The 10 Best Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Tours

1.Pinnawala Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 331 reviews · 8 hours · from $15Our pick

Travel from Kandy to Pinnawala by tuk-tuk or air-conditioned minivan with a flexible English-speaking guide such as Danushka, Saman, Terence, or Channa. See elephants, temples, tea country, gardens, viewpoints, and local workshops, then tailor the stops to your interests.

“We had an awesome trip with Terence. He is so kind, helpful, extremely caring and knows so much about his country and culture. We started the day with the temples in Kandy and then went to the elephant’s orphanage, also having interesting and informative workshops along the way. He takes care of everything and makes sure the guests feel comfortable and happy. We fell in love with Sri Lanka thanks to his trip!”

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2.Kandy Temples and Pinnawala Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 144 reviews · 1 day · from $54

Leave Colombo or Negombo at 6:30 AM for Pinnawala’s elephant river visit, Kandy’s Tooth Relic Temple, the hilltop Buddha, craft workshops, and a Pilimathalawa tea factory. English-speaking guides such as Aadhil, Dilip, and Susantha tailor stops in a small group of up to 10.

“This experience was amazing! We got so much done in one day without feeling rushed. Our guide, Tuan, was great--friendly, professional, timely, knowledgeable and always checked in along the way to customize our experience as much as he could. I'd recommend this experience. Highly recommended!”

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3.Kandy to Pinnawala Orphanage and Ambuluwawa Guided Day Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 144 reviews · 1 day · from $16

Set out from Kandy with an English-speaking guide such as Ramzan, Dhanu, Akila, or Sanath. Visit Ambuluwawa Tower, Pinnawala, a tea factory, botanical gardens, temples, and craft workshops in one long private day. You can adjust the pace, but several entrance fees cost extra.

“I had a great day with Sanath Samarakoon, he is a fantastic driver with a fun sense of humour. He was flexible with what sights I wanted to see, or miss. And even stopped to buy me some Sri Lankan snacks to try throughout the day. I thoroughly recommend booking him through his facebook page. Only downer was the Pinnawala Orphanage which felt a bit rushed and expensive for the amount of time I was there.”

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4.Kandy, Pinnawala and Tea Factory Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 99 reviews · 12 hours · from $55

Travel from Colombo or Negombo to Pinnawala and Kandy in an air-conditioned vehicle with a multilingual guide. Feed elephants, visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, stop at a spice garden, craft and jewelry workshops, and taste tea at New Giragama Tea Factory. Lunch and temple entry cost extra.

“Amazing trip. Driver priyantha was very informative and helpful too.”

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5.Private Day trip Kandy & pinnawala with your selected attractions

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · from $65Top rated

Travel from Colombo to Kandy and Pinnawala in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking chauffeur-guide, possibly Dimuth. Choose key stops such as the Temple of the Tooth, tea factory, spice garden, Kandy viewpoint, city center, and Ape Gama. Lunch and listed entrance fees are included.

“We had a great day visiting Kandy and sites along the way, Dimuth tailored the tour to our needs - would highly recommend”

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6.Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage & Ambuluwawa Tower

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · 8 hours · from $20

Travel privately from Kandy by tuk-tuk or air-conditioned minivan with an English-speaking driver such as Masi or Rohan. See elephants, temples, tea and craft workshops, then climb Ambuluwawa Tower for wide mountain views. Confirm the elephant stop and tower opening before you go.

“It was really good , my Tuk Tuk driver took very good care of me , masi a very wonderful guy”

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7.From Colombo or Negombo: Pinnawala, Kandy & Tea Factory Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 15 reviews · 8 hours · from $46

Travel with an English-speaking driver, often Janaka, from Colombo or Negombo to Pinnawala, Kandy, and the hill-country tea area. Expect elephants by the river, the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy views, tea tasting, spice and craft stops, and a long day on the road.

“The trip was great! Janaka our driver was very helpfull, saw as all the places and explained everything in detail. Great experience, definitely recommended”

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8.Kandy & Pinnawala & Tea Factory Full Day Tour From Negombo

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 11 reviews · 14 hours · from $49

Leave your Negombo hotel in a private air-conditioned vehicle for a packed 14-hour trip to Pinnawala and Kandy. You can visit an elephant foundation, tea factory, botanical garden, Temple of the Tooth, museums, craft workshops, and Kandy viewpoints with an English-speaking guide such as Tharak.

“We had a very good experience and enjoyed our trip very much. Our driver-tour guide was very helpful and knowledgeable which made our experience unforgettable. We visited Pinnawala which also includes a zoo. This let us see other animals from Sri Lanka besides the elephants. In addition, we visited an interesting tea factory and Kandy downtown. A great tour and a nice way to spend a different day in Sri Lanka.”

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9.Ambuluwawa Tower & Pinnawala & Kandy Day Tour From Colombo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 15 hours · from $80

Travel by private air-conditioned vehicle from Colombo with an English-speaking guide such as Ranganath. Visit Ambuluwawa Tower, a tea factory, Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth, Pinnawala, and optional gardens, crafts, and dance, with the freedom to skip stops that do not interest you.

“Sites visited was good, was able to skip activities that I was not interested in and the guide Ranganath was very accommodating.”

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10.Ambuluwawa Tower & Pinnawala & Kandy Day Tour From Negombo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 15 hours · from $69

Leave Negombo early in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide such as Tharaka or Thanaka. Climb Ambuluwawa Tower, visit Pinnawala, tour a tea factory, see Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth, and fit in gardens, crafts, and dance.

“I had an amazing experience on the Ambuluwawa Tower & Pinnawala & Kandy Day Tour from Negombo, and a big part of that was due to our driver, Tharaka. He was an incredibly smooth and skilled driver, making the journey not only comfortable but efficient. With so many activities packed into the day, Tharaka expertly navigated the routes, ensuring that I arrived at each stop on time. The tour itself was wonderful, with highlights including the heartwarming visit to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, the stunning views from the Ambuluwawa Tower, and the serene beauty of Kandy's Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. I also enjoyed the peaceful stroll through the…”

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