CULINARY · SRI LANKA
THE SIGNATURE CEYLON CULINARY EXPERIENCE
Taste the island, one story at a time.
A 13-day journey through Sri Lanka’s culinary heritage — from coconut estates, village kitchens and spice gardens to tea country, southern seafood and the street-food markets of Colombo.
Along the way
Highlights
- Discover Sri Lanka through its food, farming and local communities
- Walk through coconut estates and see traditional coconut processing
- Share village lunches and hands-on cooking experiences with local families
- Explore Dambulla Market and learn to cook with Sri Lankan spices, herbs and coconut
- Visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress and discover Sri Lanka’s spice heritage
- Prepare traditional sweets, string hoppers and home-style dishes in Kandy
- Follow Ceylon tea from plantation to factory in Nuwara Eliya
- Experience hill-country produce, strawberries, dairy and afternoon tea
- Relax on the southern coast and explore Tangalle’s seafood scene
- Discover Ceylon cinnamon and rare white tea on the road to Galle
- Select fresh seafood with a local chef and experience Colombo street food
Know before you go
Journey profile
Day by day
The journey
Each day opens another part of Sri Lanka’s food story — from village kitchens and family recipes to tea estates, coastal markets and city street food.
01
TRANSFER
ARRIVAL → NATTANDIYA
Arrive at Bandaranaike International Airport and receive a warm Sri Lankan welcome before transferring to the peaceful countryside of Nattandiya.
Settle into the surroundings and begin the journey with your first introduction to Sri Lankan cuisine. In the evening, gather for a welcome briefing followed by a carefully prepared dinner celebrating the flavours of the island.
Overnight in Nattandiya
02
COCONUT · LOCAL LIFE
NATTANDIYA
Begin with a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast of freshly prepared coconut roti, spicy coconut sambol, curries and tropical fruit.
Walk through a working coconut estate and learn how coconuts are plucked, husked and processed. Visit a nearby coconut-processing operation and observe traditional local industries, including cashew preparation.
The afternoon is free to relax before dinner featuring local flavours.
Overnight in Nattandiya
03
VILLAGE · CULTURE
NATTANDIYA → DAMBULLA
Travel through paddy fields, coconut plantations and rural villages toward Dambulla.
Experience a traditional village lunch and countryside journey, including a tractor ride through the fields and a peaceful catamaran crossing.
Later visit the Golden Cave Temple of Dambulla.
In the evening, take part in a cocktail masterclass inspired by Sri Lanka’s tropical ingredients and flavours.
Overnight in Dambulla
04
MARKET · COOKING
SIGIRIYA / DAMBULLA
Walk through a traditional village near Sigiriya and meet members of local farming and fishing communities while learning about traditional agriculture, including chena cultivation.
Visit Dambulla’s famous wholesale vegetable market and select fresh produce before continuing to a local village home.
Cook alongside a Sri Lankan family using local spices, herbs and coconut, then share the home-cooked lunch together.
In the evening, learn how traditional hoppers are prepared from rice flour and coconut milk and enjoy them with lunu miris.
Overnight in Dambulla
05
HERITAGE · SPICES
DAMBULLA / SIGIRIYA → KANDY
Climb the iconic Sigiriya Rock Fortress and explore the remains of King Kashyapa’s ancient palace while taking in panoramic views over the surrounding countryside.
Continue toward Kandy, stopping at a Sri Lankan spice garden.
Discover cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, cloves, nutmeg and turmeric while learning about their culinary and traditional Ayurvedic uses.
Arrive in Kandy and enjoy an evening at leisure.
Overnight in Kandy
06
HOME COOKING
KANDY
Explore the countryside surrounding Kandy on a guided village walk and discover traditional home gardens.
Visit a local family and learn to prepare Sri Lankan festive sweets such as kevum and kokis.
See a traditional clay-oven bakery before joining the family to prepare a home-style Sri Lankan meal using ingredients such as jackfruit, dried fish, coconut and freshly prepared spices.
Dinner includes a hands-on introduction to delicate Sri Lankan string hoppers.
Overnight in Kandy
07
TEA COUNTRY
KANDY → NUWARA ELIYA
Travel into Sri Lanka’s misty central highlands, discovering seasonal fruits, vegetables and local snacks along the way.
Visit a traditional tea estate and factory and follow the Ceylon tea process from leaf plucking to withering, rolling, fermenting, drying and grading.
Later enjoy a walk around Gregory Lake.
Dinner features pittu with aromatic Sri Lankan mutton curry.
Overnight in Nuwara Eliya
08
HILL-COUNTRY PRODUCE
NUWARA ELIYA
Visit a local strawberry farm for freshly picked fruit and preserves, or experience locally produced dairy and cheese.
Enjoy a hill-country lunch prepared with fresh regional vegetables, curries, dhal, pickles and red rice.
The afternoon is free, with the opportunity to enjoy traditional afternoon tea at the historic Grand Hotel.
Overnight in Nuwara Eliya
09
HIGHLANDS → COAST
NUWARA ELIYA → TANGALLE
Leave the cool highlands and travel south through tea country, waterfalls, mountain landscapes and rural villages toward Sri Lanka’s southern coastline.
Check into a beachfront resort in Tangalle and spend the remainder of the day at leisure beside the Indian Ocean.
Overnight in Tangalle
10
COASTAL CUISINE
TANGALLE
Enjoy a relaxed day on Sri Lanka’s southern coast.
Discover Tangalle’s food scene, from fresh local seafood and simple coastal cooking to contemporary restaurants using Sri Lankan flavours, wood fire and spice-led cocktails.
Allow generous leisure time for the beach and resort.
Overnight in Tangalle
11
CINNAMON · WHITE TEA
TANGALLE → GALLE
Travel west along the southern coastline.
Visit a traditional cinnamon plantation and learn how world-renowned Ceylon cinnamon is cultivated and harvested.
Continue to a boutique white-tea estate to learn about its delicate hand-picking and processing methods, followed by a guided tea tasting.
Enjoy a traditional Sri Lankan biriyani before arriving in Galle.
Explore the historic streets, galleries, cafés and colonial architecture of Galle Fort before dinner overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Overnight in Galle
12
SEAFOOD · STREET FOOD
GALLE → COLOMBO
Travel north toward Colombo.
Visit a local fish market and select fresh fish, prawns, crab, squid or lobster with a local chef.
Learn how the seafood is cleaned, prepared and cooked with traditional Sri Lankan spices before enjoying the dishes you helped prepare.
Continue to Colombo.
In the evening explore Pettah Market and sample Colombo favourites such as isso wade, kottu roti, egg hoppers, short eats and king coconut.
Overnight in Colombo
13
TRANSFER
DEPARTURE
After breakfast, enjoy free time before your airport transfer.
Leave Sri Lanka with memories of the island’s culinary heritage, landscapes, hospitality and local communities.
Tour ends at Bandaranaike International Airport.