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View all Colombo toursAnuradhapura from Colombo: Private Day Trip to the Ancient Capital
A private guided day trip to Anuradhapura, the island's capital for more than a thousand years, taking in the sacred Bo tree, the great stupas and the monastic ruins.
Highlights
- Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, grown from a cutting of the Bodh Gaya tree in the third century BC
- Ruwanweli Maha Seya and Jetavanaramaya, two of the ancient world's largest stupas
- The monastery ruins at Abhayagiri and the rock-cut carvings at Isurumuniya
- A private guide who can weight the day towards archaeology or living pilgrimage
- Air-conditioned car with pickup from Colombo, Negombo or Katunayake
Anuradhapura from Colombo: Private Day Trip to the Ancient Capital: Key Facts
| Price | From $188.5 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | Full day |
| Group size | Up to 6 people |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Full description
Anuradhapura was the capital of Sri Lanka for over a thousand years, from roughly the fourth century BC, and it is the largest and oldest of the island's ancient cities. The ruins spread across a wide plain of tanks and forest, which is why a guide and a car matter here: without them you see three monuments and miss the shape of the place.
The centre of it, for Sri Lankans, is the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. The tree was grown from a cutting of the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, brought to the island in the third century BC, and it is documented as the oldest human-planted tree in the world with a continuous record. Pilgrims come in white, carry lotus flowers and offer them at the terraces. Your guide gives it a full hour, and that is the right amount.
The stupas are the other reason to come. Ruwanweli Maha Seya, restored and brilliantly white, was raised by King Dutugemunu in the second century BC. Jetavanaramaya, in raw brick, was for a period the third tallest structure on earth. Abhayagiri anchored a monastery of thousands of monks that welcomed Mahayana teaching alongside Theravada. Isurumuniya, the moonstone carvings and the Samadhi Buddha fill out the day.
The driving is the cost of doing this in a day. It is about four hours each way, with a breakfast stop at Kurunegala on the way up and lunch in Anuradhapura, so you are looking at roughly a fourteen-hour day door to door. It is a lot, but the sites themselves are spread out and mostly flat, and you move between them by car rather than on foot.
Being private, the day can be weighted to your interests: the Bodhi tree and the living religious sites, or the archaeology and the monastery ruins. Pickup covers Colombo, Negombo and Katunayake.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Pickup
Collected from your hotel in Colombo, Negombo or Katunayake.
Breakfast at Kurunegala
A break on the drive north through the coconut country.
Isurumuniya and Ruwanweli Maha Seya
The rock temple with its carved reliefs, then the great white stupa.
Mirisawetiya and Abhayagiri
Two more stupas and the ruins of a vast monastery complex.
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi
An hour at the sacred Bo tree among pilgrims in white.
Moonstone, Jetavanaramaya and Samadhi Buddha
Carved guardstones, the brick colossus and the seated meditation figure.
Lunch and return
A meal in Anuradhapura, then around four hours back.
Detailed Itinerary
[{"time": "05:00", "title": "Pickup", "description": "Meet your driver and guide and head north."}, {"time": "07:00", "title": "Kurunegala", "description": "A 30-minute breakfast stop."}, {"time": "08:30", "title": "Isurumuniya Rajamaha Viharaya", "description": "Forty minutes at the rock temple, including the lovers relief."}, {"time": "09:15", "title": "Ruwanweli Maha Seya", "description": "An hour at the second-century BC stupa of King Dutugemunu."}, {"time": "10:20", "title": "Mirisawetiya", "description": "Thirty minutes at the stupa and its restored terraces."}, {"time": "11:00", "title": "Abhayagiri Vihara", "description": "Thirty minutes in the monastery ruins that once housed thousands of monks."}, {"time": "11:40", "title": "Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi", "description": "An hour at the sacred Bo tree, among pilgrims and offerings."}, {"time": "12:45", "title": "Moonstone, Jetavanaramaya and Samadhi Buddha", "description": "The carved moonstone, the brick stupa and the seated meditation image."}, {"time": "14:30", "title": "Lunch", "description": "An hour for a meal in Anuradhapura."}, {"time": "15:30", "title": "Return drive", "description": "Around four hours back to Colombo, Negombo or Katunayake."}]
Includes
- Private air-conditioned car with driver and fuel; English-speaking guide; hotel pickup and drop-off in Colombo, Negombo or Katunayake; bottled water.
Excludes
- Anuradhapura sacred city entrance ticket; breakfast and lunch; drinks; gratuities; personal expenses.
Important information
Meeting point
Hotel pickup in Colombo, Negombo or Katunayake, early morning.
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts
About this activity
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Traveler Reviews
The tour to Anuradhapura was fantastic and Chatu, the tour guide we had, was fantastic. He made it really interesting with all the information he shared and all the places we went to. We appreciated his friendly and warm personality and we enjoyed the stories he told which made the history come alive. His knowledge and his experience made the tour a very memorable experience. Thank you very much, Chatu!