandy City Tour including the Upper Lake Drive. Proceed to Colombo and enroute, visit the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya. Then stop by the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawela, which is a home to elephants that were found abandoned or orphaned in the wild. Watch them take their daily bath at a nearby river. Return to Colombo or transfer to the airport for your departure.