Day tour kandy to sigiriya and return kandy

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. The largest and best-preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka, is one of the eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka. There are at least 80 caves in the surrounding area and major attractions are spread over 5 caves. It is believed that King Valagamba of Anuradhapura era converted the caves into a temple and preserved its best. Many other kings added to it later and the temple turned to be a major religious centre. The King Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa era gilded the caves and beautified it more. These caves hold about 153 statues and numerous paintings depicting the life history of Lord Buddha. It is believed that prehistoric Sri Lankans would have lived about 2700 years ago in these cave complexes before it being converted as a temple by the kings.

   1 min

2. This is the place to see how herbs and spices in Sri Lanka of all kinds from chillies to cinnamon, pepper to pandan are grown. Sri Lanka is best known for its spices, so as its spicy foods. The spice garden is not the biggest but you can gain vast knowledge on spice cultivation processes – you might have seen the spices packed and sold at a shop, but you would love to see them on their small plants.

   30 min

3. This is the place to see how herbs and spices in Sri Lanka of all kinds from chillies to cinnamon, pepper to pandan are grown. Sri Lanka is best known for its spices, so as its spicy foods. The spice garden is not the biggest but you can gain vast knowledge on spice cultivation processes – you might have seen the spices packed and sold at a shop, but you would love to see them on their small plants.

   10 min

4. The Sigiriya lion rock is a much revered and widely visited natural monument in the north central part of the country. This ancient rock fortress of King Kashyapa, now stands evidencing the ruins of an ancient civilization and is a world heritage site. This "Fortress in the Sky" is considered as the 8th wonder of the world. Standing at over 200 meters tall this rock is stunning to look at from afar while climbing atop it is an exhilarating experience. The rock is named after its natural structure, resembling a sleeping lion – in Sinhala, ‘Sinha’ mean a lion and ‘Giriya’ means rock. You have to climb up the rock through the lion’s mouth to reach the top. There are steps built that you can use to climb up and it is not so difficult although little tiring. Lion’s paws carved in the bedrock, mirror wall and the frescoes of about 500 beautiful ladies are remarkable that they are highly preserved. When you get to the top, the 360 degree view is breathtaking and completes one of the most special experiences in Sri Lanka. Flat-topped summit has gardens and ruins of excellent ancient architectures in addition to the splendid view. Sigiriya is one of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning. Ancient City of Sigiriya is one of the eight UNESCO World Heritage sites in Sri Lanka.

   2 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 1 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Kandy

• Its from-price is close to the median of the 276 day trips we list in Kandy.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 142 of 276.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Kandy

Kandy is the hill-country city of Sri Lanka, home to the Temple of the Tooth, a tree-fringed lake and a botanical garden among tea-covered hills.

Kandy was the last capital of the Sinhalese kings until the British took it in 1815. It stands around an artificial lake, about 500 metres above sea level, in the Central Highlands. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a UNESCO site, holds a relic said to be a tooth of the Buddha, and pilgrims bring lotus flowers each day. Drummers and dancers perform at the shrine's rituals.

Top-ranked sights in Kandy: Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), Alagalla Mountain Range.

See all 767 experiences in Kandy