Kandy, and back by dinner.

Three hours into the hill country, the air cools by ten degrees, the road climbs through tea plantations, and a 2,500-year-old Buddhist relic sits in a temple beside a lake. For long-call ships only — and worth every hour.

Duration

12–14 hours

From

$89 / person

Vehicle

Private sedan / van

Min. ship hours

14 hours in port

— Itinerary

Sea level to the hill country, and back.

A sample 6am–7:30pm itinerary for an overnight ship or a 14-hour call. Tight, but the new expressway makes it possible.

A group of cruise passengers with their private Colombo Day Tours minibus and driver-guides on a Sri Lanka day excursion

06 : 00

Cruise terminal pickup

Pre-dawn pickup. Coffee & pastries in the car. We hit the expressway before traffic builds — Kandy by 9:30am.

08 : 30

Spice garden at Mawanella

Working garden showing cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, vanilla and clove. Half an hour, no high pressure to buy.

09 : 45

Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic

The most sacred Buddhist site in Sri Lanka — the relic of the Buddha's tooth, brought from India in 313 AD. Drumming ceremony at 9:30 if you're lucky.

11 : 30

Kandy Lake & Old Town

A walk around the man-made lake, a stop at a 19th-century cinnamon merchant's mansion, the bustling Kandy market.

12 : 45

Lunch — hill country curry

Vegetarian rice-and-curry at a hill-country home restaurant. $12–18 per person.

14 : 00

Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya

60 hectares of tropical garden — the giant Java fig, the suspension bridge, the orchid house. Allow an hour and a half.

15 : 45

Tea plantation stop (drive-by)

Photo stop at a working tea estate on the way down. If your ship has overnight time, we can add a factory tour and tasting.

19 : 30

Back to the cruise terminal

90 minutes before your all-aboard call. Long day, big day. Drinks on the lido deck.

— What's included

What you get, and what you don't.

Included in the price

Private air-conditioned vehicle, your party only
English-speaking driver-guide, decades at this port
Cruise terminal pickup & drop-off with name board
All fuel, expressway tolls, parking, driver tips
Cold bottled water & cool towels for the long drive
90-minute back-to-ship buffer guarantee

Not included

Temple of the Tooth entrance (~$10 per person)
Botanic Gardens entrance (~$8 per person)
Lunch and drinks (budget $12–20 per person)
Optional tea factory tour and tasting (~$5)