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Private Tour · 3★ & 2★ hotels 6 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Sigiriya, Kandy & Bentota BeachAncient rock fortress, hill-capital temple and a proper rest by the sea in six days, with only two hotel changes and a private driver-guide throughout. Private Tour · 3★ & 2★ hotelsModerate intensityEnglish-speaking guide Tour priceFromUSD 448per person If you are looking for a 6 day Sri Lanka tour from Sigiriya to Bentota that mixes real sightseeing with a proper rest by the sea, this is the shape to start from. You land, travel north past an elephant orphanage, spend two nights at the foot of a rock fortress, cross the hills to the old royal capital, and then come down to the south-west coast for the last two nights. There are only three hotels in six days, which keeps packing to a minimum. Who the 6 day Sri Lanka tour from Sigiriya to Bentota suitsThe programme works well for first-time visitors with limited leave, for couples who want both culture and a beach, and for families who would rather not hop between a dozen hotels. It is not a relaxing holiday from the first hour, since the early days involve long drives and one proper climb, but the rhythm eases as you go. By the time you reach the coast, you will have earned the two beach nights. If you only want sand and sea, our shorter beach stay at Bentota is a better fit. The route, night by nightThe first night is near Sigiriya, after a long transfer from the airport with a stop at Pinnawala if the timing of your flight allows. The second night is in the same hotel, so the whole of the second day is yours for the rock and the caves. On the third day you drive south to Kandy, calling at a village and a spice garden on the way, and sleep in the hill capital. The fourth day is a long one, from the hills to the coast, with a river boat ride and a turtle hatchery as breaks. Two nights in Bentota follow, with a free day between them, and the last morning is a transfer to the airport. What you will actually doThe heart of the trip is the climb of Sigiriya, best done early while the stone is cool. You walk through the symmetrical water gardens, past the Mirror Wall, and then up the iron stairs to the painted maidens who look out from a hollow in the cliff. The summit, with its foundations of a royal palace, gives a wide view across the forest. Afterwards you drive to the cave temple at Dambulla, where painted ceilings and rows of Buddha statues fill five caves. A day later you spend a morning in a village, riding an ox-cart and paddling a canoe, before eating a wood-fire lunch with a local family. Kandy follows, with the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and an evening of drummers, dancers and fire-walkers. The Madu River boat ride at the end, through mangrove channels, is a gentle change of pace. Comfort, meals and your driver-guideYou travel in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide who is with you every day. He knows the roads, the best times to arrive at each site and which shops to avoid. Hotels are on a bed-and-breakfast plan, so breakfast is included each morning and you choose where to have lunch and dinner, which suits days with long drives; your driver-guide is happy to suggest good local restaurants. Entrance fees are paid separately, and so are optional extras on the beach days. The tour can be adjusted if your flight arrives very late or very early. Best time for this short tourApril is a good compromise, because the Cultural Triangle is still dry while the south-west coast is beginning to settle. From December to March the beach days are at their best and the Sigiriya area is usually pleasant and dry as well, although it can be hot by midday. Between May and September the sea at Bentota is often rough and the river water is a better bet than the surf, whereas the Cultural Triangle is at its driest. Whatever the season, start the Sigiriya climb early, bring water and a hat, and expect a shower at some point in the hills. Make it your ownSix days is short, and the tour is easy to tailor. Guests have added a night to see wild elephants at Minneriya or Kaudulla in the dry season, swapped the village visit for the Pidurangala sunrise walk, or used the free Bentota day for an Ayurvedic treatment and a river activity. If you arrive late or leave early we can shift the order. Let us know your flight times and what you enjoy, and we will confirm what fits comfortably into the days you have, with hotel options to match. Tour highlights
Day-by-day itinerary Your Volata Travels driver meets you in the arrivals hall at the airport and takes you north to the Cultural Triangle. It is a long first day, about three and a half to four hours on the road without stops, so settle into the seat and watch the countryside change from coastal palms to open farmland. Pinnawala sits on the way to Kandy, roughly an hour and a half from Colombo, and it is the first big stop if your flight lands in the morning or early afternoon. The orphanage opened in 1975 on a former coconut estate beside the Maha Oya river and cares for orphaned and injured elephants. Visitors can watch the calves being fed and, best of all, the herd walking through the street to bathe in the river twice a day. If your flight comes in late in the day, the visit is dropped, since the elephants are not at their best after dark, and you drive straight to Sigiriya. The rest of the journey is on straight, quiet roads through villages and rice paddies. You arrive at your hotel near Sigiriya, check in and can dine at the hotel restaurant or ask your driver-guide for a place nearby. There is nothing else on the schedule, so use the evening to shower and sleep. Tomorrow starts early with the rock. A few tips: carry some water and a snack in the car, wear comfortable clothes, and keep your passport and flight details handy for your driver. Accommodation Wewa Addara Hotel - Hotel by the lake or similar Included Activities
Landmarks
 This is the day for Sigiriya and for the caves of Dambulla, in that order. Start after an early breakfast, because the climb is far more pleasant in the cool of the morning and the queue on the stairs is shorter. The fortress was built in the 5th century by King Kashyapa and rises about 200 metres from the surrounding forest. Locals sometimes call it the Eighth Wonder of the World, and one look at it explains why. The route begins in the Water Gardens, whose pools and channels are laid out with a precision that still surprises visitors. Then you pass the Mirror Wall, once polished so smoothly that the king could see himself in it, and climb the spiral stair to the frescoes of celestial maidens, painted on the rock face. Farther up are the huge paws of a stone lion, which once formed a gateway to the final stairway. About 1,200 steps lead to the top, where the foundations of the royal palace spread across a platform with views in every direction. Count on two to three hours in total, and bring water, a hat and sturdy shoes. After lunch you drive for 30 to 40 minutes to Dambulla and climb the short flight of steps to the cave temple. Five caves sit under a great overhanging rock and contain 153 Buddha statues, together with royal figures and painted ceilings in dark reds and ochres. The caves date back more than two thousand years, and UNESCO listed them in 1991. Remove shoes and cover shoulders and knees. You return to the same hotel for your second night, which means no repacking this evening. Meals Breakfast Accommodation Wewa Addara Hotel - Hotel by the lake or similar Included Activities
Landmarks
 After breakfast you leave Sigiriya for Kandy, but the day is not simply a drive. Two stops are planned on the way, one in the countryside and one in the hills, and you reach the city in the late afternoon. The first is a village outing near Sigiriya. You ride a bullock cart between paddy fields, glide across the village lake in a traditional outrigger canoe and look round a small plot of chena, the farmer's traditional hill cultivation. In a family kitchen you watch how rice and curry are cooked on a wood fire, and then sit down to eat the results. It is simple, delicious and unhurried. Bring a hat and a little cash for tips. After lunch you head south towards Matale, about 25 km from Kandy, where a spice garden gives you a guided walk past cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, vanilla and cloves. The garden explains how each plant is grown and processed and how some are used in Ayurvedic remedies. A cooperative of farmers runs it, and you can buy spices if you want to, with no obligation. Allow roughly an hour. In Kandy you visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the most important Buddhist shrine in the country. The tradition is that the tooth of the Buddha reached the island in the 4th century hidden in a princess's hair. Drums sound at the ritual times and worshippers bring flowers. Dress modestly, and take off your shoes at the gate. At about five in the evening you watch a one-hour cultural show of Kandyan dancers, drummers and fire-walkers. For dinner you can eat at your hotel or ask your driver-guide for a place nearby, and you sleep in the hills where the air is cooler. Meals Breakfast Accommodation Devon Hotel, Kandy or similar Included Activities
Landmarks
 Today is the journey to the sea, so leave Kandy early after breakfast. The drive is long, and it passes through a series of landscapes: hills, lowland villages and then the coastal road. Your driver keeps the pace comfortable and stops whenever you need a break. The first break is at the Madu River, a wetland of mangrove islands north of Galle. The estuary holds 64 islands, some of them inhabited, spread across about 915 hectares and fed by seven tributaries. It has been a protected sanctuary since 2006. A boat takes you through the narrow channels, where the roots of the mangroves rise from the water and kingfishers and herons sit on branches. On the route you often pull in at a small cinnamon demonstration and a temple on an island, and there is a fish-therapy platform where tiny fish nibble your feet. Allow about an hour and a half in total. Next you visit a turtle hatchery near Kosgoda. Five species of sea turtle come ashore here to nest, and the hatcheries protect the eggs, look after injured animals and release the hatchlings into the sea. You can look at tanks of baby turtles and hear how the programme works. Your driver will tell you how long to stay, and the tour is brief. You then reach Bentota, check in to a beach resort and put your feet in the sand. The Bentota river runs into the sea nearby, and the beach is wide. Sunset is the best time to walk on it. For dinner you can stay at the hotel or ask your driver-guide to suggest a place nearby. Meals Breakfast Accommodation Laluna Ayurveda Resort or similar Included Activities
Landmarks
 This day has one purpose, which is to rest by the sea. Nothing is scheduled, no driver is waiting and the beach is a few steps from your room. After four days on the move, the first hour is for doing nothing. Then the choice is yours. Bentota is a long-established beach resort, and the calm water at the mouth of the river is the place for kayaking, banana-boat rides and jet-skiing, all of which are paid directly to the operators. If you prefer to be pampered, the town has a long tradition of Ayurveda, and many hotels and spas offer oil massages and herbal treatments. A short drive away are the gardens created by the Bawa brothers, which are lovely for a slow walk among lawns, ponds and sculpture. Swimming depends on the season and the sea. From December to March the water is usually at its calmest, while in the monsoon months the waves can be strong and red flags may be up, so follow the lifeguards and your hotel's advice. The river side is a safe fallback. Many guests spend the afternoon with a book and a fresh coconut, then take a sunset walk along the shore. In the evening you can choose between your hotel restaurant and a local place for dinner. Before bed, pack your suitcase and agree the departure time for tomorrow with your driver, so the morning is relaxed. Meals Breakfast Accommodation Laluna Ayurveda Resort or similar Included Activities
Landmarks
 After a last breakfast by the sea you check out and meet your driver for the transfer to the airport. The drive takes about two hours along the coast road, and your driver will plan the departure time around your flight, with a comfortable margin. If your flight is in the evening, ask about a late checkout, and a final swim before leaving. Otherwise, enjoy the road and the sea views. Thank you for travelling with Volata Travels, and we hope you return. Meals Breakfast Included Activities
Landmarks
Route mapWhere you'll stayThese are the hotels we plan to use. If one of them is full on your dates, we book another hotel of the same standard (“or similar”) and tell you its name before you travel. Wewa Addara Hotel - Hotel by the lake or similarSigiriya 2 nights · Bed and breakfast · or a similar 3-star / 2-star hotel Devon Hotel, Kandy or similarKandy 1 night · Bed and breakfast · or a similar 3-star / 2-star hotel Laluna Ayurveda Resort or similarBentota 2 nights · Bed and breakfast · or a similar 3-star / 2-star hotel What's included
What's not included
Pickup & drop-offPickup: Your Volata Travels driver-guide meets you in the arrivals hall at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), Katunayake, with a name board. Pick-up from a hotel in Colombo or Negombo can also be arranged. Drop-off: Transfer to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) for your departure flight, with the timing planned around your flight. Important informationItinerary order and overnight stops can be adjusted to fit your dates and pace — this is a private tour built around you, not a fixed departure. Cancellation policyAll cancellations must be received in writing by your Volata Tour Consultant. 19.1 Unless otherwise specified in your quotation, the following cancellation terms will apply to your booking: 19.1.1 Cancellations received between the date of booking and 61 days prior to departure will result in the loss of the deposit. 19.1.2 Cancellations received 60 – 46 days prior to departure will be subject to a cancellation charge of 25% of the tour price. 19.1.3 Cancellations received 45 – 29 days prior to departure will be subject to a cancellation charge of 50% of the tour price. 19.1.4 Cancellations received 28 – 15 days prior to departure will be subject to a cancellation charge of 75% of the tour price. 19.1.5 Cancellations received 14 days or less prior to departure will be subject to a forfeiture of the entire tour price. 19.2 Cancellation of airline tickets will be subject to the refund policy of each individual airline and may be greater than the percentages above particularly when low cost/net-based fares are used. 19.3 The purchase of special event tickets is subject to the refund policy of each individual event. Please refer to the specific event policy for details. 19.4 Volata reserve the right to charge for financial penalties, fees and losses incurred in excess of your cancellation fee as a result of cancellation.... What travellers say4.8 average from 4 customer reviews AK Anna Kristina, Germany We were happy with the service. The team answered our questions quickly and was flexible with our plans. Everything was simple to arrange. GM Grace Mitchell, Canada A busy itinerary, but full of memorable experiences. We appreciated the guide’s patience and local knowledge. EW Ethan Wright, United States A smooth, comfortable trip with a great itinerary. Sigiriya was spectacular, and we learned so much. RP Raj Pool, Canada We had a fantastic time. The tour was organized well, and Sigiriya was an unforgettable highlight. You might also like       Ready to plan your Sri Lanka trip?Tell us your dates and interests — we'll put together a private itinerary within a day. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 6 days enough for Sigiriya, Kandy and Bentota?
It is enough for a good introduction, because the route is compact: two nights at Sigiriya for the rock and the caves, one night in Kandy and two at the beach. The days are full and involve long drives, so it suits people who like to keep moving. If you want more time in each place, we can add a night in Kandy or extend the beach stay.
How hard is the Sigiriya climb?
There are around 1,200 steps, many of them steep and some on narrow iron staircases attached to the rock. Most reasonably fit people manage it in two to three hours including stops. Start early to avoid the heat and the crowds, bring water and wear shoes with good grip. You can turn back at any point, and the lower gardens and frescoes are still rewarding.
How long is the drive from Kandy to Bentota?
It is the longest transfer of the tour, a drive of several hours with stops. You leave early, break the journey at the Madu River and the turtle hatchery, and arrive at the beach in time to relax before dinner. Your driver can shorten the stops or add a lunch break depending on how you feel.
What is the best time of year for this tour?
The Cultural Triangle is driest roughly from April to September, while Bentota and the south-west coast are best from about December to March. April is a good compromise because both areas are usually fine. The hills around Kandy can see showers at any time of year, so a light rain jacket is a sensible thing to pack.
Will we see elephants at Pinnawala?
Yes, the orphanage is home to a large herd of elephants, and you can watch them being fed and led to the river for a bath twice a day. The visit is possible if your flight arrives in good time on day one, as the bathing happens during daylight. If your flight is late, we skip the stop rather than rush it.
Are the village visit and spice garden included?
Yes, both are part of the programme. The village visit includes an ox-cart ride, a canoe paddle and a wood-fire lunch, and the Matale spice garden is a guided walk. Entrance and activity fees at the major sites are paid separately, and you are never obliged to buy anything in the shops.
What can we do on the free day in Bentota?
Bentota is good for kayaking, banana-boat rides and jet-skiing on the calm river, for Ayurvedic massages and for visiting the Bawa gardens. You can also do nothing at all on the sand. Activities are optional and paid directly. Your driver is available if you want an excursion, but the day is designed as rest.
Is this tour suitable for children?
Yes, for children who are comfortable with long car days. The elephants, the ox-cart and canoe ride, the turtle hatchery and the beach are all child-friendly. The Sigiriya climb may be too steep for small children, and in that case the gardens and the lower levels can be enjoyed instead. Tell us the ages when you enquire.
Can I add days to this itinerary?
Yes. Popular additions are a night at Habarana or Sigiriya for an elephant safari at Minneriya or Kaudulla in the dry season, an extra night in Kandy for the botanic gardens, or more beach time at Bentota. Tell us how many days you have and we will adjust the route and the hotels.
What's included in the 6-day tour price?
Meet and greet at Bandaranaike International Airport; 5 nights in 3-star and 2-star hotels (or similar), double or twin room sharing; a single room if you travel alone; Daily breakfast at your hotels (bed and breakfast); All transfers and sightseeing in a private air-conditioned vehicle; English-speaking driver-guide throughout the tour; Fuel, parking, driver accommodation and highway fees. The tour costs USD 448 per person when two adults share a room, or USD 865 for one traveller in a single room, for 5 nights / 6 days. These prices are valid for travel from 8 October 2026 to 30 November 2027.
What's not included?
International flights and the Sri Lanka ETA visa fee; Lunches, dinners and drinks (breakfast is included); Entrance fees and activity fees (Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Sigiriya Rock, Dambulla Cave Temple, village experience, Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and cultural show, Madu River boat ride, turtle hatchery); Optional tours and optional activities; Train tickets (if you choose the scenic train); Hotel supplements when you travel on 24 December and 31 December (New Year), and the Christmas supplement on 24 December; Tips, porterage and personal expenses; Early check-in and late check-out at hotels; Travel insurance and bank charges.
Is the price the same on 24 and 31 December?
Not quite. Hotels charge a compulsory supplement for the nights of 24 December (Christmas Eve) and 31 December (New Year's Eve), and these supplements are not included in the tour price. If your dates include either night, tell us when you enquire and we will confirm the supplement for the hotels on your route before you book.
Can I customize this tour?
Yes. The order of stops, the number of nights in each place, the hotels and the activities can all be adjusted to your dates, pace and budget — this is a private tour built around you, not a fixed group departure. Tell us what you would like to change and we will send a revised quote.
What is the cancellation policy?
All cancellations must be received in writing by your Volata Tour Consultant. Cancellations received up to 61 days before departure result in the loss of the deposit. Between 60 and 46 days before departure a charge of 25% of the tour price applies; between 45 and 29 days, 50%; between 28 and 15 days, 75%; and 14 days or less before departure the entire tour price is forfeited. Airline tickets follow the refund policy of each airline, and special event tickets follow the policy of each event. The full Terms & Conditions are at www.volatatravels.com/terms-and-conditions.