• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Imagine this: a scenic road trip from Kandy to explore classic highlights with stops along the way to discover viewpoints, villages, incredible nature, and cultural gems. Sounds like a dream? No, it’s possible on a Withlocals day trip with a local host leading the way!

Destination

Kandy, Sri Lanka

Category

Day Trips

Duration

8 hours

Transport mode

Car

Available languages

English, Sinhala, العربية, Hindi, Tamil

Included

• Private Guide
• 1 Local Snack or Drink
• A/C car
• Guest pick up and drop off
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral
• Pick-up Included

Excluded

• Entrance tickets and lunch (on guest expenses)

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 4 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   You will be picked up anywhere in Kandy. Your local host will contact you regarding the exact pickup point.

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Convenient Pick-up & Drop Off

   On the day of your day trip, your local host will pick you up from your accommodation or an agreed location. Once the day trip comes to an end, they’ll drop you off at your accommodation

4. Scenic Trip

   This full-day trip is arranged for you, so all you have to do is enjoy the sights as your host takes you through classic highlights while telling you incredible stories and insight

5. Only You & Your Host!

   Forget about cramped touristy buses, on this private day trip, you’ll have all of your host’s attention. Get the chance to speak 1-1 and get all of your questions answered for a personal experience that will make this trip more memorable

6. What’s in Store for You

   Check out from viewpoints, nature, and cultural gems such as Buddha statue of Bahirawa Kanda, Tea Plantation Rothschild and Temple of Tooth plus other stops your local host has prepared for you along the way

7. Optional Lunch

   Along the way, your local host will recommend you typical and local places where you can stop to have lunch and catch a break. Lunch is not included in the price

8. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

David

(About local Deshan)

7 March 2024

We had a wonderful day thanks to Deshan. We asked to go walking, maybe a little bird watching, some nice quiet places out from Kandy town. He came up with an excellent day of interesting walks. We also got to see some out of the way temples that had stunning views, and saw birds and animals we weren't expecting. A lovely man and an excellent guide. Highly recommended. Personalised day tour

fnqhpb6myf🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Buddhima)

3 January 2022

Большое спасибо Буддиме за отличное приключение в Канди. Мы связались заранее, Буддима предложила много вариантов активностей, уточнила мои пожелания, а потом создала идеальный тур! У нас была очень интересная и вкусная дегустация на местном рынке с полным погружением. И настоящее приключение с посещением родной деревни Буддимы, треком по рисовым полям, и даже заходом в гости к местным жителям. С Буддимой очень весело и интересно, она знает, кажется, все про местную жизнь, культуру, традиции, историю. Мы закончили день прогулкой по ботаническому саду и потом Буддима здорово помогла мне с отправкой на поезде в следующий город. Это был, правда, очень крутой день!!Чудесный день в Канди с Буддимой

Neil🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Buddhima)

6 January 2020

Buddhima provided my wife and I with a very good overview of Kandy. Our tour of the "Temple of the Tooth" (Sri Dalada Maligawa) was particularly excellent ensuring that we had ample time and information to truly appreciate this wonderful temple. Another highlight and indeed a hidden gem was a beautiful secret temple famous for its 5th century paintings we visited. Buddhima's bubbly personality and considerable knowledge made for an enjoyable day touring the wonderful city of Kandy.Buddhima keenly shared her knowledge and insight of the wonderful city of Kandy.

Maree🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Buddhima)

12 December 2019

I had the best day possible. Buddhism was amazing...very easy to spend time with and appreciate her sharing her knowledge with me 💙💜💚Tour of Kandy

Passenger

(About local Buddhima)

23 September 2019

Buddhima was a graceful hostess showing us the cultural sights and beauty of Kandy. An amazing and enjoyable day!Full Day Charming Kandy tour Highlights Hidden Gems

Peter

(About local Buddhima)

23 September 2019

Excellent. Very informative. Buddhima is an excellent and knowledgeable host! Would recommend her to anyone. We had a fantastic experience!Full Day Charming Kandy Tour Highlights Hidden Gems

Christian🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Buddhima)

4 April 2019

Buddhima showed us everything there was to see in Kandy including some „hidden“ sites located a bit outside such as a temple (a lovely place and we were the only ones there!), a traditional textile manufacture and a gem museum. She customized the tour according to our interests and was very knowledgeable. Many thanks for making this a memorable day!Private city tour Kandy

Shivana🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Buddhima)

11 March 2019

My husband and I spent an enjoyable day with Buddhima travelling around Kandy for a day. Buddhima is knowledge, funny and a wonderful guide sharing local tips and more off the beaten track locations to go. Her English is flawless and we had a great day. I would highly recommend Buddhima to anyone coming to Kandy. Thanks again for a wonderful day! Wonderful insight into Kandy

Sophie🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Buddhima)

17 December 2018

We spend the whole day with Buddhima on a personalised tour. We did a little walk through Kandy. She took us to the market to explain about local food. We also had some food tasting. We visited some temples, and a hidden gem. We went to the tea factory and has a cooking class at Buddhima's house. It was a really great day and Buddhima will do everything to help you. If you want to use Withlocals then choose Buddhima. Bohoma Istuti Buddhima!! Kandy Highlights & Hidden Gems

Heike🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Buddhima)

28 August 2018

We spend a day with Buddhima, it was such a nice experience. We couldn’t ask for more, she was brilliant! We got to know everything about culture, food and hidden spots. To everyone thinking about booking her - do it - she is such a sweetheart!!!In love with Kandy, thanks to Buddhima

Ella

(About local Buddhima)

3 March 2025

Buddhima was a brilliant guide and we were very happy with our street food experience. It was our first day in Sri Lanka and we saw much more than we’d have been able to without Buddhima’s knowledge and friends around town who gave us samples. We sat down to eat delicious food like ulundu vadai and lump rice among many others, and even went to a pub to try an Arrack cocktail! Buddhima was funny and kind, arranging for a slice of cake as it was my partner’s birthday and lending me her umbrella to shade from the sun. It was overall a lot of fun!Tasty vegetarian food and good comany

pauline

(About local Chandana )

23 February 2025

We asked Chandana for special tour outside his usual listed tours in Kandy. Since he is licensed guide we asked for offer to do 2 days visits to Dambolla, Polonaruwa, Anurhadapura. He said he could organise it and we paid 290$ for this with the car drives. Chandana had also added on the schedule other things to do. In the end, during the visits of UNESCO sites, Chandana did not give us detailed information, historical facts or analysis. He was reading the boards with us, and although giving some background information it was not as good as we expected from a licensed guide we had paid 290$. It seems he is not used to giving tours in these locations, he was also getting lost on the way, he had not a good idea of the time we would need for each location and had planned too many things in one day. We were quite disappointed because he agreed to do this tour for us so we expected as a licensed guide he would give us a lot of information. He was not honest to say he is not qualified to do these sites, or had not been in a long time. Otherwise Chandana was on time in the pickup, deiving safely, he is a very nice person and we had good discussions about Sri Lanka in general. We imagine in Kandy where he does regular tours he would have better knowledge and we dont want to discourage booking tours with him there.Nice person, not recommended outside Kandy

Martin

(About local Buddhima)

31 January 2025

Me and my wife really enjoyed our food tour with Buddhima. We had asked her to take us to places that served food with a spice level the locals eat, and she really delivered. The food was delicious and Buddhimas company and our conversations with her throughout the tour was a highlight of our stay in Sri Lanka. Would highly recommend to anyone passing through Kandy.Great food and thoroughly enjoyable

Joyce

(About local Buddhima)

29 January 2025

We had an incredible foodtour in Kandy with the lovely and knowledgeable Buddhima! From the very beginning she made us feel welcome and took us on a fantastic culinary adventure through the city. Buddhima introduced us to a variety of delicious local dishes, from flavorful curries to sweet treats and refreshing drinks. She not only explained the ingredients but also shared interesting stories about Sri Lankan food culture and traditions. Her passion and enthusiasm made the experience even more enjoyable! The tour was well-organized, and we got to visit authentic local spots that we would never have found on our own. It was a perfect mix of tasting, learning, and exploring. If you’re in Kandy and want to experience the city’s foodscene in the best way possible, we highly recommend booking a tour with Buddhima. It’s an experience you won’t forget! Thank you, Buddhima, for a wonderful time!Amazing foodtour with the lovely Buddhima!

Lizzie

(About local Buddhima)

29 January 2025

We had a wonderful afternoon with Buddhima, she was lovely - happy to answer our questions and show us around Kandy. Buddhima took us places we never would have found otherwise and everything was delicious. A must do tour if you are in Kandy.Fantastic Tour

Helen🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Buddhima)

28 January 2025

Fantastic evening with Buddhima, with a wonderful warm welcome to Kandy right from the start. She is so full of knowledge about Kandy and Sri Lanka and we had time for really in depth conversations too, which we loved. And then there was the food! So much and so delicious - the experience at the fruit stall was especially entertaining! We cannot recommend Buddhima highly enough (and this is from 2 off-duty guides on holiday who know what it takes and really respect what a high quality experience we received :) )Fabulous in depth, more than just a tour!

nrcjvszth9

(About local Buddhima)

27 January 2025

1

We had an amazing experience with Buddhima on our food tour. She got in touch via WhatsApp to confirm the meeting point and time with clear instructions. The food we ate introduced us to so many things to try on our holiday - we were so glad we did it on our first day. Buddhima is a great guide who explained in detail what each dish was but also answered all of our questions - both food and non-food related! We can’t recommend this tour with Buddhima highly enough. Fantastic Food Tour

rosa_schoonen

(About local Buddhima)

27 January 2025

We really loved the foodtour, our best experience in Kandy! Buddhima really adjusts the tour to everyones wishes and she is super nice and friendly! We tastes a lot of different good and she took is to the market and places we would have never found our selves. Really recommend!! :)Amazing!

Bas

(About local Buddhima)

27 January 2025

We had a lovely tour with Buddhima who took us to some of the 'must sees' but also of the beaten path. The tour was completely ajustable, she even helped us to get a local driving license. I would recomend it to everyone!A Tour adjusted to the wishes of the group

Asia🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Buddhima)

27 January 2025

1

Buddhima gave me and my boyfriend a great food tour of Kandy :) she showed us some amazing food spots but also shared her knowledge about the history of Kandy during the day too. The amount of food you get on this tour is great value for money and we went home with lots of leftovers. Buddhima is so friendly and you won’t regret booking this tour - we had a great day thank you :) A must do in Kandy

Michael

(About local Mohamed Faizal)

19 January 2025

Mohamed knew all the best places & the best times to see them. Thanks for a great day in Kandy A great tour of Kandy

Kyle

(About local Buddhima)

15 January 2025

1

We could not reccomend booking a tour with Buddhima enough. We had such bad weather in Kandy with rain and it was a public holiday so a lot of places was closed and she still made the tour really good. Food choices was great and incredibly tasty. Buddhima is amazing!!

Pierre-Marie🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Buddhima)

9 January 2025

Nous sommes un couple âgé de 70 ans environ. Nous avons passé une semaine avec Buddhima pour visiter le centre du Sri Lanka au départ de Kandy, ainsi que Colombo et Gallé. Nous avons découvert une guide remarquable en tous points, gentillesse, connaissances, ponctualité... Nous nous sommes tous les jours réjouis d'avoir eu la chance de la rencontrer, et nous n'hésitons pas une seconde pour la recommander.Magnifique semaine avec Buddhima

Sudheesha

(About local Buddhima)

6 January 2025

1

Hands down the best experience we had in Sri Lanka! Buddhima does more than just show you the Kandy food scene -- she treats you like a friend and lets you in on local culture and history. There's also more than enough food throughout. Highly recommend coming hungry, and even then you're sure to have leftovers at the end. Couldn't recommend it more!One of the best tours we've ever been on

Kimberly🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chandana )

2 January 2025

Chandana was punctual, patient and kind. We had been in Sri Lanka for over a week so had tasted many foods already and he was able to listen and adjust as needed. We loved visiting the local market! We appreciated Chandana talking to vendors and helping us taste fresh mango. We really enjoyed watching and tasting large crepe-like pancake and dipping sauces at Balaji Dosai - very local experience. We visited a British teahouse: basic black tea and many foreign visitors. Not my favorite stop. We were disappointed not to try any local drinks (besides tea and King coconut) nor any local desserts. We would enjoy having the last stop be a dessert. It was great to walk around the city experiencing all the sights, smells and sounds.Support Local!

Barbara

(About local Buddhima)

24 December 2024

Buddhima immediately put me at ease, we had planned to meet and she sent me her number for WhatsApp in case I could not find her. We had to find a covering for the temple and she haggled for the best deal in the markets, leaving one stall, so it reassured me that she was not taking a commission for her clients. Buddhima is from Kandy and is very well educated, so she could explain the history and answer all of my questions. I asked if we could see some jewels, as I had heard that sapphires in Sri Lanka are some of the best in the world. She took me to a government approved jeweller, so I was able to get my certificates and it was good value. We had some street food and I found it interesting to learn about local life, culture and her family. Buddhima ended up spending extra time with me to make sure I could do all of the things I wanted, always with a smile - nothing was too much effort. I will now count Buddhima as a friend in Sri Lanka forever. Warm, welcoming and very kind. Thank you for this experience ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Wonderful experience, such a good guide

Julian🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Buddhima)

22 December 2024

Buddimas lovely personality shines through and totally makes this a worthwhile trip. Great insight into the town and country and she is FUN too! Wonderful

ftkn48tkk5

(About local Buddhima)

11 December 2024

Brilliant from start to finish. Buddhima was amazing throughout the tour, a real deep dive into Sri Lankan food and beyond. Didn’t feel rushed or pushy at all when visiting the vendors to look at the spices. Tour was meant to finish at 5pm but didn’t part company into 6.30pm! Highly recommend! It was my birthday and she made it extra special! So much food, we took a goody bag away with us. Thank you Buddhima. If you love food, book now!

Carla🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Buddhima)

6 December 2024

My friend and I booked the 10 Tastings of Kandy tour with Buddhima, and it was perfect from start to finish. Buddhima is absolutely lovely, joyful, and happily answered all of our questions about Kandy & Sri Lanka. The food we tried was amazing - and there was SO MUCH that we ended up taking some away for the next day as we just couldn't eat everything! Do not hesitate to book this tour, or any tour, with Buddhima!The best tour & tour guide in Kandy!

Brigitte🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Buddhima)

2 December 2024

…wonderful experiences, great conversations, delicious food, friendly encounters and exotic delicacies. Buddhima gave me a fantastic experience with her open and cordial manner and her great knowledge.Filled with…

Kate 🇺🇸 United States

(About local Buddhima)

28 November 2024

We spent the most brilliant day with Buddhima. Her English was excellent and her knowledge second to none, but most importantly it was a warm and fun experience. Not only did we learn all about Sri Lankan history, religion and culture we also got an amazing insight into day to day Sri Lankans. We combined the highlights of Kandy with a food tour and it was definitely the best day of our trip so far and will be very difficult to beat. Don’t miss a tour with Buddhima. Fantastic Tour - not to be missed

Jennifer

(About local Chandana )

17 November 2024

We were only in Kandy for a short time and wanted to learn more about its history - this was a very time-efficient way to do it! Chandana is clearly very well-educated, with two degrees, and took us to the key interesting places - the war cemetery was a particular highlight; we found it more moving than we had expected. Chandana has a car which makes the tour easier on the feet, and is a very safe driver. He seemed a little shy to start with but as the tour went on he began to share more information. The history is fascinating so we would encourage Chandana to be confident in sharing even more of his knowledge! A Great Way to Discover Kandy

Laura🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Buddhima)

5 October 2024

Buddhima is a fun and enthusiastic guide who enjoys sharing her love for her country and the food it has to offer. The tour focused on 4 different food stops, and we tried multiple food items at each. Buddhima was able to cater the tour easily to my dietary requirements - I certainly didn’t leave hungry! She was happy to answer all the questions we had about her country, and was very easy to chat with. We felt like we’d made a friend in Sri Lanka! Also she has the most infectious wonderful laugh! She’s a fantastic guide, don’t hesitate to book. Fun and enthusiastic guide

Ahmad🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Deshan)

3 October 2024

I had a wonderful time with Deshan. I had little time to research Sri Lanka and Deshan was a great help with local knowlegde, he designed a well thought itinerary whichI am very satisfied with. Deshan was flexible and accomodated all my requests. I would definitely recommend him.Sri Lanka Heights and Tea Plantations

Claudia

(About local Buddhima)

12 September 2024

We had a wonderful tour with Buddhima. She is such as warm, friendly person, and knows so much about the different foods, fruits and drinks of Sri Lanka, she really is the perfect person for this job! Although the tour may seem expensive by Sri Lankan standards, you get so much food and so much information, it really is worth doing. I would recommend doing towards the start of your time in Sri Lanka if you can, so that you know what foods to look out for on the rest of your trip. Buddhima kept offering to buy us even more food than we could eat because she wanted us to try everything, so we ended up taking lots away with us and having plenty to eat on the Kandy-Ella train the next day!So worth the money

Elaine🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Buddhima)

11 September 2024

An amazing few hours spent with Buddhima being introduced to the local street food , time in the food market sampling wonderful fresh food and fruits and experiencing lovely local eateries. Buddhima went out of her way to explain and show us an array of things and was she so friendly and informative. Definitely recommend this experience. Superb experience -not to be missed

Serena🇮🇹 Italy

(About local Buddhima)

8 September 2024

Abbiamo incontrato Buddhima dopo una breve chiacchierata tramite messaggi per accordarci su attività e orario. Fin da subito siamo stati accolti con il sorriso e abbiamo trovato in Buddhima una persona estremamente carismatica e preparata, interessata non solo a fornire informazioni su cultura e storia di Kandy ma soprattutto ad avere uno scambio di opinioni e background. Il tour culinario nello specifico si è svolto in parte in alcuni ristoranti, in parte al mercato e all’aperto, rendendola un’esperienza unica. Avevamo inoltre prenotato un tour da 10 assaggi e di 3 ore totali ma la cosa bella è che abbiamo finito per passare più di 4 ore con Buddhima e assaggiare più del doppio delle portate! A fine esperienza eravamo felici e arricchiti dalla meravigliosa esperienza. Vi consiglio di prenotare l’esperienza in mattinata poiché molti dei posti che abbiamo visto e provato sarebbero stati chiusi nel pomeriggio. Non vediamo l’ora di rivedere Buddhima nel prossimo viaggio in Sri Lanka! ❤️Una mattinata felice

Manuel🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Buddhima)

3 September 2024

We had a really great day with Buddhima, she explained everything very well, gave us great insights of Kandy and we got a lot of different typical Sri Lankan food to try. We can totally recommend her!!! Big thanks to Buddhima! :)Awesome Foodtour with Buddhima!

Alex

(About local Buddhima)

24 August 2024

Buddhima showed us some amazing food places where you can taste the true Sri Lankan food. Also she was great company we could talk about all sorts of things and she told us a lot about the Sri Lankan culture. Amazing tour of Kandys best authentic food

John🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

(About local Buddhima)

16 August 2024

My travel buddy and I adored Buddhima. A consummate host and all round excellent ambassador for Kandy and its multiple cultures and traditions. A truly worthwhile tour and if I'm back I intend to enrol in one of her cooking classes too !A Fantastic Street Food Tour!

Helena🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Buddhima)

8 August 2024

Buddhima is een ontzettend lieve en zorgzame gids die luisterde naar onze wensen, interesses en behoeftes. Ze beantwoordde al onze nieuwsgierige vragen met zorg en wandelde met ons op ons eigen tempo door de stad. We hebben voor het eerst Sri Lanka op een intense manier ontdekt en geproefd van al het lokale lekkers dat ze met zorg voor ons uitzocht. Een absolute aanrader om Kandy op een originele en persoonlijke manier te ontdekken!Een geweldige smaakvolle ervaring

Joe

(About local Buddhima)

4 August 2024

We have been on many food tours all around the world and this was by far the most. Buddhima is an amazing guide. She took us to so many amazing food places that we wouldn’t have found by ourselves in a million years. Each one had a story and we felt like we got to better understand the community and culture. Buddhima was so easy to talk to she shared so much personal experience, local knowledge and history with us. This has now equipped us to get even more out of the rest of our trip in Sri Lanka. This tour should not be called the 10 foods in Kandy it should be the 10,000. We are still so full from all the treats and it was non stop eating for the whole time and each thing was delicious and special. Thank you Buddhima for a day that we will cherish of our holiday.Best food tour we’ve ever done!

Marijn

(About local Buddhima)

25 July 2024

Buddhima was a wonderful hostess in her city of Kandy. She showed us, felt and tasted the daily life of the city. Without haste we visited bakeries, drank tea, visited the market. Exactly what we hoped for!Tasteful experience!

Pit🇱🇺 Luxembourg

(About local Buddhima)

22 July 2024

We did the tour in the afternoon. Buddhima asked what we had already tried in Sri Lanka and then showed us around the city and gave us main dishes, snacks, fruit and drinks to try. There was so much that we even took some home with us. It was a great afternoon, we talked and laughed a lot and I would recommend anyone to go on this tour with Buddhima!An afternoon well spent

Evelyn

(About local Buddhima)

6 July 2024

We had a wonderful food tour with Buddhima! First we went to a square where she got us a wide variety of bites. After a stroll through the city including interesting information we went to the central market with all its vegtables, spices, fish, meat and fruits. We tasted some delicious local fruits here. After some more dished in different locations in the city centre we said goodbye to Buddhima as friends. Thanks Buddhima for the great tour and for the delicious snacks you bought is for our train trip the following day!Wonderful food tour!

zgg894s688

(About local Buddhima)

24 June 2024

A great way of exploring the city and buddhima is very nice and fun to be around. She shared recipes with us too! Very fun

Graca

(About local Deshan)

19 June 2024

Deshan is an excellent guide. He was on time, professional, knowledgeable, and helpful. We had a great day and he exceeded my expectations.GreatbDay

Merel🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Buddhima)

6 June 2024

The cooking class with Buddhima was an amazing activity! She and her family are the best. They are very sweet and it feels like home with them. Also we learned a lot of the sri lankan food and culture! Wonderfull experience!

Barry

(About local Buddhima)

28 April 2024

We loved Buddhima’s food tour. We started in the fruit market, learning and trying all the different local fruits. After a tour of the markets we enjoyed some delicious street food and learned so much about Sri Lanka, Kandy, local culture and of course the food. Buddhima is an absolutely delightful host. Would absolutely recommend and would 100% do it again. Thanks Buddhima.Wonderful Food Tour

Adam🇺🇸 United States

(About local Buddhima)

24 April 2024

We had a very enjoyable food tour with Buddhima. She picked very good local specialties, provided very interesting information about Sri Lanka society, and we were glad to have spent time with her.Great Local Food and Host