Private Day Trip from Kandy: Sigiriya, Dambulla and a Minneriya Safari
5.0
67 Ratings
Matale
Embark on a private day trip from Kandy to explore the iconic Sigiriya rock, the fascinating Dambulla caves, and the breathtaking Minneriya National Park. Enjoy a comfortable journey with a personal driver-guide and experience the wonders of Sri Lanka's cultural and natural heritage.
Duration: 12 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

  • Sri Muthumariamman Temple - Muthumariamman Temple, also known as Arulmigu Sri Muthumari Amman Kovil, is a Hindu temple situated in Matale, Sri Lanka. The prefix “Muthu” translates to “pearl”, “Mari” means rain, and “Amman” signifies mother in Tamil. The temple is devoted to Mariamman, the goddess of rain and fertility.

  • Ranweli Spice Garden - Matale is renowned as the prime location for cultivating Sri Lankan spices. This guided tour will showcase the various spices and plants grown here, with explanations provided for each species. It offers a great opportunity to gain insight into the spice industry. This visit is optional and can be skipped if it does not interest you.

  • Dambulla Royal Cave Temple - The Dambulla Cave Temple is one of the world’s most significant ancient temples. Built within a cave, it boasts a unique history that dates back thousands of years.

  • Sigiriya The Ancient Rock Fortress - Known as the 8th wonder of the world, this kingdom built atop a rock is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a must-visit destination when vacationing in Sri Lanka.

  • Minneriya National Park - One of Sri Lanka’s major national parks, located near the Sigiriya rock fortress. It is an excellent spot to observe hundreds of elephants in their natural habitat.

What's Included
  • Bottled water provided for refreshment
  • Fuel surcharge included
  • All taxes and fees covered for vehicle and chauffeur
  • Transport in a private air-conditioned vehicle
  • Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off service
What's Not Included
  • Entrance fees for Sigirya 36$ per person
  • Cost of safari jeep per person 50 $
  • Pidurangala Rock temple lkr 1000/=
  • Tour guide fee of the lion rock
  • Dambulla cave temple per person 2000 lkr ( rupees )
Additional Information

This exclusive trip enhances your experience with a personal guide cum driver explaining the attractions and landscapes, complemented by the comfort of a private vehicle. Discover the art-filled grottoes of Dambulla. Examine the mountain-top ruins of Sigiriya, and embark on a 4x4 wildlife tour to spot the elephants of Minneriya or tour a local village. Your personalized one-day venture to Sigiriya, Dambulla, and Minneriya National Park from Kandy is facilitated by a knowledgeable driver-guide. Travel conveniently to all three destinations, augmented with deeper insights from a driver-guide. Enjoy the sights of Sigiriya, Dambulla, and an elephant-observing voyage at Minneriya. The trip includes round-trip transfers from the hotel, with an offer to substitute the wildlife tour with a village visit.

Location
Sri Muthumariamman Temple
680 17 Kandy-Jaffna Highway
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(67 Ratings)
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Dilini1962
May 31, 2024
An amazing time, reconnecting with my roots - Awesome trip, with a knowledgeable and friendly driver Janaka. He was willing to adjust the trip based on our preferences
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Monit
May 17, 2024
Exceptional Tour Experience with Janaka: Highly Recommended! 💯 - We had a fantastic experience with our tour guide, Janaka. After reading the glowing reviews, we decided to hire him, and we were not disappointed. Janaka exceeded all our expectations with his exceptional service and warm demeanor. He ensured that we were well taken care of throughout our journey, making our visit both comfortable and enjoyable. Janaka is not only a skilled driver but also a cheerful and engaging conversationalist. His deep knowledge of the places we visited—Kandy, Sigiriya, and Dambulla—added immense value to our tour. Each site was brought to life with his insightful commentary and stories. Our trip was exactly as advertised, and we couldn't have asked for a better guide. We highly recommend Janaka to anyone looking for an outstanding tour experience. He truly made our trip memorable!
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Hasta2286
May 11, 2024
Amazing day with the best guide - We had an incredible full day to Sigiriya Rock, Dambulla and Eco Park Safari! Our guide Ruwan was the BEST - very friendly, always punctual and shared lots of info and insight along the way. He is very kind and we can highly recommend him. We also visited a spice garden that my Mum found fascinating and 2 temples in the morning (1 x Hindu and 1 x Buddhist) My only feedback is that the company should tell us how much the extras (safari) were before the trip. We were surprised by the cost and luckily had enough cash to cover it. Well worth it, we saw at least 20 elephants up close and it was a highlight!
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Mhairir2023
May 9, 2024
Sigiriya/Dambulla day trip from Kandy - Janaka was an amazing tour guide and made our trip from Kandy to Sigiriya much more than we’d hoped for. He organised some amazing stops along the route including the spice garden and Dambulla temples. He was incredibly informative and helpful throughout the tour, I would highly recommend if planning any trips in Sri Lanka!
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Grandtour42705516274
May 8, 2024
Janaka is worth recommending, come to Kandy to find him! - The driver, Janaka, is very nice, gentle, friendly, humorous and talkative, and always greets us with a smile. He speaks English very well, and we had a lot of fun chatting along the way. He carefully introduced each attraction to us, and arranged the itinerary according to our preferences and actual situation, reminding us not to spend impulsively. The restaurant he recommended was delicious, and he bought us the best jackfruit I have ever eaten on the way. Janaka's driving skills are also very good. It was difficult to drive on the road when we came back from Lion Rock in the evening. He must have been very tired after a day, but he still sent us back very smoothly, and he was very patient, responsible and dedicated. A very happy day, thank you Janaka for escorting and accompanying us!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aidanc967
May 7, 2024
6 Star Review ⭐️ - If I could give these guys 6 stars I would. Indika was a fantastic tour guide, he tailored the tour to what I wanted which was mainly to see Sigiriya and Dimbula. He was a very safe but efficient driver and was very timely. I was to-ing and fro-ing about going to Sigiriya but I am so glad I did! I also left belongings in the car with Indika which he chased me up about and returned the next day! A good man, I am very lucky. Thank you so much Indika
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D6048vljessicab
May 4, 2024
BEST DAY EVER!! - Honestly it was one of the best days of our lives! Janaka our driver was very friendly, knowledgeable and went over and above for us (even surprising us with a special gift for us to take home at the end of the day!). Couldn’t recommend this enough as a day trip from Kandy for anyone wanting to see the Sigiriya area. We felt very relaxed and safe in the air con’d car and the itinerary was flexible. Janaka organised an incredible safari for us where we had close up quiet moments with LOADS of elephants! Warning: If you have a fear of heights lion rock is a bit of a challenge…proud to have managed it in the end but was a bit of a shock (perhaps also avoid doing in the midday sun, we tried to climb it 1pm and it was probably 36+ degrees with little shade). Janaka provided us with some local snacks and made sure we had a tasty dinner before our drive back but would suggest perhaps taking extra snacks just in case. All in all absolutely 5 star experience - we can’t believe how much we managed to squeeze into one amazing day!!
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Saintkimbo
May 3, 2024
Magical day in Sri Lanka - Had an amazing day worth Shalika as my driver. Even though he had a full itinerary planned for the day, he was extremely receptive for my desire to do some different things along the way. I felt like I got a very personal experience and being a solo traveler, I really enjoyed his company. He made everything smooth and exciting as we toured around the area between Kandy and Sigiriya. It was one of the best days of my trip and would definitely choose this company again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ahmdnssr
Apr 22, 2024
Great Day with Janaka - We had a really good tour with Janaka. He was very professional and friendly. We explored together many places and he gave us very helpful tips and recommendations. Highly recommend! Thank you Janaka from Egypt.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robertws5175em
Apr 19, 2024
Sigiriya Tour - We had an amazing day with Janaka. He was really polite and friendly and we had a good laugh with him throughout the day. He was knowledgable on the temples we visited and gave us some great tips throughout the day. I would recommend anyone to take this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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