Carefully crafted to ensure you get the ultimate highland experience, explore mountains of tea during your tour of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. A tea tour stands as the exclusive excursion on offer. Sample the famous Ceylon brew before retiring to the comfort of your accommodation.
day | Location/Route | duration | Overnight |
---|---|---|---|
Day 01 | Arrival and transfer to Kandy | One night in Kandy | Value: Earls Regent Signature: Mountbatten Bungalow |
Day 02 | Kandy to Nuwara Eliya | Two nights in Nuwara Eliya | Value: Araliya Green Hills Signature: Tea Factory |
Day 03 | Nuwara Eliya | Last night in Nuwara Eliya | Value: Araliya Green Hills Signature: Tea Factory |
Day 04 | Nuwara Eliya to Colombo | One night in Colombo | Value: Mirage Hotel Signature: Galle Face Hotel |
Day 05 | Transfer to airport for departure |
The Kandy Esela Perahera, which is also known as The Festival of the Tooth is a unique religious and cultural event that takes place every year in July. The procession features many dancers, drummers and elephants, who parade through the streets paying homage to the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha which is housed in the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy.
The Temple of the Tooth Relic, which is known as the Sri Dalada Maligawa is in the sacred city of Kandy. It houses the tooth relic of Lord Buddha and is an important shrine of Buddhist worship. The annual procession known as the Kandy Esala Perahera marks an important day in the Sri Lankan calendar.
A visitor to the idyllic Hill Country of Sri Lanka will be greeted by vistas of sloping green tea plantations and misty mountains. Tea production which was introduced to the island by James Taylor in 1867, has grown into a giant industry, creating one of the main sources of foreign income for the country.
Hop aboard a vintage steam train in Kandy, and enjoy a picturesque ride into the heart of Sri Lanka’s charming hill country. The winding railway tracks chart a scenic course through the rolling hillsides of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. Unwind in your air conditioned compartment, as you take in the majesty of the verdant landscape unfolding before your eyes.
Observe the shades of emerald that blanket the horizon, brimming with precious tea crops that are the nation’s pride. Envision the splendour of the island’s colonial heyday, as you tuck into a delicious four-course lunch accompanied by sparkling silverware and fine china. This journey is best begun in the late morning hours and lasts four to five hours.
Visit the Suriyakantha Centre for Art and Culture, and delve deep into the fascinating annals of European and Sri Lankan history. Housed in the Naranwala Walawwa, an 18th century Dutch-style colonial manor house, the centre represents a unique effort between a Frenchman and Sri Lankan, to showcase talent from eras past.
Explore the vast repository of local and European works over the course of two to three hours and understand the richness of Kandyan culture. Observe the various manuscripts, furniture, handicrafts, artworks and photographs on display. Located near the town of Kandy in Sri Lanka’s Central Province, Suriyakantha is open to visits between 08:00am and 04:00pm, throughout the year.
Discover the rich architectural heritage of Kandy, the last Sri Lankan Kingdom to fall to the invading British. Today, it is one of the island’s major cities and home to an array of renowned attractions such as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the Royal Palace and National Museum.
Begin your tour at the lively town centre, and observe the diverse mix of neo-colonial and colonial-style buildings. Enjoy quality time with celebrated architect Ruchira Wickremasinghe, a recipient of the Geoffrey Bawa Travel Award, as she walks you through the intricacies of Kandy’s architectural landscape. The 2.5 hour tour can begin at any time; however, the late hours of the afternoon are ideal.
Spend half a day exploring four of Kandy’s famed medieval temples. Join your personal archaeologist on an informative, 3.5 hour coach tour of the Degaldoruwa, Embekka, Lankatilaka and Gadaladeniya Buddhist temples. Feast your eyes on the magnificent Kandyan murals on the ceiling of Degaldoruwa Temple. Witness the wonderful fusion of Buddhist and Hindu culture at Gadaladeniya Temple.
Take in the exquisite craftsmanship of the woodwork at Embekka Temple. Observe the traditional Sinhalese design of the Lankatilaka Temple, and discover the inscriptions carved into the rocks. Setting off in the morning is ideal, as the tour involves approximately 1.5 hours of travel to / from your hotel.
Visit the famed Handunugoda Tea Estate in Titagalla and observe first-hand how Virgin White Tea is produced. Hailed as the world’s purest tea, it is an expensive blend which boasts an antioxidant level of 10%. Learn the finer points of tea culture and discover the intricacies of the manufacturing process, as you explore the factory and grounds on a guided tour.
Discover the tea’s speciality; its leaves are devoid of human contact during plucking, processing and packing. End on an aromatic note with a soothing tea tasting session which comprises over 20 different blends.
The visit lasts 1 to 1.5 hours, and we recommend arriving before noon. The tea factory is open daily from 08:00am to 06:00pm.
Observe the century-old tea manufacturing process at Ceylon Tea Trails. Meet up with your guide at 09:00am and set off into the estate. Walk in the footsteps of the tea planters of Ceylon’s heyday, as they traversed the leafy inclines in search of ideal pastures for tea cultivation. Understand the challenges involved in the skilled art of tea plucking and learn the secret behind the aromatic black tea blend; only two tender leaves and the bud, are harvested from each plant, by hand.
Study the traditional English machinery used at the Norwood Tea Factory, which dates back to colonial times.
As your 2.5 hours draw to an end, sit back and sample fragrant brews from the factory’s many grades of tea.
On arrival at the Colombo Airport you will meet your guide and be taken to a wonderful colonial bungalow claimed to have been, one of the private residences of Lord Louis Mountbatten (Approx. 3 Hrs drive).
On arrival at the Bandaranayake International Airport, you will be warmly greeted by your guide and transferred to your hotel in Kandy (Duration four hours).
Overnight in Kandy.
This morning you may visit the famous Temple of the Tooth and explore the city’s highlights for a couple of hours (approx. two and a half hours) before you head out to Nuwara Eliya.
Yes, you will stay in a converted tea factory! Delve into Sri Lanka’s rich heritage for an up close and personal experience of everything that is tea! From the stunning vistas of the tea plantations from your window to the old machinery that once worked the factory! Visit a tea factory and learn about the cultivation of tea – one of Sri Lanka’s most famous exports, and enjoy tastings to appreciate the difference in strength and flavour of the leaves.
Take a leisurely stroll through the mist covered plantation and join the tea pluckers on the field followed by a tea tasting session with an expert who will walk you through the process. Take home a special selection of tea as a souvenir of your journey.
Rest of the day at leisure to explore the region. Overnight at The Tea factory.
After a leisurely breakfast, drive down to Colombo (four hours). Depending on the day you spend in Colombo, we will arrange for you to visit the tea auctions!
Overnight in Colombo.
Depending on your time of departure you will be transferred to the airport for your departure.
Safe journey!