Sri Lanka 2026 – Full Tour Without International Flights

• Day 1 – Tuesday 20 January – Arrive Colombo

Make your own way to your hotel where you will check in for a 9-night stay on a Bed and Breakfast basis. You will be greeted by your Barmy Army Tour Manager and meet your fellow Travel Members. 

Colombo, Sri Lanka’s vibrant capital, seamlessly blends modernity with rich history. The bustling city offers diverse attractions, from colonial-era architecture and bustling markets to serene temples and scenic waterfronts.

This evening you’ll meet your Barmy Army Tour Manager and the rest of your group for a warm welcome to Sri Lanka over a cool beer (soft drinks also provided).

• Day 2 – Wednesday  21 January – Day at leisure with Colombo City Tour (included excursion)

After breakfast, you and your fellow Barmy Army Travel Members will experience the Colombo City Tour, which is included in your tour package. Your experienced guide will show you the highlights of Colombo allowing you to plan what places you might want to return to visit later in the tour.. 

During the city tour you’ll stop at some of the top tourist attractions in Colombo such as the Colombo National Museum, Gangaramaya Temple, Wolvendaal Church, Independence Square along with seeing the Old Parliament building, Galle Face Green and drive through the busy Colombo bazaars. 

• Day 3 – Thursday 22 January – 1^st ODI

It’s the first match of England’s ODI Series against Sri Lanka. You’ll feel the buzz at breakfast before taking your transfer to R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium for a thrilling day of whiteball cricket. 

Take your place in the stands ready to sing out loud the first Jerusalem of the Series and to experience the vibrant atmosphere inside the stadium.

At the end of the day’s play you’ll take the transfer back to your hotel.

• Day 4 – Friday 23 January – Day at leisure

After the excitement of the cricket you can spend the day at leisure, either relaxing by your hotel pool, or exploring Colombo in more depth. 

Why not visit the Lotus Tower? This is the tallest self-supported structure in South Asia and the tallest skyscraper in the country. The observation deck on the 29th floor offers incredible views across Colombo’s city. 

• Day 5 – Saturday 24 January – 2^nd ODI

The second ODI of the series is here, the excitement will be building with your fellow Travel Members as you take your transfer to R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. 

At the end of the day’s play you’ll take the transfer back to your hotel. 

• Day 6 and 7 – Sunday 25 and Monday 26 January – Days at leisure

After the excitement of the 2nd ODI there’s a two day break for you to relax and unwind or explore more of what Colombo has to offer. 

The Dutch Hospital is the perfect spot for some lunch or if you prefer seafood take a visit to Kumar Sangakara’s ‘The Ministry of Crab’. 

A visit to Colombo is not complete without heading to the Galle Face Hotel for ‘sundowners’ as the bagpipes are played to the lowering of the Sri Lankan flag. 

• Day 8 – Tuesday 27 January – 3^rd ODI

The final ODI of the Series is here. Enjoy your breakfast before making your way on the transfer to R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. Head straight into the stands ready to sing Jerusalem for the 3rd ODI in the series. 

At the end of the day’s play you’ll take the transfer back to your hotel.

• Day 9 – Wednesday 28 January – Day at leisure with optional visit to Galle & Sea Turtle Hatchery

Following the conclusion of the ODI series, you have a day of leisure – with the option to add an exclusive Barmy Army tour to Galle including a visit to the Sea Turtle Hatchery (at a cost of £35 per person).

The Sea Turtle Hatchery in Habaraduwa is a conservation center dedicated to protecting endangered sea turtles.

Established to rescue eggs from beaches, it nurtures hatchlings before releasing them into the ocean, offering visitors an educational experience on turtle conservation efforts.

After a visit to the hatchery, relax and enjoy a river boat safari along the Madu Ganga, which dances around the coastline forming a complicated network of lagoons and off-shoots.

Finally, it’s time to head to Galle Dutch Fort – which needs little introduction to Barmy Army Members! The Galle Dutch Fort was built on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka in 1588 at the Bay of Galle. In 1988, under the name of the Old City of Galle and its Fort, the Galle Dutch Fort was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and is one of, if not the, iconic places of International Cricket. 

• Day 10 – Thursday 29 January – Travel to Kandy

After a relaxed breakfast the tour continues on to Kandy, the hill capital of Sri Lanka and the last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings against the British Empire, the city sits in the hills and mountains. 

En-route to Kandy the group will stop to visit some spice gardens and learn about the spices that Sri Lanka has been famous for since medieval times, considered as one of the main reasons for the Europeans to conquer the Island and for the Arabs to trade upon from the 14th century onwards.

You’ll arrive into Kandy at your hotel for a 6 night stay on a bed and breakfast basis.

• 11 – Friday 30 January – 1^st T20 

It’s T20 time! Spend your day at leisure before meeting up with your tour group as you take your transfer to the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium for the 1st T20 of the series. 

Head into the stands ready to sing Jerusalem and experience the vibrant atmosphere. 

At the end of play you’ll take the transfer back to your hotel. 

• Day 12 – Saturday 31 January – Day at leisure with optional visit to  Sigiriya Rock Fortress  

With a day at leisure, make the most of your time in Kandy by booking an exclusive Barmy Army tour to visit  Sigiriya Rock Fortress (a UNESCO World Heritage site) (at a cost of £55 per person).

The tour will depart in the morning to travel to Dambulla with a stop at a local restaurant before venturing to climb to the top of the rock fortress. Sigiriya is a magnificent rock fortress built in the 5th century A.D. Sigiriya is, in fact, the best-preserved city centre in Asia from the first millennium and has been named as a world heritage site. 

After climbing to the top of the rock and admiring the views, the tour will head back to Kandy for a well-earned rest. There’ll be a stop at a local restaurant for lunch before arriving back in Kandy in the early evening.

• Day 13 – Sunday 01 February – 2^nd T20 &  Kandy City Tour  (included excursion)

Today, the group will experience a tour of Kandy City, the capital of the last independent kingdom of Kandyan, with a visit to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, located in the royal palace complex of the former kingdom, the temple houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. 

In the afternoon meet up with the tour group for the transfer to Pallekele International Cricket Stadium for the 2nd  T20 of the series. 

Take your place in the stands ready to sing Jerusalem. At the end of play you’ll take the transfer back to the your hotel.

• Day 14 – Monday 02 February – Day at leisure with optional Minneriya National Park Jeep Safari

Today is a leisure day so make the most of your time in Kandy and add on the exclusive Barmy Army  tour to visit  Minneriya National Park (at a cost of £59 per person).

The tour will depart in the morning, stopping off in Dambulla at a local restaurant before transferring into safari jeeps and entering Minneriya National Park for an afternoon of wildlife spotting. Minneriya National Park is one of the best places in the country to see wild elephants, which are often present in huge numbers.

After enjoying watching the wild elephants you’ll transfer back to the coach for the return journey to Kandy, arriving back early in the evening. 

• Day 15 – 03 February – 3^rd T20

The final T20 of the Series is here. After a relaxing day, you’ll meet up with the tour group for a late afternoon transfer to Pallekele International Cricket Stadium for the 3rd T20 of the series.

For the final time of the tour, take your place in the stands ready for the first ball and, of course, Jerusalem. 

Take your place in the stands ready to sing Jerusalem. 

At the end of play you’ll take the transfer back to your hotel.

• Day 16 – 04 February – Travel back to Colombo via Nuwara Eliya 

After breakfast at the hotel, check out of your room before taking a transfer back to Colombo for, sadly, the last night of the tour. 

As you travel to Colombo, there will be a stop at Nuwara Eliya. Often referred to as ‘Little England’, this highland community has a vaguely British-country-village feel to it and was once the favored cool-climate escape for the English and Scottish pioneers of Sri Lanka’s tea industry. The tour will also stop at a tea factory and plantation to learn about making tea, the Sri Lankan way. 

On arrival into Colombo enjoy one final night in Sri Lanka, reminiscing of the amazing experience you and your fellow Barmy Army Travel Members have experienced as the tour comes to an end.

• Day 17 – 05 February  –  Depart Sri Lanka 

After breakfast you’ll check out of the hotel ready to make your own way to the airport and back to the UK or perhaps you’re extending your stay in Sri Lanka.