- Sri Lanka
- Grand Tour of Sri Lanka
Journey to the heart of this captivating island, boasting an incredible variety of highlights from undiscovered pristine beaches in the East, to ancient civilisations and sacred pilgrimage sites in the Cultural Triangle. Journey high up into the tea plantations of Sri Lanka's hill country and then down to Udawalawe and Yala to experience Sri Lanka's stunning wildlife, and discover the country's rich history in Colonial Galle and the capital, Colombo.
Depart London on your scheduled, overnight flight to Colombo.
Dinner
On arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel in Colombo. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure before a welcome cocktail and dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today, enjoy a half-day tour starting with the vibrant temples and bazaars of Pettah. Next, visit the Old Dutch hospital, a highlight of the newly restored Fort complex. After lunch, enjoy the afternoon at leisure.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning, enjoy breakfast before your leisurely journey to Dambulla. After lunch, continue to Dambulla Rock Temple. This collection of impressive caves contains over 2000 square metres of painted walls and ceilings, which were once gilded by the ancient King to mark his place of worship.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today starts with an early morning journey north to the ancient city of Anuradhapura, the spiritual heart of the Cultural Triangle. On route, visit the sleepy village of Mihintale and its nearby sacred mountain peak and temple complex. After lunch, embark on a city tour. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Anuradhapura is the first capital and undoubtedly the grandest city of ancient Sri Lanka. The city ruins are one of South Asia's most evocative sites and contains a rich collection of crumbling temples, vast monasteries and elaborate palaces. Learn about its fascinating history and marvel at the sacred Bodhi tree.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Undoubtedly a highlight of the tour, today's excursion is to the awe-inspiring Sigiriya Rock Fortress. The ancient city of Sigiriya is a World Heritage Site and the city ruins lie on the slopes and summit of the imposing granite peak, towering above the jungle below. Climb up steps carved into the rock face to see the fortified palace and enjoy the spectacular views over this ancient citadel. Return to your hotel for lunch and enjoy an afternoon at leisure.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After an early breakfast, depart Dambulla and visit the city of Polonnaruwa. Scattered over gently undulating woodland, explore the monumental ruins of the ancient garden-city, before continuing to Passikudah.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today has been left at leisure for you to relax and enjoy Passikudah's powder-white sands and emerald waters on Sri Lanka's laid-back, less-visited east coast.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, travel toward Kandy, visiting a spice garden in Matale on route. After lunch, continue to the Central Hills Kandy and head to the famous Temple of the Tooth which houses Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic - a tooth of Buddha. You will arrive in time for 'pooja' when the heavily guarded room housing the relic opens to both pilgrims and travellers.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Cradled amongst misty hills, the small city of Kandy exudes history, culture and beauty. Explore the famous botanical gardens of Peradeniya, full of exotic palms, colourful orchids and home to over 4,000 species of trees and plants. Then, enjoy a tour followed by an afternoon and evening at leisure.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Sri Lanka is one of the world's largest exporters of tea and today you will travel to Nuwara Eliya, which has been the capital of this industry since the 19th century. En route to your hotel, stop at a tea plantation and inhale the heavenly scent of the Ceylon tea brand.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A morning tour of Nuwara Eliya begins today, driving through the lush, green tea plantations dotted with the colourful saris of the women working in them. Lunch will be served in a local village, Ella, with far-reaching views over the misty landscapes beyond.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Udawalawe national park is renowned for its elephant viewing opportunities against the stunning backdrop of the surrounding hills. Rising early this morning, embark on a Jeep safari within Udawalawe National Park, home to elephants, deer, water buffalo, monkeys and a variety of bird species. Just outside the park is the Elephant Transit Home, an inspirational project started to rehabilitate injured elephants. On your way back to the hotel visit Katharagama Temple. A shrine for all four religions in Sri Lanka to exist in harmony. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After some free time this morning, enjoy a Jeep safari in the nearby Yala national park awaits. Seek elephants, sloths, deer and, with the highest density of leopards in the world, you may even be lucky enough to spot one of these elusive animals.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Departing Tissamaharama, you will travel to the Mirissa. The idyllic crescent of beach, fringed with coconut palms and soft golden sands, is the perfect place to crack open a coconut and relax.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
This morning, you will travel to Galle, an ancient fort and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This national treasure has been inhabited by the Portuguese, Dutch and British, all of whom left their distinctive marks, visible through the sleepy streets strewn with colonial buildings, restaurants and small boutique shops.
Breakfast
After breakfast, transfer to Colombo for your return flight, or continue on to your chosen extension.
Sorry we cannot book this tour online at the moment.
Kevin Morley
27 Mar 20All hotels were 100% excellent, with the exception of The Palm Garden Village in Anuradhapura.
Christopher Dainty
26 Mar 20Quality accommodation
Trevor Denison
14 Mar 20All very good. With such a comprehensive Itinerary, all meals included, great value for money. Guide, hotels, meals, organisation all excellent.
Elizabeth Ward
11 Mar 20We enjoyed every one of the hotels. They were different but all good quality.
Andy Heard
16 Feb 20Great selection of a variety of hotels all providing excellent comfortable accommodation, great food and superb hospitality .
Wayne Sherratt
29 Nov 19The hotels could not be faulted. Some were different but a pleasure to stay in them.
B Evans
08 Nov 19Excellent holiday, special thanks to Kusum guide/ driver. Superb hotels and well organised.
David Alastair Fleming
26 Oct 19Generally excellent, but some variability, especially with lunch stops.
Christine Moloney
26 Apr 19Some of the hotel rooms & around the pools could have been a bit cleaner. The food & hotel staff were excellent. This was one of the best tour holidays we have taken. The size of the group was perfect as we were able to get on & off the coach quickly & was more friendly with a small number people. The food could not be faulted & the places we ate, other than the hotels, were such a good choice.
David Seares
21 Apr 19All hotels were of a good standard
Michael Sabec
07 Apr 19Very high standard of hotels throughout the tour. Meals in all the hotels were excellent with a very good choice of Sri Lankan or western food. The excellent and knowledgeable service provided by the tour guide, assisted by the coach driver and his assistant, made this a very memorable tour.
Matthew Forde
01 Apr 19All the hotels were excellent, the rooms were terrific in all locations. Most of the service was of a high quality although there were occasional lapses due to lack of training. The buffets were generally well presented and fulsome. The tour was amazing value for money and the guide Lathif was exceptional and ensured the tour exceeded all our expectations.
James Neary
28 Mar 19Most of the Hotels were very good. All reviewed on Trip Advisor individually
Stuart Wilkinson
18 Mar 19All the hotels were of a very good standard with all staff being friendly and helpful. All the hotels varied in style which made the trip all the more enjoyable.
M Glover
15 Mar 19Sudesh our tour guide was outstanding and after many tours around the world, he is probably the best guide we have ever met.
Denise Stendall
26 Feb 19All hotels were good,they were all very helpful providing gluten free food for my husband and at every meal, Ernest, our guide, spoke to the chef on our behalf. The whole trip was well organised, the hotels were good, everything went beyond our expectations. Thank you for a wonderful holiday.
Richard Swaine
09 Feb 19All the hotels selected were good and some of a very high class.
All the meals were beyond our expectations
Marion Slade
09 Feb 19We were most impressed by the standard of hotels used throughout. All were well located, very clean and furnished and appointed to a high standard. We especially enjoyed the Calm Resort at Pasikudah and the Amaya Hills hotel.
Mike Hill
08 Dec 18All hotels were good/excellent- generally buffet meals - occasional waiter service for a change would be appreciated. The guide is singled out for special mention for his attention to detail and planning efficiency it was reassuring to have a good safe driver.
M Braide
30 Oct 18Highly organised with attention to detail and planning. The tour was very well planned with two stops at coastal resorts to ease the pace of the tour. The driver gave excellent service. The hotels generally very good standard.
A fantastic value for money tour, with one of the best tour managers that I have ever met.
Highly recommended.
Katie Philpott
05 Oct 18Most of the hotels were very good quality. I particulary liked the Hotel Palm Garden and The Calm Resort.
Katrina Matthews
19 Sep 18Fantastic good quality 3 and 4 star hotels some with amazing views
Leonard Goodes
15 Sep 18Hotels were of a high standard and represented good value for money.
Peter Williams
10 Jul 18All hotels were excellent. Rooms and food brilliant! All staff very good and helpful.
Theresa Robinson
20 May 18All hotels were excellent
Owen Woodward
17 Mar 18Some hotels a bit dated but generally all good
Neil And Sharon Walker
28 Jul 17Excellent accommodation and food. Far exceeded our expectations.
Jon & Anne Sass
28 Mar 17The hotels were of exceptional high standard. All in fantastic locations, rooms excellent and food and service extremely good. Have no negatives at all, very good value.
Jennifer Hancock
07 Dec 16The standard of the hotels we visited was good . We have no complaints about any hotel .
Mark Symes
06 Oct 16Excellent tour with great guide and hotels.
Carol Bickerstaff
09 Jun 16Newton the guide was very patient and informative and a wonderful host. The driver was fabulous and made us feel safe even when others were testing him with their bad driving. Chmi was a very pleasant young man and very helpful on the coach getting water with a smile.
John Coyne
09 Jun 16Absolutely first class!! The guide was knowledgeable and a great travel companion. Excellent value given the quality of hotels and the small size of the group.
John Coyne
31 May 16Absolutely first class!! Knowledgeable guides and fantastic tour companions. Exceptional value given the quality of hotels and small size of groups.
David Tyler
31 Mar 16All Hotels were excellent with a good range of facilities. Buffet meals were also good with a wide selection.
The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-today itinerary as printed; however order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of €324.50pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
A visa is required for entry into Sri Lanka. You can apply and pay for your visa online. Please visit https://www.srilankaevisa.lk/ to obtain your visa. You should get your approval notice within 24 hours, and you can use this to enter Sri Lanka. A visa can still be obtained when arriving at Colombo airport but visas will cost more on arrival. Alternatively, we work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa for you on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote "Mercury Holidays". Passports must be valid for a minimum period of six months from the date of arrival in Sri Lanka. Visa requirements are subject to change and obtaining a visa is the responsibility of the traveller and not Mercury Holidays. We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding visas and passport validity.
Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.
IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport
Please note we will require your APIS/Passport information at least 2 months in advance to pre purchase your Safari passes, this can be uploaded via our website on "Manage My Booking".
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of Grand Tour of Sri Lanka is rated Challenging. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, and you will be getting on and off coaches, and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in a variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater to customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary. Early morning trains and flights depending upon the schedule and some early morning sightseeing’s are also in this tour. Please note there are approximately 1,300 steps to Sigiriya Rock Fortress. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
The currency in Sri Lanka is the Rupee (LKR) and it is a closed currency. This means it is not possible to buy Sri Lankan money in the UK before you travel. It is important to budget carefully as you should not take any Rupee (LKR) out of Sri Lanka when you depart. There are foreign exchange offices and cash machines available in most places during your tour. Your tour guide will assist you at the start of your tour with currency exchange. Credit and debit cards are accepted in most hotels and some shops and restaurants; a charge is sometimes added for using them. You can take cash or travellers' cheques (in pounds sterling or another foreign currency) and/or a bank card with you and exchange or withdraw rupees once in Sri Lanka. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in your local currency. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £400 will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.
Tipping
It is customary to tip your guide and driver. This is at your discretion, but we recommend you allow this will be collected by your guide at the end of your tour for your convenience. We would recommend approximately £5 per person, per day for the driver and assistant and £4 per person, per day for the national guides. It is asked that if you do not tip in the local currency, please do not give coins as these are difficult to exchange. Most guides collect a kitty tip, approximately GBP 25pp for the whole tour. Guides usually collect this at the beginning of the tour to tip bell boys, porters, trackers, and other assistants who will service you throughout the tour.
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 20. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You may also be joined by a local guide in some of the cities which you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.
Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.
Safari Vehicles
Your safari will be taken in a jeep which seats up to 6 people. Safari drivers take you to areas of the park where wildlife are more likely to be seen but as with all wildlife experiences nothing can be guaranteed. Please note that many paths inside the park are bumpy and dusty.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.
Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours. Please note: Please take cash for drinks in the hotels as cards are not always accepted.
There are some dry hotels in Sri Lanka, and some hotels where alcohol can be consumed on the premise but must be brought in from outside. Your guide will pre-warn you of this and if anyone in the group would like to purchase drinks before getting then he will arrange for you to visit a local shop and get what you need wherever possible.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan, vegetarian and non-spicy meal options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. 2 bottles of water are supplied per person per day on your tour.
Alcoholic Drinks
During a full moon and religious holidays alcohol shops are closed and it is prohibited by law to serve liquor in any establishment on that day.
In Sri Lanka they celebrate various festivals throughout the year, Vesak Poya is considered one of the most important Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka and is celebrated during the full moon in May. The celebrations begin on the full moon day and continue for a week, where every corner has magical and colourful lanterns. Thai Pongal is the equivalent to a thanksgiving festival usually celebrated in January, followed by the Sinhala and Tamil New Year which is usually celebrated in April, it is a festival were people ensure their houses are clean, purchase new clothes, and prepare many traditional sweets.
It is seen as respectful to cover your shoulders and not to expose too much skin in Sri Lanka, so it would be advisable to pack a shawl or similar for women to cover up, including wearing up to/covering your knees when entering religious buildings etc.
Please note that plastic bottles are banned in the national parks so keep a reusable water bottle for your tour.
On your arrival in Colombo you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Aitken Spence, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Aitken Spence representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any queries.
If you need to contact Aitken Spence during your stay the details are:
Aitken Spence Travel (Colombo): 4th Floor, Aitken Spence Towers 02 315, Vauxhall Street, Colombo 02, Sri Lanka.
Emergency contact information: Please find below the emergency contact details for Aitken Spence Travel Contact Telephone number Rizmika 0094 772 916461 Anu 0094 774 593182