Scenic Train Tour

SRI LANKA BY TRAIN BOUTIQUE TOUR (11n/12d)

Sri Lanka is mainly known for its endless white beaches, ancient wonders and the amazing wildlife, but if you didn't travel at least on one of the scenic train routes of Sri Lanka, you missed an essential holiday experience.
This unique Train Tour includes the three most spectacular rail journeys Sri Lanka has to offer. Two of them by 1st class observation deck carriage or observation saloon through the lush hill country, passing foggy tea plantations, waterfalls and romantic hill stations. Not to mention the amazing bridges and tunnels, some of them dating back to the colonial times. Traveling this way gives you a major advantage over the often crowded 2nd and 3rd class compartments, especially in the winter high season when a reserved observation car seat can make the difference between an unforgettable rail journey or feeling like a sardine on rails.
The third (optional) train trip will take you along the fantastic beaches and towns on Sri Lanka's South Coast from Matara to historical Galle. Please note that seat reservations are not available on the daytime trains here, but if you stay clear of the early morning commuter trains it will be another beautiful train journey. Like on all our Sri Lanka train tours your driver will follow you with your luggage by car, allowing you a safe & carefree ride.
Accommodation on this tour are hand-picked Boutique Hotels, providing you with utmost comfort in a true contemporary style.
Please find the detailed Tour Itinerary below:

DAY 1: Limousine Transfer from Sri Lanka's International Airport to your Boutique Hotel in Colombo.
Located between leafy Park Street and the lakeside Buddhist shrine of Gangarama, The Uga Residence is amongst one of the most unique boutique hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital. Built in the 19th century by a wealthy barrister, Sheikh Salehboy Moosajee, the halls and ballrooms of this grand Victorian townhouse once welcomed British governors, Indian maharajas, European nobility and the cream of colonial Ceylon society. Today, Residence is a unique 11-suite luxury hotel in Colombo. Despite its central Colombo location, the boutique hotel offers an atmosphere of secluded peace and quiet.
Overnight at the Uga Residence Boutique Hotel, Colombo

DAY 2: After breakfast Colombo City Tour by air-conditioned limousine with personal driver/guide. The sightseeing includes
Galle Face Green Promenade:
A half-kilometre long stretch in Colombo that runs between the scenic Indian Ocean and the Galle Road. Galle Face Green Promenade is not only an important landmark but also a favored picnic spot amongst locals and foreign visitors alike.
Cinnamon Gardens:
Once home to cinnamon trees spread over vast acreage, the Cinnamon Gardens now showcase important buildings like the National Museum, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Town Hall of Colombo and the Independence Hall.
Old Parliament Building:
Built in the neo-baroque style of architecture, the Old Parliament Building is one of the major attractions of Colombo. The beautiful architecture and the history associated with the building is fascinating.
Mount Lavinia:
Mount Lavinia is a coastal town 12 km from the center of Colombo City. The city’s name is built up around the original residence of Sir Thomas Maitland who was the Governor General of Ceylon from 1805-1811. At a welcoming party held in his honour on his arrival in the island he set his eyes upon Lovina, a local mestizo dancer, whose father was the Headman of the troupe. Sir Thomas was smitten by her smile and charms and soon found himself obsessed by her and took every measure possible to see more of her. Legend says she was smuggled into his mansion through a secret tunnel that led from her father’s well into a wine cellar in the house.
Today Mount Lavinia, is a city bustling with life and well known for its beach activities and chilled out dining locations along the beach.
Overnight at the Uga Residence Boutique Hotel, Colombo

DAY 3: In the morning your driver will take you to the Colombo Railway Station where you will embark on your first train trip from Colombo to Kandy. The journey is by observation carriage and the tickets will be provided by your driver.
Kandy is Sri Lanka's cultural capital the gateway to the cultural triangle, mountain ranges and tea plantations. The clarity of the air and its verdant, hilly outlook around the sacred lake make it a pleasant escape from the heat of the coasts.
Overnight at the Kings Pavilion Boutique Hotel, Kandy

DAY 4: Time for some special highlights of Sri Lanka. After breakfast your driver will take you to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, the largest elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka, accounting for around fifty elephants at any given time. The orphanage is open all day but it is best to time your visit with the twice daily feeding and bathing. At 9.15am and 4.15pm, the baby elephants are taken into the stalls where they are tethered and then bottle fed with milk, providing endless photo opportunities. This might be a crowd pleaser but it's not the highlight; what really steals the show is the bathing.
On your way back you can visit the Dambulla Cave Temples, an UNESCO world heritage site (optional). Dambulla and its five cave temples are filed with Buddhist murals and many Buddha statues. Visitors must remove their shoes and approach the shrines bare-foot. The first cave is filled with the 47-foot-long recumbent image of the meditating Buddha.
Overnight at the Kings Pavilion Boutique Hotel, Kandy

DAY 5: No holiday in Sri Lanka is complete without a visit to the Sigiriya Rock. Sigiriya is a sixth century fortress perched on a 200 metre high rock and one the most dramatic of Sri Lanka's historical sites. Don’t rush through all this magnificence. Be prepared to spend at least one whole day, walking around the Sigiriya gardens, the newly laid out herbal garden. Walk to the northern corner of the western moat and look to the south down the moat, and see how it had been made in line with the summit of a far away hill.
Overnight at the Kings Pavilion Boutique Hotel, Kandy

DAY 6: Your second Sri Lanka train trip from Kandy to Ella is considered by many as one of the most beautiful train trips in the world. The train journey from Kandy - Ella takes seven hours and provides you with amazing landscapes of green tea plantations and spectacular mountain views. An unforgettable railway experience that will leave you breathless and wanting more. Your 1st class observation carriage provides a wide view of the beautiful scenery that will have you snapping photos at every turn.
Overnight at the 98 Acres Boutique Hotel, Ella

DAY 7: Ella is a beautiful small village in Sri Lanka's hill country with little more than a handful of shops, hotels and guesthouses, but it has an almost perfect climate and occupies a very scenic vantage point, with views on a fine day stretching right across the South Coast of Sri Lanka. If it is too quiet for you, your driver/guide can take you to Nuwara Eliya, the home of the famous Ceylon Tea. Nuwara Eliya was found by a group of British officers during the earlier part of the 19th century, who as the story goes, had gotten lost while elephant hunting. The city is surrounded by a seemingly endless array of tea plantations and its outskirts are like a journey into the past. Colonial villas, rose gardens, a 18 hole golf course and country-club-styled hotels are the perfect background for this unique hill station.
Overnight at the 98 Acres Boutique Hotel, Ella

DAY 8 - 11: On your way to Tangalle on Sri Lanka's South Coast you can arrange with the driver stop at the Yala National Park for an afternoon Jeep Safari. Yala is one of the best parks in the world to observe and photograph leopards in the wild. There are about 35 leopards in the park which probably is the highest density than anywhere in the world. Otherwise proceed directly to Tangalle.
The couple of protective bays has made Tangalle a popular port from the ancient times to date and, today, is an important fishing town, as well as a perfect place for those who desire a quiet, relaxed holiday with sun, sand, surf, snorkel and . Recommended day trips are to Mirissa Beach for Surfing and Whale Watching and/or the Udawalawe National Park.
Overnight at Anantara Peace Heaven Boutique Hotel, Tangalle

DAY 12: Depending on your next destination (you can book a beach extension with us) and/or your departure time, the driver can drop you off at the Matara Railway Station for your last train ride from Matara to Galle, a journey along the fantastic beaches and towns on Sri Lanka's South Coast. The driver will meet you again at the Galle railway station with your luggage. Please note that seat reservations are not available on the daytime trains here, but if you stay clear of the early morning commuter trains it will be another beautiful train journey.
The Sri Lanka by Train Boutique Tour ends once you have reached your next destination and/or the airport

RATES:
The shown rates include private transportation by a/c luxury limousine or Japanese Mini Van with driver / guide, accommodation in mentioned Boutique Hotels, 1st Class Train Tickets, excluding entry fees.
Accommodation in double room (sharing), on b&b basis.
US$ 2.222 (per person)