Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites within 20 kilometres of each other, each entirely different in character. Sigiriya at dawn for the sunrise climb of the 5th-century rock palace, when the temperature is manageable and the summit view belongs almost entirely to the traveller. Dambulla in the afternoon for the painted cave chambers, when the quality of light inside the five interconnected rooms is at its most atmospheric and the density of 22 centuries of Buddhist art rewards exactly the kind of slow, attentive visit the pacing allows.
Day Tours
Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Dambulla Cave Temple Tour
Key Highlights
- Sigiriya Water Gardens The ancient hydraulic gardens at the base of the rock, one of the earliest examples of symmetrical garden design in Asia and still remarkable as an engineering achievement 1,500 years later.
- Sigiriya Frescoes The 5th-century paintings of celestial women on the vertical cliff face, 22 of the original 500 remaining, painted in a style that influenced Sri Lankan Buddhist art for centuries.
- Sigiriya Summit View The palace ruins on top of a 200-metre volcanic rock, with views across the flat forest plain that no photograph fully prepares a first-time visitor for.
- Dambulla Cave Murals Five interconnected chambers containing 153 statues and 2,100 square metres of painted murals spanning 22 continuous centuries of Buddhist artistic practice.
Inclusions
- Private vehicle and driver throughout
- Specialist archaeological guide
- Sigiriya entrance fee
- Dambulla Cave Temple entrance fee
- Bottled water
Exclusions
- Meals and refreshments
- Optional Pidurangala hike entrance fee
- Tips
Start Your Journey