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Sri Lanka Heritage by Bicycle
Duration
7 days
Site savings
$56
From
$1,794 USD
Sri Lanka, the 'Teardrop of India', is a collection of ancient and natural delights that will bedazzle visitors as you move from religious to monarchical to colonial sites. Left behind by Buddhists, Hindus, the British, Dutch, Portuguese, and Indians, these influences are seen throughout the trail of historical and cultural sites.
- CategoryCultural & Historical
- TypeFully Guided
- Duration7 days
- Culture LevelAdventurous
- Skill Level3 - Intermediate
- Activity Level3 - Active
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainMixed
- Distance137.9 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance27.3 miles
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Quick Stats
- Duration7 days
- Main DestinationColombo and the West Coast
- Distance137.9 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance27.3 miles
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainMixed
Route Map (click to view larger image)
Itinerary Details
- Day 1Arrival in Sri Lanka
Welcome to Sri Lanka! You will be met at your flight and transferred to the accommodation in Negombo for a welcome dinner.
- Suriya Resort
- Dinner
- Day 2Negombo – Kandy
Depart from Negombo to fertile Mawanella to start your ride through coconut and rubber plantations. Climb up to and through the Balana Gap, then ride down to the Royal Botanical Gardens for a short break. The day ends in the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage town of Kandy, home to the Temple of the Tooth.
- 26.1 miles
- 1,072.8 ft
2,644.4 ft
1,571.5 ft - Thilanka Hotel Kandy
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 3Kandy – Dambulla
The Golden Temple of Dambulla, the second UNESCO Heritage site of the tour, is your destination today. This famous rock temple dates back to the first century BC, and you can explore the caves that sheltered King Walagamba during his 14 years of exile from Anuradhapura.
After a filling breakfast, take a short transfer to the town of Matale then start riding towards Dambulla using a mix of tarmac and red dirt roads. Your scenery will once again be dominated by bright fruit orchards, rice paddy fields and wild elephant grass.
Finish the day at the hotel where there'll be time for a swim before dinner.
- 24.9 miles
- -580.7 ft
1,171.3 ft
1,752 ft - Thilanka Resort & Spa
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 4Dambulla – Sigiriya – Polonnaruwa
The tour pedals out of Dambulla and proceeds to the unique ancient 5th century rock fortress of Sigiriya (Lion Rock). As you ride along the shores of Kandalama Lake, you’ll get excellent views of Sigiriya, another UNESCO World Heritage site. Park your bikes and climb up to the abandoned royal palace, converted to a Buddhist monastery.
On the way up, you'll pass famous frescoes and mirror wall. The views from the top are fantastic and more than worth the effort. After exploring Sigiriya thoroughly, there will be a short transfer to your hotel in Polonnaruwa.
- 21.7 miles
- -45.9 ft
754.6 ft
800.5 ft - Deer Park Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 5Polonnaruwa – Minneriya National Park – Polonnaruwa
This morning it's off to Minneriya National Park for a jeep safari. The park is the habitat of wild elephants, buffaloes, boar, spotted deer, sloth bear and if you are lucky you'll see some. After, cycle back to Polonnaruwa on a smooth tree-lined road through a forest reserve. Upon reaching the Polonnaruwa Tank, a very large man-made lake, you'll have lunch and relax as a busy afternoon is still up ahead. You'll next explore your fourth UNESCO Heritage site, Polonnaruwa, the 10th century capital and best preserved of Sri Lanka's ancient cities.
- 28 miles
1,164.7 ft
1,164.7 ft- Deer Park Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 6Polonnaruwa – Anuradhapura
Start the day with a drive of about 2 hours, so you can ride through the ruins of Anuradhapura, the most celebrated of Sri Lanka’s ancient cities. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Considered sacred to Buddhists, you'll see the Bodhi-Tree, said to have grown from a branch of the tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment. The riding will be flat and interesting, and you have a cool down in the hotel pool to look forward to after our day of cycling.
- 37.3 miles
- -150.9 ft
1,046.6 ft
1,197.5 ft - Rajarata Hotel
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 7Anuradhapura – Colombo