Polonnaruwa Archaeological Tour from Colombo
Meet your driver at your hotel in Colombo and travel to the medieval kingdom of Polonnaruwa.
Start at the Archaeological Museum, which offers great insight into the art and history of the former medieval capital city, featuring an extraordinary collection of bronze statues and scale replica models of the sites depicting what the buildings would have looked like in the past.
Proceed to the Royal Palace and Citadel of King Parakramabahu I. Initially, it was a seven-storey structure. The Audience Hall, or Council Chamber, is a large pavilion-like hall with intricate carvings. You will also find the Royal Bathing Pool at the corner of the palace grounds.
This is followed by a visit to the Quadrangle, which was the focal point of the old city. It is a complex comprising the ruins of several ancient buildings, starting from the Shiva Devale and then on to the Thuparamaya, a well-preserved image house, the Nissanka Latha Mandapaya (Floral Altar), the Hatadage (House of Seven Relics), and the famous Polonnaruwa Vatadage, a creation that has been revered with prominence in Sri Lankan history.
Continue to see the Gal Potha (Stone Book), an enormous book carved out of rock, and the Satmahal Prasadaya, a building influenced by oriental architecture that was highly unusual and complex. It was built like a stepped pyramid, with six storeys erected one above the other.
Head north to see the magnificent Gal Vihara, a collection of world-renowned statues. Four figures of the Buddha are carved out of a granite cliff and are considered the best rock sculptures on the island.
Visit the Nelum Pokuna, also known as the Lotus Pond, a beautifully carved granite pond constructed in the shape of a lotus flower, and the Thivanka Image House, one of the largest monasteries around Polonnaruwa.
End the tour and return to your hotel in Colombo.
