Where most itineraries treat Sri Lanka's living crafts as a brief stop between beaches, this seven-day route puts them at the centre — built around our own atelier and workshop network rather than a generic factory-shop detour. It opens with the island's most important religious site, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, then turns inland to Ratnapura, the "City of Gems," and on to Ambalangoda's wood-carving workshops on the south coast, before closing in Galle Fort.
The gem and wood-carving stops are working visits, not showroom stops: a licensed pit in Ratnapura where you can watch gravel washed and sorted by hand for sapphires and other stones, followed by a cutting demonstration; and in Ambalangoda, a multi-generation carving workshop where craftsmen still hand-tool ceremonial masks and decorative panels with chisels and adzes, no molds involved. The trip closes with a private consultation at our Colombo atelier, where anything that caught your eye along the way can be set into a finished piece.
Highlights
- Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic ceremony in Kandy
- Gem-pit visit and cutting demonstration in Ratnapura
- Mask and wood-carving workshop tour in Ambalangoda
- Private jewelry consultation at our Colombo atelier
Day by day
- 1
Arrival & Kandy
Transfer into the hills, evening puja ceremony at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, overnight in Kandy.
- 2
Kandy to Ratnapura
Morning at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, afternoon transfer to Ratnapura, Sri Lanka's historic gem-mining town.
- 3
Gem Pits & Cutting
Guided visit to a licensed gem pit to watch traditional gravel washing, followed by a lapidary cutting and polishing demonstration.
- 4
South to Ambalangoda
Scenic drive south to the coast, afternoon tour of a multi-generation wood-carving and traditional mask workshop.
- 5
Carving Workshop, Continued
A hands-on morning session with a master carver, free afternoon on Ambalangoda's quiet beach.
- 6
Galle Fort
Transfer to Galle, guided walking tour of the Dutch-era fort and ramparts.
- 7
Atelier Consultation & Departure
Private jewelry consultation at our Colombo atelier en route to departure, setting any stones acquired along the way.
What’s included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle and English-speaking driver-guide for the full 7 days
- 6 nights' accommodation with breakfast daily
- Guided gem-pit visit and lapidary cutting demonstration in Ratnapura
- Wood-carving workshop tour and hands-on carving session in Ambalangoda
- Private jewelry consultation at our Colombo atelier
