Places To Visit In Sri Lanka 7 Days Tour

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Sri Lanka is a small country, however, you will be able to cover only a few places on your Sri Lanka itinerary for 7 days, because this 7 days tour involved a lot of travelling, visiting tourist places and leisure. With proper planning of your 7 days Sri Lanka itinerary, you will be able to see top sites in the cultural triangle, Sri Lanka hill country, southern Sri Lanka and the west coast of Sri Lanka. This blog post is about the 38 best places to visit in Sri Lanka in 7 days. On this 7 days tour in Sri Lanka, you will be travelling about 1300km.

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Places To Visit In Sri Lanka 7 Days Tour

Sri Lanka is a small country, however, you will be able to cover only a few places on your Sri Lanka itinerary for 7 days, because this 7 days tour involved a lot of travelling, visiting tourist places and leisure. With proper planning of your 7 days Sri Lanka itinerary, you will be able to see top sites in the cultural triangle, Sri Lanka hill country, southern Sri Lanka and the west coast of Sri Lanka. This blog post is about the 38 best places to visit in Sri Lanka in 7 days. On this 7 days tour in Sri Lanka, you will be travelling about 1300km.

The article includes 38 tourist attractions that you encounter during the Sri Lanka trip. The tourists are able to visit most of them during the trip. However, the tourist should be prepared to leave out some of them from the tour itinerary due to time constraints.

1. Colombo-Anuradhapura-Sigiriya-Polonnaruwa-Kandy-Nuwara Eliya-Yala-Galle-Bentota

This is the most popular route for 7 days tour in Sri Lanka. The trip includes a fascinating blend of the historical site, cultural site, mountain scenery, nature, wildlife and beaches. The best time of the year to venture on this Sri Lanka trip is from November to April, due to the absence of rain on the south and west coast.

2. Colombo-Bentota-Galle-Yala-Nuwar Eliya-Kitulgala-Colombo

This program for a 7 days tour in Sri Lanka mainly includes natural attractions as well as adventure activities. The tour is very suitable for adventure lovers and nature enthusiasts. The best time of the year to venture on this trip is from November to April, due to the absence of rain on the south and west coast.

3. Colombo-Anuradhapura-Sigiriya-Trincomalee-Kandy-Colombo

The best time to undertake this Sri Lanka 7-day tour is from April to November. During this time the east coast beaches are dry and free of wet weather. The sea is also very suitable for diving, snorkelling, swimming and other water sports.

What are the 39 places to visit in Sri Lanka in 7 days tour?

Eventhoguh we lineup 39 popular toruist attractsion below, you may probably not be able to pack all of them in your Sri Lanka tour, because you plan only a 7 days Sri Lanka trip. Therefore, you have to choose the most suitable tourist attractions to include in your trip. Your local tour operator will be able to help you to choose the most appropriate sites for your trip based on your travel route and your individual taste.

  • Old Parliament-located in the heart of Colombo this is a popular tourist attraction with colonial heritage
  • Pettah -popular for its open market with many hundreds of shops
  • BMICH – this is the biggest conference centre in Sri Lanka located near the independence memorial hall
  • Wolvendaal Church – The church built more than 250 years ago under the Dutch East India Company
  • Independent Square – Built for the first independence day celebration in Sri Lanka, this is a building with typical Sri Lanka architecture
  • Viharamahadevi park– located in the busiest quarter of Colombo, Viharamahadevi is filled with trees, plants and veins that are ideal to breathe some fresh air
  • Srimaha Bodhi -One of the most sacred places for Buddhist and located in Anuradhapura
  • Ruwanweliseya Dagoba – one of the popular pilgrimage sites in the Anuradhapura
  • Jetawanarama Dagoba – A sacred ancient dagobs found in Anuradhapura
  • Abhayagiri Dagoba – One of the biggest construction in the ancient world, located in the cultural triangle
  • Twin Pond – A big pond built for the benefit of Monks who lived in the temple dating back 2nd Century BC
  • Samadhi Buddha – A buddha statue dating back to the 2nd century BC located in Anuradhapura sacred city
  • Archeological Museum – here you get a large number of artefacts discovered during the excavation in Anuradhapura
  • King Parkramabahu Palace – One of the important sites in Polonnaruwa, built by King Parakramabahu
  • Audience Halla – Located in the Polonnaruwa cultural city built by King Nissanka mall
  • Galviharaya – ancient temple with four gigantic Buddha statues carved out of natural granite rock
  • Hatadage/Vatadage/Thuparama – three important temples located in the quadrangle of Polonnarues
  • Rankoth Vehera – One of the best-preserved buildings in Polonnaruwa historical city, built in Gedige architecture
  • Sigiriya Rock Fortress – Iconic Sigiriya rock is landscaped garden and fort built by ancient engineers and artisans
  • Pidurangala Temple– This is quite an unpopular, off-the-beaten-track historical site in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka.
  • Sigiriya Museum – Showcases a large number of elements discovered at the Sigiriya historical site
  • Minneriya National Park – Located within the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka Minneriya is one of the best places to observe wild elephants
  • Dambulla Golden Cave Temple – One of the oldest cave temples in the world dating back to the 1st century BC
  • Tooth Relic Temple – Most sacred Buddhist temple on the island visited by tens of thousands of local as well as foreign Buddhist pilgrims every day
  • Royal Botanical Garden – Once served as the pleasure garden of the Kandy king and later converted to a Botanical garden during the British colonial era
  • Kandyan Cultural Show – 1-hour dance performance with traditional music
  • Udawattekele Sanctuary – The rainforest behind the tooth relic temple is ideal to experience the rich fauna and flora of Kandy
  • Tea Factory/Tea Plantation – here you get the opportunity to see the manufacturing process of Ceylon tea and later sip a cup of unblended pure Ceylon tea
  • Gregory Lake – The lake in the middle of Kandy, which adds beauty to the city
  • Ramboda Falls – beautiful waterfall found on the way to Nuwara Eliya from Kandy
  • Victoria Park – beautiful park located in Nuwara Eliya showcases a large number of flowering plants
  • Seetha Amman Temple – one of the most sacred Hindu temple in Sri Lanka, is closely connected to Ramayanlocated in Nuwara Eliya
  • Visiting Galle fort – south coast tourist attraction is one fo the most popular places among the travellers
  • Mask Museum – showcases a large number of ancient masks used in rituals and folklore
  • Sea Turtle Conservation Project – run by a non-profit organization that is engaged in the conservation of this endangered animal species
  • Hikkaduwa Beach – one of the best beaches for salt water-based activities on the west coast of Sri Lanka
  • Bentota Beach – better known as golden mile, is the most popular beach resort on the island
  • Madu River Estuary Boat trip – This ramsar wetland is ideal to explore mangrove forests and the fauna and flora involved with it

What are the places to visit in Colombo on Sri Lanka 7 days tour?

Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka and is located west coast of Sri Lanka. Colombo is a popular one-day trip location for travellers, who stay in beach resorts. Most Sri Lanka tours start in Colombo as most tourists of Sri Lanka land in the Colombo international airport. Here is a list of the most important 6 places that include in most Colombo city tours.

1. Old Parliament

2. Pettah

3. BMICH

4. Wolvendaal Church

5. Independent Square

6. Viharamahadevi

Jetawanrama temple is a sacred Buddhist temple and visitors need to stick to the proper dress code.

What are the places to visit in Anuradhapura on Sri Lanka 7 days tour?

Anuradhapura is the most ancient capital of Sri Lanka and dates back to the 3rd century BC. Anuradhapura is one of the most important sites on the 7 days tour in Sri Lanka. Today Anuradhapura is a UNESCO world heritage site with thousands of historical monuments. Here is a list of 6 places included in most Anuradhapura city tours.

7. Srimaha Bodhi

8. Ruwanweliseya Dagoba

9. Jetawanarama Dagoba

10. Abhayagiri Dagoba

11. Twin Pond

12. Samadhi Buddha

Polonnaruwa hides many hundreds of historical monuments and is part of most trips like 5 days Sri Lanka cultural tour.

What are the places to visit in Polonnaruwa on Sri Lanka 7 days tour?

Polonnaruwa is one of the important historical cities of Sri Lanka that is included in the 7 days tour in Sri Lanka. It was the capital of, Sri Lanka, from the 10th century AD to the 11th century AD. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa hides many hundreds of well-preserved historical monuments. The city tour of Polonnaruwa lasts around 4 hours and includes the below-mentioned places and many others.

13. Archeological Museum

14. King Parkramabahu Palace

15. Audience Halla

16. Galviharaya

17. Hatadage/Vatadage/Thuparama

18. Rankoth Vehera

Sigiriya rock fortress is a popular Sri Lanka 2-day trip location in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka.

What are the places to visit in Sigiriya on Sri Lanka 7 days tour?

The iconic tourist attraction of Sigiriya is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Sri Lanka and a popular UNESCO world heritage site. Sigiriya rock climb is the most important activity here and every tourist undertakes the adventure. It is a trip to the 5th century AD to see ancient paintings, historical construction and one of the oldest landscaped gardens. Below is a list of 3 other important places to visit along with Sigiriya rock.

19. Sigiriya Rock Fortress

20. Pidurangala Temple– This is quite an unpopular, off-the-beaten-track historical site in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka.

21. Sigiriya Museum

22. Minneriya National Park

Dambulla golden cave temple, which can be visited on a one-day trip from Colombo is a popular historical site in Sri Lanka.

What are the places to visit in Dambulla on Sri Lanka 7 days tour?

One of the oldest Buddhist temples in the world dates back to the 1st century BC and is also a UNESCO world heritage site. The Golden cave temple of Dambulla hides more than 150 states. Most of the statues are Buddha statues while some others belong to kings and Gods. The inner wall and the ceiling of the caves are hidden with murals, most of them depicting scenery from Buddha’s life.

22. Dambulla Golden Cave Temple

Tooth relic temple Kandy

What are the places to visit in Kandy on Sri Lanka 7 days tour?

Kandy is the cultural hub of Sri Lanka and the city has a fascinating blend of history, culture, nature and colonial heritage. The tooth relic temple is the most important tourist attraction in the city, which attracts many thousands of travellers every day from all around the world. There are many other tourist attraction in Kandy along with the tooth relic temple, below is some of these important places.

23. Tooth Relic Temple

24. Royal Botanical Garden

25. Kandyan Cultural Show

26. Udawattekele Sanctuary

Ramboda waterfalls Nuwara Eliya

What are the places to visit in Nuwara Eliya on Sri Lanka 7 days tour?

Nuwara Eliya is the capital of Sri Lanka hill country, which is also popular as little England. Nuwara Eliya has a unique healing climate which shows a big contrast against the low-land hot weather.

Nuwara Eliya sits 1800 meters above sea level and is surrounded by picturesque green-capped mountains, tea plantations, and patches of forests. Nuwara Eliya is best described as a holiday destination with a healing climate to see nature while engaging in adventure activities such as trekking, hiking and mountain climbing.

27. Tea Factory/Tea Plantation

28. Gregory Lake

29. Ramboda Falls

30. Victoria Park

31. Seetha Amman Temple

What are the places to visit in Yala on Sri Lanka 7 days tour?

Yala is the most popular wildlife holiday destination on the island and sits in the southern corner of Sri Lanka. Yala is ranked among the best places to spot leopards. The visitors to Yala can see a large number of animals during the Yala safari such as leopard, crocodile, jackal, bear, elephant, mungo and many other animals.

32. Yala National Park

Sri Lanka’s west coast beaches

What are the places to visit in Bentota on Sri Lanka 7 days tour?

Bentota, also known as the golden mile of Sri Lanka’s west coast is by far the most popular beach holiday destination on the island. A large number of sun-worshippers of Sri Lanka (foreign and local) take refuge in the beaches of Bentota. Here is a list of places to visit during your beach holiday in Bentota.

33. Visiting Galle fortress

34. Mask Museum

35. Sea Turtle Conservation Project

36. Hikkaduwa Beach

37. Bentota Beach

38. Madu River Estuary Boat trip

Cultural and historical experience

You may think that it is difficult to have a holiday in Sri Lanka, but with little respect for the culture and tradition of Sri Lankan people, you will be enchanted.  You will be surprised by the guest treatment of Sri Lankan people. You will take by surprise by the majestic history of the island and the engineering marvels of the ancient Sinhalese civilization. 

Some of the buildings and monuments such as Jetawanarama (5th century), and Abhayagiriya (1st century BC) are great engineering feats even for modern civilization.

You can cover most of the important attractions in the cultural triangle within three days of time. But if you wish to spend more time, still you will be able to find many other attractions within the borders of the cultural triangle. The cultural triangle is packed with thousands of lesser-known historical attractions.

Travelling in Sri Lanka is very simple for people, who can speak English. All the signboards and roads are written in the English language. Apart from the easiness to find the proper direction, Sri Lanka has a well-developed road network and transport system. You will get plenty of trains, buses, taxis, and inland flights to reach any destination in the country. Driver options and guiding personnel are readily available to have a hassle-free tour in the country.

Introduction to Sri Lanka 7 day tour

Sri Lanka being a small country, you will be able to see a large number of top sights in the cultural triangle, Sri Lanka mountains, southern Sri Lanka and coastal belt during Sri Lanka 7 day tour. Tourists will be travelling about 1300km in one of our comfortable modern vehicles during this one week in Sri Lanka.

This Sri Lanka 7 day tour is organized by Seerendipity tours and all the activities are on a private basis. If you need more information or like to book the trip please write to us at admin@seerendipitytpurs.com

When is the best time for the Sri Lanka 7 days tour?

We discuss on Sri Lanka 8 days tour based on Sri Lanka’s southern route, which is the most popular travel route in Sri Lanka. November to April is the best period to travel on this route. During these 6 months, most places mentioned on this tour itinerary have warm sunny weather and rainfall is at its lowest ebb.

How to travel on Sri Lanka 7 days trip?

Choosing the proper transport mode is highly important for the success of your trip. There are many options available with regard to travelling in Sri Lanka. Taxi, buses, and trains are the most popular, however, for a trip of 7 days, we recommend travel by taxi with a local tourist driver. The travellers need to travel more than 1100 on the 7 days tour and the same time and the tour also involved visiting many places. The tour itinerary mentioned in this article can’t be completed with time-wasting transport modes such as trains and public buses.

Where can I Book a Sri Lanka 7 days tour?

The local tour operators for Sri Lanka offer a wide range of 7 days tour packages to Sri Lanka. In this article, we discuss only 1 of them and all these 3 tour packages can be booked with Seerendipity tours.

What is the itinerary for 7 days trip?

  • Day 1 of 7 days trip to Sri Lanka: Airport/Colombo
  • Day 2 of 7 days trip to Sri Lanka: Colombo/Anuradhapura/Sigiriya
  • Day 3 of 7 days trip to Sri Lanka: Sigiriya/Polonnaruwa/Dabulla
  • Day 4 of 7 days trip to Sri Lanka: Sigiriya/Kandy
  • Day 5 of 7 days trip to Sri Lanka: Kandy/Nuwara Eliya
  • Day 6 of 7 days trip to Sri Lanka: Nuwara Eliya/Yala
  • Day 7 of 7 days trip to Sri Lanka: Yala/Bentota

Map of Sri Lanka 7 day tour

Map of Sri Lanka tour

This one week in Sri Lanka is memorable for most travellers, who ventured on this holiday package with us. This is a private tour, therefore you can have maximum privacy during this one week in Sri Lanka, there will be no intruders in your vehicle.

According to our experience as a local tour operator, who organizes Sri Lanka tour packages, one week in Sri Lanka is quite enough to plan a leisurely and memorable Sri Lanka tour, of course with proper planning.

During this one week in Sri Lanka, you also can have a bit of rest while visiting the sights. You will be able to get a lifetime of memories and experiences by visiting places such as the temple of the tooth, Sigiriya rock fortress, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa historical cities.

Itinerary for One Week in Sri Lanka

This 7-day Sri Lanka tour starts in Colombo and ends in Colombo, like most Sri Lanka tour paclages. This is a private trip and therefore the itinerary can be customized to meet the particular requirements. The tour takes on the Sri Lanka southern route and covers the most beaten path popular tourist places such as Sri Lank coasts, Yala national park, the tea country of Sri Lanka and cultural sites and monuments in the central province.

Day 1 Sri Lanka itinerary 7 days

Usually, most travellers start the Sri Lanka itinerary 7 days from the airport, however, there are some other travellers, who request a pick-up from beach hotels on the west coast and southern Sri Lanka.

Most importantly, this one-week tour is a private tour and therefore there is no hard and fast rule with regards to the starting location or pick-up time, they are highly flexible and can be adjusted to the requirement of the participants.

According to the plan, the first event of the one week in Sri Lanka package is to get familiar with Colombo in the Colombo city tour, Colombo is the commercial capital and which is a bustling metropolis. However, there are many important places to visit in the city that carry historical, cultural and religious importance. 

Colombo is an ethnic melting point with many numbers of religions, languages and ethnic identities. Enjoy the historical and cultural sites in the city while indulging yourself in some shopping. At the end of the city tour, you will move to the hotel in Colombo for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 2 Sri Lanka itinerary 7 days

After breakfast at the hotel, set off for Anuradhapura and arrive in the most historical city on the island. You will cross the climate zone borders from the wet zone and enter the dry zone by early noon. You will be in a middle-class hotel for the lunch break.

Visit the historical city in the afternoon and see the enchanting palaces, temples, reservoirs and many other attractions. After the sightseeing tour of Anuradhapura, you leave for the hotel in Sigiriya/Habarana, and you will be staying 2 nights in the hotel.

Sigiriya/Habarana is centrally located within the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka and provides easy access to the most important tourist hot spots in the cultural triangle of Sri Lanka.

You will be visiting Sigiriya rock fortress, Dambulla cave Tempel and Polonnaruwa historical city from your hotel in Habarana, all three places are UNESCO world heritage sites including Anuradhapura. The drive from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya takes about one hour, where you have dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 3 of 7 days tour in Sri Lanka

On Day 3 of the Sri Lanka tour, you start after breakfast at about 7 o’clock. First visit Sigiriya rock fortress, which is only a few minutes away from the hotel. The hike at Sigiriya will be strenuous and it is highly recommended to start the hike early morning to escape from the scorching heat. The mid-day hike would be very difficult due to the steep hike amidst the heat.

The round trip hike at Sigiriya will last around 2 hours for most travellers, however, it could be more than 2 hours or less sometimes, all depending on the age and physical fitness. It is highly recorded to wear a light cotton t-shirt and a short as you visit Sigiriya, same time don’t forget to have a pair of shoes suitable for the hike.

After the hike at Sigiriya, it is time to have free time, you can ask our guide to stop at a restaurant in order to have lunch or a drink, before proceeding to Polonnaruwa. Polonnaruwa is a UNESCO world heritage site and an important site this week in the Sri Lanka holiday package. There are many palaces, temples, and stupas to visit in Polonnaruwa featuring the rich architectural and engineering skills of ancient engineers, and artisans of Sri Lanka.

After visiting Polonnaruwa, return to the hotel in Sigiriya/Habarana, and en-route safari at Minneriya national park. Minneriya is one of the most popular wildlife reserves on the island and a place to spot a large number of animals such as elephants, wild buffalo, crocodiles, jackals and many other animals along with many species of birds, vertebrates, and insects. However, the safari is an optional activity and is also highly subject to the availability of time. Overnight stay in Hotel Sigiriya

Day 4 of Sri Lanka itinerary 7 days

On day 4 of the Sri Lanka itinerary 7 days, you will visit a tourist attraction in Kandy, which is the cultural centre of Sri Lanka. This beautiful city is situated about 500 meters above sea level and is one of the most beautiful cities in the country. You will definitely enjoy the trek in the spice gardens, Udawattakele forest reserve and botanical gardens.

In the afternoon you will visit the Tooth relic temple which is the most sacred Buddhist temple on the island, the temple is visited by thousands of devotees and a large number of foreign travellers. The visit to the tooth relic temple is a highlight for most travellers, where the visitors see a large number of statues, paintings, and many other artefacts.

After the tooth relic temple, you have the opportunity to witness the Kandyan cultural show, where many young male and female dancers perform to the tune of drummers and flautists. The fire walking, and the walk on the burning coal is a highlights for most travellers, who visit the Kandyan cultural show and the Kandyan cultural show is a rare opportunity to see the typical Sri Lankan dance performances. Overnight stay in a hotel in Kandy

Kandyan Cultural show is also a part of the One-week Sri Lanka tour itinerary and you will be witnessing the authentic Sri Lankan dance forms and music performances.

Day 5 of Sri Lanka itinerary 7 days

After breakfast back in the car for a scenic drive through the mountains. There are frequent stops to take photos of beautiful vistas, waterfalls, and plantations along the way. Today you come across the tea country and sip a cup of typical Ceylon Tea.

Make a visit to a well-maintained and beautiful tea plantation. You will see Nuwara Eliya, which lies at an elevation of 1800 metres above sea level. Nuwara Eliya is a small town, which is enchanting and one of the traveller’s favourites on this route. Afternoon visit to Victoria Park and the Nuwar Eliya town.

Visiting Yala national park is one of the highlights of the one-week Sri Lanka itinerary and you will be doing a Yala jeep safari on day 7 of the tour. Your safari will last around 3 hours and there is a chance to spot leopards, bears, elephants and many other interesting creatures during your safari.

Day 6 of 7 days tour in Sri Lanka

Today you drive to the southern coast of Sri Lanka, another beautiful corner of the island, which is surrounded by lush green forest. The journey will take about 4 hours to reach Tissamaharama, where you have lunch and check in at the hotel. The guests will be staying in a hotel in Tissmaharam, and spend one night in Tissamaharama.

In the afternoon set off on a jeep safari at Yala national park. The Safari of Yala national park is one of the most popular activities that allow the guests to see a large number of animals and bird species.

Today the guests drive through the Yala national park and enjoy the scenery along the way. There is a high possibility of witnessing wild elephants on the safari.

There is a good chance of spotting leopards as well, and Yala national park is one of the best wildlife reserves to spot leopards in the world, due to the large number of leopards that are concentrated in Yala. After the safari return to the hotel in Bentota for dinner and an overnight stay.

Galle is a UNESCO world heritage site and is the best-preserved Durch fort in Asia. Upon entering the 16th-century-built Fort, you will feel like being in an old European city.

Day 7 of Sri Lanka itinerary 7 days

After a leisurely breakfast departure transfer to your hotel in Colombo or to the airport to take the onward flight. You will drive along the southern and western coastal belt, which means that there are many opportunities to catch nice scenery and experiences along the way, such as Hikkaduwa beach, Galle fortress, Bentota beach, and Madu river estuary.

You will encounter another unpopular natural attraction of Sri Lanka, which is located is located along the way, known as Hummanaya or blowhole, which is the second biggest natural fountain in the world.

End of 7 days tour in Sri Lanka

Why you should book a Sri Lanka itinerary for 7 days with Seerendipity Tours

Seerendipity tour is a fully 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.

Best price for your Sri Lanka vacation packages

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 Sri Lanka vacation packages with experts

Our staff makes a personalized program 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

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