Kandy, the last royal capital of the ancient kings of Sri Lanka and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a city of remarkable beauty and cultural depth nestled in a natural amphitheatre of hills above an artificial lake of serene reflective stillness. This day tour from Colombo or Negombo guides you through Kandy’s most significant cultural, spiritual and natural highlights, beginning with the magnificent Temple of the Tooth – the country’s most sacred Buddhist shrine, housing the relic of the Buddha’s left canine tooth and drawing pilgrims from across the world in a continuous stream of devotion. The afternoon takes you to the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens, 147 acres of manicured tropical splendour, home to one of the finest plant collections in all of Asia. A stroll around Kandy Lake and the city’s market quarter rounds out the day, before an optional evening cultural performance brings the ancient traditions of Kandyan drumming, dance, and fire-walking to vivid theatrical life.