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Kandy: Guided Gem Museum & Lapidary Tour + Mahaweli River
Features
- Free cancellation available
- 3h
- Mobile voucher
- Instant confirmation
- Selective hotel pickup
- Multiple languages
Overview
- Discover the secrets of Sri Lanka's gemstone trade on a guided tour
- Learn about traditional mining techniques in a simulated mine
- Admire raw crystal clusters and rare minerals at a geological museum
- Watch master craftsmen shape and polish rough stones into masterpieces
- Enjoy a scenic drive to the Mahaweli River and take in the views
Activity location
- Kandy
- Kandy, Central Province, Sri Lanka
Meeting/Redemption Point
- Kandy
- Kandy, Central Province, Sri Lanka
Check availability
Kandy: Guided Gem Museum & Lapidary Tour + Mahaweli River
- 3h
Activity duration is 3 hours 3h - English
What's included, what's not
Inclusions Hotel pickup and drop-offInclusions Visit to gem museum and lapidary centerInclusions Guided tour of simulated mineInclusions Visit to geological museumInclusions Live lapidary workshopInclusions Visit to Mahaweli River vantage pointExclusions MealsExclusions Personal expenses
Know before you book
- Not allowed: Fishing
What you can expect
Begin your experience with a hassle-free pickup directly from your hotel in Kandy. Sit back and relax as you are driven to a premier gem museum and lapidary center, where you will unlock the ancient secrets behind Sri Lanka's legendary gemstone trade.
First our personal guide will welcome you and lead you into a private mini theatre. Watch a captivating, short documentary available in multiple languages. This film reveals the ancient geological history of Sri Lanka's soil and explains how rare rough minerals form over millions of years.
Next, your guide will take you inside a highly realistic, built-in model mineshaft. Walk through this simulated cave to experience the exact layout, wooden reinforcements, and traditional techniques used by local miners to extract buried treasures from deep underground.
Then continue into the indoor, cave-like museum housing rare earth minerals and ancient artifacts. Your guide will teach you how to identify natural gems in their raw crystal and pebble forms. Discover how massive, rough stones are evaluated before they ever touch a cutting wheel.
Finally, step into the vibrant workshop to meet master gem cutters who have passed down their trade for generations. Watch live as they use precision machinery to facet and polish rough stones into glittering masterpieces. You will also see skilled artisans intricately set these gems into fine gold and sterling silver.
After immersing yourself in the world of jewelry, head to the scenic banks of the Mahaweli River, the longest river in Sri Lanka. Breathe in the cool breeze, watch the water flow through the tropical Kandy landscape, and learn about the river's vital role in local life, folklore, and ecosystems. It is the perfect, tranquil conclusion to a day of discovery.
Finally, direct drop-off back at your hotel.
Location
Activity location
LOB_ACTIVITIES LOB_ACTIVITIES - Kandy
- Kandy, Central Province, Sri Lanka
Meeting/Redemption Point
PEOPLE PEOPLE - Kandy
- Kandy, Central Province, Sri Lanka