Overview in Negombo

Negombo, Sri Lanka · Day Trips, Food, History, Literature, Private Tours · USD 45

Spice garden tour in Sri Lanka from Sigiriya or Dambulla: Nalanda Gedige stone temple, a free-entry spice garden and Aluvihare Rock Temple. From US$45. Discover the green heart of the island on our private spice garden tour in Sri Lanka, an easy half day south of Dambulla. Your English-speaking driver picks you up from your hotel in Sigiriya, Dambulla or Habarana at 8:00 am and takes you to three very different places: an ancient stone temple, a working spice garden and a cave monastery. The price covers your private transport and waiting time: US$45 for 1 to 3 people in a car, or US$60 for 4 to 7 people in a van. Entry to the spice garden is free; small entrance fees are paid at the temples. Nalanda Gedige Standing alone beside a lake, Nalanda Gedige is a small stone temple built between the 8th and 10th centuries. It mixes Hindu and Buddhist styles, with carvings that look more like a temple in South India than anything else in Sri Lanka, and it sits almost exactly in the centre of the island. Spice garden tour Sri Lanka: the Matale spice garden The hills around Matale are famous for spices. In a Matale spice garden, a local gardener shows you cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla and cocoa growing, explains how each is used in cooking and Ayurvedic medicine, and offers you a cup of herbal tea. Entry is free, and buying anything from the shop is entirely up to you. Aluvihare Rock Temple Just north of Matale, the Aluvihare Rock Temple is a monastery among giant boulders where, in the 1st century BC, monks first wrote down the teachings of the Buddha on palm leaves. Explore the painted caves and climb to the top for a view over the valley. More day tours from Sigiriya and Dambulla This is one of our private day tours from Dambulla and Sigiriya. Going all the way to Kandy? Our Sigiriya to Kandy day trip stops at a spice garden too. See all day tours from Dambulla and Sigiriya → Highlights - Spice garden tour in Sri Lanka with hotel pickup at 8:00 am - See the carved stone temple of Nalanda Gedige - Free walk through a Matale spice garden with herbal tea - Visit Aluvihare Rock Temple, where the Buddhist scriptures were first written - Private air-conditioned car (1–3 people) or van (4–7 people) with an English-speaking driver - Transport from US$45 · spice garden entry free Itinerary Your driver collects you from your hotel in Sigiriya, Dambulla or Habarana at about 8:00 am. We confirm the exact time after booking. Walk around the carved stone temple by the lake and learn how it combines Hindu and Buddhist design. Take a free walk through a spice garden near Matale, see the plants up close and taste herbal tea. Explore the cave monastery where the Buddhist scriptures were first written down, and climb for the view. Drive back north to your hotel, stopping for lunch on the way if you like (not included). What’s included Included - Private air-conditioned car or van - English-speaking driver - Hotel pickup and drop-off in Sigiriya, Dambulla or Habarana - Free spice garden walk - Waiting time and fuel Not included - Nalanda Gedige and Aluvihare entrance fees - Meals and drinks - Tips for your driver (optional) FAQs Yes. Entry and the walk through the spice garden are free. There is a shop selling spices and Ayurvedic products, but buying is entirely optional. Private transport with waiting time costs US$45 for 1 to 3 people in a car or US$60 for 4 to 7 people in a van. Small entrance fees are paid at Nalanda Gedige and Aluvihare. A small stone temple from about the 8th to 10th century, built in a mix of Hindu and Buddhist styles, near the geographical centre of Sri Lanka. It is where Buddhist monks first wrote down the Pali Canon, the teachings of the Buddha, on palm leaves in the 1st century BC. About 6 hours, from 8:00 am pickup to around 2:00 pm back at your hotel. Yes. All three places are on the road from Dambulla to Kandy, so we can include them in our Sigiriya to Kandy day trip.