From Colombo: Sigiriya Fortress and Dambulla Cave Temple

Climb to the ruins on Sigiriya Rock and explore the Buddha-statue-packed caves of Dambulla on a full-day tour from Colombo. Settle into an air-conditioned vehicle with a driver-guide, and admire the scenery on route into the island’s lush heartlands. Visit Dambulla and then stop at Sigiriya, where you can climb the rock or just stroll its gardens. Admissions are at your own expense. Meet your driver-guide at your hotel in Colombo and begin your journey to the heart of Sri Lanka. Stop for a coffee at Cafe Amakie, and then continue to the Dambulla Cave Temple. Explore the temple, also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla, a World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country. Next, stop at the Rock Temple of Dambulla, called Jumbukola Vihara in the Mahavamsa, the principal Pali Chronicle of Sri Lanka. Admire the rock temples, the most extensive in the island, and one of the most ancient, and in the highest state of preservation and order. Continue to the Sigiriya Museum, known to be the most beautiful museum in all of South Asia, managed by the central Cultural Fund. Explore three decades of archaeological research on Sigiriya. The design of the Sigiriya museum was inspired by the complex design systems evident in Sigiriya itself. Finally, arrive at Sigiriya, the most exquisite example of ancient Sri Lankan art, architecture, and landscaping. Climb the rock or just stroll its gardens. If you’re in good shape and don’t stop to look at things, it’ll take you less than 30 minutes to climb all the way to the top of the rock. If you need a few breaks along the way or simply want to stop often to take photos and admire the view, it’ll take an hour and a half to two hours to climb up and go back down again.