Experience the best of 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.
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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.
Each July or August the Esala Perahera fills the streets with decorated elephants, torchbearers and dancers. Just outside the city, the Peradeniya Royal Botanic Gardens have orchids, giant bamboos and an avenue of palms. Udawattakele forest above the lake is full of birds and monkeys, and ancient temples such as Lankatilaka and Gadaladeniya lie on the hills to the south-west. Pinnawala's elephant orphanage and the spice gardens of Matale are an easy drive away.
Kandyan cooking offers rice with many small curries, string hoppers, milk rice called kiribath and wattalapam, a coconut-and-jaggery pudding. Tea from the surrounding estates is excellent. The weather is milder than on the coast, with heavier rain from May to September and again in October and November; January to April is drier. A scenic train line climbs to Ella and the tea country.
- 1 hop-on hop-off route
- Free cancellation on 90% of experiences
- Day trips to Negombo
Top experiences in Kandy
Special offers in Kandy
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
![Kandy to Sigiriya Day Tour and Dambulla cave temple with private vehicle]()
20% offFree cancellation
Hop-on hop-off in Kandy
Day trips from Kandy
265
Free cancellation
Likely to sell outFree cancellation
Nature and wildlife tours in Kandy
31
Free cancellation
Go beyond Kandy
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Nuwara Eliya · 42 kmGregory Lake
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Sigiriya · 75 kmSigiriya Rock Fortress
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Sigiriya · 75 kmDambulla Cave Temple (Golden Temple of Dambulla)
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Negombo · 85 kmNegombo Beach
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Negombo · 85 kmNegombo Lagoon
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Colombo · 99 kmGangaramaya Temple
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Colombo · 99 kmGalle Face Green
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Udawalawa · 99 kmUdawalawe National Park
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Bentota · 119 kmKosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project
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Anuradhapura · 120 kmRuwanwelisaya
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Anuradhapura · 120 kmMihintale
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Galle · 145 kmGalle Fort
Questions about Kandy
- What is there to do in Kandy?
- We list 767 experiences in Kandy. The largest groups are day trips (276), city tours (103), attraction tickets (16), skip-the-line tours (11).
- What is the most popular experience in Kandy?
- By number of traveller reviews it is "Sri Lanka Cooking Class with Granny", rated 5.0 out of 5 from 752 reviews.
- Is there a hop-on hop-off bus in Kandy?
- Yes. We list 1 hop-on hop-off bus tour in Kandy; the most reviewed is "Full-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Tour of Sigiriya from Kandy with Lunch" with 0 reviews.
- How long do tours and tickets in Kandy take?
- The typical experience in Kandy lasts about 8 hours; the middle half run between 4.5 hours and 11 hours.
- Can I cancel a booking in Kandy?
- The operator lists free cancellation on 91% of the 767 experiences we hold for Kandy. The cut-off differs by experience and is shown on each product page before you choose a date.
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Free cancellation on most experiences
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