Forts, Beaches, Wildlife, Aqua Tour of India & Sri Lanka

Duration- 17 Nights / 18 Days

Places- Delhi-Sikandra-Agra-Fatehpur Sikri-Jaipur-Delhi-Colombo-Habarana-Sigiriya-Pollunuwara-Dambulla-Kandy-Nuwara Eliya-Yala-Galle-Bentota-Colombo

Mode of Transportation- Flight, Train and Private vehicle with experienced English speaking chauffer

Meals- All meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Tour Manager- Available at your service right from your arrival till departure

Tour Guide- Local tour guide will be made available at all the locations

Inclusions- All inclusive except expense of personal nature like laundry, entry fee of camera etcetera

Hotel Category- Category of your choice. We recommend palatial / boutique properties wherever available

 

Golden Triangle-India's golden triangle is a tourist circuit that connects the national capital, New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The Golden Triangle is so named because of the triangular shape formed by their locations on a map and also because of the vast wealth of cultural and historic treasures to be found in these three cities The trips usually start in Delhi and move south to the site of the Taj Mahal at Agra then west, to Jaipur (the desert landscapes). It is normally possible to do the trip by road, train or plane. The Golden Triangle is now a well-travelled route, providing a good spectrum of the country's different landscapes in short duration. The circuit is about 450 Miles by road. Each leg is about 4 to 5 hours of seamless driving with few short breaks en route to cover places of historical importance.

Sri Lanka- Sri Lanka is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean known for its spectacular beaches, thousand-year-old Buddhist temples, an abundance of wildlife, and rich archaeological history. The plethora of water sports, breathtaking sunsets, sprawling tea gardens and of course, mouth-watering Sri Lankan food, are sure to make you fall in love with this gorgeous place.

Day 1– Arrival Delhi

A very warm welcome to India’s capital city!!! Upon arrival you will be welcomed by your English- speaking tour manager and chauffer. Tour manager will help you with hotel check in and discuss the tour details. Depending upon your flight timings local excursions can be planned for the day.

Today’s Excursion- It can be discussed and planned as per your arrival in Delhi

 

Night Stay- Delhi

 

Day 2– Delhi

Post relaxing breakfast at the hotel, we will embark on a full day city tour. We will cover / pass through all the below listed places of importance. You have option to add / omit places.

Today’s Excursion-

• • Qutub Minar- Built in 1193, it is the tallest minaret in the world built of bricks. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The compound also has an iron pillar famous for the rust- resistant composition and is an excellent specimen of ancient metallurgy

• • Humayun Tomb- The tomb of Humayun construction was completed in 1572. The building was the first to use its unique combination of red sandstone and white marble. The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• • Agrasen Ki Baoli- Agrasen Ki Baoli is a 60-meter long and 15-meter-wide historical stepwell
    built in 14th century.

• • Jama Masjid- It was built between 1650 and 1656.At the time of its construction, it was the largest mosque in the Indian subcontinent. The mosque predominantly uses red sandstone & Black marble. The courtyard can accommodate 25,000 worshippers.

• • Red Fort- The Red Fort historically served as the main residence of the Mughal emperors. Its design is credited to architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who also constructed the Taj Mahal.  it was completed in 1648. The World Heritage Convention characterises the Red Fort as representing “The Zenith of Mughal Creativity”

• • Raj Ghat- It is a black marble platform that marks the spot of Mahatma Gandhi’s Cremation. It is on the west bank of the Yamuna River

• • Rickshaw Ride- The Old Delhi Rickshaw Tour is special as it is royal and regal. Hop on board our cushy rickshaws and explore the Mughal-built Walled City in a comfortable, eco- friendly and adventurous way. This tour is a mix of Old Delhi Heritage and culture. Immerse yourself in this enigmatic experience and have the best of this Old City.

• • Drive through / Photo stop- President house / Parliament house / India Gate

 

Night Stay- Delhi

 

Day 3– Delhi to Agra via Sikandra (130 miles /3 hours)

After early breakfast at hotel, we will depart for Agra visiting Sikandra enroute. Upon arrival at Agra check in and relax for a while before we proceed to take a spectacular view of Taj Mahal during the sun set.

Today’s Excursion-

• • Sikandra- The four-storied tomb combines both marble and sandstone in its exterior. The construction of Sikandra was completed in 1613. The tomb with is set amidst a large garden and is enclosed by four battlemented walls, each with a large gateway. The 99 names of Allah have been inscribed on the tomb.

• • Agra Fort- Also known as Agra’s Red Fort was built by the Mughal emperor in 1573.It served as the main residence of the rulers of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. The 40-hectare fort has a semi-circular plan, its chord lies parallel to the river Yamuna and its walls are seventy feet high.

• • Taj Mahal- The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17-hectare complex. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around ₹32 million, which currently would be approximately USD $1 billion. The construction project employed some 20,000 artisans. The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site 

 

Night stay- Agra

 

Day 4– Agra to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri (150 miles / 5 hours)

Post relaxing breakfast at your hotel we will drive to Jaipur, visiting the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri enroute.

Upon arrival at Jaipur check in and relax for a while before we embark on half day city tour.

Jaipur is also known as the Pink City, due to the dominant colour scheme of its buildings. During the year 1876, the city was painted pink to welcome HRH Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VII). It is also known as the Paris of India, and it was founded in 172 UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed Jaipur the Pink City of India & among its World Heritage Sites. It is among the top 10 places of tourist attraction in Asia.

Today’s Excursion-

• • Fatehpur Sikri- It is an abandoned palace city which sits on rocky ridge, 1.9 miles in length and 0.62 miles wide and palace city is surrounded by a 6 km (3.7 mi) wall on three sides with the fourth bordered by a lake. Some of the important buildings in this city holds both religious and secular importance. The city was built massively and preferably with red sandstone.

• • Guided Tour of Old Jaipur City

• • Visit Shops for Souvenir Shopping

 

Night stay- Jaipur

 

Day 5– Jaipur

Post relaxing breakfast at your hotel we will embark on our full day local tour of Jaipur.

Today’s Excursion-

• • Amer Fort- Amer Fort is great example of architecture. Constructed of red sandstone and marble, the attractive, opulent palace is laid out on four levels, each with a courtyard. Its construction ensured that a cool climate is artificially created by winds that blow over a water cascade within the palace. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

• • Jaigarh Fort- The Amer Fort along with Jaigarh Fort, is located immediately above on the Hill of Eagles. The Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort are considered one complex, as the two are connected by a subterranean passage. This passage was meant as an escape route in times of war to enable the royal family members and others in the Amer Fort

• • Nahargarh Fort- Along with Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh once formed a strong defence ring for the city. Nahar in local language means abode of tigers. The popular belief is that Nahar here stands for the kind named Nahar Singh Bhomia, whose spirit haunted the place and obstructed construction of the fort. Nahar’s spirit was pacified by building a temple in his memory within the fort, which thus became known by his name

• • Hawa Mahal- The structure was built in 1799 from red and pink sandstone. Its five-floor exterior is akin to a honeycomb with its 953 highly decorated small windows. The original intent of this design was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life and festivals celebrated in the street below without being seen. This architectural feature also allowed cool air to pass through, thus making the whole area more pleasant during the high temperatures in summer

• • City Palace- The City Palace, Jaipur was established in 1727. It now houses the Museum and continues to be the home of the Jaipur royal family. The royal family has around 500 personal servants The palace complex has several buildings, various courtyards, galleries, restaurants, and offices 

• • Jantar Mantar- A Jantar Mantar is an assembly of stone-built astronomical instruments, designed to be used with the naked eye. The instrument can be used with an accuracy of about 20 seconds by a skilled observer & to measure the time of day, and the declination of the Sun and the other heavenly bodies. It is the world’s largest stone sundial. The Jaipur Jantar Mantar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Optional Activity 

• •  Elephant Ride to Amer Fort
  •  Jeep Ride to Amer fort
  •  Hot Air balloon – Jaipur City view from the top

 

Night stay- Jaipur

 

Day 6– Jaipur to Delhi (190 miles / 4 hours) Delhi to Colombo ( Flight / 3.30 hours)

Post relaxing breakfast at hotel we will proceed to Delhi Airport to board flight for Colombo (Sri Lanka). Post late night arrival in Colombo, check in and night stay.

 

Night stay- Colombo

 

Day 7– Colombo to Habarana via Pinnawela (130 miles / 5 hours)

Post relaxing breakfast at hotel we will embark on our journey towards Cultural Triangle (Habarana, Sigiriya & Dambulla). Enroute to Habarana we will stop at Pinnawela Elephant Orphange.

Cultural Triangle- Commonly referred to as the ‘Cultural Triangle’, the central plains area boasts ruined temples and ancient cities combined with national parks and glistening reservoirs. UNESCO World Heritage Sites include the striking rock fortress of Sigiriya, Dambulla’s Royal Rock Temple and crumbling archaeological treasures of Polonnaruwa.

Today’s Excursion-

• • Pinnawela Elephant Orphange- Set up by the Sri Lankan government to safeguard one of its national treasures, Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage looks after orphaned calves and rehabilitates injured elephants. Today the orphanage is home to more than 60 elephants and twice a day they are led to the nearby river for bathing.

 

Night stay- Habarana

 

Day 8– Habarana-Sigiriya-Polonnaruwa-Habarana (80 miles / 3.5 hours)

Post relaxing breakfast at hotel we will leave for Sigiriya, also known as the ‘Lion Rock’ later we will drive down to Polonnaruwa and return back to Habarana for night stay.

Today’s Excursion-

• • Sigiriya- This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Sri Lanka’s major attractions. A spectacular pillar of rock visible from miles around, geologically Sigiriya is a hardened magma plug of an extinct volcano. Historically, the origins of the remains are disputed and thought to have been either a royal fortress or a Buddhist monastery built in 5 th Century AD. There is a beautiful frescoes and a sheer ‘mirror wall’ before arriving at the massive stone lion’s paws, which lend the rock its nickname ‘Lion Rock’. Also called “Lion Rock” or the “Rock Fortress” this citadel rises more than 1000 feet from the jungle below

• • Polonnaruwa- This UNESCO site dates back to 11 th /12 th Century AD, is filled with beautiful parks, huge buildings and an enormous manmade reservoir which acted both as a defensive border against intruders and as an important water source. Numerous monuments are found in this place & “Gal Vihara” complex is one of the best among them with fine sculptures of standing and seated Buddha. It also houses museum.

 

Night stay- Habarana

 

Day 9– Habarana- Dambulla- Kandy (70 miles / 3 hours)

Post relaxing breakfast at hotel we will drive towards Kandy with a stop to visit the Dambulla cave temples en route.

Today’s Excursion-

• • Dambulla- These cave temples are another UNESCO World Heritage Site which date back to the 1st Century BC. This amazing complex of five caves was first used as a refuge by an ancient king who upon regaining his throne commissioned magnificent images to be carved from the rock. Later kings made further improvements and the caves contain over 150 images of the Buddha painted upon the walls of which the largest is a colossal figure spanning 15 metres.

• • Spice gardens in Matale- A guide will show you around the garden, explaining about various plants and spices native to Sri Lanka.

 

Night stay- Kandy

 

Day 10– Kandy

Today we are going to spend the whole day exploring the beauty of Sri Lanka’s second largest city “Kandy”. Enjoy relaxing breakfast at hotel before embarking on day long tour.

Today’s Excursion-

• • Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic- Located in royal palace complex this temple house’s tooth of Buddha’s tooth. Since ancient times the tooth relic holds a very important importance in local politics. It is believed that whoever holds the relic also holds the governance of Country. Visitors are not allowed inside the inner chambers and hence cant view the tooth relic.

• • Peradeniya- This is spread over 67 hectares of exquisite beauty and house more than 4000 species of flora. It is a heaven for the nature lovers.

• • Cultural Show- Enjoy a show of traditional Sri Lankan music, dance and drumming.

 

Night stay- Kandy

 

Day 11– Kandy- Nuwara Eliya (Train / 3.30 hours & Drive / 30 mins)

This morning after breakfast at hotel we will head off to Nuwara Eliya , also known locally as little England. You will board the train at the Peradeniya railway station and get off at Nanu Oya. We recommend train ride for the best scenic view of countryside of Sri Lanka.

Upon arrival we will check in and leave for our tour

Today’s Excursion-

• • Train Journey to Nuwara Eliya- A ride by local train to the little England is one of the most picturesque rail journeys in the world. You journey through dark tunnels on winding tracks, past the beautiful Devon & St Clair waterfalls to the home of the famous Ceylon Tea. The rolling mountains are a carpet of velvety green tea plantations, interspersed with gushing streams and tumbling waterfalls.

• • Tea Garden- Enjoy the tea plucking in Sri Lankan attire. Professional tea pluckers will demonstrate and accompany you.

• • Mini Tea Factory- Tour of factory will enlighten you with the process of tea processing process. Later you get an opportunity to taste from flowery pekoe to green tea and teabag dust.

 

Night stay- Nuwara Eliya

 

Day 12– Nuwara Eliya

We will start early today for Horton Plains National Park which is almost at 1.30 hours’ drive from our hotel. It’s best to depart as early as possible as the mists build up as the day continues, obscuring the view from World’s End. Breakfast will be served enroute.

Today’s Excursion-

• • Horton Plains National Park- It sits on Sri Lanka's highest plateau at over 2100m above sea level in the central mountains and offers an astounding variety of scenery – from misty mountains to grasslands, from marshes to ice cold streams, lakes and waterfalls. The park is home to colourful butterflies, many species of birds and other wildlife. After 3 hours hike, we will stop at the beautiful ‘Bridal Veil’ Baker’s Falls and stop at the World’s End escarpment, which offers spectacular views.

• • Boat Ride and Dinner at Gregory Lake- Engage yourself on a boat ride experience at the Gregory Lake, where you can enjoy catching the chilling breeze on your face and see the Nuwaraeliya City from the lake. Special dinner arrangement on the shores of the Gregory Lake. Enjoy authentic Sri Lankan’s cuisine with BBQ, while overlooking the magical views of Nuwara Eliya at night over the waters of the Gregory Lake.

 

Night stay- Nuwara Eliya

 

Day 13– Nuwara Eliya to Yala National Park (100 miles / 4 hours)

Enjoy early breakfast at the hotel ahead of another scenic journey to Yala National Park.

Yala National Park is one of Sri Lanka 's premier eco tourism destinations. Park is spread over an area of 378 square miles. The park is best known for the variety of wildlife and for preservation of Elephants and aquatic birds. Park has one of the highest leopard density in the world. With an average of 1 leopard per square kilometer it has highest leopard density in Asia. The chances of spotting sloth bear and leopard is very high in this park.

Post check in the whole day is at leisure

 

Night stay- Yala

 

Day 14 –Yala National Park

Today we will take two jungle safari, one early morning and later in afternoon. Post morning jungle safari we will return to hotel for wide spread of breakfast.

Today’s Excursion-

• • Morning and afternoon game safari in national park

 

Night stay- Yala

 

Day 15– Yala to Galle (100 miles / 3 hours)

After breakfast at hotel, we will embark on our journey to Galle, a UNESCO world heritage site and a beautiful beach destination in Sri Lanka.

Galle- Galle holds a historical importance as a harbour of Sri Lanka until Colombo harbour was established later. Galle is identified as the “Tarshis of Bible”. The harbour has a long struggle history, captured by Portuguese in 1587 AD, Dutch in 1640 AD and British in 1796 AD. Most of the existing buildings dates back to Dutch period.

Today’s Excursion-

• • City Tour of Galle- Enjoy the city tour of Galle Town, a citadel with glamorous boutique hotels, old world back streets, and an eclectic mix of shops, and cool cafes

• • Beach- Enjoy the best sand beaches for swimming and water sports at Unawatuna. There are two lovely spots to sit and sunbathe in relative privacy at Light House Beach down a handful of steps or by the main working Lighthouse in the Fort 

 

Night stay- Galle

 

Day 16– Galle

Today early morning we will venture into deep sea to watch the sports of marine life. Later we return to hotel for breakfast and relaxation at beach.

Today’s Excursion-

• • Whale Watching- An unforgettable experience in itself, this experience offers beautiful sights of the blue whales, sperm whales and humpback, and the spinner dolphins leaping and tumbling in the sea waves is a sight not to be missed here.

 

Night stay- Galle

 

Day 17– Galle to Bentota (50 miles / 1.30 hours)

After relaxing breakfast at hotel we will descend from the Hill Capital to the Bentota , the city of Golden Beaches. En-route we will visit the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery.

Today’s Excursion-

• • Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery- Enjoy a look at the practice of turtle conservation. If you wish to release a freshly hatched three-day old turtle into the ocean, try it!

• • Beach Walk- Enjoy the beach walk at leisure

• • Water Sports- Enjoy the newest water sports like Fly fish, Jetski, Wake board, Water ski, Banana Boat, Knee board and more under the watchful eyes of the trained and experienced professional conductors

 

Night stay- Bentota

 

Day 18– Bentota to Colombo (50 miles / 1.30 hours)

Post relaxing breakfast at hotel, today we will leave for Colombo for our onward journey. On the way to Colombo Airport, We will pass through all the major places of importance.

Colombo is a city with a rich history. Known to the Greeks, Arabs, and Chinese for over 2000 years because of its natural harbour and as a centre of trade, it was colonised by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and then the British between 1505 and 1948. Each colonial power left a distinctive mark and contributed greatly to the character of the city.

Today’s Excursion-

• • City Tour- Before getting dropped at Airport for onward journey we will drive through Gale face green, old parliament building, and old Dutch hospital. We will stop for souvenir shopping in one of the artifacts local market.

 

Night stay- Colombo (depending upon your onward journey)

 

Note: This is just a time bound sample itinerary indicative of how and what all could be explored. We can customise the tour as per your requirements. Set your expectations and we will offer memorable experience. Please reach out to us for personalised holiday experience.

All meals- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation for 17 Nights / 18 Days

All mode of domestic transportation including train

Jungle safari

All the entry tickets

English speaking tour guide at all the locations

International flight

Travel insurance

Any service / activity not mentioned in Itinerary

Expense of personal nature like laundry, entry tickets for camera etcetera

Optional tours / activities

Ayurvedic massage / Spa

Water sports activities