11 Nights 12 Days Sri Lanka Bike Tour 12 Days & 11 Nights

The city of Negombo welcomes you!

Your trip starts with your arrival in Negombo, from here you will be transferred to your hotel. After the check-in, you will be briefed about your trip, enjoy the delicious welcome dinner, rest, and spend the day at leisure.

The bike adventure starts

After breakfast and final adjustments to your bikes, we start riding out from the hotel heading inland along minor roads towards the north of the island at a relaxed pace, allowing you to fine-tune the fit of the bikes. The area is known as Little Rome due to the large number of Catholic churches, and soon the scenery gives way to paddy fields and coconut plantations. We'll take a break at a tea shop to regroup, snack, and top up our water. The next section on wending flat village roads is a joy to cycle along experiencing rural Sri Lanka that most tourists seldom see, the simplicity of everyday life and friendly smiles are the highlights of this ride. We end the ride after 75km and jump in the bus for a 5.30hr transfer to Jaffna stopping for lunch on route and again to stretch our legs at Killinochi, the former headquarters of the LTTE or Tamil Tigers. Once at the hotel, you are free to relax as we stay here for the next 2 nights meeting later for dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Explore the wonders of Jaffna

After a scrumptious breakfast at the hotel, we ride through Jaffna town with its lively markets and small fishing port, passing the old Star Fort built by the Portuguese in 1618 to defend the Peninsula. Crossing the causeway to Kyats Island, we head north along a straight road – ride as fast or as slow as you like. There are plenty of colorful water birds to see or photograph painted storks, and red-wattled lapwings to name a few. Regrouping at the ferry, we cross to Karaingar Island, continuing north to Casuarina Beach at the northern tip of the island, we dip our rear tires and maybe ourselves in the Indian Ocean, a symbolic start to our journey south to the southern-most point of Sri Lanka. After a brief swim and a snack stop, we loop back to the mainland, riding on a mixture of good roads and one bumpy one back to Jaffna, arriving for a late lunch at one of the local restaurants. The afternoon is free to explore the town, meeting at 5 pm to visit Ballur Kovil, a magnificent Hindu temple for the evening Pooja. A short walk away is Mangoes Restaurant for a tasty Masala Dosai, a crispy rice flour pancake with a spicy filling. Other authentic Tamil dishes are available as well.

The city of Mannar welcomes you!

Riding out from the hotel we turn south to Ponneryn, a causeway crossing the Jaffna lagoon famous for its tasty lagoon prawns, the local fishing traps make excellent photos. The road sees little or no traffic now but saw some major battles during the conflict era and the thick jungle hiding the scars of war is gradually being resettled. We stop every 30km or so to top up water and regroup, ending the ride at 100km for our picnic lunch stop. From here it's another 20km to Mannar town along a raised causeway through the surrounding flood plains, (the causeway is not such a smooth road), but gives us a glimpse of the gulf of Mannar. The coastal waters around here are inhabited by rare sea mammals called Dugongs, once thought to be mermaids, they can sometimes be seen in the shallow waters around the bay. We end the ride at the huge Baobab tree, more than 700 years old, which was brought here by Arabian traders. The massive trunk is 19.5 m in circumference, and its thick grey bark gives it the nickname elephant tree. There's not much else to see on the island except for lots of white sand and palm trees, gulls and terns, wild donkeys, little lanes, and fishing boats. We transfer 15km to the resort, a small hotel with large verandas, in a natural setting mid-way along the island. You can enjoy a post-ride beer and swim in the Indian Ocean as we stay close to the sea.

Enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Anuradhapura

After a quick transfer back to our bikes and re-crossing the causeway, we head back to the mainland, riding inland through an area known as the Giants Tank, a large inland lake built by King Dhatusena (459-477) and now part of a wetland habitat reserve. Lunch is a roadside stop at a small local restaurant, or better still, a picnic lunch eaten by a small but picturesque lake. Refueled, we continue riding the last 25km to Anuradhapura, the oldest ancient city in Sri Lanka. Dating from the 4th century BC, Anuradhapura was the capital of the Sinhalese Kingdom until the beginning of the 11th century AD and has some of the oldest and largest Buddhist monuments in Asia. During this period, it remained one of the most stable and durable centers of political power and urban life in South Asia. We visit the sacred Bodhi tree just after sunset when the pilgrims light “pahannas,” little clay lamps, and incense sticks, giving it a heady atmosphere. For dinner, we visit the bus stand area for some street food: Kottu Rottie served with spicy gravy.

Enjoy a full day of sightseeing

This morning we'll start with a relaxed ride through the ancient city region, dotted with temples and stupas along the Old Kings Route. The scenic ride uses quiet village roads to the first drink stop. We then ride a short section of the main road before turning off towards Ritigala, a strict nature reserve. Legend has it the rocky outcrop is part of the Himalayas dropped by the monkey god Hanuman. When requested to bring a magic herb to heal his master he forgot the name and brought the whole mountain. Back on quiet roads, the area is part of the Elephant Corridor, linking the eastern parks to the Northwest. The jungle-lined roads bring us to Sigiriya, ending the ride at our hotel where we'll have lunch. In the late afternoon, we'll climb up Sigiriya Rock, a 5th Century Citadel built by King Kashyapa (477-495 AD). The rock fortress is approached through the royal gardens, and then a natural boulder entrance before ascending 220 m to the Lions Paws entrance. The ruins of the palace on the summit are only surpassed by the magnificent views of the surrounding countryside.

Enjoy a full day of sightseeing

We cycle on quiet country roads directly from the hotel past Kandalama Lake to Dambulla. Dating from the 2nd century BC, it is the largest cave temple complex in Sri Lanka, adorned with thousands of frescos depicting the life of Buddha. Take a quick visit to the cave temple as we load up the bikes to avoid a particularly busy and bumpy stretch of road and transfer 45 minutes to the foothills of the central province. After a quick snack, it's onto the bikes, riding on scenic roads for 45 kilometers through the spice-growing region of Sri Lanka. It's a long, gradual rise before the main climb, a steep 500-meter ascent, up through the Keppitigala Pass. The rewards are magnificent views and a free day in Kandy, where we'll transfer the last 10 kilometers to avoid busy city roads. Arriving at the hotel for lunch, the rest of the day is free to relax and explore the town.

Enjoy a full day of sightseeing

A rest day in picturesque Kandy -- an important Sinhalese religious center and a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. Explore the town center's old shops, antique and gem specialists, or the bustling market. A must-do is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Lunch and dinner are on your own tonight as there are many cuisines to choose from.

Explore the picturesque surroundings

The route will be hillier from here on out, so the distances are smaller, but the legs will still be challenged. Today, we ride through the heart of tea country with plenty of photographic opportunities almost at every bend. We then follow the Mahaweli River, and after 30 km, it's another ascent up to Hatton, one of the country's early tea plantation districts. We stayed overnight on the edge of Castlereigh Reservoir.

Enjoy a full day of sightseeing

We start off with more climbing, with a few rough sections of tarmac, up through the tea estates passing by Adam's Peak, the holy mountain of Sri Lanka, to a remote pass that is part of a wilderness forest reserve. While this area is home to the shy purple-faced langur, you are likelier to hear it than see it. We then begin our long descent down one of the most beautiful (also bumpy) roads in Sri Lanka stopping at a lookout point with fine views across the southern part of the island and if it is clear, maybe even a glimpse of the sea. Continuing on back roads we reach our lunch stop, a local restaurant for tasty rice and curry. We stay on good roads as we wind our way out of the hill country with a couple of water stops before reaching our hotel close to Uda Walawe National Park.

Enjoy a full day of sightseeing

For early risers, there is an option of an early morning safari in Uda Walawe Park, known for its herds of elephants and crocodiles and a plethora of bird life. Late in the morning, we set off to complete our journey along good roads with vast expanses of green paddy fields on each side.

The simplicity of rural life is showcased as we cycle towards Dondra Lighthouse, the most southerly point of the island. With a ceremonial dip in the Indian Ocean with our front tires, we conclude our road ride from north to south. We transfer along the busy coastal road to our finishing point near Galle and have a celebratory dinner for our accomplishment.

Bid adieu to an adventurous trip

We can drop you off at a Colombo hotel or help you to extend your stay in Sri Lanka.