Sigiriya Ancient City and Countryside from Kandy

Sigiriya Ancient City and Countryside from Kandy

(SKU: LK60173300) During this full day tour to Kandy, you will visit a renowned UNESCO world heritage site! Enter into a kingdom hailed as one of the greatest in Sri Lanka’s history.

Highlights

• Marvel at UNESCO-protected Sigiriya.
• Climb up to witness the frescoes.
• Cooking demonstration on traditional Sri Lankan food.
• Traditional catamaran safari.
• Bird watching.

Includes

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• Transport in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• Service of an English-speaking chauffeur guide.
• 1 Village tour with traditional village lunch.
• 1 Guided bird watching experience.
• 1-Liter water bottle per person.

Excludes

• Meals where not specified.
• Gratuities.
• Entrance tickets (Sigiriya Rock, Village Lunch).

What to Expect

You will be starting your tour at 7:30 am from your hotel in Kandy, where you will be picked up by your chauffeur. The first stop on your itinerary will be the Sigiriya Rock Fortress which you will reach approximately 10:30 am. 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 civilization, thought to be once the epicenter of the short-lived kingdom of Kashyapa, and there are spellbinding vistas across mist-wrapped forests in the early morning. Climb the 5th century AD rock fortress, Sigiriya, where the King Kashyapa 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.

Thereafter proceed to Sigiriya at approximately 1:30 pm to experience a village tour. The trek begins with an awesome walk along a bund of a “Wewa” or man-made reservoir. Thereafter you will enjoy a bullock cart ride while enjoying sightseeing of the rural village life. Your next phase of adventure will be a “catamaran safari” (double-paired canoe joined together with seating facility) at the scenic lake. Enjoy traditional lunch at a local house prepared by the village women. This is arranged on a typical & traditional buffet style (clay pots – buffet) served on a lotus leaf and a cane thatched flat holder. Thereafter proceed to the final activity of this day itinerary. You will proceed to an Eco-lodge near the Habarana Junction at approximately 3:30 pm for your Bird Watching experience. Your friendly bird watching guide will make it his mission to ensure that the most number of species are spotted in your exploration. Birds flirting far away from the naked eye can be easily viewed with the use of the binoculars provided to you or from the monocular bird spotting telescope that will be adjusted and aimed by your guide. The area is widely considered to be a hotspot for bird watching in Sri Lanka as sightings of around 120 bird species have occurred during bird watching in Habarana. After the Bird watching Session you will be returning back to your hotel in Kandy.