Depart UK

Depart UK on an overnight flight to Colombo.

Arrival in Colombo – Negombo

You will be met at Colombo Airport and transferred to your hotel in Negombo. There will an opportunity for test runs on the bikes, in preparation for the tour ahead. Meals included: None

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Negombo (Goldi Sands Hotel / Catamaran Beach Hotel or Similar)

Start biking – Pinnawala

After breakfast, the group will drive for about 5 kilometres before beginning to cycle. The route will take you through villages and untarred roads, past brick kilns, coir factories, coconut and rubber estates, and pineapple plantations. The roads will be mainly flat, with occasional hilly areas. Cycle distance: approximately 65–75 km

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Pinnawala (Elephant Bay Hotel or Similar)

Sigiriya – Dambulla Cave Temple

After breakfast, start cycling towards Sigiriya. The route will be through vast coconut estates and paddy fields, with the vegetation gradually changing from the wet zone to the dry zone. Cycle along cart tracks and undeveloped trails, with a short distance on developed roads. As the group approaches Dambulla, there will be option of boarding a vehicle, but those who wish to continue cycling can do so.

En route to Sigiriya, visit the Dambulla Cave Temple. The UNESCO-listed site is one of the world’s largest painted caves, containing more than 22,000 square feet of painted surfaces. The caves house dozens of Buddha statues, including Asia’s largest reclining Buddha.

Cycle distance: approximately 80–85 km

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Sigiriya (Sigiriya Hotel or Similar)

Sigiriya Rock Fortress – Giritale

Early this morning you will climb the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya. This 370-metre-high rock citadel was built in the fifth century under the rule of King Kassapa. Abandoned for centuries, it was rediscovered by a British archaeologist in the late 19th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After a late breakfast, the group will depart for Giritale. The cycle route will be a combination of mud tracks, paved roads and occasional tarred roads. You will pass through dry jungle zones, teak plantations and paddy fields. The journey will be entirely on flat land.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Giritale (Giritale Hotel or Similar)

Polonnaruwa

Depart for Polonnaruwa this morning, the capital of the Chola and Sinhalese kingdoms some 1,000 years ago. The route will be the same as the previous day.

In Polonnaruwa, the group will cycle through the ancient city area, visiting the many structures and remains scattered around the site. You will travel along the dam of the Parakrama Samudra, the ‘Sea of Parakarama’, a vast series of old reservoirs.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Giritale (Giritale Hotel or Similar)

Kandy – Spice Garden – Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic

This morning you will start the cycle towards Kandy, the ‘Hill Capital’ and Sri Lanka’s cultural centre. The route will be off the beaten track, passing through agricultural areas in Elahera and Bakamoona. Set in the eastern slopes of the Knuckles Mountain Range and passing Riverstone – a beautiful landscape of rugged peaks and deep valley with a dry zone climate.

As the route is long, the group can pack up whenever they like.

Visit a Spice Garden and take a guided tour to learn about the cultivation and uses of the spices grown here.

This evening you will watch a cultural performance by traditional Kandyan dancers and drummers, including devotional ‘fire walking’. Take a star-lit walk to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha – a major pilgrimage site for Buddhists around the world.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Kandy (Topaz Hotel / Thilanka Hotel or Similar)

Kandy – Gampola

Today will begin with a city tour, including the Upper Lake Drive for a bird’s-eye-view of the city below. Visit the impressive Royal Botanic Gardens, one of the best of its kind in Asia, and a Gem Museum, where you will see how valuable gems are cut from raw stone.

Afterwards, head towards Gampola.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Gampola (Ellerton Bungalow)

Nuwara Eliya – Bandarawela

After breakfast, head towards Nuwara Eliya, also known as ‘Little England’. Characterised by brick- and stone-built houses, rose gardens and beautiful lawns, the attractive villages in this area have retained some of their colonial style. The cycle route will be surrounded by rolling tea plantations, terraced paddy fields and remote village amidst beautiful landscapes.

The group will be picked up from Ramboda and transferred by vehicle to Bandarawela. Visit a tea factory and a plantation, where you can witness the manufacturing process of world-renowned ‘Ceylon tea’. You’ll have the opportunity to taste a pure, unblended cup of factory-fresh tea before it’s sent to the Tea Auctions in Colombo to be sold and exported.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Bandarawela (Orient Hotel or Similar)

Beragala – Udawalawe – Udawalawe National Park

Start biking towards Udawalawe, via Beragala, passing scenic vistas of the hill country.

Enjoy a Jeep safari in Udawalawe National Park, where you will see wild elephants and go in search of exotic birds.

The route will be through hilly areas, predominantly on good, tarred roads with less traffic.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Embilipitiya (Centauria Hotel or Similar)

Koggala

This morning you will transfer to the small coastal town of Koggala, where you will have time at leisure to relax on the beach.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Koggala (Koggala Beach Hotel or Similar)

Galle Dutch Fortress – Ambalangoda – Bentota

After breakfast, depart for Bentota.

En route, visit the UNESCO-listed Galle Dutch Fortress. Originally built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the fortress was later renovated by the Dutch in the 18th century. Today, it serves as a museum and art gallery that showcases the region’s cultural heritage and colonial history.

Continue to a Mask Museum at Ambalangoda, as well as a turtle hatchery.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Bentota (Marina Hotel or Similar)

Boat Cruise – Bentota

Today you will the opportunity to relax and take a boat cruise through the mangroves and enjoy the natural surroundings and experience the local way of life.

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation: Overnight at hotel in Bentota (Marina Hotel or Similar)

Onward travel

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK or onward journey.

Meals included: Breakfast

Arrive UK