2 Days Kandy Tour: Pinnawala Elephants, Temple & Tea
Two compact days from the airport: elephants at Pinnawala, the Sacred Tooth temple and a dance show in Kandy, then tea and gems before your airport transfer.
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Kandy, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's last royal capital, a UNESCO World Heritage city set around an artificial lake in the central hills. Kandy is home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), which holds what's regarded as a relic of the Buddha, and is the base for the annual Esala Perahera festival each July or August.
What to expect
- The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, and Kandy Lake for an evening walk
- The Royal Botanical Gardens at nearby Peradeniya
- A traditional Kandyan dance performance, held most evenings
Tours that include Kandy
Every tour is private and can be adjusted to spend more or less time here.
3 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Pinnawala, Kandy & Bentota
Hills to sea in three easy days: elephants at Pinnawala, a temple evening in Kandy, tea and gems, then a beach night and a Madu River boat ride.
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Kandy Cultural Escape
A compact break in the hill capital: elephants at Pinnawala, the Sacred Tooth temple, gems, a botanic garden and a spice farm, all from one hotel in Kandy.
View Tour4 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Kandy, Peradeniya & Bentota Beach
Four days that balance culture and sand: Pinnawala, Kandy and the Peradeniya gardens, two nights at Bentota, then a Colombo city tour before you fly.
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4 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Yala Safari, Nuwara Eliya & Kandy
Four days that climb from Yala's leopard country up through Ella to the cool tea hills of Nuwara Eliya, and finish in temple-city Kandy.
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Kandy & Bentota Beach
Four days that pair the hill capital with the south-west coast: elephants, the Tooth Relic temple, a botanic garden, tea and spices, then a night by the sea.
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The sweet spot istwo nights
A Kandy tour built around the hill capital
Kandy was the last royal capital of Sri Lanka, and a good Kandy tour keeps that history at the centre. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is the main stop, and it is worth arriving for the evening ceremony when drums fill the hall. Walk around Kandy Lake afterwards, visit the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya in the morning, and book a Kandyan dance show for the night. A tea factory visit on the way into the hills makes a nice contrast.
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Arrive for the evening ceremony, when drums fill the hall.
Esala Perahera
The procession in July or August is a highlight. Hotels fill early.
About 500 metres up
Cooler than the coast but still warm.
How long to stay in Kandy
Two nights is the sweet spot. One night feels rushed because the road from the airport or Sigiriya eats half a day, while three nights lets you add a cooking class, a gem museum or a village walk. Kandy sits at about 500 metres, so it is cooler than the coast but still warm. The Esala Perahera procession, held in July or August, is a highlight, though hotels fill early. Tell us your dates and we will check what is on while you are there.
Families often ask about the elephant orphanage at Pinnawala, which sits on the road between the airport and Kandy, so we can plan the drive to include it. Kandy is also the starting point for the famous train ride into the hills.
Nearby and easy to combine
Planning a visit to Kandy?
Tell us your dates and interests and we'll build a private itinerary around it.