Sri Lanka with kids: 9 day family trip

Itinerary in brief:

• 1 night Negombo            
• 2 nights Kandy   
• 2 nights Ella
• 3 nights Mirissa 

Day 1: Arrive Sri Lanka 

On arrival, you will be met at the airport and driven to your hotel in Negombo where you will check in for one night, just a few miles from the airport. Spend your first night at the beach, relaxing after your flight.              

Day 2: Travel to Kandy

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to the cultural hotspot of Kandy, where you’ll check into your hotel for two nights. Kandy is a bustling hill station famous for its pink Temple of the Tooth and the Kandy Lake, an artificial stretch of water over 200 years old which. Surrounded by lush trees, the lake is the centre point of town. Spend the afternoon wandering along the lakeside with the kids and finding some delicious local fare for dinner.

Day 3: Kandy

Today you’ll spend the day exploring the pretty city of Kandy, starting in the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens where a rare collection of tropical flowers can be seen, including the famous Orchid House. The afternoon is yours to stroll around the streets before visiting the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic in the evening, finishing with the Kandyan Cultural Show at the Arts Centre, where you’ll watch the graceful dancers and energetic drummers, culminating in an impressive fire walking display. It’s bound to keep the kids entertained!

Day 4: Travel to Ella      

Loading your luggage into the car, you’ll hop on the little blue train that chugs its way through the hills from Kandy to Ella. It’s a perfect trip to do with kids and the scenery is stunning. With a cool breeze through the window and people selling local snacks on the train the whole family will enjoy this iconic train ride through the mountains. Around 6 hours later you’ll arrive in Ella, refreshed from the journey and ready to explore this hill top paradise.

Day 5: Ella

Your time in Ella is yours to enjoy how you wish – whether you hike the gentle trail to the summit of Little Adam’s peak for endless views of lush countryside, wander through the local tea fields or take a fresh shower under the Ravana Waterfall. This is a lovely, relaxing place to explore as a family and let the kids run free.

Day 6: Travel to Mirissa         

After some time relaxing in the cool hills, today you’ll travel south to the coast, where you can enjoy Sri Lanka’s golden beaches. Stopping to see the beautiful whitewashed lighthouse at Dondra head, you’ll continue along the coast to Mirissa, where you’ll check into your hotel for two nights and splash about in the gentle waves.

Days 7 & 8: Mirissa

Spend the rest of your time in Sri Lanka    enjoying the spectacular Mirissa beach as a family, playing in the sand with the kids, eating fresh seafood by the sea and taking a well-earned break. We’ve booked you a whale watching cruise, so on one of the mornings you’ll head out into the waves to look for the blue whales that live around the coastline. It’s guaranteed to be a big hit with little people. Finish each day watching the sun set into the crashing ocean, looking back on a wonderful family trip getting to know Sri Lanka.

Day 9: Depart Sri Lanka         

Today is your final day in Sri Lanka – you’ll be driven back to the airport in time to catch your onwards flight.