Jaffna City Tour
- 4 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Visit the historic Fort of Jaffna. Spend some time in the famous Jaffna Library. See the spot where Sangamitta temporarily planted the bo tree at Naga Vihara. Visit the beautiful Nallur Kandaswamy Temple. Take a step into Jaffna's royal history by visiting Sangilian Thopu and Manthri Manai. Finish off with some souvenir shopping for friends and family in the market of Jaffna.
Inclusions
What's included
- Service of an English-speaking guide.
- Water bottle per person.
What's not
- Hotel pickup and drop-off.
- Entrance tickets to visiting sites.
- Food and drinks.
- Gratuities (optional).
Itinerary
The Fort was created in the early 1600s by the Portuguese but later captured by the Dutch in the mid-1600. They strengthened and expanded it. The Fort fell into the hands of the British in the late 1700s; and they held it until 1948. You will be able to see the strong stone walls; shored up in some places where they were crumbling; along with the many arched doorways and glimpses of the other buildings within it; such as the Governor's residence, Queen's House, the Garrison Parade Ground, and Police quarters.
The library was built in the early 1900s by those who wished to house the many historic Tamil texts in one place. The library soon became the biggest in the South East Asian region and was very famous. However, it was burnt down by Sinhalese extremists during the civil war; along with the destruction of many valuable literary treasures. The library was recently renovated and reopened; and you will find it a very peaceful place to visit. The lobby area also has a display containing many historical antiques from Jaffna which are worth having a look at.
Naga Vihara, This Buddhist temple is the location where the priestess Sangamitta, who brought Buddhism to the island, planted the sacred bo tree branch temporarily after disembarking in Sri Lanka
This giant temple is many centuries old and used to be even bigger earlier when it formed the center of a temple city. Created following the ancient temple cities of India, such as Madurai; the temple has a beautiful annual festival that is attended by devotees from around the world.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
3.0
- 50
- 40
- 31
- 20
- 10
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
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 6 travellers
- Operated by
- Lakpura LLC
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Jaffna
- Its from-price is 68% below the median of the 41 experiences we list in Jaffna.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 4 of 41.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Jaffna
Jaffna is the cultural capital of Sri Lanka's Tamil north, a flat, palm-fringed city with a Dutch fort, a great Hindu temple and boats to island shrines.
Jaffna lies at the northern tip of Sri Lanka, on a flat peninsula of palmyra palms, red soil and shallow lagoons, and is the centre of the island's Tamil culture and language. Its star-shaped fort was begun by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the Dutch in the seventeenth century, and its walls overlook the lagoon. The Nallur Kandaswamy Temple, with its tall gopuram and gilded interior, is the main Hindu temple, and its annual festival draws large crowds.
Top-ranked sights in Jaffna: Nallur Kandaswamy Temple (Nallur Kovil), Neduntheevu (Delft Island).
