How to plan the best Sri Lanka 9 days tour?

Sri Lanka 9 days tour is one of the popular activities among travellers as it offers a wide range of places to visit within a short period of time, Sri Lanka is a tropical island with a glorious past and an extraordinary future. The air of Sri Lanka will swing you in each way and make you a part of its soil, in some way or the other. Sri Lanka Tourism holds an odyssey of diverse terrain that starts with green-capped mountains rising up to 2500 meters above sea level to tropical delights, satisfying your soul with all the twists, turns, and swirls. This blog post is about “10 places to visit on Sri Lanka t9 days tour“, here to help you sort the best destinations for your Sri Lanka 9-day itinerary. This is a list of what this 9-day Sri Lanka trip has to offer, so get ready to fall in love with Sri Lanka all over again. Sri Lanka is abundantly rich when it comes to culture and rooted traditions. With culture changing tremendously in every part of the country, it is a cultural melting pot with vivid customs and traditions, which in the end, are connected as one.

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In the medieval period, Sri Lanka was also called pearl in the orient and paradise island, whoever thought of those names had not taken it lightly; you are in search of some beautiful places to experience some magical scenery, and dreamlike vistas that you see on television, travel documentaries, venturing on Sri Lanka tour package is the best bet for you. This tropical island offers hundreds of interesting places for travellers. Whether you look for an adventure tour, a beach tour to relax, a family holiday or a honeymoon tour, the island is capable of catering to your expectations.

How to choose the best places to visit on Sri Lanka 9 days tour package?

There are hundreds of places to visit on a Sri Lanka 9-day itinerary and it is no wonder you think of “How to choose the best places to visit in Sri Lanka tour package“. Selecting a handful of tourist attractions to include in the Sri Lanka tour is a daunting task, especially when it is a tour package like 9 day Sri Lanka tour, that’s why you need the support of a tour operator in Sri Lanka such as Serendipity tours.

What to consider when planning a Sri Lanka 9 days tour

Planning a tour in a foreign country can be tricky and need proper planning. Therefore, having the support of a native tour operator in your holiday destination is always well worth it. The foreign tour operator plans the best tour itinerary for you and gives you the best value for what you pay. When you plan a tour package such as 9 day Sri Lanka tour, selecting the tourist attractions is very important, because you can visit only a handful of places on your trip. That is why we decided to craft this blog post. In this article, we present to you a handful of interesting places that you can pack into your 9-day Sri Lanka tour package. There are 4 major factors to consider while selecting the places for your Sri Lanka trip package. The most important things to consider are,

  • Weather pattern- At any given time of the year you have to choose either the east coast or west coast for your beach tour due to the rain
  • Time of the trip – November to April west and south coast has dry weather and from April to October west coast and south coast comes under heavy rain
  • Duration of your Sri Lanka tour package – You can pack cultural triangle, Sri Lanka hills country, east coast, southern Sri Lanka, west coast, and many more, however, how much time you have is important.
  • The choices of the travellers – Travellers can choose adventure holidays, nature tours, hiking and trekking tours, wildlife holidays, beach stays, and many more

What are the 10 most important places to visit on a Sri Lanka 9 days tour package?

The below-mentioned tour takes place on the “Sri Lanka southern route” the most popular travel route on the island, The tourist attractions mentioned in this article are very popular and included in many tour itineraries planned on the southern route. Especially if you plan a Sri Lanka trip from November to April you are gound to follow the southern route. From November to April travellers on the southern route can experience the best weather on teh island with warm and sunny days. The tourist attractions mentioned in the article are chosen from historical monuments, wildlife parks, Sri Lanka’s hill country, Sri Lanka’s south coast, and Sri Lanka’s west coast. The Sri Lanka tour on the southern route is the most popular among travellers. The tourist attractions mentioned in this article can be visited on a Sri Lanka trip on the southern route. If you venturing on a Sri Lanka trip to northern or eastern Sri Lanka you may be able to visit only a few places mentioned in this article.

  1. Colombo
  2. Anuradhapura
  3. Polonnaruwa historical city
  4. Sigiriya rock fortress
  5. Dambulla golden cave temple
  6. Kandy tooth relic temple
  7. Colonial city of Galle Fort
  8. Yala national park
  9. Bentota Beach
  10. Nuwara Eliya

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How to reach Sri Lanka?

Being an island there are only two methods of reaching the island, air transport or cruise ships and most travellers use air travel to reach the island. Colombo international airport is the busiest airport on the island and 95% of international travellers land at Colombo airport. Therefore, most tour packages meant for international travellers start in Colombo. The below-mentioned tour for 10 days in Sri Lanka also starts in Colombo and ends in Colombo.

Places to visit in Sri Lanka in 3 days, 10 Places To Visit In 9 Days In Sri Lanka Car Tours
Udawalawe national park is the most popular in Sri Lanka to see wild elephants. The park is included in most wildlife tours such as 4 days Sri Lanka southern tour and it can be also booked on a one-day trip from Colombo.

The best program for a Sri Lanka 9-day itinerary

This program for 10 days in Sri Lanka car tour is all about those, who look for an extra little comfort and turn their holiday into an unforgettable holiday experience. This is a private tour with a fascinating blend of history, nature, culture, wildlife, beaches, and some opportunities for shopping in Sri Lanka.

First of all, we invite travellers to get into the swing of activities and things at their own pace. In view of this, travellers can consider a variety of cultural activities, wildlife tours, adventure activities, and leisure time to explore mixing with excellent handpicked, comfortable accommodations with environmental credentials.

How much does it cost for a Sri Lanka 9 days tour?

The price of the 9-day Sri Lanka tour varies due to many reasons such as the type of accommodation included in the package, places included in the sightseeing tour and activities planned during the trip. The Sri Lanka tour package prices are increased over the last few years due to the ever-increasing fuel price, increasing electricity tariff, and inflation. The entrance fees to most tourist places in Sri Lanka are also considerably increased in 2022. Due to the facts that I mentioned earlier the tour package cost in Sri Lanka is increased by around 20 per cent in 2022.

The accommodation is the main contributor to your Sri Lanka 9 days tour package. So, if you are on a tight budget, you can reduce the package price by choosing affordable accommodation facilities. It allows you to reduce the package price by big amounts. Entrance fees and activities make up the 2nd biggest chunk of the Sri Lanka tour package. The cost of transport, charges for guide and meals do not make much difference when it comes to deciding the price of teh toru package.

If you go for a Sri Lanka 9 days tour package with affordable but good accommodation facilities and private transport it would cost around US$ 1200 for 2 persons. If you choose accommodation facilities such as a 4-5 star hotel with daily 2 meals (breakfast and dinner), private transport it would cost around US$ 1600 for 2 persons.

What includes in the Sri Lanka 9-day itinerary?

  • Polonnaruwa ancient city
  • Sigiriya rock fortress
  • Dambulla golden temple
  • Tooth relic temple Kandy
  • Royal botanical garden Peradeniya
  • Spice/herbal garden
  • Kandyan cultural show
  • Tea factory/garden
  • Gregory Lake and Downtown Nuwara Eliya
  • Yala National Park
  • Galle Fort
  • Hikkaduwa Beach
  • Madu River estuary
  • Downtown Galle
  • Mirissa
  • Colombo

What are the activities included in the Sri Lanka 9-day itinerary?

  • Colombo sightseeing tour
  • Polonnaruwa temple tour
  • Visiting Polonnaruwa museum
  • Hike at Sigiriya rock fortress
  • Walking tour of the Botanical garden
  • Hill Country blue train journey
  • Technical tour of the tea factory
  • Guided walking tour of Galle fort
  • City tour of Nuwar Eliya
  • Walking tour of spice/herbal garden
  • Visiting Kandyan cultural show
  • Take part in the puja ceremony at the tooth relic temple
  • Visiting Dambulla golden temple
  • Whale watching in Mirissa
  • Mangrove lagoon boat tour
  • Exploring Hikkaduwa beach
  • Temple visit in Colombo
  • Shopping in Colombo
  • Ayurveda spa massage

Below Sri Lanka, a 9-day itinerary offers numerous opportunities to experience a wide range of Sri Lanka’s best-kept secrets from the golden triangle or better known as the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka which features thousands of years of historical monuments to the Udawalawe wildlife reserve and blue whale watching on the western coast Sri Lanka. Ayurveda treatments, canoeing, and bird watching are also ideal activities for southern Sri Lanka from entirely unique perspectives but this is your private program for 10 days in Sri Lanka so please feel free to do as much or as little as you wish.

You will be travelling in one of our luxurious cars featuring reclining seats, air-conditioning, and a spacious cabin, with your own driver/guide, the journey is extremely efficient and comfortable with plenty of opportunities to rest, relax and watch Sri Lanka’s beautiful countryside pass by your window.

Whether it is one of the Sri Lanka car tours or coach tours to this fascinating island, it is not completed if you miss the pristine beaches of Sri Lanka.

What are the beaches included in 9 days Sri Lanka itinerary?

The 10 days Sri Lanka trip includes the southern coast of Sri Lanka as well as the western coast. However, you will be anchoring for 3 days on the south coast beach resort of Mirissa. The beach with pristine sandy beaches but is less crowded compared to most beaches in Sri Lanka and is ideal for relaxing in a peaceful manner.

In this fascinating program for 10 days in Sri Lanka, you spend 3 nights at a beachfront luxury resort while exploring the coastal areas with your loved ones. The resort provides plenty of opportunities to entertain you with its indoor sports centre, animators, and nearby water sports centre. Boating, canoeing, riding on a water scooter, surfing, and diving is some of the popular water sport activities at your doorstep of the resort.

Is Sri Lanka 9 days tour includes the cultural triangle?

Away from the beaches in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka, sniff the rich historical past of one of the uninterrupted civilizations in the world, starting from the 5th century BC to now. Visit the ancient engineering marvels of Sigiriya rock fortress, Dambulla cave temple, Anuradhapura historical site and Polonnaruwa ancient city all are UNESCO world heritage sites.  

Dive into picture-perfect scenery in the mountain in Sri Lanka

After visiting the historical monuments, enjoy the breathtaking scenery in the tea country, where you encounter green-capped mountains, ravines, cascading waterfalls, rivers, patches of forests and endless tea plantations. Trek to the Ramboda waterfalls in Ramboda pass and have a closer look into one of the most beautiful waterfalls on the island while visiting a tea factory to see the art of tea making.

What type of accommodation is included in Sri Lanka 9 days tour?

All accommodations are provided in 4-star standard hotels with all facilities such as air-conditioning, hot/cold water, VC, Attach bathrooms, luxury beds, safety deposit boxes, tea/coffee making machine, mini-bar, 24 hours security, and many other facilities.

This one of the Sri Lanka Car tours has been carefully composed to make sure that there are no compromises have been made with regard to comfort and luxury. The services required by the guests are provided by businesses and communities that have good environmental practices.

This is not another package tour, where you are a part of a big group; this means the tour is highly customizable to suit your interests and needs, and our team is ready to work with you to ensure that the tour package enables you to have a best possible holiday in Sri Lanka.

What is the best time for a Sri Lanka 9-day itinerary?

The best time for the tour package that we discuss here is from November to April. Most places on the island see the sunrise during this period and only a few places on the east and north coast get downpours. Most parts of Sri Lanka 10 days tour packages revolve around the Sri Lanka central province, south coast, and western province and these places are best for outdoor activities from November to April. However, the best months are December, January, February, and March. If you are hoping to book this 10 days trip and are still not sure when is the best time to travel to Sri Lanka. Please check this article on our blog under the title “best time to visit Sri Lanka“.

What is the itinerary of the Sri Lanka 9-day itinerary?

  1. Day 1 of 10 days Sri Lanka tour: Colombo-Sigiriya
  2. Day 2 of 10 days Sri Lanka tour: Sigiriya-Polonnaruwa
  3. Day 3 of 10 days Sri Lanka tour: Sigiriya-Dambulla-Kandy
  4. Day 4 of 10 days Sri Lanka tour: Kandy-Nuwara Eliya
  5. Day 5 of 10 days Sri Lanka tour: Nuwara Eliya-Yala
  6. Day 6 of 10 days Sri Lanka tour: Yala-Mirissa
  7. Day 7 of 10 days Sri Lanka tour: Mirissa
  8. Day 8 of 10 days Sri Lanka tour: Mirissa
  9. Day 9 of 10 days Sri Lanka tour: Mirissa-Galle-Hikkaduwa-Bentota-Colombo
  10. Day 10 of 10 days Sri Lanka tour: Departure

Map of 9 days Sri Lanka tour

9 days Sri Lanka car tour
9 days Sri Lanka car tour

Day 1 of Sri Lanka 9-day itinerary: Colombo-Sigiriya

Depart after arrival in Colombo; the journey takes you to a 4-star class hotel in Sigiriya, within the cultural triangle. The approximately estimated road distance from Colombo to Sigiriya is 169 km, and the transfer time is 5 hours depending on traffic conditions. The journey takes place through the picturesque countryside, small villages, coconut plantations and Rubber plantations, enjoy the excellent views over the picturesque countryside as you drive, En-route visit the elephant orphanage.

Visiting Elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka 9 days tour

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is the foster home of elephants of different ages and sizes feeding, bathing, playing together and even mating. These elephants have been found in the jungle with injuries or abandoned. Even you can see babies born in the elephant orphanage.

Dinner and overnight in Sigiriya

Day 2 of Sri Lanka 9-day itinerary: Sigiriya-Polonnaruwa

After breakfast journey to Sigiriya rock fortress, afterwards, visit Polonnaruwa, and in the evening visit Dambulla golden cave temple, the most impressive of Sri Lanka cave temples at Dambulla.

Visiting Sigiriya rock fortress

Have a leisurely breakfast and then journey to Sigiriya rock, which is just a few minutes away from your temporary residence. Sigiriya rock dates back to the 5th century a place complex, which owes its glory to the vision of King Kashyapa. The monarch erected this Sigiriya rock fortress with landscaped gardens, swimming pools, fountains and a palace on top of a monolithic rock 500 meters above sea level.

Visiting Polonnaruwa historical city

After the lunch journey to the second most ancient capital of Sri Lanka, known as Polonnaruwa, which was a well-planned and completed city with palaces, temples, lakes, gardens, roads, and many other things that had its heyday in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Today Polonnaruwa is a ruined city with a large number of monuments such as the Lankatilleke (image house), Thuparama (temple) and Gal Vihare (Image house). You will also visit the remains of the Royal Palace and Parakrama Samudra, a huge man-made water reservoir.

Dinner and overnight in Sigiriya

Day 3 of Sri Lanka 9-day itinerary: Sigiriya-Dambulla-Kandy

After breakfast leave for the hotel in Kandy via Matale and Dambulla. We have planned a few stops on the way to visit Dambulla golden temple, Muttumari Amman temple, and the spice garden. You will arrive at the hotel at around noon and in the afternoon experience the charm of Kandy on a hop-on hop-off city tour.

Visiting Dambulla golden cave temple

Built-in the 1st century BC, this UNESCO-designated world heritage site is made up of five caves with more than 2,000 square meters of painted walls and ceilings. This is the temple with the largest area of cave paintings to be found in the world.

After the breakfast journey to Kandy En-route visit Spice garden

Visiting Spice garden

Visit a spice garden in Matale, where you learn about a wide range of native herbs and spices and learn how they are been used in day to day life of Sri Lankan people.  Spices and herbs are used for Sri Lankan cuisine as well as to prepare Ayurveda medicine. The Spices of Sri Lanka attracted the early seafaring merchants, who made long voyages to purchase this precious merchandise from the kings of Lanka.

Sightseeing tour of Kandy

Arrive in Kandy, where an afternoon tour showcases one of the most beautiful of Sri Lanka’s cities, with its colonial splendour, situated around the man-made lake known as “Kiri Muhuda”. On the banks of the lake, you will see one of the most important sites for Buddhists, the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic and a visit to the Peradeniya botanical garden thereafter. The day is rounded off in the evening with a Sri Lanka cultural show.

Kandyan cultural show

The 1-hour cultural event takes place in the city of Kandy. This is one rare opportunity to see the typical Sri Lankan dance forms and musical performances. Kandyan school of dance performance has a close relationship to the Indian dance, which is believed to be the origin of Kandyan dance, many centuries ago. However, Kandyan dance evolved many centuries and has its own identity today. The thrilling performance features young and energetic dancers swirling in the air to the tune of drummers. The group of ladies dances makes more relaxing and rhythmic movements to mimic the movement of elephants and peacocks. The whole performance is graced by colourful costumes, masked dances, and thrilling fire acts! To make the show more exciting, some men perform a series of acrobats and stunts such as plate-spinning.

Tempel of the tooth relic

The most visited Buddhist temple on the island with roots going back to the 2nd century BC. The tooth relic temple is the most sacred Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka where the left eye tooth of Buddha is deposited. Tempel is visited not only by the Buddhist devotees of Sri Lanka but also by Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world.

Visiting the Royal botanical garden

The Botanical Garden of Peradeniya was a pleasure garden of a Kandyan King of the 16th Century and was later made into a Botanical Garden during the British regime.  This garden; one of the best in Asia is a place of beauty and a site for bird watchers.

Dinner and overnight in Kandy

Day 4 of Sri Lanka 9-day itinerary: Kandy-Nuwara Eliya

After breakfast leave for the hotel in Nuwara Eliya by hill country blue train. The hill country blue train journey is considered to be one of the most scenic train trips in the world and it attracts a large number of travellers every day. The 4-hour train journey features some of the most scenic and spellbinding scenery along the way. In the afternoon sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya.

Sightseeing tour of Nuwara Eliya

After breakfast you leave for Nuwara Eliya from Kandy, the road starts to ascend steadily and at noon, shortly before reaching Nuwara Eliya, you will have climbed up to 1’800 meters above sea level. You are now in the tea country; wherever you look, you will see tea plantations, the rich full green of thousands and thousands of tea bushes. And out of the green in regular intervals, the white-coloured tea factories will enchant your eyes. Occasionally you can see a few rice fields near isolated villages, vegetable plantations or gardens.

Visiting Tea factory

Visiting a tea plantation and a factory is a must if you head to Nuwara Eliya because you are in the tea country, where the world-famous “CELON TEA” is produced, so have planned a tea factory visit for you. Sri Lanka is famous for its Ceylon Tea, which has added cheers to many around the world over for more than a century.

Dinner and overnight in Nuwara Eliya

Day 5 of Sri Lanka 9 days itinerary: Nuwara Eliya-Yala

After a leisurely breakfast, you will be heading to the south coast of Sri Lanka. You will start the journey at the elevation of 1800 meters above sea level where the temperature is mild and fresh. However, by the time you reach your destination, which sits 100 meters above sea level, there will be scorching heat. You feel the rapid change of the climate and vegetation along your 4 hours of journey. In the afternoon Yala safari.

Safari at Yala national park

Today you are going to have the first jeep safari in a wildlife reserve on the island. Yala is one of the most popular wildlife reserves on the island and harbours a large number of wild animals such as leopards, sloth bears, elephants, wild buffalo, jackals, deer, and crocodiles. Yala is a leading wildlife park in the world for leopard sights. Due to the high concentration of leopards, in the park, leopard sighting is common here.

Dinner and overnight in Yala

Day 6 Sri Lanka 9 days tour: Yala national park-Mirissa

After breakfast leave for the beach hotel in Mirissa, check in at noon, and have leisure.

The distance from your hotel in Yala to Mirissa is about 100 km and the journey will take around 4 hours. So, we suggest you leave the hotel in Yala at around 9.00 am, you can sleep even a little bit longer, there is no rush, after all, this is a private tour. The journey from Yala to Mirissa is very picturesque and it takes place along the south coast beach. However, you will not see a few interesting landmarks on this stretch such as star fort Matara and Bata Atha agriculture village. The road is well-maintained and is free of traffic.

If you leave the hotel at around 9.00 am you will be able to reach Mirissa at around noon, usually, the check-in time is 2.00 pm but we can arrange an early check-in room for you at no extra cost. Therefore you can start your fun with the sun, sea, and sand right away. Today you will be staying in a beautiful, luxury boutique hotel that resides right on the beach of Mirissa. It has a beautiful pristine beach just behind the hotel and you will be opening to door to the shore.

Dinner and overnight at Hotel Mirissa

Day 7 of Sri Lanka 9 days tour: Mirissa

Early morning leave for a whale watching trip off the southern coast of Matara, which will be a half-day trip. In the afternoon leisure in the beach resort.

Whale watching Mirissa

Mirissa is a whale-watching hot spot in Asia and a large number of travellers gather here to venture into this fascinating activity. The waters around Sri Lanka’s south coast are home to a large number of whales and dolphins. Dolphins can be witnessed on the south coast throughout the year, however, the period from November to April is considered to be the best.  

Dinner and overnight at Hotel Mirissa

Day 8 of Sri Lanka 9 days tour: Mirissa

Leisure in the beach resort. The program does not include any activity and for the entire day, you are resting on the beach. However, if you like to do there are many saltwater-based activities such as diving, snorkelling, surfing, and many other watersports. Please contact your guide if you like to get it organized.

Dinner and overnight at Hotel Mirissa

Day 9: Mirissa-Colombo

Leave for Colombo via Galle, Hikkaduwa, and Bentota. Your trip today takes place mainly along the southwest coast of Sri Lana. We have planned a few stops in order to cover the important tourist attractions in southern Sri Lanka. You will be stopping at Galle for a guided walking tour of Galle Fort later make a stop at Hikkaduwa beach and followed by a boat tour of the Madu river estuary. Check-in at the hotel and leisure. In the late afternoon optional Colombo city tour.

Colombo city tour

The Colombo city tour is an optional activity and takes place in the late evening. You will be visiting a few important temples in Colombo such as Gangarama temple, Hindu temple, and Simamalaka. You also are visiting Viharamahadevi park, the independent memorial hall, Galle face green, Pettah, Cinnamon garden, and downtown Colombo.

End of Sri Lanka tour

Special note on Sri Lanka 9 days tour

  • This is an individual Tour and can tailor to your specific needs
  • Accommodations are on a double-sharing basis.
  • For a single basis, please inquire
  • For accommodations in deluxe hotels, please inquire

The FAQ on Sri Lanka 9 days tour

How much does it cost for a 10-day Sri Lanka tour?

The tour cost USD 950 per person on a twin double

What are the inclusions of the 10 days tour?

Accommodation on a H/B basis (daily breakfast and dinner included, 9 breakfasts and 9 dinners)
All transport in a quality air-conditioned car or van with (English or language you prefer) driver/guide
All sightseeing and entrance fees are as per the itinerary
All rates shown are quoted in US Dollars inclusive of applicable government tax and service charge on a net basis per person

The price does not include

Compulsory supplements in the hotel if it falls during your holiday
Tips of personal nature.
Meals and drinks not included in the description
Optional activity costs

What is the child rate?

For children between 05-11 years, USD 350 per child sharing a room with elders.
children less than 5 years free of charge

How do I get more information on this trip?

Our Staff is available from Monday to Friday from 9:00 – 18:30 hours.
For our foreign customers
+94 38 / 2238512
+94 77 / 4440977
Email:admin@seerendipitytours.com

Obtaining Visa

Most international travellers are required to have a visa to travel to Sri Lanka while some nationals are exempted from the visa requirement. At the moment more than 25 nations are exempted from a tourist visa, since August 2019.

The process of acquiring a visa is straightforward and less paperwork. Even, one can apply for an online visa through the Sri Lankan government website. Applying for a visa, finding accommodation, looking for one of the best Sri Lanka car tours, and finding the places to visit are key things that every traveller considers in the planning stage of the Sri Lanka tour.

Seerendipity Tour is an entirely locally owned travel company with a head office in Colombo. The highly experienced local staff is a key strength of Seerendipity Tours, and they can plan your dream holiday to Sri Lanka.

The best price guaranteed for you srilanka 5 days trip

When you book a tour with us, you directly book the tour with the local company, which means there are no middlemen and therefore you can guarantee the best price. Simply get in touch with us and let us know when you travel and what you like to see.

Plan your best srilanka 5 days trip with expert

Our staff makes a personalised programme for you, which you can change until you find the best package for you. You can also browse our existing tour packages for inspiration; all our ready-made tour packages are customizable and can be tailored to meet all your expectations. Write to us at admin@seerendipitytours.com, tel. 0094-77-440977, WhatsApp 0094-77-4440977

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