About this experience
Your driver picks you up from your Kandy hotel at 06:30 in an air-conditioned vehicle, arriving at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage around 09:00. Founded in 1975, the orphanage is home to one of the largest captive herds in the world — over 90 elephants displaced or orphaned from Sri Lanka's forests. You'll be there in time for the 09:15 feeding session, watching mahouts hand-feed baby elephants enormous bottles of milk before leading the herd down to the river for their morning bath. Your English-speaking chauffeur guide walks you through the facility, explaining the orphanage's rescue and care work over roughly three hours on site.
You leave Pinnawala at 11:00, with a stop for lunch on the return leg if you wish, arriving back in Kandy by 15:00. Each guest receives a litre of bottled water for the journey. Note that orphanage entrance fees and meals are not included in the tour price — bring local currency for the gate and any food.
