About this experience
Your English-speaking driver collects you from your Kalutara hotel and heads inland to Ratnapura — Sri Lanka's gem capital — in an air-conditioned vehicle. The seven-hour private tour takes you into the heart of the country's legendary gem-mining district, where you visit working mines and see first-hand how sapphires, rubies, and other stones are extracted from the earth.
At the Gem Museum in Ratnapura, browse displays of precious and semi-precious stones — sapphires, rubies, amethysts, and more — alongside the cutting tools and methods that define this centuries-old industry. Your driver, with expert local knowledge, guides you through the experience and keeps the day running smoothly. A bottle of water per person is provided; hotel pickup and drop-off are included. Entrance fees, meals, and gratuities are not covered.
