From Bentota (Beruwala, Kalutara and Ahungalla) · about 9 hours
Whale watching from Mirissa
Blue whales from November to April, sightings not guaranteed
$107
per person for two, from Bentota (Beruwala, Kalutara and Ahungalla), activity included
Madu River boat, Ambalangoda masks and Kande Vihara
Madu River boat, Ambalangoda masks and Kande Vihara is Majeste's private day tour from Bentota. It takes about 6 hours door to door and costs $53 per person for two, including your own car with an English-speaking driver and Madu River boat safari. Prices checked 7 Nov 2026. Nothing to pay now.
Mangroves by private boat, then the mask carvers.
At a glance
| Start | Hours | Km | Per person for two |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hikkaduwa | about 6.5 | 100 | $68 |
| Galle | about 7.5 | 125 | $68 |
| Colombo | about 9.5 | 170 | $72 |
About this tour
Two hours by private boat through the mangrove channels of the Madu River at Balapitiya, with a stop on the cinnamon island, then the mask museum and workshops at Ambalangoda and the hilltop Kande Vihara temple near Aluthgama. We skip the fish spas and the islands where animals are kept for photos, and we do not stop at a turtle hatchery.
- Madu River boat safari, two hours, included
- Ambalangoda: the traditional mask museum and carvers' workshops
- Kande Vihara, a temple on a hill with a large seated Buddha
Your day
Planning times from Bentota, not promises. From another start town the times change.
Pickup at your hotel.
Madu River boat safari from Balapitiya, about two hours.
Ambalangoda mask museum and a carver's workshop (entry by donation; the shop expects nothing).
Lunch in Ambalangoda or Bentota, paid directly.
Kande Vihara temple; shoes off, shoulders and knees covered.
Drop-off at your hotel.
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 Bentota, Beruwala, Kalutara, Ahungalla, Hikkaduwa or Galle
- Every entrance ticket and activity listed under tickets and fees
Not included
- Lunch is at a local restaurant, paid directly, about USD 5 to 15 a head
- Donations at the temple and the mask museum
- Tips for the driver and any local guide, at your discretion
- Drinks, snacks and personal spending
Tickets and fees
Kande Vihara
No fee budgeted
No ticket is listed by any source; a working temple where a donation is usual. Unverified.
Source
- No confirmed fee in the sources we read, checked 7 Nov 2026
Madu River boat safari
$60
USD 30 per person from one price list, published in December 2025 and titled for 2026; the list shows half price for children but no ages, so we price a child at the adult rate.
Source
- Udawalawe Safari Help Centre price list PDF, published Dec 2025, titled for 2026, checked 7 Nov 2026
- ABTA Animal Welfare Guidelines, unacceptable practices, 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
- We do not include the Kosgoda turtle hatcheries; we do not sell visits where hatchlings are kept in tanks or handled.
- The boat price is from one price list, published in December 2025 and titled for 2026. The list gives no ages for its child fare, so we price a child at the adult rate.
- Short, heavy showers are common in May, June and October.
Good months: December, January, February, March, April.
Harder months: May, June, October.
Optional extras
Not in the price. Add them in the price box.
- Mask carving workshop, Ambalangoda
+$240 for two
USD 120 per person from a marketplace listing; a shorter mask-painting session in Sigiriya lists at USD 40.
- Ayurveda treatment session
+$240 for two
USD 120 per person for a two-hour package, from a marketplace listing; once you book, your booking keeps that price. Residential cures (for example Barberyn Reef, Beruwala) cost about EUR 100 to 110 per day for treatment plus the room, with a minimum of seven nights.
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
- No confirmed fee in the sources we read, checked 7 Nov 2026
- Udawalawe Safari Help Centre price list PDF, published Dec 2025, titled for 2026, checked 7 Nov 2026
- Majeste rate card, checked 7 Nov 2026
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