Sri Lanka Classic Route — 7-Day Self-Launched Version (Sigiriya, Kandy, Ella, Udawalawe)

Land at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) and either take the airport shuttle bus into Colombo Fort (LKR 250, ~£0.70) or head straight north. The cheapest onward move is the Sri Lanka Railways train from Colombo Fort to Habarana (2nd class, ~LKR 300–400, ~£1–1.50, roughly 4.5 hrs) — book on arrival at the station or via the Sri Lanka Railways site. From Habarana take a tuk-tuk (~LKR 1,000–1,500, ~£3–4) or a local bus to Sigiriya village. Dump your bags at a guesthouse or hostel in Sigiriya/Habarana (many have pools and rice-paddy views for £12–18/night). Late afternoon, climb Sigiriya Rock Fortress (foreigner ticket USD 30, ~£24 — buy at the gate) and do the frescoes, mirror wall and Lion Paws at sunset when it's cooler and quieter. Dinner at a local kade or your guesthouse (~£5–8). If you'd rather not DIY the first day, Gatwick-style airport-to-Sigiriya shared transfers can be pre-booked on Klook for ~£12–15.

🚌Airport shuttle + Sri Lanka Railways train to Habarana (LKR 300–400, ~£1–1.50) then tuk-tuk (~£3–4). Klook shared transfer alternative ~£12–15.

🛏Sigiriya/Habarana guesthouse or hostel — fan or A/C double ~£12–18/night

• →Sigiriya Rock Fortress (USD 30 ticket, climb at sunset)
• →Colombo Fort–Habarana train or Klook shared transfer
• →Dambulla Cave Temple (optional, if time allows, USD 10)

Take the local bus or a tuk-tuk from Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa (~1 hr, LKR 100–150 bus or ~£6 tuk-tuk). Enter the Polonnaruwa Archaeological Park on a combined ticket (USD 25, ~£20 — covers the whole site). The standard DIY move is to hire a bicycle at the entrance (LKR 500–800, ~£1.50–2.50) or a tuk-tuk circuit driver for the day (~£10) and pedal between the Royal Palace, the Quadrangle, Vatadage, Rankoth Vehera stupa, and the Gal Vihara reclining Buddhas. It's flat, shaded in places, and genuinely one of the best-value historic sites in Asia. Overnight back in Polonnaruwa or push on toward Dambulla/Sigiriya. Eat where locals eat: rice-and-curry lunch packets ~£1.50–2.50.

🚌Local bus Sigiriya–Polonnaruwa (~£0.35) or tuk-tuk ~£6

🛏Polonnaruwa or Dambulla guesthouse ~£12–16/night

• →Polonnaruwa Archaeological Park (USD 25 combined ticket)
• →Bicycle or tuk-tuk hire to explore the ruins
• →Gal Vihara reclining Buddha statues

Travel to Kandy. The straightforward route is a bus or train via Dambulla/Matale (bus ~4 hrs, LKR 200–350, ~£0.70–1.20; a reserved-seat intercity AC bus via a booking app is ~£3–4). Kandy is the cultural heart of the hill country, and the must-do is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (foreigner entry LKR 2,000, ~£5). Visit in the late afternoon or around the evening puja ceremony (roughly 6:30pm) when drummers and crowds make it far more atmospheric. Wander the lake, the Kandy market, and the colourful lanes around the temple. If you want context, an audio guide or a Klook half-day Kandy walking tour (~£15) adds depth without a big group. Overnight in a Kandy guesthouse or hostel near the lake (£10–16).

🚌Intercity bus Dambulla/Sigiriya–Kandy (~£0.70–1.20) or AC bus ~£3–4

🛏Kandy guesthouse/hostel ~£10–16/night

• →Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (LKR 2,000, evening puja)
• →Kandy Lake and central market walk
• →Optional Klook/GetYourGuide Kandy half-day guided walk ~£15

Take the train or bus from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya (via Nanuoya, the station nearest town). The Kandy–Nanuoya leg is itself scenic and can be done on the unreserved hill-country line (2nd class ~LKR 200–300, ~£0.70–1.10). If you're saving the headline scenic ride for Day 5, do this leg by bus (Kandy–Nuwara Eliya ~3 hrs, ~LKR 250, ~£0.85). Nuwara Eliya sits at ~1,900m — cool, green and very British-colonial in feel. Visit a working tea estate and factory (Mackwoods/Damro factory tour ~LKR 500–1,000, ~£1.50–3), stroll Victoria Park, and see the old golf course area. Good place to splash a bit: a comfortable hill guesthouse with a fireplace runs £15–22. Bonus: Nuwara Eliya morning is the launch point for the optional Horton Plains/World's End hike (~£25–35 with park fees and transport).

🚌Train or bus Kandy–Nuwara Eliya/Nanuoya (~£0.70–1.10), local tuk-tuks ~£1–3

🛏Nuwara Eliya hill guesthouse/hostel ~£15–22/night

• →Kandy–Nuwara Eliya train/bus through tea country
• →Tea factory and plantation tour ~£1.50–3
• →Victoria Park and colonial-era Nuwara Eliya walk
• →Optional Horton Plains / World's End hike ~£25–35

This is the day the private-tour version keeps as its centrepiece, and you can do it for pennies: ride the Nanuoya (Nuwara Eliya)–Ella train, one of the world's great rail journeys. Unreserved 2nd class is ~LKR 200–300 (~£0.70–1.10); if you want a reserved seat or a 1st-class observation car, book ahead — they sell out days in advance, so book via the Sri Lanka Railways site or at Nanuoya station the moment you arrive in the hills. The ~7-hour ride rolls over the Demodara loop and countless tea-clad ridges. Arrive Ella, dump bags in a guesthouse (£10–18), then hike Ella Rock (~4–5 hrs return, free) or the easier Little Adam's Peak (~2 hrs, free) for the classic valley views. Evening: chill cafés and bars in Ella's tiny main street.

🚌Train Nanuoya–Ella ~£0.70–1.10 (reserved ~£2–4)

🛏Ella guesthouse/hostel ~£10–18/night

• →Nanuoya–Ella scenic train (unreserved ~£0.70–1.10)
• →Ella Rock hike (free, 4–5 hrs)
• →Little Adam's Peak and Nine Arches Bridge walk (free)

Travel south from Ella to Udawalawe (~3–4 hrs). The cheapest option is a bus combo via Wellawaya (LKR 150–250, ~£0.50–0.85); a more comfortable shared taxi or van transfer books for ~£8–12 per person via Klook or your guesthouse. Once there, join an afternoon or next-morning safari in Udawalawe National Park — a half-day shared jeep safari (4WD, guide, park entry) costs roughly USD 45–60 pp (~£35–48) on GetYourGuide/Klook or direct with a local operator, or ~£25–35 pp if you arrange the jeep and park fee separately and split the vehicle. Udawalawe is famous for its elephant population (and the Elephant Transit Home, entry ~LKR 1,000, ~£2.50). Stay in a Udawalawe guesthouse/safari lodge (£12–20) and eat at the small roadside restaurants (~£4–6).

🚌Bus via Wellawaya ~£0.50–0.85 or shared van ~£8–12

🛏Udawalawe guesthouse/lodge ~£12–20/night

• →Udawalawe National Park shared jeep safari ~£35–48 pp
• →Elephant Transit Home visit ~£2.50
• →Optional local village walk

Return to Colombo for your onward flight, or — matching the operator's coastal finish — detour to Mirissa first. Colombo-bound: bus to Matara then the expressway bus, or a direct bus/van to Colombo Fort (~4–5 hrs, LKR 400–800, ~£1.30–2.70), then the airport shuttle/tuk-tuk. With a spare day, go instead to Mirissa (~2 hrs from Udawalawe, ~£1–2 by bus): surf, whale-watching (season Nov–Apr, tours ~£25–40 on Klook), beach bars and seafood. The original tour calls Mirissa an optional extra on the final day — in the self-launched version it's a cheap and worthwhile add-on if you can stretch to 8 days. End at Colombo Fort for a last wander before departure.

🚌Bus Udawalawe/Mirissa–Colombo ~£1.30–2.70 plus airport shuttle ~£0.70

🛏Colombo hostel/guesthouse ~£12–20 (or stay on in Mirissa ~£15–22)

• →Colombo Fort walk and marketplace
• →Optional Mirissa Beach, surfing and beach bars
• →Optional whale-watching tour ~£25–40