15km cycling
We start today with an early pickup from your Colombo Hotel before we drive to a small village station to board the train that takes us up into the hills towards Kandy. The scenic journey takes 3-4 hours before we arrive around lunchtime, in order to meet our support team and our bikes. To warm up our legs we’ll cycle from the train station into the center of town, pedaling down small roads to escape the traffic. Our ride takes us along a river and its local villages. In the evening, there is time to visit the Temple of the Tooth, where the sacred Buddha tooth relic is placed with supporting stories illustrated in a prayer hall. Tonight we’ll enjoy our first dinner together in Kandy.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
45km cycling
Today we take back roads and find ourselves climbing soon after leaving Kandy. As we go, the population thins out and the tea creeps in. As we weave our way through tea plantations, keep an eye open for roadside shops selling delicacies such as fresh dates and dried corn crackers. We then enjoy some descending today and a wide variety of road surfaces, always with minimal traffic.
We finish our ride down at the Gampola railway station where we board the train for the higher elevations. The train ride is stunning, and the carriage is quite comfortable. We alight at Nana Oya and then travel by car the short distance to Nuwara Eliya. You will need your warm clothes up here, but the hotel does have an open fireplace and a great meal for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
45km cycling
A very early start is needed today for the transfer by vehicle up to Horton Plains National Park, and we’ll enjoy some light snacks to get us started. From there, we will walk through the grassy highlands to World’s End Lookout where we take in the astonishing views over the valley from the clifftop. Keep your eyes peeled while you walk, as we may be lucky enough to see deer and monkeys.
Here we’ll enjoy a picnic breakfast in this serene spot before hitting the bikes for a thrilling downhill ride through a fertile valley where farmers will be hard at work. We will pedal through the bustling town of Bandarawela, stopping briefly for lunch before settling in Ella, a small town that caters well to the weary traveller. The afternoon is free for exploration of the estate.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
3hr hike
Enjoy the sunrise over dewy tea plantations, taking in the postcard views of Ella from arguably the most picturesque location in town. Today we stay off the bikes to pursue alternative active adventures. We’ll start off with a tea tour at our luxurious hotel set in the hills on 98 acres of tea plantation. Here you’ll have the chance to experience the tea production process from start to finish, with a walk through the plantation with a tea plucker, a visit to the factory to glimpse the tea withering process, and finish off the tour with a tasting session to sip on Pure Ceylon Tea.
In the afternoon, we’ll be welcomed by a small white statue of the Buddha as we begin hiking the trail to Little Adam’s Peak, an easy going climb. This spot is the younger, smaller brother of Adam’s Peak further out of town, but will still provide us with spectacular sunset views of the far hills and tea plantations below. This evening we’ll enjoy a cooking class and whip up some Sri Lankan curry.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
60km cycling
We start off today with a few more climbs through stunning tea country and small villages. Catch some amazing views this morning from your bike over the impressive shapes of the various peaks. After morning tea, we glide on two wheels into our huge descent back to the flatlands. Only those averse to downhill riding will be without an ear to ear grin as the kilometers tick by a lot quicker than they have for the previous few days.
As we reach flat roads, the heat increases, so we have lunch and then take a 40-minute vehicle transfer to the hotel in Kataragama. A quick turnaround is in order and we then board a jeep that will take us through the nearby Yala National Park in the hopes of seeing elephants, leopards and almost certainly deer, wild boar, buffalo, monkeys, and peafowl. This is an enthralling way to round out the day and we can expect to be back at the hotel a little before 7 in time for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
55km cycling
An early start helps us make the most of the cool morning temperatures. As things start to warm up a little, we will stop to eat our takeaway breakfast from the hotel. The ride is on flat, open road today which is a welcome rest after the recent terrain. We get into slightly narrower roads after breakfast as we pass through an unpaved section, then follow a nicely paved, quiet back road along a canal.
After passing through more populated areas in the late morning, we finish the ride with lunch in a small town named Embilipitiya and then take a transfer of around 2 hours to reach our accommodation at the beautiful Sinharaja Rainforest. Here you’ll enjoy the hum of the rainforest and the sounds of wildlife there. Keep your eyes peeled for some interesting, colorful birds flitting around!
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
4hr hike
Today we swap the bikes for our hiking shoes as we explore the stunning Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve on foot. Our expert guides and their wealth of wildlife knowledge will put us in good stead to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site and see some of the unique wildlife in the area. We will transfer in the van (depending on the season) to ensure we are in the best spot to start and end the hike. We expect to be out for about 4 hours, with a few special stops along the way for some snacks to keep the energy levels up. We’ll head back to the hotel aroaund mid-afternoon so we can enjoy the quaint charm of our unique accommodation.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
50km cycling
Today’s ride is one to remember as we pedal 50 kilometers down from the rainforest towards the coast and the old port city of Galle. The ride starts with a brilliant, 25km descent with only short sections of plateau or incline. What starts out as a patchy, tea estate road then becomes a smooth, well-made road without too much traffic and with just the right degree of twists and turns to keep it interesting.
Once we’ve made it down to the coast, we’ll take a transfer to the perfect beach spot for devouring lunch before transferring the rest of the way to Galle. Later we’ll take a walking tour of the Galle Fort: a 16th-century Portuguese structure set on the Bay of Galle which sits staunchly defending the city.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
15km cycling
Our final ride of the tour is a relaxed affair, exploring the surrounds of historic Galle. We’ll begin and end at the door of your hotel making the most of our last time on the bikes and returning with time to freshen up and say our goodbyes before check-out and conclusion of the tour.
Group transfer to Colombo is included.
Meal: Breakfast