India and Sri Lanka
Overview
- Duration: 16 days / 15 nights
- Departures: Private, any date
- Group size: Private, from 2 travellers
- Accommodation: Comfortable 3–4★ hotels and heritage properties in India, and boutique and 4★ hotels in Sri Lanka
- Countries: India, Sri Lanka
Explore the Golden Triangle of north India, then fly to Sri Lanka for the ancient cities of the dry zone, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and the old walled town of Galle.
This sixteen-day trip joins two neighbours with long histories and very different moods. It suits travellers interested in history, architecture and religious traditions who want to see the Taj Mahal and also the ancient Buddhist sites and tropical coast of Sri Lanka.
The first six days cover the Golden Triangle of India. You spend two nights in Delhi, take the train to Agra for the Taj Mahal at dawn, and finish with three nights in Jaipur, giving time for the forts and bazaars without rushing.
A flight then takes you to Colombo in Sri Lanka. With your own driver-guide, you head north to the cultural triangle, staying three nights near Sigiriya to see the rock fortress, the cave temples of Dambulla and the ruins of Polonnaruwa. Two nights in Kandy follow, before you finish with three nights at Galle on the south coast, including a free day.
The pace is steady, with two or three nights in most places. A few days involve long drives: Agra to Jaipur, Colombo to Sigiriya and Kandy to Galle each take around five hours. Early starts help with the heat, especially for the Taj Mahal and the Sigiriya climb, which has many steep steps. Dress modestly at temples in both countries.
We can add the hill country around Ella, a wildlife park, or more beach time. Start planning on our plan your trip page.
Day-by-day itinerary
On arrival in Delhi, your driver is waiting to take you to your hotel. There is nothing planned so you can recover from the journey. In the evening, if you are up for it, walk around the Connaught Place area with its colonnaded white buildings, or have dinner at the hotel and an early night.
Overnight: Delhi
Your guide leads you through Old Delhi, from the red sandstone steps of Jama Masjid into the jostling lanes of Chandni Chowk, ideally by cycle rickshaw. Taste a snack from a long-established sweet shop. After lunch, visit Humayun’s Tomb, a Mughal garden tomb that set the pattern for later monuments, and the Qutub Minar complex with its tall minaret.
Overnight: Delhi · Meals: Breakfast
Catch the express train to Agra, a journey of about two hours. Your guide shows you Agra Fort, whose walls enclose palaces, mosques and audience halls built by three generations of Mughal emperors. In the late afternoon, visit the small marble tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah, sometimes called the Baby Taj, for its delicate inlay and quiet riverside setting.
Overnight: Agra · Meals: Breakfast
Walk through the great gateway to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise, with mist often lying on the Yamuna. After breakfast, drive about five hours to Jaipur, pausing at Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar’s short-lived capital of palaces and a great mosque in red sandstone. Reach the capital of Rajasthan by early evening.
Overnight: Jaipur · Meals: Breakfast
Start early at Amber Fort, rising in tiers above a lake on the old road into Jaipur. Explore its halls and gardens and the mirrored Sheesh Mahal. Afterwards, stop at the Jal Mahal, a palace in the middle of a lake, then spend the afternoon at leisure or browse the textile and jewellery shops of the old town.
Overnight: Jaipur · Meals: Breakfast
Today you see the heart of the walled Pink City: the City Palace, still home to the former royal family, the Jantar Mantar observatory with its giant sundial, and the latticed façade of the Hawa Mahal, built so that royal women could watch street life unseen. The evening is free for your last dinner in India.
Overnight: Jaipur · Meals: Breakfast
Fly to Colombo, usually with a connection in Delhi or another Indian city; we confirm routes and timings when we book. Your Sri Lankan driver-guide meets you at the airport and drives you into the city. If you arrive in time, take an evening walk along Galle Face Green, where families gather to fly kites by the sea.
Overnight: Colombo · Meals: Breakfast
After a short look at Colombo’s Pettah market and the Gangaramaya temple, drive north to the cultural triangle, about four to five hours. On the way, visit the Dambulla cave temples, where painted ceilings and many Buddha statues fill a series of caves in a granite outcrop. Arrive at your hotel near Sigiriya in the evening.
Overnight: Sigiriya · Meals: Breakfast
Set off early to climb Sigiriya, the rock fortress built in the fifth century, before the heat builds. Pass the water gardens, the frescoes of painted maidens and the giant lion’s paws, then climb the final stairway to the ruins on the summit. In the afternoon, take a quieter walk through a nearby village or simply rest.
Overnight: Sigiriya · Meals: Breakfast
Drive about an hour to Polonnaruwa, the medieval royal capital, and explore its palaces, temples and the Gal Vihara, where large Buddha figures are carved from a single granite face. Cycling between the ruins is a pleasant option. In the late afternoon you can choose a jeep safari in a nearby national park to look for elephants; sightings depend on season.
Overnight: Sigiriya · Meals: Breakfast
Drive south into the hills to Kandy, about three hours, stopping at a spice garden to learn how cinnamon, cardamom and pepper are grown. In the evening, visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the most important Buddhist shrine in the country, while devotees bring flowers and drummers play during the evening ceremony.
Overnight: Kandy · Meals: Breakfast
Walk around Kandy Lake in the cool of the morning, then visit the Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya, known for their avenue of royal palms, orchid house and enormous Java fig tree. Later, see a performance of Kandyan dance, with acrobatic drummers and dancers in silver ornaments. The rest of the day is yours.
Overnight: Kandy · Meals: Breakfast
Today is a longer travel day: drive to Galle on the southwest coast, about five to six hours, partly on the expressway. Break the journey for lunch, and watch the scenery change from hills and paddy fields to coconut groves near the sea. Arrive in time to watch the sun set over the ramparts of Galle Fort.
Overnight: Galle · Meals: Breakfast
With your guide, walk the ramparts and streets of Galle Fort, a World Heritage site built by the Portuguese and greatly expanded by the Dutch. See the lighthouse, the old Dutch church and the merchants’ houses that are now cafés and shops. In the afternoon, you may like to swim at one of the nearby beaches.
Overnight: Galle · Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy an unscheduled day by the sea. You might take an early drive along the coast to see stilt fishermen perched on poles in the shallows, spend a lazy afternoon on the sand at Unawatuna, or wander back into the fort for a final look at its lanes and shops. Unwind before the journey home.
Overnight: Galle · Meals: Breakfast
Your driver-guide takes you along the southern expressway to Colombo airport, a drive of about two to three hours depending on traffic. We plan the departure time around your flight so there is no rush, and we confirm the details in your written quote.
Overnight: — · Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
- Accommodation with breakfast for 15 nights
- Private airport and hotel transfers
- Private car and driver in India, and a private car with an English-speaking driver-guide in Sri Lanka
- Local English-speaking guides for sightseeing in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and at Galle Fort
- Express train from Delhi to Agra
- Flight from India to Colombo
- Entrance fees to sights in the itinerary
- 24/7 support during your trip
Not included
- International flights to India and home from Sri Lanka
- Visas or electronic travel authorisations
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed, and drinks
- Tips
- Personal expenses
- Optional activities such as jeep safaris and cultural shows
Good to know
Sample itinerary: we adapt the route, hotels and dates to you and confirm everything in your written quote. Best December–March.
In India you take an express train from Delhi to Agra, about two hours, and travel by private car with your driver to Jaipur, about five hours. You then fly to Colombo, usually with a connection; routes and timings change, so we confirm them when we book. In Sri Lanka you travel by private car with a driver-guide: Colombo to Sigiriya takes about four to five hours, Sigiriya to Kandy about three, Kandy to Galle about five to six and Galle to the airport about two to three.
Frequently asked questions
December to March works well, with dry weather in north India and on the west and south coasts of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has two monsoons that affect different coasts at different times, so we adjust the route if you travel outside these months.
The climb to the summit of Sigiriya involves many steps and some metal stairways on the rock face, but you can take it slowly with rests. Start early to avoid the heat. People who dislike heights sometimes find the upper stairs uncomfortable.
Yes. Many travellers add the train journey through the tea hills to Ella, or a few nights near Yala National Park, where leopards are sometimes seen, though sightings are never guaranteed. Tell us your interests and we will adapt the route.
In both countries, cover your shoulders and knees at religious sites and remove your shoes and hats before entering. In Sri Lanka, avoid posing for photos with your back to a Buddha image. Your guide will explain the customs at each site.
