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View all Kandy toursSigiriya Rock and Polonnaruwa Ancient City Day Trip from Kandy
Two UNESCO sites in one long day from Kandy: the climb up Sigiriya in the morning, then the ruined capital at Polonnaruwa with the Vatadage, the Lankatilaka and the Gal Vihara Buddhas.
Highlights
- Two UNESCO World Heritage sites in a single day from Kandy
- Sigiriya climbed at opening, before the heat and the queues
- Polonnaruwa's Royal Palace, Vatadage and the seventeen-metre Lankatilaka
- The Gal Vihara — four colossal Buddhas cut from one granite face
- A private vehicle and guide for the whole twelve hours
Sigiriya Rock and Polonnaruwa Ancient City Day Trip from Kandy: Key Facts
| Price | From $169 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 12 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Full description
Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa are 60 kilometres apart and belong to different centuries, which is what makes the pairing worth a long day rather than two short ones.
Sigiriya comes first, at opening, because the climb is unpleasant later. It is a fifth-century royal citadel on top of a granite plug, reached through water gardens that still work, up past the mirror wall frescoes and the lion's paws to a summit that holds the foundations of a palace and a view across the plain to Pidurangala.
Polonnaruwa is six hundred years younger and a different kind of site: an entire capital rather than a single monument. Parakramabahu I ruled the island from here in the twelfth century and built on a scale that still reads — a seven-storey palace, an artificial sea of a reservoir, and a religious quarter holding the circular Vatadage and the seventeen-metre brick walls of the Lankatilaka.
The Gal Vihara closes the day: four colossal Buddhas cut from a single granite face, including a seven-metre reclining figure, carved in the twelfth century and almost undamaged. It is the finest sculpture in the country and it is worth arranging the day so you are not rushing when you reach it.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Pickup in Kandy
A pre-dawn start for the drive north.
Sigiriya rock
The climb at opening time.
Drive east
About an hour to Polonnaruwa.
Polonnaruwa ruins
The palace, the quadrangle and the image houses.
Gal Vihara
The four rock-cut Buddhas.
Return drive
The long road back to Kandy.
Kandy
Drop-off at your hotel.
Detailed Itinerary
[{"time": "05:00", "title": "Hotel pickup", "description": "Twelve hours door to door. Sleep on the first leg."}, {"time": "07:00", "title": "Sigiriya", "description": "At the gate for opening. Three hours including the water gardens."}, {"time": "12:00", "title": "Polonnaruwa", "description": "Spread over several kilometres; bicycles can be hired at the entrance."}, {"time": "15:00", "title": "Gal Vihara", "description": "At the north end of the site. Shoes off on the platform, which gets very hot."}, {"time": "19:00", "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, guiding at both sites, all driving, fuel and parking.
Excludes
- Entrance fees at Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa, 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