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View all Kandy toursPrivate Polonnaruwa Day Tour from Kandy with a Minneriya Jeep Safari
A private day from Kandy to the ruined capital at Polonnaruwa — the Royal Palace, the Vatadage and the Gal Vihara Buddhas — paired with an afternoon jeep safari at Minneriya or Hurulu Eco Park.
Highlights
- Polonnaruwa, the best-preserved of Sri Lanka's ancient capitals
- The Vatadage and the Lankatilaka image house in the central quadrangle
- The Gal Vihara — four colossal twelfth-century Buddhas cut from one granite face
- An afternoon jeep safari at Minneriya or Hurulu Eco Park
- Private vehicle and guide, so the pace at the ruins is yours
Private Polonnaruwa Day Tour from Kandy with a Minneriya Jeep Safari: Key Facts
| Price | From $93.6 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 11 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Full description
Polonnaruwa was the island's capital in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, after Anuradhapura fell and before the court moved south. It is the best-preserved of the ancient cities and by some distance the easiest to understand: compact, well laid out, and reachable on foot or by bicycle in a single visit.
The quadrangle at the centre holds the Vatadage, a circular relic house with four Buddhas facing the compass points, and the Lankatilaka, a brick image house whose walls still stand seventeen metres high with the headless Buddha inside. The Royal Palace was seven storeys when Parakramabahu I built it; three remain.
The Gal Vihara is the reason to come. Four colossal Buddhas cut from a single granite face — seated, standing, and a seven-metre reclining figure — carved in the twelfth century and, unusually for stone this old, essentially undamaged. It is the finest sculpture in Sri Lanka.
The afternoon is a jeep safari at Minneriya or Hurulu Eco Park, both within half an hour, where the elephant herds come down to the reservoirs late in the day.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Pickup in Kandy
The drive northeast to Polonnaruwa.
Polonnaruwa ruins
The Royal Palace, the quadrangle and the Lankatilaka.
Gal Vihara
The four rock-cut Buddhas.
Break
Time to eat before the park.
Jeep safari
Minneriya or Hurulu Eco Park for elephants.
Return drive
Back towards Kandy.
Kandy
Drop-off at your hotel.
Detailed Itinerary
[{"time": "05:30", "title": "Hotel pickup", "description": "About three hours northeast."}, {"time": "08:30", "title": "The ancient city", "description": "Spread over several kilometres. Bicycles can be hired at the entrance and are the best way round."}, {"time": "11:30", "title": "Gal Vihara", "description": "At the northern end of the site. Shoes off on the platform."}, {"time": "13:00", "title": "Lunch stop", "description": "Not included; your guide will suggest somewhere near the site."}, {"time": "15:00", "title": "Safari", "description": "Two to three hours. Which park is used depends on where the herds are."}, {"time": "20:00", "title": "Kandy", "description": "Drop-off at your hotel."}]
Includes
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide, hotel pickup and drop-off in Kandy, the safari jeep, all driving.
Excludes
- The Polonnaruwa entrance fee and the national park permit, both paid at the gate, meals and drinks, bicycle hire at the ruins, gratuities.
Important information
Meeting point
Hotel pickup in Kandy; the exact address and time are confirmed after booking.
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts