Explore two of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO-listed highlights on a privately guided day trip to Dambulla and the Sigiriya Rock from Negombo. You will be starting your tour at 0600 hrs from your hotel in Negombo, where you will be picked up by your chauffer. Ensure that you bring a packed breakfast with you, if you are unable to have your meal at the hotel.
The first stop on your itinerary will be the Dambulla Cave Temple which you will reach by approximately 0930 hrs. (Travel Time 3 ½ to 4 hrs)
View Sri Lanka’s countryside and villages as you journey to the atmospheric Dambulla Cave Temple, a Cliffside cave complex packed with Buddha images and frescoes.
Enter the historic caves of the Golden Temple of Dambulla, dating back to the 1st century BC. View the ancient murals depicting the life storey of Lord Gautama Buddha. Look at the hundreds of figurines of Buddha and other deities scattered throughout the five main caves. Visit the Cave of the Divine King, Cave of the Great King and the Great New Monastery. See the giant golden Buddha Statue just a little distance outside the cave complex.
At approximately 1230 hrs you will be have lunch at a place of your choice (At your own expense) and reach Sigiriya by 1430 hrs and visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress. (Travel Time 35 to 45 mins)
Rising from the central plains, the iconic rocky outcrop of Sigiriya is perhaps Sri Lanka's single most dramatic sight. Near-vertical walls soar to a flat-topped summit that contains the ruins of an ancient civilisation, thought to be once the epicentre of the short-lived kingdom of Kassapa
Climb the 5th century AD rock fortress, Sigiriya, where the King Kassapa ruled. Walk through the entrance framed by the paws of a lion that is quite appropriate for its name, the Lion Rock'. View the beautiful unfading murals that brought Sigiriya its fame. Climb the steep staircase to see the terraced gardens and still-working cisterns. Walk through the tunnels leading to the palace as you get a feel for times long past.
You will be finishing the tour at 1730 hrs and returning to your hotel in Negombo by approximately 2130 hrs. En-route you may stop at Restaurant at your choice and have dinner. (At your own expense)