DAY 01

Welcome to the paradise

Upon your arrival in Sri Lanka, you will be welcomed and assisted by a team member of I GO TO SRILANKA who will accompany you to a lovely hotel in Dambulla.

On our way to Dambulla, let us show your children the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage where they can caress baby elephants, and every morning they can also bottle feed the little elephants. Your children will be surprised to watch the elephants bathing and playing in the nearby river.

After Pinnawala, your I Go Sri Lanka guide will accompany you to visit Dambulla where you can admire the Dumbulla Cave Temple, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, which consists of 5 separate caves; each containing about 153 absolutely stunning Buddha statues and 2100 square meters of cave paintings which are related to Gautama Buddha and his life.

If this is your child's first time entering a buddhist temple, they will no doubt stare in awe at the hundreds of huge statues, wall paintings, stupas and white dressed people meditating and worshiping on the premises. Their inquisitive minds wil undoubtedly have many questions, to which your I Go To Sri Lanka guide will have the answers as your young travelers curiosity grows with each wonderful experience.

Dinner and Overnight in Dambulla.

DAY 02

Lost in Ancient City Anuradhapura - Mihinthalaya

Please your tummy with a hearty breakfast at the hotel and then be ready to depart for Anuradhapura, where you can admire an ancient capital (5 BC) with it’s well- preserved ruins and stupas. According to Mahavamsa ("Great Chronicle", Pali Mahāvaṃsa) Anuradhapura was the first capital of Sri Lanka when the great King Dutugamunu ruled (දුටුගැමුණු Duṭugämuṇu). Under his reign Anuradhapura was the centre of Theravada Buddhism for many centuries.

After getting lost in the era of great Sri Lankan kings, you'll be ready to experience yet another touch of magic when we climb the peak of Mihinthale at dusk all while admiring the stunning landscape. Minhinthale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura, where Buddhism was establish in Sri Lanka by Mihindu Arahath who was the son of Indian emperor Ashoka. According to history, Mihindu came to Sri Lanka from India on the full moon poya Day of the month Posson (June) and met king Devanampiyatissa and preached the Buddhist doctrine.

The peak is very easy for young travellers to climb and during their ascent, they can collect temple flowers, dried leaves and watch monkeys jump from one tree to another with other children. Our young hikers will appreciate the stunning view from the hilltop of Mihinthale. No doubt that your young ones will have an adventure story to tell at school upon their return!

If this is your child's first time entering a buddhist temple, they will no doubt stare in awe at the hundreds of huge statues, wall paintings, stupas and white dressed people meditating and worshiping on the premises. Their inquisitive minds wil undoubtedly have many questions, to which your I Go To Sri Lanka guide will have the answers as your young travelers curiosity grows with each wonderful experience.

Dinner and Overnight in Dambulla.

DAY 03

The Adventure Begins! Polonnaruwa - Minneriya

Fill up on breakfast at the hotel and then we’ll move on to Polonnaruwa, another medieval capital of Sri Lanka, built in the 11th and 12th century A.D. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On foot or by bicycle you can visit the ruins which demonstrate Sri Lanka’s Golden Age of trade and agriculture under the patronage of King Parakramabahu the Great. The ruins of the Royal Palace, the Assembly Hall, Shiva Devale, Twin Ponds, Elephant Pond, Vatadage and many more will bring you back to a glorious past. Lastly, the Gal Vihara is the purest magic of them all. The four Buddha sculptures carved out of monolithic stone will leave you spellbound!

In the evening, we will take you to Minneriya National Park. This nature reserve is one of the best places in the country to see wild elephants, who are often wandering in huge numbers alongside wading birds. The dry season, from May to September, is the best time to visit as by this time the water in the Minneriya Tank has dried up, exposing grasses and shoots to a variety of grazing animals.

A safari in Minneriya National park is not tiresome for young travelers but an adventure waiting to happen. From elephant watching at the entrance of the national park, to all the different species of birds, reptiles and lots of other animals, they will never grow bored. Your I Go to Sri Lanka guide will take you to various elephants families and their baby elephants playing near the Minneriya Lake, which of course your children will love!

Dinner and Overnight in Dambulla.

DAY 04

In Search of Buddha’s Sacred Tooth Sigiriya - Kandy

Fill up on breakfast at the hotel, and then we will move on to visit Sigiriya Fortress. According to many legends, the creative mind behind the palace was an usurper named King Kashyapa, whom walled (this word doesn't exist in English – what did you want to say?) his own father alive and stole the throne from the rightful heir, Prince Moggalana. Once Moggalana retreated to South India to gather troops King Kashyapa moved the kingdom from Anuradhpura to Sigiriya, building his palace on the summit of this huge rock. Keeping aside his rather disturbing acts, one cannot hide the fact that he is a genius in planning out the architecture of the entire kingdom, which still to this day baffles archaeologists due to its complexities of the irrigation and border systems. It is said that the site plan combined concepts of symmetry and asymmetry to deliberately intertwine the man-made geometrical and natural forms of its natural setting. Apart from the baffling construction, one should not miss the elaborative frescoes and mirrored wall, which is said to be polished with so much effort that the stone wall reflected like a mirror. Nominated to be the 8th Wonder of the World, Sigiriya should be a definite stop on your holiday in Sri Lanka.

As we say goodbye to Sigiriya Rock Fortress, we step into Sri Lanka’s cultural hub, the city of Kandy which is also the center for the island’s handcraft industry and also the place to find exquisite silver and gold jewellery as well as a variety of precious gems including the worlds best blue and star sapphires. Kandy, also called Mahanuwara in Sinhalese (the main city), is surrounded by hills, with a lake in the center. Because of it’s geographical position, Kandy was the last kingdom surrendered to the colonials. In 1815, the Kingdom of Kandy was taken under British rule.

In the evening, we will participate in a small religious ceremony and a cultural dancing event close to the temple.

Dinner and Overnight in Kandy.

DAY 05

Royal Botanical Garden / Hand Craft Atelier / Traditional Dancing

Indulge in a breakfast fit for kings at the hotel before visiting Dalada Maligawa. Kandy is the home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic (Dalada Maligawa) one of the most sacred places to worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988. It is worth spending a couple of hours visiting the temple which is full of affrescoes, wood carvings and granite columns and statues which beautifully illustrate Buddhism. You can also visit many Buddhist museums, Hindu Temples and the museum of Royal Elephants.

Then on our way to Ella, we will visit the Royal Botanical Gardens which is very famous in Asia for it’s collection of orchids and royal palms. Under Kandyan reign, this beautiful garden was exclusively for Kandyan royalty, but today everyone is welcome on the 60 hectars of the largest and the most impressive botanic gardens in Sri Lanka. Spend a couple of hours relaxing in this fabulous garden with stunning landscapes and multicoloured flowers stretching both sides of the boulevards. Then step to a small café inside the garden for hot cup of Ceylon tea!

Dinner and Overnight at Ella

DAY 06

A Train to Heaven on the Earth – Ella

Tea Processing / Train Tour / Rawana Water Fall / Ella

Sit down to a scrumptious breakfast before visiting everyone's favorite village in hill country - Ella. On our way to Ella, we will be joining a guided tour to a tea plantation to observe the process of tea manufacturing. Having warmed ourselves up with a free hot cup of fresh black Ceylon tea, we are ready to resume our journey!

In Nanu Oya, we will get on the train to Ella. The train will move along stunning landscapes, complete with thick forests, arced bridges, mountains, waterfalls and fields which stretch for kilometers. From the train you can also witness tea picking maids dressed in colourful saris popping out of the sea of green. Mingle with locals and enjoy a journey with them up to Ella! After a long day, we will have little pause to look at the Rawana Waterfall and then drive to the hotel.

The train trip from Nanu Oya to Ella will be another thing that our young travelers will never forget. Mix with Sri Lankan children ( Sri Lankans are very social and they will super curious to talk with you. Many of them speak English because they are taught from Kindergarten) On this journey our young travelers will observe three cultures who share this Island living in harmony: Singhala, Tamil and Muslims. You can easily recognise each by their traditional clothing. If needed, your I Go To Sri Lanka Guide will help you with more information.

Dinner and Overnight in Mirissa

DAY 07

Day 07 - 10 - Wish We Had Stayed Longer! - Mirissa Beach Relax / Blue Whale Watching

After breakfast, we will move to Mirissa. Welcome to the south coast of Sri Lanka! A chilled beer on the beach during the sun set is must when you are in Mirissa. Enjoy this gorgeous white sanded beach with lovely trees which also provide shade if you prefer, and simply sit and relax. It is a paradise for snorkelling, and body boarding. The rolling waves are ideal for surfers and you can also enjoy the night life with our beach bars while enjoying fresh seafood and BBQs.

During your stay on the beach you can decide when you would prefer to go whale watching. Our I Go To Sri Lanka guide will arrange everything and be with you every step of the way.

This is the part our young traveler eagerly wait for, the white sandy beaches and the calm blue ocean. They can play all the day on the beach, making sand castles, collecting sea shells, and sun bathing. They will also love snorkelling among the amazing rainbow-coloured fish and stunning corals. Accompanied by our I Go To Sri Lanka guide, you can go on to watch the blue whales in the Indian ocean.

Dinner and Overnight in Mirissa, Hikkaduwa or Unawatuna

DAY 11

Goodbye Sri Lanka

After a tasty breakfast, we move towards the airport. On our way you will spend your last moments of your tour admiring the colonial city of Galle, Still- fishermen (I don't understand what this means) and the island of cannella (Cinnamon?). Galle Fort was built in 1588 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy the colonial era architecture within the Fort and allow the charm of yesteryear to envelop you. Some lovely shopping also awaits you inside.

In Search of cannella (Cinnamon?)….. The last adventure of this tour will be spent in search of cinnamon on the islands of the Madu River. It is a lovely experience cruising down the river Madu. Stopping at some of the islands you can find out how they make cinnamon and coconut oil or get a fish foot massage. At the end of the ride we will be on a small island called Kothduwa where you can relax visiting an old Buddhist temple. Say goodbye to Sri Lanka with the cool river breeze blowing around you!

Welcome to the magical world of spices. Here we go in search of one of the world's most prestigious spices: cinnamon. Kids can visit cinnamon cultivation and experience the process of drying. They will thoroughly enjoy the boat ride along the Madu river and love watching the many birds that live there.

Prepare to catch your flight home with the undeniable desire of returning once again, and your I Go To Sri Lanka guide will help you with your check-in once at the airport.