Sri Lanka, privately guided, with one guide who knows every road
Eight days from the rock at Sigiriya to the whale waters off Mirissa. Or five in the tea hills. Or whatever your dates allow. Privately guided, at your pace.
Five regions, one island
Sri Lanka is small enough to cross in a day and varied enough to fill a month. Pick a region to start, and we will draw the rest of the route around it.
Sigiriya · Dambulla · Polonnaruwa · Anuradhapura
Kandy · Nuwara Eliya · Ella
Galle · Mirissa · Tangalle
Arugam Bay · Trincomalee
Jaffna · Mannar · Delft
Not sure where to begin? Tell us how many days you have and what you cannot miss.
Get a draft routeGuided, private, unhurried
Every tour is a starting point. Swap a beach for a temple, add a day in the hills, or stretch it to three weeks. Prices are for the private vehicle and your guide, for the whole group, not per person.
8 days · 7 nights
Sigiriya → Dambulla → Kandy → Ella → Yala → Mirissa → Galle. The rock, the caves, the train, the leopards and the whales, in that order.
5 days · 4 nights
Kandy → Nuwara Eliya → Nanu Oya → Ella → Haputale. The slow train through the tea, a night in a planter's bungalow, Lipton's Seat at sunrise.
6 days · 5 nights
Galle → Mirissa → Tangalle → Yala. Rampart walks at dusk, a 6am whale boat, and a sunset and a dawn drive in Yala.
Transport package is US$80 a day: your private vehicle, your driver-guide, fuel, tolls and parking. The vehicle is chosen to suit your group size and route. Hotels, entrance tickets and meals are booked to your preference and paid separately.
The Classic Loop
Our most-travelled route, from the airport at Katunayake around the island and back to Negombo. A popular starting point that we reshape around your dates, group and interests.
Katunayake Airport → Sigiriya
Your trip begins the moment you land. We are waiting at arrivals, no stress, no waiting around.
Sigiriya → Dambulla → Kandy
Up before sunrise to beat the crowds on the Rock. Jungle in every direction from the top.
A full day in Kandy
Kandy moves slowly and that is the point. The lake, the temples, the drumming.
Kandy → Nuwara Eliya → Ella by train
Nanu Oya to Ella is the most beautiful rail journey in Asia. Mist, waterfalls, tea fields. Keep the camera out.
A full day in Ella
People plan one day in Ella and stay three. The bridge, the hike, the cooking class.
Ella → Yala → Mirissa
A big travel day with an enormous payoff. Waterfalls in the morning, leopards in the afternoon, waves at night.
Mirissa, the best day on the water
Out on the open ocean before most people are awake, then back to the best beach in the south.
Mirissa → Galle coast → Negombo
A slow coastal drive north with three good stops. A gentle end to eight full days.
Things worth the early start
Some of these need a 5am alarm. All of them are worth it. We handle the tickets, the boats and the park permits.
Block 1 at 5.30am, when the leopards still use the road and the jeeps have not arrived.
Gentle beach breaks in the south from November, the long right-hander in the east from May.
A planter's bungalow above Nuwara Eliya, a factory tour at 8am, and a proper pot of Ceylon at four.
Three days or three weeks with a resident doctor near Bentota. Herbal oils, quiet gardens, early nights.
Seven hours, one open door, and the Nine Arch Bridge near the end. We book the seats and meet you at the platform.
Blue whales from November to April. The boats leave at 6.30am, so we stay the night before in Mirissa.
Drive times from Colombo
Nothing is far. The trick is the order you do it in, so you are never backtracking.
Who we are
Tripa Lanka is a private tour service run by one experienced Sri Lankan travel expert who personally accompanies you every step of the way. We offer more than a driver: a companion who knows every sunrise viewpoint, every hidden village, and every roadside kitchen worth stopping at for hoppers.
From the rock fortress at Sigiriya to the whale-watching waters off Mirissa, each journey is personally planned and personally guided. Your trip, your pace, your memories.
Traveller stories
“He stopped the car on the A9 because he had spotted a hornbill. Then he bought us king coconuts from a stall his uncle runs.”
“He knew the train would run late, so we ate kottu in Kandy first. Then sat in the doorway from Nanu Oya to Ella with the mist coming in.”
“Two leopards before 7am. By lunch we were eating hoppers in Tissamaharama. Our guide had the park map memorised, and knew which track to take.”
West and south coasts: December to March. East coast: May to September. The hills are good all year. Bring a jumper for Nuwara Eliya.
Apply for the Electronic Travel Authorisation online before you fly. Most nationalities get 30 days. We send you the link when you book.
Trains for the hills, tuk-tuks for town, and a private vehicle for everything in between. Roads are slow; 100 km is usually three hours.
Sri Lankan rupee. Cards work in cities and hotels. Carry cash for markets, tuk-tuks, temple donations and roadside king coconut.
Season notes, train timetable changes, and where the whales are this week. Never more than one email a month.
Get in touch
Send a few lines about your dates and what you would like to see. We come back within 24 hours with a draft itinerary and a price.
We usually reply within a few hours. For anything urgent, WhatsApp is the quickest way to reach us.