Your tailor-made holiday will be as unique as you are. These itineraries are just a starting point, a bit of inspiration to show what’s possible. Your own trip all starts with a conversation with one of our Sri Lanka and Maldives experts, who’ll take the time to understand what matters most to you and design the perfect holiday to match.
Our ‘Sri Lanka and Maldives’ trip is the ideal break; it couples ancient history, local culture and beautiful scenery with relaxation and luxury to ensure you get both a real adventure and the chance to rest and rejuvenate!
In Sri Lanka the journey takes in two of the country’s great ancient cities, Sigiriya and Kandy, both of which are so rare and spectacular that they’ve been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. You'll climb the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, explore the Dambulla Cave Temples and see countless wild elephant in Minneriya National Park. In Kandy, you'll visit the Temple of the Tooth, where it's believed there is a relic of the Lord Buddha’s tooth kept in a casket, and for those who like to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens are a must-visit. The itinerary then traces alongside lush green tea plantations by train into the incredibly scenic Tea Country, where you’ll see the highlights of Nuwara Eliya (Sri Lanka’s highest hill town) with its British colonial influences, visit a traditional tea factory and enjoy afternoon ‘High Tea’ Sri Lankan style. Your final night is back near the airport in the capital city of Colombo, the perfect place to enjoy a delicious meal or street food.
It’s then just a short hop over to the Maldives for five nights of luxury. Here, the pristine private island resorts are ringed with shimmering white sand, vibrant coral reefs and exotic marine life. There’s little to do here other than dive, snorkel, dine and relax – just what's needed after a week of busy sightseeing!
11 hours from London
When to go
- All year round
Average temperature
- 29°C
Average rainfall
- Dry season: 113mm/month
What Makes it Special?
- Witness the Minneriya Elephant Gathering, one of nature’s best phenomenon.
- Experience a Puja ceremony at Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth, Sri Lanka’s most sacred shrine.
- Hop on Sri Lanka’s scenic hill country train and wind past tea terraces, waterfalls and tea pickers.
- Sip high tea and visit a working tea factory in the cool hills of Nuwara Eliya.
- Travel by speedboat or seaplane to your private island resort for your luxury stay in the Maldives.
- Switch gears with white-sand beaches, lagoons to snorkel and sunset cocktails on tap.
Itinerary at a Glance
Day by Day
Here's a summary of what you might get up to day-to-day on this Sri Lanka and the Maldives holiday. As always, this is just an idea. Every single day of your trip will be tailored to suit you.
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Your Sri Lanka and Maldives adventure begins today with an overnight flight from the UK to Colombo.
This morning, you’ll land in Colombo, where your brilliant private guide will be waiting to welcome you with a massive smile. You’ll be whisked straight off for a 3.5-hour drive north to Sigiriya, the heart of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle. After check in, rest up after the long flight and prepare for the adventures to come.
You’ll have an early start this morning to climb the iconic UNESCO World Heritage site, Sigiriya Rock. It’s a bit of a climb up, but there’s plenty to see on the way. From the huge lion’s feet, to the mirror wall, water gardens and frescoes. When you reach the top, the views make it all worthwhile.
This afternoon, you’ll head off on a jeep safari through Minneriya National Park. If you’re visiting during the dry season, you’re likely to witness one of the most special natural phenomena – the Minneriya Elephant Gathering. Hundreds of wild elephant descend on the Minneriya watering hole in search of water, making it the largest gathering of Asian elephants anywhere on earth. It’s a pinch-yourself moment, we promise you that.
Your guide will drive you to Kandy today, via Sri Lanka’s most impressive cave temples, Dambulla. This is one of our favourite religious sites in all of Sri Lanka, boasting five caves filled with impressive Buddhas and colourful murals. After arriving in Kandy, head to the incredible Puja ceremony at Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth. Every evening, a glistening golden casket, said to contain the tooth of Buddha, is paraded in front of worshippers and visitors alike. Standing alongside worshippers and other visitors, all set to the backdrop of ceremonial drums, it’s a unique and special experience.
You’ll enjoy a Kandy city tour today. Taking in the beautiful Kandy Lake, the busy marketplace packed with colours and smells, the Arts and Crafts centre and finally, the Peradeniya Royal Botanic Gardens. This evening, you'll head off on a guided Kandy street food tour to sample the delicious street eats and flavours with your local guide.
Your guide will pick you up and drive you five hours back to Colombo today, ready for the second part of your holiday. Luxury incoming. You'll spend the night in Colombo near the airport tonight, ready for your flight to the Maldives in the morning. There are plenty of things to see and activities to enjoy in Sri Lanka's capital. Chat to us if you'd like some recommendations!
You'll hop on the plane for a quick one-hour flight to the Maldives today. After landing at Male airport, you'll transfer to your idyllic island resort by either speedboat or seaplane, depending on where you're staying. We've been lucky enough to try and test all of our favourite hotels in the Maldives, so we'll be sure to recommend the island that's best suited to you.
Whichever luxury resort you choose, the next few days are going to be all about soaking up the sunshine, lazing on the sand, braving some watersports, snorkelling, eating phenomenal food and sipping on countless cocktails – all in between pinching yourself frequently to believe it’s all actually real.
Today, it's time to start the journey home. You’ll be taken back to the airport by speedboat or seaplane, in time for your flight home. Never our favourite part of any holiday, but we hope you’ll be flying home with a full heart and plenty of happy memories.
Places you'll visit
We have hundreds of partner hotels across the world, with our tailor made trips you can pick from our range of beautiful hotels
What You're Saying
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Lisa Jankus-Scott organised a very diverse itinerary for our visit to Sri Lanka. We visited temples, tea plantations, a couple of safaris, a street food experience, Sri Lanka food cookery class and many beautiful rural boutique hotels. Our driver guide Alaine looked after us so well and was very informative, he loved the fact that my husband shared his interest in birds. Will definitely use Holiday Architects again.
Valerie Mortiboys
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Rebecca at Holiday Architects put together a wonderful trip to Sri Lanka for us. She listened carefully to everything we did and didn’t want and asked all the right questions. This resulted in a perfect itinerary right from the beginning. The holiday itself was as good as promised; an excellent driver-guide, wonderful hotels and an itinerary that delivered everything we wanted.
Patricia Smith
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This was our second winter sojourn organised by Holiday Architects. Last year Malaysia, this year Sri Lanka, with the patient and knowledgeable Rebecca. I seriously doubt whether holidays could be better organised than these two trips. Everything worked like clockwork with diverse boutique accommodation and amazing tours of Sri Lanka’s highlights.
Courtney Guest
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We have just returned from a wonderful holiday in Sri Lanka. I initially reached out to several companies for support with planning our trip and was immediately impressed by the quick and friendly response from Lisa Jankus-Scott. In the 10 days we were there, Lisa managed to provide a very exciting itinerary that met all our interests and allowed for some relaxation at the end. Good communication from Lisa from start to finish was very reassuring. This experience has given us confidence to explore further and I would not hesitate to return to Holiday Architects in the future and I will certainly be recommending them to family and friends. Thank you for our wonderful holiday experience in Sri Lanka.
Heather Turton
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Just back from an amazing holiday in Sri Lanka. Rebecca sorted out a fantastic itinerary. Lovely boutique hotels, largely in rural settings, made for a beautiful, peaceful stay. Overall, I don't think the holiday could have been better. This was our third holiday booked through Holiday Architects and we won't hesitate to use them again.
Lynn
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It was our first visit to Sri Lanka. For us it was a case of venturing into the 'unknown', so we were grateful to have the wonderful support of Rebecca who advised and organised such an incredible trip. Her knowledge of the country is 'second to none', and it is obviously a country she knows and loves so well, so we were fortunate to be able to share some of her experiences. Sri Lanka is such a beautiful and diverse country, with extremely warm and friendly people. The small boutique hotels, the beach resorts, the train trip through the tea plantations , the historic visit to Galle, the street food tour of Kandy and the choice of restaurants were all exceptional. Such a memorable trip and we would certainly recommend Holiday Architects.
David Batie
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“
Wow! What an amazing holiday in Sri Lanka! Thank you to Rebecca for organising for us! Rebecca’s knowledge of the country was incredible and she listened carefully to our requirements putting together a wonderful itinerary. We couldn’t find fault with anything! Our guide (Anuruddha), the accommodation, travel, sightseeing and food were all awesome! Thank you for the best holiday!
Kate Richardson
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A trip to treasure. This is the second time we have used Holiday Architects and we were certainly not disappointed. Our last trip was to Costa Rica and this holiday, Sri Lanka. Rebecca Dodds was so informative about the country and took into account our family preferences. The accommodation was truly amazing, and the itinerary was action-packed as we requested. We had the most wonderful time and have recommended to all our friends.
Lisa Wells
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Holiday Gallery
Meet our Sri Lanka experts
We offer tailor-made holidays to suit a wide range of tastes. Our experts Dawn, Lisa and Rebecca are dedicated to all things Sri Lanka and are here to help you plan your perfect trip.
Dawn Smith
Destination Manager
From its tea-covered hills to its colourful towns, endless beaches and magic people, our Dawn’s head over heels with Sri Lanka and she knows exactly how to help you fall in love with it, too.
Lisa Jankus-Scott
Destination Manager
Sri Lanka sparked Lisa’s lifelong love for Asia, and it remains one of her favourite places to visit. She’s all about combining cultural highlights, beautiful landscapes and proper local flavour into every itinerary, and Sri Lanka is the place to do just that.
Rebecca Dodds
Destination Manager
Few places have a hold on Rebecca’s heart like Sri Lanka. It’s the mix of culture, landscapes, unmatched food and magic people that gets her, alongside the closeness of the Maldives! And she’d love nothing more than helping you experience it all.
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