Cycle Sri Lanka

This 13-night guided cycling tour by Explore Worldwide takes the scenic route around Sri Lanka, starting on the coastal fishing town of Negombo. Pedal through forest paths and backroads to Dambulla’s rock temples, then climb the summit of Sigiriya's lion-shaped fortress for views over the central plains.

The journey continues through the Knuckles Range’s cloud forest and tea estates, including a stop at Matale Spice Gardens and a colonial-era hill station at Nuwara Eliya. Wildlife adds variety: from orphaned elephants at Udawalwe’s tented camp to the leopards of Yala National Park. The final days are quieter, cycling along the southern coast near Koggala, with time for a stroll in historic Galle.

The rides are varied in pace and terrain, including gravel tracks and some steep climbs, and there’s a day off in Kandy to take in its temple and social enterprise cafe. You finish the trip with a choice of transfers to Colombo airport, leaving plenty of options for onward plans or a longer break in the tropics.

These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.