9 Top Tourist Places to Visit in Sigiriya

At a distance of 5 km from Sigiriya Airport, Sigiriya Rock Fortress is an ancient rock fort situated in the town of Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. It is probably the most iconic and important national monument of Sri Lanka and among the must-visit places as part of Sri Lanka Tour Packages.

Perched atop a 200m high rocky plateau, Sigiriya Rock Fortress or the Lion Rock Fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rock itself is a lava plug left over from an ancient long extinct volcano. According to history, Sigiriya was used as a monastery in the 3rd century BCE. In 477 CE, King Kashyapa of Anuradhapura moved his capital from Anuradhapura to the more secure Sigiriya, where he built a sophisticated city and fortress to protect it from intruders. After his death, the site fell into decline and was again used as a Buddhist monastery till the very end of the 14th century. After which it remained largely forgotten, except for brief periods of military use by the Kingdom of Kandy in the 17th century, .....

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At a distance of 5 km from Sigiriya Airport, Sigiriya Museum is an archaeological museum situated just outside the entry gate of Sigiriya Rock Fortress in Sigiriya. It is one of the popular places to visit in Sigiriya during your Sri Lanka Tour.

Sigiriya Museum was established in 2009 with funding from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency. The museum boasts an impressive collection of exhibits that belong to various periods in history - ranging from the prehistoric period to the reign of King Kashyapa. The exhibits at Sigiriya Museum are not limited to the artifacts but they include photographs depicting the site's history, several informative videos and models of the fortress.

With two levels, the tour of the museum begins with an informative video detailing the site's history in English, Sinhala, and Tamil languages. The entry to the first level of the museum is through a brick tunnel, similar to that of the rock fortress. The first floor has six major galleries .....

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At a distance of 6 km from Sigiriya Rock and 8 km from Sigiriya Airport, Pidurangala is a massive rock formation located near Sigiriya in Sri Lanka. It is one of the popular places of hiking in Sri Lanka and among the must include places in Sigiriya Tour Packages.

The Pidurangala Rock is also called the Sister Rock of Sigiriya as both the rocks are just a few kilometers away from each other. It may be less popular compared to the Sigiriya Rock, but the hike to the topmost point and the view from up there makes it no less magnificent than the UNESCO site. The breathtaking and unobstructed vistas from the summit of Pidurangala Rock encompass the surrounding forests, lakes, mountains, and of course, Sigiriya Rock. One can even spot the hills of Kandy on a clear day.

The Pidurangala Rock also has a white temple called the Pidurangala Vihara, at the base. The temple houses a few beautiful thousand-year-old frescoes, akin to those at Sigiriya Rock. Midway through the hike, there .....

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At a distance of 3 km from Dambulla Bus Station, 17 km from Sigiriya and 73 km from Kandy, Dambulla Cave Temples is an ancient cave temple complex situated at Dambulla in Sri Lanka. It is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Sri Lanka and among the must-visit places for heritage lovers as part of Sri Lanka Packages.

Sitting on top of a 160-meter high rock, the Dambulla Cave Temple, also called as Golden Temple of Dambulla, has been a sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries and is one of the five UNESCO World Heritage Sites that the tiny island possesses. It is the best-preserved and most extensive cave temple complex of the country comprising of five main caves, each possessing numerous statues of Lord Buddha, some figures of kings and statues of Lord Vishnu along with Rock Paintings of vivid colours and shapes from around 2nd Century BC (Anuradhapura era) and continued up to the Kandyan era of the 18th Century. Dambulla is also a part of the 'Cultural Triangle' of Sri Lanka .....

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At a distance of 23 km from Sigiriya, 40 km from Polonnaruwa and 68 km from Anuradhapura, Minneriya National Park is a national park situated in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is one of the best places to see wildlife in Sri Lanka.

The area was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938 and was designated as a national park in the year 1997. The main reason for declaring the area as a protected reserve is to conserve the flora and fauna that surrounded the Minneriya Tank. The tank is of historical importance, having been built by King Mahasen in 3rd century AD and derives water from the Amban River, and the Elahera Canal. The park is a dry season feeding ground for the elephant population dwelling in the forests of Matale, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee districts.

Covering an area of 89 sq. km, the park has plenty of scrubs, forests, and wetlands. Minneriya is home to 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species .....

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At a distance of 20 km from Habarana, 38 km from Sigiriya, 36 km from Polonnaruwa, 75 km from Trincomalee and 82 km from Anuradhapura, Kaudulla National Park is a national park situated near the town of Galoya in Polonnaruwa district of North Central Province in Sri Lanka. It is one of the best national parks on the island which can be visited as part of Sri Lanka Packages.

Kaudulla National Park is one of Sri Lanka's youngest national parks, having only been designated a protected area in 2002, becoming the 15th nature reserve on the island. Along with Minneriya and Girithale, BirdLife International has identified Kaudulla as an Important Bird Area. The Kaudulla reservoir which lies in the center of the reserve is the main focal point of wildlife in the park. Historically Kaudulla was one of the 16 irrigation tanks built by King Mahasen. Following a period of abandonment, it was reconstructed in 1959. The two-third area of the park is underwater during several months of the year .....

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At a distance of 5 km from Dambulla and 19 km from Sigiriya, Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Tombs is an ancient burial site situated in Ibbankatuwa near Dambulla town. It is one of the popular archaeological sites in Sri Lanka and among the prime places to visit in Sigiriya.

Situated on the Kurunegala - Dambulla road, the Ibbankatuwa tomb site was first identified in the year 1970 residential excavation at the site by the Archaeological Department. The Radiocarbon dating of the remnants found in the site has revealed that these tombs dated back to 700 - 400 BC. After that a number of archaeological excavations were carried out in 1983-1984 and again between 1988 and 1990. Currently, the 15 acres tomb site has been designated as an archaeological protected site in Sri Lanka and is opened to the public in 2017.

The tomb complex covers an area of about 1 sq. km with 42 clusters of tombs and each cluster contains about 10 tombs. Each tomb is enclosed with four stone slabs and covered by .....

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At a distance of 72 km from Nuwara Eliya, 92 km from Sigiriya, 110 km from Dambulla, 116 km from Colombo, 129 km from Ella, 137 km from Polonnaruwa, 140 km from Anuradhapura, 183 km from Trincomalee, 223 km from Galle, 245 km from Mirissa, and 321 km from Jaffna, Kandy is a scenic city located in central Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Central Province of Sri Lanka and among the must-include places in Sri Lanka Tour Packages.

Set on a high plateau in the midst of the thick tropical forests and the tea plantations is the city of Kandy, the second-largest city in Sri Lanka. More popularly known as the hill capital of Sri Lanka, Kandy is known for its spirituality and laid-back charm due to which the colonial town is frequented by tourists as well as Buddhists, especially of the Theravada School. The well-planned town of Kandy added value to its legacy and never changed its roots for the sake of development. It was declared a .....

Distance (From Sigiriya): 90 Kms
Trip Duration (From Sigiriya - Including Travel): Full Day
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At a distance of 39 km from Negambo, 116 km from Kandy, 126 km from Galle, 150 km from Mirissa, 161 km from Dambulla, 167 km from Nuwara Eliya, 202 km from Anuradhapura, 205 km from Ella, 230 km from Polonnaruwa and 395 km from Jaffna, Colombo is the commercial capital and the largest city of Sri Lanka by population. Located in the western province of the Island, it is one of the must-include places in Sri Lanka Tour Packages.

With rich colonial heritage and very scenic and popular attractions, Colombo is arguably the most popular tourist destination in Sri Lanka. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the legislative capital of the country, is within the urban area of the city, hence Colombo is often called the capital of Sri Lanka as well. It is also the administrative capital of the Western Province and the capital of Colombo district. The name 'Colombo', is believed to be derived from the classical Sinhala name Kolon Thota, meaning 'port .....

Distance (From Sigiriya): 176 Kms
Trip Duration (From Sigiriya - Including Travel): Full Day
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