landmark
Sigiriya Lion Rock
Fifth-century rock fortress rising about 200m from the plain, with water gardens, ancient frescoes, the Mirror Wall and the paws of the Lion Gate below a summit palace.
Sigiriya · Attractions
Top attractions in Sigiriya
A reference guide to the sights worth seeing in Sigiriya, what each one is and why it's worth your time.
Want to know how to spend your days instead? See our things to do.
landmark
Pidurangala Rock
Forested rock north of Sigiriya, reached past a reclining Buddha and a short scramble, giving the finest head-on view of Lion Rock at sunrise.
culture
Dambulla Cave Temples
UNESCO-listed Golden Temple of five linked caves holding over 150 Buddha images and murals painted across the rock ceilings, in use for more than two thousand years.
culture
Polonnaruwa Ancient City
Sri Lanka's compact second capital, with a royal palace, the walled Quadrangle shrines and large dagobas, best explored by rented bicycle in half a day.
culture
Gal Vihara
Group of four Buddha images cut from a single granite face at Polonnaruwa, including a 14m reclining figure regarded as a high point of Sinhalese stone carving.
culture
Anuradhapura Sacred City
The island's first great capital, a wide sacred zone of colossal brick dagobas, monastery ruins and bathing pools spread across several kilometres.
landmark
Ruwanwelisaya
Whitewashed dome-shaped stupa at Anuradhapura built in the second century BCE, ringed by a wall of stone elephants and one of the country's most revered dagobas.
wildlife
Minneriya National Park
Reservoir-centred park near Habarana where wild Asian elephants gather in large numbers during the dry season, the focus of the region's famous elephant gathering.
nature
Ritigala Forest Monastery
Shaded archaeological reserve on a forested ridge, with stone-paved paths linking the sparse ruins of an ancient ascetic hermitage and rock inscriptions.
landmark
Aukana Buddha
Colossal standing Buddha over 12m tall, carved from a single granite outcrop and dated to around the fifth century, among the largest ancient statues on the island.
culture
Nalanda Gedige
Small stone shrine near Matale that blends Hindu-style carving and a gopuram-like entrance with a Buddhist interior, unusually sited at the island's geographic centre.