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Activity provider: AsiaByLocals
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A long day east of Kandy for sunrise on Sorabora Lake from a traditional boat, a rural village visit, and the Kaluwa Wetuna and Ratna Ella waterfalls — Sri Lanka's second highest.
Highlights
- Sunrise from a traditional boat on Sorabora Lake, with mist on the water
- A reservoir sluice cut from a single rock in the second century BC
- A rural village in the Bintenna country, well off the tourist route
- Ratna Ella, at 111 metres the second highest waterfall in Sri Lanka
- A swim at the Kaluwa Wetuna falls
Sorabora Lake Sunrise and Waterfalls Day Trip from Kandy with a Village Visit: Key Facts
| Price | From $275 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 14 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Choose from 1 available option
Sorabora Lake Sunrise, Village and Waterfalls Tour from Kandy
Sorabora Lake Sunrise, Village and Waterfalls Tour from Kandy. Departure times and inclusions exactly as the operator of...
14 hours
English
Pickup
$375
Free cancellation
Full description
Sorabora is a reservoir near Mahiyanganaya, east of Kandy on the far side of the hills, and it is old — the sluice was cut from a single block of rock in the second century BC, and the local name for it, the Sea of Bintenna, is not much of an exaggeration when the mist sits on it at dawn.
Getting there for sunrise means leaving Kandy in the middle of the night, which is the price of the whole trip. What you get is an hour on the water in a traditional boat as the light comes up, with the hills behind and almost nobody else out. It photographs extraordinarily well and it is not on any standard itinerary.
The day then moves to a rural village in the Bintenna country — farming, cooking, and the ordinary business of a place well outside the tourist route.
The waterfalls close it. Ratna Ella is 111 metres, the second highest in Sri Lanka, reached on a walk through forest, and Kaluwa Wetuna is smaller with a pool worth swimming in. Then the long drive back, arriving in Kandy in the evening.
Tour Itinerary
Itineraries are customisable as per your request
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
2:30 AM
Pickup in Kandy
A night departure for the drive east.
5:30 AM
Sorabora Lake
Sunrise from a traditional boat.
8:00 AM
Village visit
Farming country near Mahiyanganaya.
11:00 AM
Kaluwa Wetuna falls
A stop and a swim.
1:00 PM
Ratna Ella
The 111-metre falls, reached on foot.
3:00 PM
Return drive
Back over the hills.
6:30 PM
Kandy
Drop-off at your hotel.
Detailed Itinerary
02:30
Hotel pickup
Three hours east on hill roads. Sleep in the van.
05:30
Sorabora
On the water before first light. Cold and misty; bring a layer.
08:00
The village
Ask before photographing people.
11:00
Kaluwa Wetuna
A pool at the base. Water levels vary with the season.
13:00
Ratna Ella
A walk in through forest. Slippery rock near the base — do not climb it.
18:30
Kandy
Drop-off at your hotel.
Includes
- Private vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide, hotel pickup and drop-off in Kandy, the boat on Sorabora Lake, the village visit, guiding at the waterfalls.
Excludes
- Meals and drinks, gratuities, entrance fees where they apply, personal expenses.
Important information
Meeting point
Hotel pickup in Kandy; the exact address and time are confirmed after booking.
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts
About this activity
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Duration 14 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible
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Main Tour Price
Starting from $275
$275
Tour Type
Day TripNature and SceneryCultural
Need a custom booking or have a larger group?Contact Support via WhatsApp
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Frequently Asked Questions
It runs 14 hours.
Hotel pickup in Kandy; the exact address and time are confirmed after booking.
Private vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide, hotel pickup and drop-off in Kandy, the boat on Sorabora Lake, the village visit, guiding at the waterfalls.
Meals and drinks, gratuities, entrance fees where they apply, personal expenses.
Private vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide, hotel pickup and drop-off in Kandy, the boat on Sorabora Lake, the village visit, guiding at the waterfalls.
The duration of the Sorabora Lake Sunrise and Waterfalls Day Trip from Kandy with a Village Visit is typically 14 hours. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for a smooth check-in. Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting point and ensure the experience runs on schedule while remaining flexible to your pace.
For most experiences, we highly recommend an early morning start. This allows you to avoid the midday heat, bypass the largest crowds, and capture the best lighting for photography. Your guide can advise on the optimal timing based on the season and specific attractions included.
Yes, once your booking is completed via our secure payment gateway, you will receive an instant confirmation email with your tour details, meeting point address, guide's name, and direct contact information. You can also view and manage your booking through your AsiaByLocals account dashboard.
Yes! All our private tours are fully customizable. Whether you want to add extra stops, skip certain locations, change the pace, or adjust the start time — simply let your guide know in advance or on the day. We aim to create a personalized experience tailored to your interests and energy level.
We offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours may be subject to a partial charge depending on the tour type. Weather-related cancellations for outdoor and boat tours are handled on a case-by-case basis, with full refunds or free rebooking offered when safety is a concern.
Most of our experiences are family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. However, some tours involving extensive walking, water activities, or early morning starts may be better suited for children aged 5 and above. Please check the specific tour description for age recommendations, or contact us for personalized family itinerary advice.
After booking, you will receive detailed meeting point instructions via email. Most tours include complimentary hotel pickup within the central area. For tours without pickup, your confirmation email will include the exact address, Google Maps pin, and your guide's phone number for easy coordination. Guides typically arrive 10 minutes early and will message you on WhatsApp.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Razorpay for Indian cards. All payments are processed through a PCI-compliant secure gateway with 256-bit encryption. You can also pay in multiple currencies — the price is automatically converted to your local currency at checkout.
Yes, all AsiaByLocals guides are licensed professionals who have been rigorously vetted through background checks, skill assessments, and customer reviews. Many hold government-issued tourism licenses, university degrees in history or cultural studies, and have years of experience leading tours for international travelers. Every guide maintains a minimum 4.5-star rating to remain active on our platform.
Time it for a puja — 5.30am, 9.30am or 6.30pm. Those are the only windows when the upper relic chamber opens and the hevisi drummers play; outside them you are visiting a beautiful building rather than a ceremony. Take socks: shoes come off at the gate and the stone courtyard gets painfully hot. Full detail in our Temple of the Tooth guide.
February for the clearest weather, or July-August, which is drier here than most people expect and covers the Esala Perahera. Kandy sits between Sri Lanka's *two* monsoons and catches some of both, so it has no long dry season — but it also never has a season that is a write-off. See best time to visit Kandy.
Reserved seats open 30 days ahead and sell out within hours from December to March. Unreserved 2nd/3rd class is sold on the day and always available — you will stand, which is where the open doorways and the famous photographs are. Sit on the right-hand side going south. Note there is no Nuwara Eliya station; the stop is Nanu Oya, 10 km away. See our Kandy to Ella train guide.
July or August — but the dates move every year with the lunar calendar, so any guide naming a fixed week is guessing. It runs ten nights and ends on the Nikini poya. Book accommodation on the route six to twelve months ahead. Details in our Esala Perahera guide.
Sigiriya and Dambulla (2.5 hrs each way) is the best of them. Kitulgala rafting is 2 hrs, the Knuckles range and Pekoe Trail stages are day hikes from here. Ella, Galle and Yala are *too far* — 4-6 hours each way. See day trips from Kandy.
Two nights. One full day for the town — Bahirawakanda, Peradeniya gardens, the lake and the evening puja — and a second for a hike, a village day or the cultural triangle. Our Kandy 2-day itinerary lays it out hour by hour.
The centre and the lake circuit are walkable. For anything up a hill or out of town, take a tuk-tuk — roughly LKR 100-150/km on the meter, and ride-hailing apps price it automatically with no negotiation. See getting around Kandy.