Top Sri Lanka 3-Day Tour: Sigiriya, Kandy & Nuwara Eliya

Amazing day trip from Kandy to Sigiriya and Dambulla

I made a fantastic day trip to Sigiriya and Dambulla from Kandy. My driver Mohamed Irfan took always a lot of care of me, drove well and safely and even explained many things about Sri Lanka and the people. Car was good and the tour was flexible to enjoy the cultural sites in Sigiriya and Dambulla with plenty time. The places are amazing! I highly recommend Aaliya Tours and my thanks go to my driver Mohamed!

via Tripadvisor

Amazing Trip

We want to extend our sincerest thanks to Aaliya Tours for an absolutely fantastic program. Their commitment and kindness were truly remarkable, and their professional team consistently kept us updated with valuable information. Our tour was made even more wonderful by our incredible guide, Mr. Mohammed Ilham, and our fantastic driver. Both were incredibly cool, knowledgeable, helpful, and committed to making our trip enjoyable. We also greatly appreciate Mr. Raaid in the back office, who went above and beyond to ensure we arrived home safely. We wholeheartedly recommend Aaliya Tours for anyone planning future travel.

Response from the operator: Dear Abdullah, Thank you very much for your heartfelt and wonderful feedback! We’re truly honored to have been part of your journey and thrilled that our team—especially Mr. Mohammed Ilham, your driver, and Mr. Raaid—could make your trip safe, enjoyable, and memorable. Your kind words about our commitment and communication mean a lot to us. We take great pride in providing professional and caring service, and your recommendation truly encourages us to keep doing our best. We look forward to welcoming you back for another amazing adventure with Aaliya Tours! 🌟🙏🇱🇰 Best regards, Zameek

via Tripadvisor

Feedback on the 3-day round trip with Aaliya Tours

Feedback on the 3-day round trip with Aaliya Tours We booked a three-day round trip through the agency Aaliya Tours, which included our own vehicle with driver and tickets to various attractions. First day: Our driver Shamin picked us up from our hotel in Kandy on time. On the way to Nuwara Eliya, we made several exciting stops – including a tea factory ("Ceylon Tea Factory"), the impressive Ramboda Waterfall, the charming town of Nuwara Eliya and Gregory Lake. In the evening Shamin brought us safely and relaxed back to Kandy. Second day: The next morning we continued to Dambulla, where we visited the fascinating cave temples. Afterwards we drove to Sigiriya and climbed Pidurangala Rock from which we could enjoy a breathtaking view of the countryside. In the afternoon, a jeep safari at Hurulu Eco Park was on the agenda. We were lucky enough to see many elephants and numerous bird species and witnessed a beautiful sunset in the middle of the jungle. In the evening Shamin took us to our hotel in Sigiriya. Third day: Early in the morning we started with a traditional village tour in a village near Sigiriya. After crossing a lake with a typical wooden boat we were warmly welcomed by the villagers. They showed us their daily lives, prepared a traditional meal for us, and we were allowed to lend a hand ourselves – for example, rubbing a coconut. Afterwards we continued to Polonnaruwa, where we explored the impressive, over a thousand year old temple complexes. At the end of our tour Shamin took us to Passikudah where we said goodbye to him and spent a few more relaxing days on the beach. Review of the agency Aaliya Tours: The organization was excellent from start to finish. Communication was fast, friendly and reliable – both before our trip and during our stay. Our wishes were always taken into account, for which we would like to thank you very much. Rating of our driver Shamin: Shamin was a fantastic companion: friendly, helpful, humorous and always looking after our well-being. He explained a lot about the country and people, drove very safely and made us feel in good hands at all times. We especially appreciated that he never drove easily, but always made sure we were safely checked into the hotel and everything was right. Thank you for this great care! Experience with local people: The people we met during our trip were all warm, respectful and authentic. Their kindness and openness have made our trip truly special. A small criticism: In some places, we felt that there was some pressure to expect in terms of tips. Sometimes it seemed that some service providers were not satisfied with the tip they received. Our impression was that many of them rely heavily on tips. We found that a bit of a shame, as we had paid a flat rate that we thought should have ensured fair remuneration for all involved. Tipping should remain a voluntary appreciation and not be the main source of income. In future, our proposal would be to ensure that the people involved are paid fairly, so that guests do not feel obliged to give additional large amounts.

Response from the operator: Lieber Träumerin, herzlichen Dank für Ihre wunderbare und ausführliche Rückmeldung zu Ihrer 3-tägigen Rundreise mit Aaliya Tours! Es freut uns sehr, dass Sie eine erlebnisreiche und gut organisierte Reise genießen konnten – und dass unser Fahrer Shamin Sie sicher, freundlich und aufmerksam begleitet hat. Ihr Lob ist für unser gesamtes Team eine große Motivation. Auch Ihre ehrlichen Worte zum Thema Trinkgeld wissen wir sehr zu schätzen. Wir möchten an dieser Stelle klarstellen: Trinkgeld ist in Sri Lanka – wie in vielen Teilen der Welt – eine freiwillige Geste der Wertschätzung. In einigen Orten oder Aktivitäten, die von externen Anbietern durchgeführt werden, kann es jedoch vorkommen, dass gewisse Erwartungen bestehen. Leider haben wir als Reiseagentur auf dieses Verhalten keinen direkten Einfluss, da es sich oft um lokale Gepflogenheiten handelt. Dennoch ist Trinkgeld nicht verpflichtend. Wir bemühen uns stets, im Vorfeld transparent über alle inkludierten Leistungen und etwaige Zusatzkosten zu informieren, und nehmen Ihr Feedback zum Anlass, hier künftig noch klarer zu kommunizieren. Gleichzeitig setzen wir uns dafür ein, dass alle unsere Partner fair entlohnt werden. Nochmals vielen Dank, dass Sie Ihre Reise mit uns geteilt haben. Wir hoffen sehr, Sie eines Tages wieder als Gast begrüßen zu dürfen! Mit herzlichen Grüßen, Zameek

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Wonderful Customized Sri Lanka Tour with Aaliya Tours

We booked a personalized 3-day trip with Aaliya Tours, covering Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Minneriya, and Polonnaruwa, with our driver and guide, Shamin. In short: it was a wonderful experience! The tour was tailored to our wishes and planned effortlessly in advance together with Aaliya Tours. It was important to me to have a clear itinerary and all costs agreed upon beforehand — and the agency delivered exactly that. Communication was smooth and professional from the beginning. Our driver Shamin picked us up directly from our hotel and was extremely friendly and welcoming. He drove very safely — something I appreciated even more given the differences in traffic between Sri Lanka and Germany! Throughout the journey, Shamin was attentive and flexible, stopping whenever there were beautiful viewpoints, local highlights, or unique experiences like a visit to a herbal garden or a fresh coconut stand. I particularly want to highlight how smoothly the agency handled spontaneous changes: for example, due to weather conditions, we decided at short notice to switch our safari from Minneriya to Hurulu Eco Park, where the elephants had migrated. This change was arranged quickly and without any hassle. Overall, we had a fantastic time and I would highly recommend booking your trip with Aaliya Tours. Our personal highlights were: -The drive to Nuwara Eliya, visiting a tea plantation, waterfalls, and Lake Gregory -Dambulla Cave Temple -Climbing Pidurangala Rock (an absolute must!) -Exploring the ancient city of Polonnaruwa One important note: If there’s one thing I would change for future trips, it would be to skip the village tour. Unfortunately, despite being quite expensive, the experience was disappointing. At every stop, the locals expected high tips and made it clear they were dissatisfied with the amounts we gave. This left us feeling uncomfortable and gave the impression that the focus was more on earning quick money than sharing their culture. I would strongly advise against booking this particular tour.

Response from the operator: Dear Robert, Thank you so much for your detailed and thoughtful review! We’re truly delighted to hear that you had a wonderful time exploring Sri Lanka with Aaliya Tours and that Shamin made your journey smooth, safe, and memorable. It’s always our goal to provide flexible and personalized service, and we’re glad we could accommodate your preferences, including the safari change due to the weather. We also appreciate your honest feedback about the village tour. We sincerely regret that it didn’t meet your expectations. While tipping is a common cultural practice in many parts of the world — including Sri Lanka — we understand how uncomfortable it can feel when it’s expected rather than appreciated. Please note that while tipping is entirely optional, in certain activities managed by third-party providers, there may be instances where locals anticipate tips. These are not imposed by Aaliya Tours, and we always strive to inform guests in advance wherever possible. That said, your feedback is invaluable, and we will take it into account when recommending future experiences to our guests. Thank you once again for choosing Aaliya Tours — and for highlighting so many special moments from your trip. We hope to welcome you back again soon! Warm regards, Zameek

via Tripadvisor

book your perfect trip

It was great experience and convenient way of traveling in Sri Lanka. Irfan was a great driver and tour guide I highly recommend booking trip with him. Zameek the owner is very responsive and helpful. It is super safe to book a trip in here! Sri Lanka is beautiful country but it is better to know what to see and how to see it! Do not hesitate just book your trip! :)

Response from the operator: Dear 21kasiak, Thank you for your kind words. We are delighted to hear that you had a wonderful experience with Aaliya tours We appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you again soon. Please let us know if you need any assistance with your future travel plans. We are here to help you make the most of your trips. Best wishes, Zameek

via Tripadvisor