The 11 Sri Lanka Garden Tours That Earn Their Ticket

1.Ella : Cooking class with amazing Spice Garden Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 239 reviews · 4 hours · from $32Our pick

Spend four hours with Ella Nine Arch Spice Garden, starting with a guided walk among more than 100 spice and medicinal plants. Then cook rice, curries, sambol, banana chips, and papadam with local instructors such as Sam, Senaka, or Nalini. Vegetarian and vegan options are available.

“We had a really nice evening. The tour through the garden was interesting! We learned a lot of new things. The cookworkshop was also really nice. The cook was a really good teacher and verg kind, and the food was really tasteful! There were two other couples and it was nice to meet each other! We definitely can recommend to take this workshop”

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2.Organic Cooking Class with Garden Visit by Sinhagiri

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · from $28

At Green Hut Nature Resort in Sigiriya, you’ll pick garden vegetables, cook an authentic Sri Lankan rice-and-curry meal with an experienced local housewife, and eat your finished dish. This relaxed three-hour class starts at 4:00 pm and takes no more than five people.

“It is a very nice experience to cook with a local who knows Sri-Lankan cooking, especially when you like the food. It's a great traditional kitchen and everything is clean and wel prepared. The tour through the garden is a bit thin since the garden was not really wel kept jet. I would absolutely recommend the course although its a bit expensive.”

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3.Day Tour to Elephant Orphanage / spice garden

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · 6 hours · from $59

Travel from Colombo to Pinnawala with an English, German, or French-speaking guide such as Pradeep or Ruwan. Watch elephants walk to the river, see babies receive milk, and enjoy a local snack stop. The spice garden may be included, so confirm the day’s plan before booking.

“Kann ich nur empfehlen! Der Tourguide hat auch mehrmals außer der Reihe für ein Foto angehalten, für meine Frau, die Geburtstag hatte, einen Kuchen und Blumen besorgt. Er hat sich um Abkürzungen und Sitzgelegenheiten für meine gehbehinderte Frau gekümmert und wusste genau, wo man stehen muss, um beste Sicht zu haben. Außerdem Abholung in unserem Hotel, obwohl es außerhalb des Abholbereiches lag. Es gibt überhaupt nichts zu meckern.”

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4.Madu River Boat Tour and Cinnamon Garden visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 20 reviews · 1 day · from $29

From Balapitiya, cruise the Madu River for 1 to 2 hours with an English-speaking guide. Expect mangrove tunnels, crocodiles, birds, a cinnamon garden, an island Buddhist temple, prawn traps, and an optional fish massage. Some stops may cost extra.

“Unfortunately our guide spoke no English and although kind and attentive, we got no information of the mangrove etc. The tour was a bit rushed. All in all still an interesting tour and worth going. Worried about the conservation of the mangrove.”

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5.Sri Lanka: Ceylon Cinnamon Experience & Spice Garden Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 3 hours · from $20Best value

Spend three hours at Warala Watta Farm with English-speaking guides, including Roha and Dilan. Walk among cinnamon, pepper, cloves, and cardamom, help make a cinnamon quill, taste fruit and spice tea, and see how the farm processes its harvest.

“If you want to learn everything there is to know about spices, herbs, and fruits from Sri Lanka, you will love this farm. We took a 2.5-hour tour and saw how cinnamon is harvested and processed, among other things. Highly recommended. Afterwards, we bought spices (cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, chili powder, etc.) in the shop at very fair prices.”

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6.Ella: Cinnamon, Spice Garden & Waterfall tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 4 reviews · 6 hours · from $25

Join Ranjani’s six-hour small-group jeep tour from Ella bus station for cinnamon making, a spice garden, Ravana and Palawella waterfalls, and a quiet mountain river swim. Expect scenic views, a traditional Sri Lankan lunch at your own cost, and some rough roads.

“We did everything according to the schedule except the secret mountain river, which does simply not exist and the driver did not know about it. The cinnamon garden lastet 10 minutes and we couldn‘t ask any question because the Lady who showed us everything did not speak english. There was also no possibility to buy cinnamon. Spice garden was a nice little guided tour - we really enjoyed the free massages! Waterfalls were okay but nothing special - just little amounts of water. Some of them had natural pools if you would like to go for a swim, but be aware of the leeches and small fisches that bite your…”

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7.From Sigiriya: Kandy Transfer with Dambulla and Spice Garden

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 5 hours · from $45

You’ll travel privately from Sigiriya, Dambulla, or Kandalama to Kandy in about five hours, stopping at Dambulla Cave Temple and a guided herbal spice garden. An English-speaking driver handles the route, but guide quality can vary, so confirm the language support before booking.

“parfait ! conducteur très sympa et très arrangeant. attention au Spice garden où ils essayent de vous vendre tout et n'importe quoi à des prix très élevés. temple de Dambulla, 2000 par personne + pourboires pour laisser vos chaussures et pour emprunter un foulard si vous n'avez pas la bonne tenue !”

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8.Ella: Nine Arch Spice Garden Tour with Traditional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $20

Walk through Ella’s 2.5-acre spice garden with an English-speaking guide, seeing vanilla, cocoa, cinnamon, clove, curry leaves, and more. Then join a hands-on Sri Lankan cooking session, eat six curries with dessert, and browse the spice sales room. Sam and the team welcome small groups of up to eight.

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9.From Kalutara/Waskaduwa: Lunuganga & Brief Garden Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 4 hours · from $90

Travel by private air-conditioned vehicle from Kalutara, Wadduwa, or Waskaduwa to Brief Garden and Lunuganga, the former homes of Bevis and Geoffrey Bawa. An English-speaking guide explains their Italian, English, and Sri Lankan influences during this four-hour outing.

“Thank you so much for your lovely comment! 🌿✨ We’re truly happy to hear that you found the Lunuganga & Brief Garden Tour enjoyable. These beautiful gardens are a special part of Sri Lanka’s heritage, and it means a lot to know you had a great experience with us. We hope to welcome you again for another unforgettable journey with Sign of Lanka! 🙏”

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10.Full day Kandy walking tour with TUK TUK ride to Peradeniya gardens

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $35

Spend 6 to 8 hours exploring Kandy with a private guide, from the Temple of the Tooth and Kandy Lake to the market and Arthur’s Seat. A tuk tuk ride takes you to Peradeniya’s 147-acre botanical gardens. Entrance fees and food cost extra.

“Even if Kandy doesn't have a lot to see this tour brings out the best in only a few hours. Beautiful gardens and great temples.”

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11.Kandy Transfer Visiting Dambulla Cave Temple and Herbal Garden

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $60

Ride in a private air-conditioned vehicle from Sigiriya, Dambulla, or Habarana to Kandy. Stop at Dambulla Cave Temple, the Golden Buddha, an Ayurvedic herbal garden, and Sri Muththumari Amman Kovil in Matale. The 3 to 5 hour transfer includes hotel pickup and drop-off.

“Kind courteous driver who looked after us well. As we had already visited the Dambulla Cave temple they were happy to take us to the Popham Arboretum instead (which i highly recommend) Yes the Spice Garden stop is really a sales opportunity rather than a real attraction but is to be expected.”

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