The best tours in Sri Lanka

Dreaming of seeing Sri Lanka’s best bits? With warm temperatures, impressive beaches, and loads of UNESCO World Heritage Sites to tick off, we don’t blame you. Save yourself the hassle of organising it all and opt for a TUI tour instead. With flights, transport, hotels, and several meals included, you can enjoy your trip with no distractions. Our tours in Sri Lanka cover off big cities like Kandy and historical sites like Sigiriya Rock. Plus, you’ll taste traditional Sri Lankan teas and see one of the best reasons to visit Sri Lanka – elephants.

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This tiny island nation, just below India, is best known for its postcard-perfect tropical beaches, but there’s so much more to do in Sri Lanka than just relax on the sand. On our Epic Sri Lanka tour you can scale Sigiriya, also known as Lion Rock, a 600ft stone fortress home to the ruins of an ancient city. Listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s a must-see spot on your trip. Don’t miss the colourful frescoes painted onto its sides as you take the steep staircases up, as well as the inscriptions on the walls left by other visitors. Another stop on the tour takes you to the colourful city of Kandy. This place is loaded with markets, museums, and holy sites, like the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, one of Buddhism's most important monuments. Got green fingers? Make time for the Technicolour Peradeniya Botanic Gardens and you might spot monkeys leaping through the trees.

Book our Epic Sri Lanka tour

This seven-night tour takes you from Sri Lanka’s bustling cities to its sleepy mountain towns – and everywhere in between. As well as hiking to the top of Sigiriya’s ancient rock fortress, for example, you’ll venture deep into the Dambulla Cave Temple. The latter is wall-to-wall with pictures of Buddha and it’s the best-preserved cave-temple of its kind in Sri Lanka. Later in the tour you’ll explore Kandy’s UNESCO-dubbed city centre and bustling bazaar, and see more than 4,000 kinds of plants on display at the Royal Botanical Gardens. You’ll have a go at picking tea leaves at a plantation near another city – Nuwara Eliya – then change the pace completely with a visit to the mountain town of Kataragama. A sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists and Hindus, this place is dotted with glittering shrines.

Book our Sri Lankan Discovery tour

Prefer a private tour? You’ll get an expert guide all to yourself on this seven-night tour of tea plantations, cave temples and national parks. The itinerary kicks off with a visit to the Dambulla Cave Temple, then moves on to the town of Polonnaruwa. This place packs in royal ruins, temples and Buddha statues galore, so it’s certainly not short on sights. You’ll head from here to Minneriya National Park, which is a prime spot to see Sri Lanka’s most famous residents – elephants. You’ll head off on a jeep for the best chance to see herds of them roaming free throughout the park. One of Sri Lanka’s most famous landmarks, Sigiriya Rock, and the city of Kandy are both on the cards on this tour, too. Plus, you’ll visit the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya and enjoy a tea plantation tour at Nuwara Eliya – you can sample their famous Ceylon here – before you say so long to Sri Lanka.

Book our Classic Ceylon private tour 

Sri Lanka really delivers on beach breaks, and all of our tours here can be combined with a beach holiday. Whether you prefer sandy spots with plenty of activities to keep you busy, or quiet retreats with only the sound of the Indian Ocean’s waves lapping on the shore as your soundtrack, you're guaranteed to find it here. And, you won’t miss out on the local culture – keep an eye out for fisherman balancing on stilts out in the water. If the long stretches of sand aren’t enough to tempt you, Sri Lanka has loads of opportunities for watersports, including kayaking and paddle boarding. Surfing is popular here, too, so why not slip into a wetsuit and give it a go? Head to Hikkaduwa for nightlife, or Waikkal to escape the crowds. And, we offer experiences on all of our Sri Lankan breaks – so you can visit national parks and explore cities on the days you do feel like leaving the beach behind.

Find out more about our holidays to Sri Lanka

Feeling inspired?

Discover more about our holidays to Sri Lanka, and find out what time of year is the best to visit. Plus, for more info about the tours we offer, take a look at our best tour and sightseeing breaks.

Pssst. Head to the Discover homepage for our latest articles.

Author: Lizzie Butler and Katie Gregory

Last updated: 16.05.2023