Sri Lanka with children: 12-day family round trip
Children love Sri Lanka: elephants, monkeys, trains, tuk-tuks and warm sea. What tires them is long days in the car. This route keeps every drive to about three hours and builds in pool time.
We arrange child seats on request and choose hotels with pools and family rooms where possible.
Route
Day by day
- Day 1
Arrival in Negombo
A short transfer to the beach hotel. Rest, swim and get used to the warmth.
- Day 2
To Sigiriya
Drive to Sigiriya with breaks on the way. Afternoon at the pool.
- Day 3
Rock climbing and elephants
Older children can climb Sigiriya; Pidurangala is a shorter, wilder alternative. In the afternoon a jeep safari to see wild elephants, the highlight for most children.
- Day 4
Spices on the way to Kandy
Smell and taste fresh cinnamon and cardamom at a spice garden, then continue to Kandy.
- Day 5
Kandy
The botanic garden with its fruit bats and huge trees, a tuk-tuk ride, and the Temple of the Tooth.
- Day 6
Tea country
A tea factory visit, waterfalls on the way and a boat or pony ride at Lake Gregory in Nuwara Eliya.
- Day 7
By train or car to Ella
The hill-country railway was damaged by Cyclone Ditwah and is being repaired in sections. Trains currently run from Nanu Oya (near Nuwara Eliya) to Ella, one of the most beautiful parts of the line: your driver drops you at the station and meets you in Ella with your luggage. If the line from Kandy has reopened by your travel date, we can plan a longer train ride.
- Day 8
Ella
Little Adam’s Peak is an easy walk that most children manage. Then the Nine Arches Bridge and an afternoon off.
- Day 9
Elephants in Udawalawe
Udawalawe National Park is one of the best places in Asia to see wild elephants up close from a jeep. Nearby, the Elephant Transit Home cares for orphaned baby elephants and releases them back into the wild; you can watch the feeding from a viewing area.
- Day 10
To the beach
Drive to Unawatuna on the south coast, with its sheltered bay.
- Day 11
Beach and Galle Fort
A day on the beach. In the late afternoon, a walk on the walls of nearby Galle Fort.
- Day 12
Departure
Drive to the airport on the expressway.
Included
- Private air-conditioned car (usually a Toyota hybrid) with an experienced English-speaking chauffeur guide
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Good 3-star hotels, double room with breakfast (4-star and 5-star on request)
- Fuel, parking, highway tolls, and your driver’s meals and lodging
- Drinking water in the car
- Support on WhatsApp in English and German throughout your trip
Not included
- International flights
- Entrance tickets to sights and national parks
- Safari jeeps, boat trips and other optional activities
- Lunch and dinner
- Tips for your driver and guides
- Travel insurance
Prices are per person for 2 people sharing a room. They change with season, hotel level and group size. Your personal quote is final.
Make it yours
- Add more beach days
- Child seats and family rooms (please tell us the children’s ages)
- Swap Sigiriya for Pidurangala if the children are small
- Travel in July or August with our east coast route instead
Questions about this trip
Is Sri Lanka safe for children?
Do you provide child seats?
Make this trip yours
Send us your dates and wishes. You get the route with your hotels and a firm price, usually within 24 hours.
Private round trips from US$700 per person for 7 days
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