5 Safari Tours Worth Flying For

1.Sigiriya and Dambulla Day Trip with Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 842 reviews · 14 - 16 hours · from $53Our pick

Leave Colombo early for Dambulla’s cave temples and Sigiriya’s 1,200-step climb, with an English-speaking guide such as Chathu or Dhanesh. After lunch, choose a village outing with bullock cart and canoe ride, or an optional national park safari. Hotel pickup, water, and transport are included.

“I had an excellent time on this trip. Chathu was a great guide, providing lots of interesting background to everything we saw on the drive as well as at the sites. It was a great way to see Sigiriya from the city.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Crete: Quad Safari with Monastery, Malia Palace and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 232 reviews · 5 hours · from $93

Ride a 520cc ATV from Malia through olive groves, mountain tracks, Vrahasi village, and the 16th-century Saint George Vrahassotis Monastery. You’ll stop at an 800-year-old oak, eat Cretan food in Latsida, taste olive oil at Vasilakis Estate, and swim at Sisi beach.

“Really well organised tour with very enthusiastic, knowledgeable guides. Was a great way to break up a week of sunbathing with some sightseeing that was way more interesting than just being ferried to each place by coach! The goats were definitely a highlight, would recommend this tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Sigiriya & Dambulla Day Tour with Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 189 reviews · 1 day · from $48Best value

Set out from Colombo or Negombo before sunrise with guides such as Aadhil, Dilip, or Tuan. Visit Dambulla Cave Temple, climb Sigiriya’s 1,200 steps, then add a village lunch and 2.5-hour jeep safari. The $48 base price covers transport, but entry tickets and optional activities cost extra.

“I joined a one-day tour guided by Aadhil. Since the places were quite far and difficult to reach by public transportation, I decided to join the tour to visit the highlights efficiently. Thanks to this tour, I was able to discover far more wonderful aspects of Sri Lanka than I had expected in just one day, and I was very satisfied. Seeing elephants up close was truly breathtaking. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Sri Lanka.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Sigiriya and Dambulla Day Trip and Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 132 reviews · from $70

Travel from Colombo to Dambulla Cave Temple and Sigiriya Lion Rock in an air-conditioned vehicle with a driver-guide. Expect a 12 to 14-hour day, steep steps, separate entrance fees, and an optional elephant safari. Guides such as Chathu, Naveen, Silva, and Dhanesh are praised for helpful local stops.

“It was great tour of Sigriya. Started at 6am and we reached Dambula enroute at around 11am and visited cave temples. From there we went to Sigiriya rocks and started the climb. It took an hour. It was too crowded. Better to avoid holiday season if you want to enjoy the Sigriya.Also the sun was beating us. Carry umbrella and apply ample sun screen”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Sanjay Gandhi National Park(SGNP) + Kenheri Caves + Lion Safari + Jain Temple

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · from $69Top rated

Visit Sanjay Gandhi National Park by private air-conditioned vehicle, then explore the ancient Kanheri Caves with a guide such as Rahul or Sidhhi. The outing also includes a lion safari, Trimurti Jain Temple, bottled water, hotel pickup, and entry fees, but not lunch.

“A wonderful experience of a terrific Indian Park with experience of nature with exceptional diversity of plants and trees, wild animals - Lions and tigers in extensive habitats, with h mischievous little monkeys roaming around. very much appt tRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review