From Colombo · about 15 hours
Sigiriya and Dambulla day tour from Colombo
Two UNESCO sites, about nine hours in the car
$125
per person for two, from Colombo, tickets included
Kandy and Peradeniya day tour from Colombo
Kandy and Peradeniya day tour from Colombo is Majeste's private day tour. It takes about 13.5 hours door to door and costs $78 per person for two, including your own car with an English-speaking driver and entrance tickets. Prices checked 7 Nov 2026. Nothing to pay now.
The Temple of the Tooth and the botanical gardens, without Pinnawala.
At a glance
| Start | Hours | Km | Per person for two |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negombo | about 13.5 | 240 | $78 |
| Airport | about 13 | 225 | $75 |
About this tour
A day in the last royal capital: the Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya, lunch by the lake and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic with its museums. There is no expressway to Kandy yet, so it is about three and a half hours each way on the A1. We leave the Pinnawala elephant orphanage out of this day on purpose; it is a captive herd with chained animals and bathing shows, and we tell you so plainly.
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya: the avenue of royal palms, the orchid house and the giant Java fig
- Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the three museums in the complex
- Kandy Lake and the view from the hills above the town
Your day
Planning times from Colombo, not promises. From another start town the times change.
Pickup in Colombo.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya: about two hours on foot.
Lunch in Kandy, paid directly.
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the Dalada, World Buddhist and Tusker museums. Shoulders and knees covered.
Walk along the lake and a stop at the Bahirawakanda viewpoint above the town.
Start the drive back; the Kadugannawa descent is slow.
Arrive in Colombo.
What is in the price
Included
- Private air-conditioned car or van with an English-speaking driver for the day
- Fuel, expressway tolls and parking
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Colombo, Negombo or at the airport
- Every entrance ticket listed under tickets and fees
Not included
- Lunch is at a local restaurant, paid directly, about USD 5 to 15 a head
- Tips for the driver and any local guide, at your discretion
- Drinks, snacks and personal spending
Tickets and fees
Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya
$21.29
LKR 3,540 per adult, LKR 1,770 for children 5 to 12. No SAARC discount.
Source
- Department of National Botanic Gardens, checked 7 Nov 2026
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
$18.05
LKR 3,000 per person; LKR 2,500 for SAARC, Thai and Myanmar passport holders. The official page lists no child price. Tickets come only from the machines at the temple. The Dalada, World Buddhist and Tusker museums are included.
Source
- Sri Dalada Maligawa, checked 7 Nov 2026
Amounts are for two adults. Entrance fees for Sri Lankan residents differ. Message us and we price them for you.
Entrance fees last checked 7 November 2026. Activity prices last checked 7 November 2026. Rupee fees converted at LKR 332.5 to USD 1 (XE mid-market rate, 6 Nov 2026).
Good to know
- About seven hours in the car. An overnight in Kandy is more comfortable.
- Adding the 17:00 Kandyan dance show brings you back to Colombo at about 21:30.
- During the Esala Perahera (projected 7 to 17 August 2027, not yet announced by the Temple of the Tooth) central roads close from mid-afternoon; we re-time the day.
Good months: January, February, March, April, August.
Harder months: October, November.
Optional extras
Not in the price. Add them in the price box.
- Kandyan dance show
+$12.03 for two
LKR 2,000 (about USD 6) per person at the YMBA or Kandyan Art Association halls; some halls charge LKR 2,500.
Read more
- Sri Lanka entrance fees 2026: Sigiriya and parks
Sigiriya is USD 35, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura USD 30, the Temple of the Tooth LKR 3,000; a park ticket for two is USD 71.86. Checked 7 November 2026.
- Best time to visit Sri Lanka: month by month
January to March is driest on the west and south coasts, in the hills and the Cultural Triangle; May to September suits the east. Checked 7 Nov 2026.
Where the figures come from
- Department of National Botanic Gardens, checked 7 Nov 2026
- Sri Dalada Maligawa, checked 7 Nov 2026
- Majeste rate card, checked 7 Nov 2026
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