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
Nuwara Eliya tea country day tour from Colombo
Nuwara Eliya tea country day tour from Colombo is Majeste's private day tour. It takes about 15 hours door to door and costs $90 per person for two, including your own car with an English-speaking driver, entrance tickets, and tea factory tour and tasting. Prices checked 7 Nov 2026. Nothing to pay now.
A tea factory and the lake at 1,900 metres, ten hours in the car.
At a glance
| Start | Hours | Km | Per person for two |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negombo | about 15 | 340 | $90 |
| Airport | about 14.5 | 330 | $88 |
About this tour
Up the A7 through Kitulgala and Hatton to the tea town at 1,900 metres: a factory tour and tasting on the way, lunch in Nuwara Eliya, then Gregory Lake and Victoria Park before the long descent. It is five hours each way on a slow mountain road, so about ten hours in the car for four hours in the hills. People who have the time should stay two nights instead.
- Tea factory tour and tasting on the Hatton to Nuwara Eliya road
- Gregory Lake, Victoria Park and the colonial-era town centre
- The A7 through the Kelani valley and the tea estates above Hatton
Your day
Planning times from Colombo, not promises. From another start town the times change.
Pickup in Colombo; A4 and A7 via Avissawella.
Breakfast stop at Kitulgala, paid directly.
Tea factory tour and tasting, about 1.5 hours.
Lunch in Nuwara Eliya, paid directly.
Gregory Lake, Victoria Park and the post office.
Start the drive back.
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 and activity listed under tickets and fees
Not included
- Lunch is at a local restaurant, paid directly, about USD 5 to 15 a head
- Boats and pony rides at the lake
- Tips for the driver and any local guide, at your discretion
- Drinks, snacks and personal spending
Tickets and fees
Gregory Lake
$1.20
LKR 200 per person for the lakeside park (single secondary source). Boats and pony rides cost extra.
Source
- MySLTravel entrance fee list 2025-2026, checked 7 Nov 2026
Tea factory tour and tasting
$18.05
LKR 3,000 (about USD 9) per person at Halpewatte, Ella, the factory's published price; the page does not say whether children pay.
Source
- Halpewatte (Halpé) Tea, tour page, checked 7 Nov 2026
- Damro Labookellie and Pedro estates, 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
- Ten hours in the car on winding roads; motion sickness is common.
- October and November are the wettest months; rain falls on most days from June to December, and the town is cold after dark.
- Packed and expensive in mid-April and on long weekends.
Good months: January, February, March, April.
Harder months: October, November.
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
- MySLTravel entrance fee list 2025-2026, checked 7 Nov 2026
- Halpewatte (Halpé) Tea, tour page, checked 7 Nov 2026
- Majeste rate card, checked 7 Nov 2026
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