Glimpse of Sri Lanka Bike Tour
Overview
This Sri Lanka cycle tour will take you past panoramic tea-clad mountains, forests, beaches, and national parks. A perfect Sri Lanka memorabilia, if you have only a few days to spend biking in this beautiful country.
Colombo | 17:00hrs
Colombo
casual
easy to moderate
50km or 30mi
Age: 16+
Highlights
Itinerary
Brief Itinerary
Day | Place | Hotel | Meals | Distance | Activity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DAY 1 | Negombo | Hotel J | D | ||
DAY 2 | Kandy | Viyana Boutique | B,L,D | 30km / 18mi* | cycling |
DAY 3 | Nuwara Eliya | The Rock | B,L,D | 65km / 40mi* | cycling |
DAY 4 | Nuwara Eliya | The Rock | B,L | 35km / 21mi | cycling |
DAY 5 | Ella | Lakshmis Hotel | B,L,D | 55km / 33mi* | cycling |
DAY 6 | Udawalawe National Park | Kalu’s Hideaway | B,L,D | 60km / 36mi* | cycling |
DAY 7 | Tangalle | Eva Lanka Hotel | B,L,D | 60km / 36mi* | cycling |
DAY 8 | Colombo Airport | B | 50km / 39mi* | cycling |
Accommodation - Casual Inns
Small luxury and boutique hotels that are true to their heritage and character and reflect local ethos are listed here as Casual Inns. They hold within them an unassuming charm and regional character that is an extension of the destination itself. Most of them fall under the 3-star or 4-star category with a possible mix of homestays.
We have chosen them carefully so that you are well-rested; get a drift of the local character or an enthralling view from your verandah. The above brief itinerary gives you a clickable list of hotels for your perusal.
Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Negombo
We suggest that you arrive in Sri Lanka at least one day in advance and settle in at your hotel in Negombo near the Bandaranaike International Airport to recover from your flight journey.
Our guide meets you at your hotel at 17:00hrs. We do bike fit and convene over dinner tonight.

Day 2: Kandy
Our guide meets at 8:30am at your hotel in Negombo/Colombo. After a short transfer, get ready for the day’s cycling. An easy-paced ride takes us through the rural hamlets of Sri Lanka and we finally arrive in Kandy.
Perched amongst the tea-clad hills of the Kandy Plateau, this is home to one of the most significant sites for Buddhists: the Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic. We arrive at a luxurious boutique hotel, Kings Pavilion through country roads. An erstwhile abode to Kandyan noblemen, the hotel has enough cozy spaces to settle in with a book, or go for a spa treatment, or just indulge in the great food. For all the cycling that is planned for you, there is enough time to enjoy Sri Lankan hospitality.

Day 3: Nuwara Eliya
Today is the most spectacular ride past tea plantations to Sri Lanka’s old British tea valley, Nuwara Eliya. With gradual climbs and few steep hills to conquer, it is a beautiful journey that takes us to the hill country of Sri Lanka with a climb of about 1,400m. Biking may be hard sometimes and the only thing that will keep you going is picturesque scenery, reservoirs, waterfalls, and panoramic views of beautiful mountain ranges.

Day 4: Nuwara Eliya
It’s a classic loop today around Nuwara past tea plantations and waterfalls. Clumpy green hills covered in a moss like carpet of bright tea shrubs, keep us company through the ride. Nuwara is known as the hilly respite from the plains of Colombo, so expect clean crisp cool air to refresh you completely.
On our ride, we encounter tea pickers, undulating hills, small villages, and small shops on the corners of the roads. Feel free to strike up a conversation. You will be delighted at the eagerness and warmth of Sri Lankans, to make guests feel at home.
In the evening, enjoy a stroll in the town.

Day 5: Ella
Today we explore Horton Plains. After an early breakfast, we transfer to Horton plains for a walk till Worlds end.
Horton Plains is one of Sri Lanka’s better-known National Parks – a vast stretch of grasslands and thick forests known for its avian life and thickly green vegetation. This is the only national park in the country that you can explore on foot, although on designated trails. It’s here that the country’s three major rivers initiate, making it one of the most fertile lands on this soil. World’s End is a dramatic scenic viewing point in the park, which can be reached by a 4km-walking trail.
We have lunch and a further ride towards our destination, Ella. Riding from Nuwara, we pass through grasslands, forests, dairy farms, windmills to reach Ella. Standing at an elevation of 1,041m, Ella is a little off-beat town when compared to Nuwara Eliya with views of green mountains around.

Day 6: Udawalawe National Park
Ella is an excellent place for a walk and short hike. We recommend to take an early morning hike to the nearby areas such as Little Adam’s Peak or Rawana Falls.
Have a late morning start and ride to Udawalawe National Park along gravel roads, through forests with grasslands, shrubs, and teak plantations of Sri Lanka. Be careful while riding through an initial descend as we drop from about 900m to 80m within a short distance. After a long patch of flat terrain, finally enter the Udawalawe National Park, home to hundreds of Sri Lankan Elephants and other wild animals.
A true jungle experience with well-planned safaris and knowledgeable staff, the national park helps you assimilate the wildlife at close quarters.

Day 7: Tangalle
Go on an early morning safari in Udawalawe in search of Elephant herds. And, then off to Tangalle, following one of the irrigation canals flowing towards the south. Time for an infusion of something different in the topography – bananas! The crisp air of the countryside and the rural setting is perfect to understand and enjoy the interiors of the country. As we close into Tangalle, that’s when the warm clammy seaside air hits you, sometimes heavy with the weight of the smell of fish. If we stick to timing, there will be no better way to spend the evening than to see the sun descending into the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Sri Lanka.

Day 8: Colombo Airport
Ride to Galle through coastal and interior trails. Post-lunch, explore Galle Fort on foot. Erstwhile Gimhathiththa, the town is rife with Dutch and Portuguese architectural remnants, museums, cathedrals, and a beautiful coastline to enjoy the sunny beaches.
Extend at Galle/Tangalle and spend the days at leisure or transport to the Colombo International Airport for your onward journey.
Map
Dates and Prices
Note:
Our base pricing is in USD. However, we can also quote in AUD, GBP, CAD, and EUR, and you can pay in the same. Please write us.
Single Supplement
From US $375
E-Bike Upgrade
From US $180
Couldn't find a trip with convenient dates?
Open your date as a join-in tour or customize further as private one.
We offer private departures on almost all our itineraries, and for groups of four or more, they cost the same as our standard trips!
Essential Info
Inclusions
LODGING
All hotels as mentioned in the tour details or similar (subject to availability).
trip leader
Expert Trip Leader(s) who look after your every need and add meaning to your vacation.
bike
Immaculately maintained bike with helmet, suited to a terrain.
shuttle
A Van support that follows the group of riders and carries all belongings.
meals
Meals as per itinerary. Guests are given the opportunity to dine on their own so that they discover a location independently.
refreshments
Refreshments and mineral water while cycling.
entrance
Entrance fees to most of the monuments and temples.
E-bikes
E-bikes are available on this trip at a surcharge. Please send a note to your tour consultant to book one.
Weather
With a tropical climate, Sri Lanka has two cycles of monsoon which bring rain to the west and south-west coastal lines from May to September, and between October and February, it rains in northern regions and east coastline. Although the rains are generally short, with occasional heavy downpours.
Leaving out the monsoon season, the remaining months receive plenty of sunshine and are mostly dry. Temperatures remain fairly consistent year-round, with coastal regions averaging from 25 to 32°C and the mountain regions from 15 to 20°C. Sri Lanka is humid as well with relative humidity ranging between 60% & 90%.
Predominantly, Sri Lanka is almost a year-round cycling destination and our bike tours run around the year.
Visa
Most travelers require a visa to visit Sri Lanka. The process for acquiring one is relatively straightforward. For trips to Sri Lanka of up to 30 days, visas, also known as ETAs (Electronic Travel Authorization), can be obtained from the government’s Department of Immigration and Emigration website. The Electronic Travel Authorization System is available online or at the port of entry. Visitors are strongly urged to use the online system to avoid lengthy delays at the port of entry.
Exclusions
Airport pickup and drop
We recommend to book direclty from airport or hotel.
meals
Some meals may not be included. Please check your itinerary.
Beverages
Beverages such as alcohol, tea, coffee, juice at a hotel or restaurant.
Reviews from our friends
Rosemary Marchant from AU
5.0Loved my bicycle tour of Sri Lanka
Loved my bicycle tour of Sri Lanka. Friendly and knowledgeable guides who went above and beyond to assist us. Accommodation and meals were an authentic Sri Lankan experience.
Carolyn Vernita Currie from CA
5.0A wonderful trip
A wonderful trip, caring guides, great variety of hotels, flexible as to our wishes and very up to date bikes.
End of reviews