Cultural Triangle
Sigiriya
A fifth-century palace built on top of a 200-metre granite plug, with the remains of a lion gateway, mirror-polished walls and frescoes halfway up the cliff.
- From Colombo
- 4 hours
- Good for
- History · Views · Early risers
Climb it at seven or don’t climb it. By ten the steps are metal, in the sun, and full of people going the other way.
Pidurangala, the rock opposite, is a twenty-minute scramble and gives you the view of Sigiriya that Sigiriya itself cannot. Most people do both — Pidurangala at sunset, Sigiriya at dawn the next day.
Routes that include Sigiriya
5 daysThe Cultural Triangle
Sigiriya at dawn, the ruined cities of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura, and the cave temples at Dambulla — the oldest part of the island, driven at a sane pace.
from$640pp
See the route
12 daysSri Lanka End to End
The full circuit in twelve days — ancient cities, the mountain railway, a proper safari and the south coast — without the 5am departures that usually come with it.
from$1480pp
See the route