Kandy Star rating [to confirm]
Mahaweli Reach
A long-established Kandy hotel on the bank of the Mahaweli, closer to town than most.
Partner rate on request
Ask for our rate
10 nights · Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Haputale and the south coast
Sri Lanka hill country and beach itinerary: 10 nights
No Cultural Triangle on this one. It starts in Kandy, climbs into the tea country for four nights, then drops to the coast and stays there.
What this trip includes
10 nights in hand-picked hotelsfrom US$45 a night
Full board, every nightIncluded
Every drive between your hotelsOn us
Deposit or card details onlineNone
Get my quote for this route
Real prices for your dates, usually within the hour.
Map: the Hills and the south coast route with drive times marked
Where you sleep
Sights along the way
Day by day
A pace that leaves room to sit still. Every day can be changed, and anything you add goes on the same quote.
1day
Kandy region
2day
Kandy region
3day
Nuwara Eliya
4day
Nuwara Eliya
Sleep at Heritance Tea FactoryA day at leisure in the tea country
5day
Haputale
6day
7day
South coast
8day
South coast
Sleep at The Fortress Resort & SpaWhale watching tour
9day
South coast
10day
South coast
Sleep at Weligama Bay ResortA day at leisure
Where you'll stay
One hotel at each stop, two nights each, so you are not packing every morning. Swap any of them and the quote updates.
Nuwara Eliya Star rating [to confirm]
Heritance Tea Factory
A real tea factory converted into a hotel, high above Nuwara Eliya with the machinery still in place.
Partner rate on request
Ask for our rate
Haputale Star rating [to confirm]
Dream Cliff Mountain Resort
A small place on the escarpment at Haputale, where the hills drop away to the southern plains.
Partner rate on request
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Galle & the south Star rating [to confirm]
The Fortress Resort & Spa
A large rampart-walled resort on the sand at Koggala, a short drive from Galle Fort.
Partner rate on request
Ask for our rate
Weligama & Mirissa Star rating [to confirm]
Weligama Bay Resort
On the long shallow bay at Weligama, the gentlest stretch of the south coast.
Partner rate on request
Ask for our rate
What's included, and what isn't
No surprises when you land. If something isn't on the left, it's either on the right or it's an add-on we'll quote separately.
Included
- Ten nights in our partner hotels, at our partner rates
- Full board throughout: breakfast, lunch and dinner at your hotel
- A private driver for every drive between your hotels
- One planner on WhatsApp, from your first message to the airport
- Changes to the route before you travel
Not included
- Flights
- Entrance fees at temples, parks and national parks — ask us what is covered on your route
- Meals away from your hotel
- Anything you add to the trip that is not listed above
Where this route stops
Honest guides to every area on this trip: what each one is good for, and what it is not.
Kandy
Temples, gardens, and breaking the drive between the Cultural Triangle and the hills.
Nuwara Eliya
Tea, cold air, and a real change of climate halfway through a trip.
Haputale
Early risers, walkers, the train, and a view most visitors never see.
Galle & the south
History, walking, sunset on the ramparts, and an easy last stop before flying.
Weligama & Mirissa
Families, first-time surfers, whale watching, and two flat nights at the end of a trip.
Add these along the way
Private experiences run by our own team, added to the same quote as your hotels.
Photo needed: the Temple of the Tooth, Kandy, at the evening ceremony
Temple of the Tooth, Kandy
- Duration
- 2 hours
- When
- All year
- Run by
- Genuine Sri Lankans
Photo needed: the palm avenue at Peradeniya botanical garden
Peradeniya botanical garden
- Duration
- Half day
- When
- All year
- Run by
- Genuine Sri Lankans
Photo needed: the hill country train crossing the tea estates between Nanu Oya and Ella
Kandy to Ella by train
- Duration
- Half day
- When
- All year
- Run by
- Genuine Sri Lankans
Tea factory and plantation visit
- Duration
- 2 hours
- When
- All year
- Run by
- Genuine Sri Lankans
Questions people ask about this route
If yours isn't here, ask it on WhatsApp. It's the same people either way.
Why is there no Sigiriya on this route?
Because it is built for people who would rather spend four nights in the tea country than two days in the Cultural Triangle. If you want both, the ten-day whole-island route is the one.
How cold does the hill country get?
Kandapola and Haputale sit high enough that evenings drop close to single figures. Bring a jumper. Nobody expects it after landing in Colombo.
When can we see whales?
Whale watching runs from Mirissa roughly November to April. Outside those months we swap the day for something else on the coast.
What does full board mean here?
Breakfast, lunch and dinner at your hotel are included on every night of this route. Meals you eat out on the road are not.
Every drive on this route is covered by our own driver. How a private driver works in Sri Lanka.
Other routes
Same driver, same planner, a different shape of trip.
Suggested route 10 nights
Sri Lankan Essential
Sigiriya, Kandy, Ella, Yala and the south coast
Everything, without rushing. Two nights at every stop, so you unpack once and stay put for a day.
Price based on
- 10 nights in partner hotels, 2 adults
- Hotels from US$45 a night
- Full board, and every drive between hotels included
Suggested route 10 nights
Ancient cities and Kandy
Anuradhapura, Sigiriya and Kandy
For people who want the ancient cities rather than the beaches. Anuradhapura and Mihintale first, then the rock and the cave temple.
Price based on
- 10 nights in partner hotels, 2 adults
- Hotels from US$45 a night
- Full board, and every drive between hotels included
Want this route? Tell us your dates.
We'll match hotels to your budget and send one quote for the whole trip. Change any stop, add nights, or swap a hotel you've already got your eye on.
WhatsApp us
Send your dates and who's travelling. We'll reply with a plan and real prices.
Start a chatUsually within the hour, 7am to 10pm
Email us
Prefer email? Tell us what you have in mind and we'll write back with a full plan.
travel@genuinesrilankans.comReplied to the same day
Book a video call
Plan it face to face with a planner, and see the hotels and routes on screen together.
Choose a timeNext-day slots usually available
The planning team at Genuine Sri Lankans, answering from Sri Lanka