3-Day Sigiriya and Ancient Kingdoms Tour from Kandy with Safari

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Explore the Dambulla Cave Temple, Sri Lanka's largest and best-preserved cave temple
• 02 Discover Sigiriya's ancient rock fortress, mirror wall, water canals, and Sigiri paintings
• 03 See wild elephants in Minneriya, Kaudulla, or Eco national park
• 04 Visit the sacred and archaeological landmarks of the Anuradhapura kingdom

Take this 3-day tour from Kandy to explore the vast riches of Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, and Polonnaruwa. Visit the Dambulla Cave Temple, discover the world-famous Sigiri paintings and ancient rock fortress, and head to one of the region's well-known wildlife reserves to see wild elephants. The journey also takes you through the sacred and archaeological treasures of Anuradhapura and the ancient kingdom of Polonnaruwa.

The final destination is one of the wildlife reservoir national parks - Minneriya, Kaudulla, or Eco - to see the giants of the jungle, wild elephants.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 3 Days

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Not applicable

Cities Anuradhapura, Kandy, Dambulla, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Minneriya National Park, Kaudulla National Park

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Kandy to Dambulla, Sigiriya, and a Wildlife Safari

• The tour begins before 7.00 a.m. with pickup from your hotel in Kandy.
• The first stop of the day is the Dambulla Cave Temple, the largest and best-preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka. The caves were converted into a temple complex by King Walagamba during the 1st century. There are about 153 Buddha statues and murals covering 2,100 square meters. You will need around one and a half hours to explore the entire temple complex.
• Next, visit the eighth wonder of the world, which features huge walls, water canals, security guard rooms, natural stone arches, the mirror wall, and the world-famous Sigiri paintings. It is an isolated rock kingdom rising more than 200 m in height. You will need to spend more than two and a half hours here.
• The final destination is one of the wildlife reservoir national parks - Minneriya, Kaudulla, or Eco - to see the giants of the jungle, wild elephants.

2

Day 02

Explore the Ancient Kingdom of Anuradhapura

• Drive straight to Anuradhapura. Once, Anuradhapura was the capital of Sri Lanka from 5 B.C. to 1017 A.D. The most sacred "Bo Tree," which sheltered Lord Buddha during his enlightenment and at which he is believed to have gazed for seven weeks, grows in Anuradhapura.
• Explore the Jethewanarama Pagoda, known as the world's largest and oldest human-made brick building. Also included are the archaeological museum, Ruwanvelisaya Dagoba, Abhayagiri Dagoba, Brazen Palace, Royal Palace, Samadhi Buddha Statue, Kuttam Pokuna, moonstone, tanks, and other remarkable ancient creations that exhibit the proud history of the Anuradhapura kingdom.

3

Day 03

Discover Polonnaruwa and Return to Kandy

• You will be taken to Polonnaruwa, the capital of Sri Lanka for about 200 years. Eventually, the kingdom was transferred to Dambadeniya, and Polonnaruwa was conquered by the Indian king Kalinga Magha. You can visit the archaeological museum, Royal Palace, Audience Hall, swimming pool, Sacred Quadrangle, Shiva Devale, Pabalu Vehera, Rankot Vihara, Kiri Vihara, the Buddha statue at Lankatilaka, and the Buddha figures at Gal Vihara. It usually takes 5 to 6 hours to visit the entire kingdom of Polonnaruwa.
• After visiting Polonnaruwa, you will be dropped back in Kandy.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• Professional English-speaking driver-guide

• Pick up and drop off at the hotel in and around Kandy

• Transportation in a comfortable A/C car

• Driver accommodation and meals

• Fuel and local insurance

What's Not Included

• Accommodation

• Entrance fees for visiting sites and any costs related to activities

• Personal expenses

Know before you go

• Not wheelchair accessible.

• Not stroller accessible.

• Not suitable for pets.

• Infants must not sit on laps.

• Tourists can include or exclude one or more options from the set tour according to their requirements.

• You can adjust tour activities and the itinerary according to your requirements.

• Minimum 2 passengers.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Rock Front, Sigiriya 21120, Sri Lanka

Tour start

Rock Front, Sigiriya 21120, Sri Lanka

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.