What Makes it Special?
- Explore Sinharaja, Sri Lanka’s last untouched rainforest and birdwatcher’s paradise.
- Spot wild elephants roaming Uda Walawe’s open grasslands.
- Visit the Born Free Foundation’s elephant centre and watch baby elephants feed.
- Safari through Yala, home to the world’s densest leopard population.
- Witness baby turtles hatching under moonlight on Rekawa Beach.
- Take a boat trip off the south coast, spotting blue whales and dolphins as you go.
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 experts, who’ll take the time to understand what matters most to you and design the perfect holiday to match.
Our 12-day ‘Wildlife in Sri Lanka’ holiday is absolutely perfect for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts who also want to indulge in some relaxation on the beach after time on safari. Despite being a small island, Sri Lanka is home to lots of national parks and an impressive region of untouched primary rainforest. With its huge numbers of wild elephant and leopard, and a huge variety of migratory and endemic birds, you won’t be short on wild encounters here. Once you’ve had your fill of safari, Sri Lanka has more treats in store on the south coast – and they’re all about the beaches and taking things a little slower.
After a night in the fishing town of Negombo, only 20 minutes from the airport, you'll head inland to Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve. Sri Lanka’s last remaining area of primary tropical rainforest, this undisturbed UNESCO World Heritage site is tucked away from the tourist crowds and boasts more than 50% of the island’s endemic species. You’ll visit Uda Walawe National Park, a wild area home to countless elephants, followed by Yala, a coastal national park with a great population of leopard. Nearby, the local village of Tissamaharama is perfect for experiencing traditional activities such as buffalo curd making, fishing, and Palmyrah weaving.
This trip also includes some time on the beach with visits to a turtle hatchery and a whale and dolphin watching boat trip. If you're a keen bird watcher, the nearby Bundala National Park is an easy reach on this itinerary and really is a hidden highlight. Finally, you'll end with a couple of nights in the charming old city of Galle within the Fort walls, its cobbled streets flooded with character.
11 hours from London
When to go
- November to April
Average temperature
- 30°C
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 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 adventure begins with an overnight flight from the UK to Colombo, ready to land tomorrow morning.
When you arrive in Sri Lanka, you’ll be greeted by your private chauffeur guide, with a massive Sri Lankan smile. After the introductions and wonderful welcomes you’ll be driven to your hotel for your first night. We’d recommend either staying in Negombo or Gampaha, both a short drive away and both the perfect spots to unwind after the long flight and acclimatise to the Sri Lankan way of life.
You’ll drive five hours south today to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sinharaja Forest Reserve. Sri Lanka’s last remaining primary forest is all too often overlooked on Sri Lanka holidays, but it's a must-visit if you’re wild about wildlife. Home to more than 50% of Sri Lanka’s endemic species, its thick and steamy rainforests are teeming with unusual birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles. You'll enjoy a guided trek with a local expert guide this afternoon, keeping an eye out for some of the rarest birds you can spot in the country.
You’ll journey three hours east to Uda Walawe National Park this morning. Famed for its lowland grassland, the park is home to more than 600 wild elephant. There are also huge populations of buffalo, macaque, crocodile and langur monkeys, as well as more incredible birdlife to spot. Uda Walawe attracts far fewer visitors than the better-known Yala, so you get all the wildlife wonders, with fewer other eyes to share them with. We’ll arrange for you to head straight off on a jeep safari through the park this afternoon.
Today, you’ll visit the Elephant Transit Centre, just outside the boundary of the national park. Home to around 20 orphaned elephants, the centre is run by the Born Free Foundation, who work tirelessly to care for the baby elephants until they’re old enough to be released back into the wild, where they belong. Next up, your guide will drive you 2.5 hours onward to your next incredible wildlife destination, Yala National Park.
A full-day jeep safari around the incredible Yala National Park is in store today. Sri Lanka’s second biggest national park, and arguably the most rewarding, it boasts an impressively varied ecosystem, making it a haven for a huge variety of wildlife. Said to be home to one of the highest concentrations of leopard in the world, we'll keep our fingers crossed you'll get a sighting here. Being one of Sri Lanka’s most popular safari spots, Yala can at times feel a little busy, but we hope the wildlife encounters will be more than worth it.
During your time in Yala, we’d highly recommend paying a visit to the nearby local village of Tissamaharama to meet the locals, share smiles over delicious food, experience local activities like buffalo curd making, fishing and Palmyrah weaving, and leave with a greater connection to the amazing Sri Lankan people.
The next couple of days are clear for you to relax and explore as you wish. Take a tour of Tangalle, visit the Hummanaya Blowhole and explore Mulkirigala Rock Monastery. We can arrange tours if you'd like your time to be a little more structured, so chat to us about more adventures that can be had nearby. Otherwise, sip on refreshing cocktails and laze the day away on the beach.
We know we shouldn’t have favourites, but if you ask us, Galle is one of the most charming spots in Sri Lanka. With its 17th century fort, iconic lighthouse, winding cobbled streets, quirky cafes, boutique hotels, top restaurants and impressive art galleries – there’s plenty to keep you busy. Your guide will whisk you off on a walking tour of Galle Fort when you arrive to help you get your bearings (and clock which restaurants you’d like to sample during your time here!)
If you thought the wildlife encounters were over, you thought wrong. If you time your Sri Lanka holiday between December and April, you’ll be visiting at the same time as the blue whales and sperm whales. The chance of spotting them, as well as large pods of dolphins, is high, plus, the sea is beautifully calm, and you shouldn’t have to venture too many miles off the coast for your luck to be in. So head off on a boat trip off the coast today, for a chance to encounter Sri Lanka's marine life up close.
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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