Our Taste of Sri Lanka tour will give you a delicious taste of Sri Lanka. This food tour has us travel from the bustling capital Colombo, before heading inland and into the hills and then along the coast all the while taking in this beautiful island, it’s culture, heritage, landscapes, nature and of course food.
If you are intrigued but daunted by India – Sir Lanka is the perfect destination. If you loved India but are seeking a more laid-back pace, Sri Lanka should be your next stop. If you love Europe because of the history, you won’t be disappointed with Sri Lanka where the layers of those that have ruled this island are evident everywhere. Is it time to swap cathedrals for temples?
Add to this captivating wildlife and the abundance of nature. From the rice paddies and coconut groves to the bananas growing wild. On our Taste of Sri Lanka tour you will discover new tastes like Jackfruit and familiar ones like cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper.
Read more about the fruit of Sri Lanka here
Or check out Emma Galloways Sri Lankan curry recipes here
“Sri Lanka was so much more than I ever expected it to be. I love the vibrant colours, busy noisy sounds and energy, the myriad of spicy aromas, the huge variety of delicious what’s Le based food, the relaxed calm of the friendly smiley people, the lush productive land and sea that produces so much, the ingenious use of the land and natural resources to make beautiful and practical things. And I loved the crazy wild driving with its own mad rhythm obvious to locals but elusive to us foreigners.” -Bronwyn Webster, Taste of Sri Lanka tour 2025
Highlights
- Experience the wet fish market in Negombo.
- Farm visit
- Climb to the top of Sigiriya.
- High Tea at the Grand Hotel
- Yala National Park safari
- 3 cooking classes
- Cave dinner
- Visit to Sacred Tooth Temple, Dambulla Cave temple.
- Visit to Elephant sanctuary and turtle hatchery.
When
The New Zealand winter is the best time to visit Sri Lanka, not just to escape the cold. While wet weather is expected it is not their monsoon season or their high season.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Colombo
For those that arrive early or we can fill our first morning with a tuk tuk tour of Colombo (note this is an optional extra).
The tour kicks off officially in the early evening with welcome drinks and our first dinner.
Day 2 – Colombo
Today we head into the countryside to discover some of the amazing things that grow in Sri Lanka, from bananas to coffee, rubber to coconut, tea to cinnamon…
Day 3 – Negombo
We are up early this morning as we are heading to the Negombo fish market. We’ll also witness and smell the miles of fish drying on the beaches.
Next we head inland to Sigiriya along the way stopping at a coconut grove for a cooking class and lunch.
Day 4 – Sigiriya
This morning, those up to it will head up the ancient rock fortress, Lion Rock, a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site.
For lunch we are heading to a local village we will help in the preparations before heading home to freshen up for dinner, in a cave!
Day 5 – Kandy
Today we head to Kandy, en-route stopping off at Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple, a woodwork workshop and spice grove.
Day 6 – Kandy
This morning, we are visiting the Head Quarters of Buddhism Globally, the Sacred Tooth Relic Temple.
Lunch is a picnic under the shade of the banyan tree at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Peradeniya
Back at our hotel and we are joining the hotel chef to cook our own Kotthu Roti, before enjoying our own private cultural show.
Day 7 – Nuwara Eliya
Today we travel towards the regions of Nuwara Eliya. We will wind our way into the hills enjoying the changing vista. We will stop to pick tea and learn about its production before arriving at The Grand Hotel for high tea.
Day 8 – Yala
This morning, we jump on a train to travel to beautiful Ella, before we continue on to Yala National Park, arriving in time for an arrack cocktail while enjoying the sunset.
Day 9 – Yala
It’s Safari Day. Today we will get up before the sun and head out to Yala National Park and see what we can spot, from elephants to Leopards, crocodile to peacocks, water buffalo…
Spend the day recovering poolside before enjoying a beach BBQ for dinner.
Day 10 – Galle
Today we travel to Galle, on the way stopping at an Elephant sanctuary in time for the morning feeding. The afternoon and evening is free for you to explore Galle.
Day 11 – Colombo
Today we will slowly make our way back to Colombo, stopping at a turtle hatchery and heading into the mangroves past the prawn traps to cinnamon island.
Back in Colombo with time to freshen up before our final dinner.
Day 12 – home
All good things have to come to an end.
What’s Included?
- 11 nights luxury accommodation
- Airport transfers to and from Colombo airport
- 11 breakfasts,
- 6 lunches
- 10 dinners (including one in a cave and a BBQ jungle under the stars!)
- High Tea at The Grand Hotel
- Safari at Yala National Park
- 3 different cooking classes
- Visit to the Sacred Tooth Relic Temple and Sigiriya, Elephant sanctuary and Turtle hatchery
- Local guide, dedicated driver and Kiwi host
Not Included
- Flights
- Tips
- Drinks at dinner etc
Optional extras
- Additional night in Colombo before the tour
- Tuk tuk tour of Colombo
- Late check out in Colombo
- Extra safari at Yala National Park
Accommodation
Getting a great night sleep is so important on tour but we choose our hotels with more in mind than just that. In Colombo we stay at the fabulously appointed and centrally located Cinnamon hotels.
In Sigiriya and Yala our hotels are stunning eco resorts that connect with nature giving us the opportunity to truly enjoy the landscape and wildlife.
While in Nuwara Eliya we enjoy a fabulous night in the historic and opulent Grand Hotel.
In Galle it’s a stunning boutique hotel in the heat of the fort.
“The accommodation exceeded my expectations, and those pools were amazing and very welcome after a long hot day.” – Gaynor Slater, Taste of Sri Lanka tour 2025
Group size
Taste of tours specialises in small group tours. We limit guests to 12.
This allows us to enjoy meals in local restaurants and cafes. No flag waving guides or audio commentary, you can actually ask our guides or host questions.
Activity Level
While you don’t need to be super fit to enjoy our Taste of Sri Lanka tour a certain level of mobility is required to enjoy all the activities.
While it is not compulsory to climb to the top of Sigiriya this is the most strenuous activity on tour and roughly the equivalent to climbing to the top of Mount Maunganui.
Packing tips
- Battery pack – it’s hot and you will be taking a lot of photos, both drain your battery so be prepared!
- A light scarf – temple entry requires modesty knees and shoulders covered) so a scarf on hand is often helpful.
- A reusable water bottle. The water is not drinkable in Sri Lanka, but we will have large bottles of chilled, filtered water on hand for you to keep your bottle filled and to save on plastic bottles.
- Comfortable shoes – there is nothing worse than sore feet.
- A hat
Check out more of my tips here
What our guests say
“Vicki has curated a wonderful trip around Sri Lanka where you get to immerse yourself in the culture, the food, the history, the beautiful and varied landscape, as well as experience the kindness and hospitality of the Sri Lankan people in every moment. With a local guide who is a wealth of knowledge and passionate about his country, an itinerary that finds the perfect balance of covering a lot of ground without feeling rushed, and Vicki setting the standard of the consummate host, this trip definitely lived up to my long held dream of visiting Sri Lanka.” – Karen Brightwell, Taste of Sri Lanka tour 2025
“An amazing tour Vicki, I can’t imagine the work that goes into something like this and having to deal with the “changes” that happened along the way. Always so calm and congenial, so thank you I had an amazing time.” – Gaynor Slater, Taste of Sri Lanka tour 2025
“It was our first group trip and we loved it, every day was another amazing adventure. We saw and did things we would never have done on our own. It was fun travelling with like-minded people who quickly became friends. Lots of knowledgeable information, plenty of variety and excellent communication all the way through, it was great!” – Debby & Andrew Patterson, Taste of Sri Lanka tour 2025
“Another fabulous adventure completed. If you wish to adventure beyond the predictable, see a country behind the scenes, get to know the people and their past with an equally adventurous group of people, superbly organised and down-to-earth host and local guides – Taste of Tours will take you there.” – Mandy and Greg Jarvis, Taste of Sri Lanka tour 2025
FAQ
I’m travelling solo, what are my options?
More than half our guests a solo travellers. If you are travelling alone our tours are a great way to meet likeminded travellers.
If you want your own space paying a single supplement will mean you have your own room.
If you are an easy-going traveller and happy to share, we can introduce you to other solo guests to see if you would get on. We leave the decision to you if you want to share.
What is the average age of travellers?
Our youngest guests was 24, our oldest 85. The majority of our guests are aged between 55-75 years old.
As they say age is just a number, and like life the real requirement is a great attitude!
What fitness level do I need?
While climbing to the top of Sigiriya is the most physical day on tour, the Dambulla Caves are also only accessible by foot up a hill. Other than these days fitness level is not as important as mobility and the ability to cope in the heat.
With this said we are here to help you enjoy your time so please let us know before booking if you have any mobility issues so we can keep this in mind and offer alternatives when we think it best.
What’s Included?
A lot! This is a food tour, so we include almost all your meals. All the activities listed are included as well as local guides, a Kiwi host, air-conditioned transport, 4-star accommodation and a few surprises.
What’s not included?
Flights, travel insurance and tips. Drinks at dinner or incidentals at the hotel
How do I book?
Fill out the booking form here. https://tasteoftours.com/book/
As soon as the tour meets its min number, we will be in touch along with an invoice for your deposit (25% non-refundable). Once the deposit has been paid your place is secured.
The balance for the tour is due 90 days before the tour begins.
If you would like to set up a payment plan please let us know and we can break the tour cost into monthly or weekly instalments.
How do I get there?
The tour begins and ends in Colombo. Once you have booked your flights please send us the details so we can arrange a transfer to and from the airport and have someone meet you there.
We can also organise an extra night’s accommodation in Colombo and if you need a late check out at the end.
Many flights from NZ arrive and depart around midnight.
I don’t like hot food; will I be OK?
Yes! Many of the meals we enjoy can be tweaked to the heat level you enjoy.
I’m gluten free, is this an issue?
No! In fact, much of Sri Lankan food is naturally gluten free
I’m vegetarian, is this a problem?
No! Sri Lanka is a great destination for vegetarians.
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