Budget · couple · 24–31 May 2026

Sri Lanka

Kandy → Nuwara Eliya → Ella → Colombo

Dates

24–31 May 2026

Duration

8 days

Travelers

couple

Budget

LKR 105,225

Excludes flights, for 2

Sigiriya RockNine Arch BridgeBentota Beach

Sun 24 May

Arrive → Kandy

7 stops

Flight12:55 PM

Depart Dhaka DAC — UL190, SriLankan Airlines, Terminal 1

Flight3:40 PM

Land Colombo CMB. Clear immigration + bags. Out by ~4:30 PM.

Transport4:30 PM

Bus from outside arrivals → Pettah Central Bus Stand, Colombo. ~1 hr. LKR 150–200/person.

Transport5:30 PM

Bus: Pettah → Kandy Town. Every 20–30 min. ~3 hrs. LKR 200–250/person.

Transport~8:30 PM

Tuk-tuk: Kandy bus stand → Kandy City Village. LKR 250–350. Let hotel know you are arriving late.

Rest9:00 PM

Check in: Kandy City Village, Kandy.

Food9:30 PM

Kottu roti from a night stall nearby. LKR 400–600. Early rest.

Full text · 8 days · couple · budget

Itinerary

Day 1 — Arrive → Kandy

Sun 24 May

  1. 12:55 PMFlightDepart Dhaka DAC — UL190, SriLankan Airlines, Terminal 1
  2. 3:40 PMFlightLand Colombo CMB. Clear immigration + bags. Out by ~4:30 PM.
  3. 4:30 PMTransportBus from outside arrivals → Pettah Central Bus Stand, Colombo. ~1 hr. LKR 150–200/person.
  4. 5:30 PMTransportBus: Pettah → Kandy Town. Every 20–30 min. ~3 hrs. LKR 200–250/person.
  5. ~8:30 PMTransportTuk-tuk: Kandy bus stand → Kandy City Village. LKR 250–350. Let hotel know you are arriving late.
  6. 9:00 PMRestCheck in: Kandy City Village, Kandy.
  7. 9:30 PMFoodKottu roti from a night stall nearby. LKR 400–600. Early rest.

Day 2 — Kandy — Culture

Mon 25 May

  1. 9:00 AMFoodHoppers + coconut sambol at local kade. LKR 250–350/person.
  2. 10:00 AMActivityKandy Lake loop walk. Free. ~45 min. Calm morning start.
  3. 11:00 AMActivityNatha Devale + Vishnu Devale — 14th-century shrines by the lake. Free. Remove shoes.
  4. 12:00 PMActivityTemple of the Tooth Relic — noon pooja. LKR 2,000/person. Cover knees + shoulders. Arrive 15 min early.
  5. 1:30 PMFoodRice + curry lunch at local restaurant. LKR 400–600.
  6. 3:00 PMActivityKandy Bazaar — spices, batik, street food, local life. Free.
  7. 5:00 PMActivityKandyan Cultural Show at YMBA Hall — drums, traditional dance, fire-walking. LKR 600–800/person. Buy at door.
  8. 7:30 PMFoodDinner — street food near Dalada Veediya or Thambapanni Collective. LKR 500–800.
  9. 9:00 PMEveningThe Pub or Empire Pub on Dalada Veediya. Open till midnight.

Day 3 — Sigiriya Day Trip

Tue 26 May

  1. 6:00 AMFoodQuick tea + biscuits. Kiosks near Kandy bus stand open from 5:30 AM.
  2. 6:30 AMTransportBus: Kandy Goods Shed Bus Stand → Dambulla. ~2 hrs. LKR 150–200/person.
  3. 8:30 AMTransportTuk-tuk: Dambulla → Sigiriya. 20 min. LKR 700–900 round-trip with wait. Fix price before boarding.
  4. 9:00 AMActivitySigiriya Rock Fortress. Bangladesh = SAARC — show passport for ~$20/person (vs $35 full rate). ~1.5 hrs to summit: frescoes, Mirror Wall, Lion's Paw, 360° views.
  5. 11:30 AMFoodLunch at local kade near Sigiriya. LKR 400–600.
  6. 1:00 PMActivityPidurangala Rock — LKR 1,000/person, 10 min tuk-tuk from Sigiriya. Top-down aerial view of Sigiriya. 45-min climb, far fewer crowds, better photo angle.
  7. 3:00 PMTransportBus: Dambulla → Kandy. Arrive ~5:00 PM.
  8. 6:00 PMFoodLight dinner. Pack bags tonight for tomorrow's move to Ella.

Day 4 — Kandy → Nuwara Eliya → Ella

Wed 27 May

  1. 8:00 AMFoodBreakfast. Check out of Kandy City Village by 10:00 AM.
  2. 10:30 AMTransportBus: Kandy Goods Shed Bus Stand → Nuwara Eliya. ~2–2.5 hrs. LKR 250–350/person. Road climbs steadily through tea estates — genuinely beautiful.
  3. 1:00 PMActivityNuwara Eliya stopover (~2 hrs). Gregory Lake walk (free). Pedro or Mackwoods Tea Factory tour — LKR 500–700/person. Colonial hill station with cool mountain air.
  4. 2:30 PMFoodQuick lunch in Nuwara Eliya town. LKR 400–600.
  5. 3:00 PMTransportBus: Nuwara Eliya → Ella. ~2.5–3 hrs. LKR 250–350/person. Through Haputale — highland scenery the whole way.
  6. ~6:00 PMTransportArrive Ella. Tuk-tuk to Ella Odyssey Inn. LKR 250–350.
  7. 6:30 PMRestCheck in: Ella Odyssey Inn. Check-in from 15:00.
  8. 7:00 PMFoodDinner on Ella main street. LKR 800–1,200.
  9. 9:00 PMEveningRetro Bar or rooftop cafe. Small town, easy evening.

Day 5 — Ella — Hike Day

Thu 28 May

  1. 7:00 AMFoodBreakfast at hillside cafe. LKR 400–600.
  2. 8:00 AMActivityLittle Adam's Peak hike. Free. Easy 1.5 hrs return. 360° views over Ella Gap. Go early — cooler and quieter.
  3. 10:30 AMActivityNine Arch Bridge — 15-min walk from town. Free. Wait for a train to pass through the arch (~2–3 hr intervals). Most photographed spot in Ella.
  4. 12:30 PMFoodLunch on Ella main street. LKR 500–800.
  5. 2:00 PMTransportTuk-tuk to Ravana Waterfalls. 3 km. LKR 300–400 round trip. Entry LKR 200/person.
  6. 4:00 PMActivityBack in Ella. Rooftop cafe, valley sunset.
  7. 7:00 PMFoodDinner + Ella bars. Retro Bar, Dream Cafe. LKR 800–1,200.

Day 6 — Ella → Colombo

Fri 29 May

  1. 9:00 AMFoodBreakfast + check out of Ella Odyssey Inn by 11:00 AM.
  2. 11:00 AMTransportBus: Ella → Wellawaya. ~35–45 min. LKR 60–100/person.
  3. 12:00 PMTransportBus: Wellawaya → Colombo Pettah. ~5.5 hrs. LKR 350–450/person. Frequent departures throughout the morning.
  4. ~5:30 PMTransportArrive Colombo Pettah. Tuk-tuk to Grand Oriental Hotel. LKR 300–450.
  5. 6:00 PMRestCheck in: Grand Oriental Hotel. Check-in from 14:00.
  6. 4:30 PMActivityColombo Fort walk — Dutch colonial buildings, Old Parliament, Lighthouse Clock Tower. Free.
  7. 5:30 PMActivityJami Ul-Alfar Mosque (Red Mosque) — candy-striped Indo-Saracenic architecture. Free. Dress modestly.
  8. 7:00 PMActivityPettah Market evening — street food, street life.
  9. 8:30 PMFoodDinner: Nana's Restaurant, Pettah — authentic Sri Lankan. LKR 500–700/person.
  10. 10:30 PMEveningColombo 3 nightlife: tuk-tuk to Cricket Club Cafe, Stack or Upstairs Colombo. Open till 2 AM.

Day 7 — Bentota Day + Last Night

Sat 30 May

  1. 9:00 AMFoodHoppers from roadside stall near hotel. LKR 200–300.
  2. 10:00 AMTransportTrain: Colombo Fort → Aluthgama. Southern Coastal Line — 100% operational. ~1.5–2 hrs. LKR 120–180/person. Ocean views along the coast.
  3. 12:00 PMTransportTuk-tuk: Aluthgama station → Bentota Beach. LKR 250–350.
  4. 12:30 PMActivityBentota Beach — white sand, calm turquoise water. Swim and unwind.
  5. 1:00 PMFoodGrilled fish + rice at beach shack. LKR 700–1,000/plate.
  6. 2:30 PMActivityMadu River boat tour from the jetty. ~1.5 hrs. LKR 2,000–2,500 for the boat. Mangroves, monitor lizards, mugger crocodiles, cinnamon island, birds.
  7. 4:30 PMTransportTrain: Aluthgama → Colombo Fort. LKR 120–180/person. ~1.5–2 hrs.
  8. 7:30 PMActivityGangaramaya Temple — lit beautifully at night. LKR 300/person. Thai, Chinese, Indian architecture blend.
  9. 9:00 PMFoodFinal dinner: Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct — walkable from hotel. LKR 1,000–1,500.
  10. 10:30 PMEveningLast night out — Dutch Hospital bars or Colombo 3. Home by midnight.
  11. 12:00 AMRestPack everything. Set 4:30 AM alarm. Book airport taxi through hotel tonight.

Day 8 — Departure

Sun 31 May

  1. 4:30 AMRestWake up.
  2. 5:00 AMTransportPre-booked taxi: Grand Oriental Hotel → Bandaranaike Airport CMB. ~45 min. LKR 3,000–4,500. Book night before through hotel.
  3. 5:45 AMActivityArrive CMB. Check-in + security. Terminal 1, SriLankan Airlines UL189.
  4. 7:45 AMFlightFlight UL189 departs CMB.
  5. 11:30 AMFlightLand Dhaka DAC — Terminal 1, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

Flights

Outbound · DAC → CMB
Sun 24 May · 12:55 PM → 3:40 PM · UL190
Return · CMB → DAC
Sun 31 May · 7:45 AM → 11:30 AM · UL189

Accommodation

Kandy City Village · Kandy
3 nights · 24–27 May · LKR 6,460/night (total LKR 19,380) · Check-in: 24 May 12:00 · Check-out: 27 May 10:00
Ella Odyssey Inn · Ella
2 nights · 27–29 May · LKR 8,111/night (total LKR 16,222) · Check-in: 27 May 15:00 · Check-out: 29 May 11:00
Grand Oriental Hotel · Colombo
2 nights · 29–31 May · LKR 8,063/night (total LKR 16,126) · Check-in: 29 May 14:00 · Check-out: 31 May 12:00

Route

  1. CMB
  2. Kandy · via bus
  3. Sigiriya · via bus (daytrip)
  4. Nuwara Eliya · via bus (stopover)
  5. Ella · via bus
  6. Colombo · via bus
  7. Bentota · via train (daytrip)
  8. CMB

Budget estimate · LKR

Transport — all routes (for 2)
LKR 14,000
Entry fees (for 2)
LKR 22,000
Food — 7 days (for 2)
LKR 17,500
Accommodation — 7 nights (for 2)
LKR 51,725
Total estimate
LKR 105,225

Excludes flights, for 2

Notes

Currency
1 USD ≈ LKR 319 · 1 BDT ≈ LKR 2.9 (approx, March 2026)
Transport
All hill country travel by road (bus) — Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella roads fully operational.
Coastal Train
Southern Coastal Line train (Colombo–Bentota) is fully operational with regular daily services.
Cash
Carry cash everywhere. ATMs in Kandy and Colombo; limited in Ella. Change money at Colombo or Kandy.
Dress Code
All religious sites: cover knees + shoulders. Keep a sarong each. Negotiate tuk-tuks before boarding.