Kandy to Sigiriya & Dambulla Day Tour: Discover ancient history & UNESCO World Heritage sites

Embark on a day tour from Kandy to Sigiriya and Dambulla to explore ancient history and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Visit the Dambulla cave temple and the iconic Sigiriya Rock Fortress.

Duration: 12 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Sri Muthumariamman Temple - The temple, featuring 1008 statues of Hindu deities, is the creation of South Indian sculptor Nagalingam and his son Ramanathan, with assistance from around 100 designers, painters, and architects from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The Raja Koburum was completed in 2007 at an approximate cost of Rs 150M.
  • Sigiriya The Ancient Rock Fortress - Explore Sigiriya Rock Fortress, constructed by King Kashayapa as his palace in the 5th Century, and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
  • Golden Temple of Dambulla - The Dambulla cave temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla, is a World Heritage Site located in central Sri Lanka. It is situated 148 kilometers east of Colombo and 72 kilometers north of Kandy. Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.
  • Pidurangala Rock - Highly recommended for those on a tight budget seeking panoramic views, especially if not visiting Sigiriya rock. Pidurangala is a destination for moderate hikes and climbs to the top, known for its stunning panoramic views.
  • Minneriya National Park - This is an opportunity to visit the national park in the afternoon. It is advisable to start the tour as early as possible. There are no extra charges, but entrance tickets and safari jeep costs are additional. Minneriya National Park is renowned for hosting the largest known gathering of wild Asian elephants in the world.
What's Included
  • Driver/guide
  • Surcharges on fuel
  • Day tour as per itinerary
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
What's Not Included
  • Drinks
  • Lunch
  • Entrance tickets of activities
Additional Information

Our chauffeur will pick you up from your hotel in Kandy (limited to city hotels) as early as possible, typically around or before 8 am, for a transfer to Sigiriya. This is typically a journey of about 2-3 hours. En route to Sigiriya, we will make a brief stop at the Matale Hindu temple. From there, it’s an hour drive to Dambulla where we will visit the Dambulla cave Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site that features paintings of Lord Buddha’s life on the cave walls - believed to have been created in the 2nd century.

Post temple visit, we will break for lunch at a recommended eatery. Following lunch, we end the evening with a visit to the Sigiriya Rock Fortress.

  • Dress code when you entered to the Cave temple and Matale Hindu temple, the nee should be coverd
Location
Sri Muthumariamman Temple
680 17 Kandy-Jaffna Highway
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(171 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
8humoresques
Aug 17, 2024
Best couples trip to Sigiriya/Dambulla with our guide Ilham - We had a fantastic trip to Sigiriya (Pidurangala rock) and the Dambulla cave. Our guide, Ilham, was extremely kind and knowledgeable about Sri Lanka. He was very flexible, punctual and accomodating - he took up our additional requests without qualms and gave us extra suggestions about where to visit after the main tourist spots. He also brought us to an affordable and authentic Sri Lankan restaurant and treated us to some juicy fruits at the end. My partner and I had a wonderful experience together! :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lianne740
Jul 9, 2024
Amazing day - Had an amazing time mr sharmin was amazing full of knowledge and really looked after us would deffo recommend booking with this tour company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roving750308
May 19, 2024
It’s very wonderful trip! - The journey was very pleasant, the weather was very good, the driver introduced us to various plants and attractions along the way, and took us to find tour guides from various places. He was punctual, polite, and very friendly. The travel agency was also very patient with us in arranging the itinerary we wanted before departure, tried their best to meet our wishes, and provided all kinds of complete information! I highly recommend it to everyone. I was very happy to have them arrange and accompany me throughout the entire trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fabiola_l
Apr 24, 2024
Great experience - Our driver was extremely kind, even bought fruits and other typical food for us. He also offered information while we were on the way to the different spots.
Review provided by Viator
Lachlan_n
Apr 19, 2024
Great Driver - Great day! Mr Fazeel was my driver and provided great conversation and information along the way - I should note that his role is that of a driver and not a guide but he shared so much and pointed out interesting things along the way so he may as well have been! Part of the tour included a stop at Royal 100 Spice Garden. Read a Google review or two on this place and you’ll get the picture. It was nonetheless interesting and I never felt pressured the purchase. Sigiriya is amazing. Take your time there and try to get there as early as possible to avoid the heat and crowd. Dambulla Cave Temple will be interesting if this is your first time visiting Buddhist temples. If it’s not, you probably won’t find it all that exciting. Mr Fazeel also pointed out an Ancient Village tour that was an option and asked regularly if I was okay or needed to stop for food or rest. A great driver.
Review provided by Viator
Shawn_l
Mar 31, 2024
Breathtaking - Great driver/guide … Irfan was very knowledgeable and conscientious about us having s great day. The sites were breathtaking.
Review provided by Viator
760roryh
Mar 26, 2024
A day we'll never forget! - We had an amazing day on a trip to Sirigiya and Dambulla. We stopped off at temple and Herb gardens in Matale and a Dambulla Gem museum too. It was also great to stop off at authentic food stops that our driver Irfan recommend, which included local Sri Lankan fruits and family run rice and curry restaurant. Amazing! Irfan was an excellent driver, who went above and beyond; guiding us and teaching us about then local area. Our day wouldn't have been half as enjoyable without him!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q7123bvjamesw
Mar 13, 2024
Great tour - Our tour guide Irfan was great and very informative, teaching us about the locations as we went. Pidurangala Rock was a tough climb but well worth the views and Dambula is definitely worth a visit! Our driver gave us a very safe and comfortable journey.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dawid
Mar 4, 2024
Great Day Trip - We highly recommend the trip! Magnificent, unforgettable views. Our guide Riz was very helpful, he told us about Sri Lanka and the culture. He is a great and safe driver.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gissy9
Aug 16, 2024
Fascinating but very long day - The communication with the tour company was very good, although the pick up time was not finalized until the night before. A few days prior to the trip, the company wrote to ask if I wanted to add Polonnaruwa onto the itinerary at no extra charge. I agreed to this and it was a very interesting site but going there really made the day too long for me...almost 14 hours. Sigiriya was the highlight-- incredible. Our driver, Shamin, was great. He stopped to buy us tasty treats along the way and pointed out many worthwhile sights . He has adequate English and was generally very entertaining. I would certainly request Shamin if I was doing this trip again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 13 guests
1
Traveler
September 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today