If you only have a week to experience Sri Lanka, you’d better get your skates on! The ‘Classic’ 7 day tour of Sri Lanka would head straight to Kandy, either on the scenic railway or by car (stopping at Pinnawela in time for the elephant feeding and bathing time). On day two, after exploring the city of Kandy and its surrounds, travel north to Dambulla and spend the night at Sigiriya. Climb the rock first thing the next morning (before it gets too hot!), and then head east to explore Polonnaruwa (The 2^nd ancient capital of Lanka) in the afternoon. Those interested in Sri Lanka’s ancient ruins could then head northwest to Anuradhapura and Mihintale, returning to Colombo on the puttalam road; or for those who prefer relaxation on the beach return to Colombo and spend a couple of days on the west coast.

This trip can also be done in reverse, starting in Negombo and then heading north.

An alternative one-week trip by car might head straight along the coast, via Galle, for a day on one of the south’s beautiful beaches, then to Tissamaharama for a safari at Yala National Park, perhaps with a side trip to the temple town of Kataragama. From there it is a picturesque drive into the highlands, where you could explore the tea estates, walking trails and fading colonial grandeur of Nuwara Eliya, and return to Colombo via Kandy.