Explore more curated experiences in Sigiriya
View all Sigiriya toursSigiriya to Kandy Transfer with a Kandy City Tour on Arrival
The Sigiriya to Kandy move with the road stops and a city tour once you arrive: the Dambulla caves, a spice garden, a woodcarving workshop, then the Temple of the Tooth, the lake and the viewpoints.
Highlights
- A transfer that turns into a city tour instead of ending at the hotel door
- The Dambulla cave temples and a Matale spice garden on the road
- The Bahirawakanda Buddha and the view over Kandy
- The Temple of the Tooth, timed for the evening puja where possible
- Both the drive and the city covered in a single day
Sigiriya to Kandy Transfer with a Kandy City Tour on Arrival: Key Facts
| Price | From $78 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 9 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Full description
Most Sigiriya to Kandy transfers drop you at your hotel in the early afternoon and leave you to work out the city yourself. This one keeps the guide for the rest of the day and turns the arrival into a tour.
The road section is the standard and good one: the Dambulla cave temples fifteen minutes from Sigiriya, five caves under a granite overhang painted for two thousand years; a Matale spice garden growing cinnamon, cardamom, pepper and nutmeg together; and a woodcarving or herbal workshop in the craft district on the way down.
In Kandy the day continues rather than stopping. The Bahirawakanda Buddha on the hill above the town has the best free view in the city. The lake, dug by the last king in 1807, is a flat walk. The Temple of the Tooth is the reason Kandy is a World Heritage site, and if the timing works you can be there for the 6.30pm puja when the relic chamber opens.
You end at your hotel having covered both the drive and the city in one day, which on a tight itinerary saves you a whole day of the trip.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Pickup
From your hotel in Sigiriya, Dambulla or Habarana.
Dambulla cave temples
The five painted caves.
Spice garden and workshop
Matale's growing plots and craft studios.
Arrive in Kandy
Luggage dropped at your hotel.
Bahirawakanda and viewpoints
The hilltop Buddha and the city below.
Kandy lake and market
The lakeside and the centre.
Temple of the Tooth
The evening puja.
Drop-off
Return to your hotel.
Detailed Itinerary
[{"time": "08:00", "title": "Hotel pickup", "description": "Luggage stays in the car until the Kandy hotel drop."}, {"time": "08:30", "title": "Dambulla", "description": "A steep approach path, an hour in the caves, shoes off."}, {"time": "13:00", "title": "Kandy hotel", "description": "Bags dropped so the afternoon is unencumbered."}, {"time": "18:00", "title": "Sri Dalada Maligawa", "description": "The 6.30pm puja. Shoulders and knees covered."}, {"time": "19:30", "title": "Kandy", "description": "Drop-off at your hotel."}]
Includes
- Private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking driver-guide, hotel pickup in Sigiriya, Dambulla or Habarana, all road stops, the Kandy city tour, drop-off at your Kandy hotel, luggage carried throughout.
Excludes
- Entrance fees at Dambulla and the Temple of the Tooth, meals and drinks, gratuities, workshop purchases.
Important information
Meeting point
Hotel pickup in Sigiriya, Dambulla or Habarana; confirmed after booking.
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts