Sri Lanka Holidays & Tour Packages
Experience Sri Lanka Through Local Expertise
Sri Lanka is more than a collection of ancient sites, beaches and wildlife parks.
It is an island of extraordinary landscapes, living traditions, ancient civilisations, remarkable biodiversity and a culture shaped by thousands of years of interaction between people and nature.
Since 1979, Cross Country Travels (CCT Sri Lanka) has been creating journeys across the island for travellers who want to experience Sri Lanka with the benefit of genuine local knowledge.
From private luxury journeys and wildlife expeditions to specialist journeys led by recognised professionals, we create travel experiences around what interests you most.
Travel with us. Discover Sri Lanka beyond the ordinary.
Choose Your Way to Experience Sri Lanka
Whether you have a few days or several weeks, whether you seek exceptional comfort or an independent adventure, we can design a journey around your time, interests and travel style.
Private Luxury Journeys
Travel through Sri Lanka in exceptional comfort with carefully selected hotels, private transportation and personalised service. Add domestic flights, helicopter transfers and exclusive experiences when they make your journey more rewarding.
Ideal for: Luxury travellers, honeymooners, private groups and travellers with limited time.
Comfort Discovery
Discover Sri Lanka in comfort with carefully selected hotels, private transportation and thoughtfully planned experiences. Explore the island’s cultural heritage, landscapes, wildlife and coast at a relaxed pace while enjoying good value throughout your journey.
Ideal for: Couples, families, first-time visitors and travellers seeking comfort and good value.
Independent & Budget Travel
Explore Sri Lanka independently with flexible accommodation, transportation and carefully selected local experiences. We can arrange the essentials while giving you the freedom to travel at your own pace and shape your journey around your interests.
Ideal for: Independent travellers, backpackers, solo travellers and long-stay visitors.
Specialist Journeys
Travel Deeper. Follow Your Passion.
Some travellers do not simply want to see Sri Lanka.
They want to understand it.
They may come because of a fascination with birds, wildlife, photography, architecture, archaeology, history, culture or the marine environment.
For these travellers, we create a different kind of holiday.
Our Specialist Journeys are built around a particular subject and, wherever appropriate, accompanied by carefully selected Sri Lankan professionals whose knowledge and experience allow travellers to explore that subject at a much deeper level.
These are not conventional sightseeing tours.
They are expert-led journeys for people with a genuine interest in Sri Lanka.
Landscape Architecture
Gardens, Water, Architecture & Landscape
Explore more than 2,000 years of Sri Lankan landscape traditions — from ancient water gardens and Buddhist landscapes to colonial estates and the work of Geoffrey Bawa.
This journey is designed around the relationship between architecture, landscape, water, climate and culture.
Expert-led by Thomas Meyer-Wieser
Swiss architect and urban planner Thomas Meyer-Wieser accompanies the journey and provides a professional perspective on Sri Lanka’s architectural and landscape heritage.
For: Architects, landscape architects, designers, garden enthusiasts and culturally curious travellers.
Explore the Landscape Architecture Journey →
Birdwatching
Sri Lanka Through the Eyes of a Naturalist
Sri Lanka’s extraordinary diversity makes it one of Asia’s most rewarding destinations for birdwatchers.
From endemic species and wetland birds to forests, lagoons and agricultural landscapes, this journey explores Sri Lanka through its birdlife and wider natural environment.
The itinerary is accompanied by a carefully selected professional birding guide with extensive knowledge of Sri Lanka’s birds, habitats and ecosystems.
For: Serious birdwatchers, naturalists, wildlife enthusiasts and photographers.
Explore the Birdwatching Journey →
Wildlife
Beyond the Safari
Sri Lanka’s wildlife is not confined to a safari jeep.
This specialist journey explores the island’s wildlife in a broader context — from elephants and leopards to primates, endemic species, wetlands, forests and coastal ecosystems.
The journey is designed with professional wildlife expertise, carefully selected locations and responsible encounters at its heart.
For: Wildlife enthusiasts, naturalists and travellers seeking a deeper understanding of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity.
Explore the Wildlife Journey →
Wildlife Photography
Sri Lanka Through the Lens
For photographers, Sri Lanka offers extraordinary opportunities — from elephants and leopards to birds, marine life and dramatic tropical landscapes.
Rather than simply visiting wildlife locations, this journey is designed around photography: light, behaviour, positioning, habitat and opportunities to create meaningful images.
The journey is accompanied by an experienced professional photographer and supported by local wildlife knowledge.
For: Wildlife photographers, serious enthusiasts and travellers who want to combine photography with exploration.
Explore the Photography Journey →
Culture
Meet the Living Culture of Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan culture cannot be understood through monuments alone.
Explore temples, villages, rituals, food, crafts, music, traditional arts and everyday life while meeting people whose knowledge and practices have been passed from one generation to another.
This journey goes beyond the standard cultural itinerary to explore the living traditions behind Sri Lanka’s heritage.
For: Culturally curious travellers, photographers, researchers and discerning travellers seeking authentic encounters.
Explore the Cultural Journey →
Snorkelling & Marine Wildlife
Beneath the Surface of Sri Lanka
Discover Sri Lanka from a different perspective — beneath the Indian Ocean.
This specialist marine journey combines carefully selected snorkelling locations with opportunities to encounter Sri Lanka’s remarkable underwater life, including encounters with whales where conditions and responsible operating practices permit.
The experience is designed around marine life rather than simply visiting a beach.
For: Marine-life enthusiasts, underwater photographers, snorkellers and adventurous travellers.
Explore the Marine Wildlife Journey →
Archaeology
Discover the Civilisations Behind the Ruins
Sri Lanka’s archaeological heritage stretches across thousands of years.
Explore ancient cities, monasteries, inscriptions, irrigation systems, rock architecture and lesser-known archaeological landscapes with a professional guide who can place the monuments within their historical and cultural context.
Rather than simply photographing ruins, the journey asks a deeper question:
How did these civilisations work, and what can their remains tell us about the people who built them?
For: Archaeology enthusiasts, historians, academics, photographers and culturally curious travellers.
Explore the Archaeology Journey →
History
Walk Through the History of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s history is layered across the landscape — from ancient kingdoms and Buddhist civilisation to European colonialism, the Kandyan period and the emergence of modern Sri Lanka.
Travel with one of the country’s most knowledgeable professional guides and explore the events, people, places and ideas that shaped the island.
The emphasis is not simply on dates and monuments, but on understanding how Sri Lanka became the country it is today.
For: History enthusiasts, educators, academics and travellers who want to understand Sri Lanka beyond the usual highlights.
Explore the History Journey →
Why Travel With CCT Sri Lanka?
Local Knowledge. Professional Expertise. Since 1979.
For more than four decades, Cross Country Travels has been helping travellers discover Sri Lanka.
Our experience extends from conventional private holidays to specialist wildlife, marine, nature and cultural journeys.
We have supported international wildlife productions and expeditions, including work associated with the BBC’s Planet Earth, while our guests’ underwater wildlife photography has appeared internationally.
But our greatest resource is closer to home:
The people who know Sri Lanka.
We work with experienced naturalists, wildlife specialists, professional guides, photographers, academics and other subject specialists to create journeys that provide a deeper understanding of the island.
47+ Years of Experience
Established in 1979, CCT Sri Lanka is a second-generation Sri Lankan travel company with decades of experience arranging journeys throughout the island.
Genuine Local Knowledge
Our team lives and works in Sri Lanka and understands the practical realities of travelling across the island.
Specialist Access
We work with carefully selected professionals whose knowledge can transform a sightseeing trip into a genuine learning experience.
Responsible Encounters
Particularly in wildlife and marine experiences, we place responsible interaction with nature at the centre of our journeys.
More Than a Tour
The Right Person Can Change the Journey
Seeing an ancient city is one thing.
Walking through it with an archaeologist is something else.
Watching birds is one thing.
Understanding their behaviour and habitat with a professional naturalist is something else.
Looking at a garden is one thing.
Exploring it with a landscape architect is something else.
That is the philosophy behind our Specialist Journeys.
We do not simply select places to visit.
We select the people who can help you understand them.
Looking for Something More Personal?
Tell Us What Fascinates You About Sri Lanka
Perhaps you are interested in architecture.
Perhaps you want to photograph leopards.
Perhaps you are fascinated by ancient irrigation.
Perhaps you want to study Sri Lankan birds.
Or perhaps you have an interest that does not fit into any conventional tour category.
Tell us what interests you.
Our team can create a private journey around your subject, combining the right locations, accommodation, transportation and local expertise.
Start Planning Your Journey
Tell us your interests, preferred travel dates and the kind of experience you are looking for.
Create My Sri Lanka Journey →
Cross Country Travels Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, With People Who Know It.
From private journeys to specialist expeditions, we help travellers experience Sri Lanka with greater depth, understanding and personal connection.
Since 1979.
Explore Sri Lanka with CCT Sri Lanka →