Overview
10 day family holiday in Sri Lanka overview
This private 10 day family holiday in Sri Lanka is our most popular route for families: Sigiriya Rock and wild elephants, Kandy, a tea factory in the cool hills, the famous blue train to Ella, baby elephants at Udawalawe and three days on the south coast around Mirissa and Galle.
Every day has something for the children, and no drive is longer than about four hours. See all our family holidays to Sri Lanka to compare routes.
Your 10 day / 9 night family holiday
Rocks, trains, elephants and beaches
The Cultural Triangle, the hill country and the south coast in one easy loop.
DAY 01Overnight: Sigiriya
DAY 02Overnight: Sigiriya
DAY 03Overnight: Kandy
DAY 04Overnight: Nuwara Eliya
DAY 05Overnight: Ella
DAY 06Overnight: Ella
DAY 07Overnight: Udawalawe
DAY 08Overnight: Mirissa
DAY 09Overnight: Mirissa
DAY 10No overnight stay
Pickup and return
Start: Bandaranaike International Airport, or your hotel in Colombo or Negombo.
Finish: the airport for your flight home, or your hotel in Colombo or Negombo.
Share your flight times and the ages of your children, and we plan the first and last days around them.
Where your family will stay
Nights 1–2: Sigiriya.
Night 3: Kandy.
Night 4: Nuwara Eliya.
Nights 5–6: Ella.
Night 7: Udawalawe.
Nights 8–9: Mirissa, by the beach.
Nine nights with breakfast in family-friendly hotels, most with pools, in family rooms or connecting rooms, confirmed in your quote.
Before you book
What is the price for this 10-day family holiday?
We send a personalised quote, because the price depends on your hotels, the vehicle and the ages of your children. Your private car or van, driver and nine nights with breakfast are included; the Ella train, jeep safaris, whale watching and entrance tickets are quoted separately.
Is the Ella train good for children?
Yes, most children love it: tunnels, tea estates and waterfalls from the window. We book reserved seats where available, and your driver meets you at Ella station with the luggage.
Is the Elephant Transit Home ethical?
It is a rehabilitation centre run by the wildlife department near Udawalawe. Orphaned baby elephants are fed from a viewing platform and later released into the wild, so there is no riding or close contact.
When is the best time for this route?
December to April is best for the south coast and whale watching in Mirissa. The hill country and Sigiriya are good most of the year.
Can we change the route?
Yes. Every family holiday is private and fully customisable: add beach days, swap Udawalawe for Yala, or slow the pace for young children.
See all our family holidays to Sri Lanka, the shorter 7 day family holiday in Sri Lanka or the Sri Lanka family holiday 14 days route.
Highlights
- A 10 day family holiday in Sri Lanka with short daily drives
- Sigiriya Rock, a village tour and a Minneriya elephant safari
- Kandy, the Temple of the Tooth and a Kandyan dance show
- A tea factory visit and the blue train from Nanu Oya to Ella
- Baby elephants at the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home
- Beach days in Mirissa and a walk on Galle Fort’s ramparts
