Sigiriya is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the central region of Sri Lanka. One would not miss out visiting Sigiriya during their visit to Sri Lanka due to one particular attraction – Sigiriya or Lion Rock as some call it. Being in the UNESCO world heritage list and also country’s cultural triangle, this destination is becoming famous is not surprising. Many travellers visit Sigiriya as a day trip without noticing the other impressive things that you can do while you are there.
HINT> You won’t regret! Stay a night or two in Sigiriya or either in Dambulla (since it does only 30 minutes difference between the 2 cities) and explore many amazing things you can do during the time.
This write up will be a great place to start planning ahead your journey to discover some unseen beauty of central Sri Lanka. Here you go!
First things first. Let’s see how to get around the city. Getting around Sri Lanka is not so hard being it is a small country and you can even travel within a day from the top to the bottom of the country.
Travelling around Sigiriya
- BY BUS
If you are a solo traveller this is probably the cheapest option of travel across Sri Lanka since buses run regularly in all main cities.
- BY TUK TUK
Tuktuks are readily available in everywhere and you can either hire a tuktuk taxi or you can rent one.
- BY SCOOTER|
If you own an international driving license you can rent a scooter and this is a good option for solo travellers. At present this costs around LKR 2000 to rent a scooter for a whole day.
- PRIVATE TOUR
You can also use a tour excursion with a tour guide by your hotel/hostel if you are not comfortable in driving or organizing your transport.
OK! Let’s move to the ultimate guide for the things to do while you are in Sigiriya
1. Climb the famous Sigiriya aka Lion’s rock
Entrance fee: $30 USD (include the entrance to the rock and onsite museum)
Location: Few minutes from Sigiriya city
Like we mentioned before, this UNESCO heritage site is the best thing why travellers visit Sigiriya. It is undoubtedly a most iconic landmark in Sri Lanka and if you love exploring history you should visit to witness the amazing ancient ruins and legendary story behind it.
It is better to arrive Sigiriya at early morning or late afternoon to beat the heat. You will need maximum 3-4 hours to see the rock. Check out our more descriptive article Sigiriya for further information.
2. Witness the sunrise from Pidurangala rock
Entrance fee: LKR 500
Location: Few minutes from Sigiriya city
Pidurangala rock is the popular alternative of the Sigiriya rock for many budget travellers. You can view the Sigiriya rock standing gracefully through Pidurangala rock.
Hint: Travelers climb Pidurangala either to see the sunrise or to see the sunset as the glowing sky gives the best insta-worthy shots.
The sunrises around 5.30-6am dawns and to climb the rock it will take only 20-30 minutes. The sunset will be around 6.00 -6.30 pm. The trail is stairs all the way but you need to climb few small rocks near the end point. The ticket office opens from 5am to 6 pm everyday. Since Pidurangala is a temple there is a dress code where you have to cover your knees and shoulders and no hats. Once you pass the temple you can go with whatever you like.
So prepare yourself before you go!
3. Learn more at Sigiriya museum
Entrance fee: Free with Sigiriya rock entrance ticket or $5 USD
Location: Near the Sigiriya rock entrance ticket office
Sigiriya archeological museum, which is at the base of the rock fortress, exhibits a variety of collections of ancient historical remains. If you do not want to spend 30$ for the rock this is a good alternative to learn about the history of the fortress. Also if you are climbing the rock visit the museum beforehand as t gives a heads-up on what you will be seeing in the fortress.
4. Elephant safari at Minneriya national park/ Kaudulla national park/Hurulu Eco park
Cost: around $65 USD per person (entrance ticket + pick and drop safari jeep)
Tip > The cost can be vary depend on the group size, bigger the group less cost per head, Book through your hotel/hostel
Imagine few hundreds of elephants in one spot! This comes in to reality in here and it is something one should witness during their lifetime.
One would wonder why three national parks closely connected to each other. And these parks have different peak seasons to see large gathering of elephants.
For an example best time to visit Minneriya Park is during July to September. You can see many elephants gather to the Minneriya Lake to drink water.
During rainy season, the Minneriya and Kaudulla lakes overflow and elephants move to the territory of Hurulu Eco Park. Also due to the muddy grounds some times some times the safari jeeps will stuck on the mud. So, during rainy season visit Hurulu Eco Park to avoid these circumstances. This is because elephants move from one to another during times.
Central national parks are a great option for a traveller since it is less crowded with jeeps unlike Yala and Udawalawe national parks. So to meet these majestic herds Minneriya/Kaudulla or Hurulu is the perfect choice!
5. Explore Dambulla Cave temple
Entrance fee: LKR 1500
Location: 30 minutes from Sigiriya city
Dambulla is popular as an economic city surrounded with some scenic lakes. Being the center of the country, travellers use Dambulla as a transit city to go to other places such as Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura. Therefore you can find many accommodation facilities from five star hotels to backpackers’ hostels in Dambulla. Also you can visit Dambulla from Sigiriya which will take only 30 minutes.
Dambulla cave temple is also a UNESCO world heritage site as it is the best-preserved and most extensive cave temple. The temple is comprised with 5 caves and each holding Lord Buddha statues and incredible ancient wall paintings. The Ticket office is opened from 7am -5 pm and you need to walk upstairs to see the caves. And once you come down you can also visit the Golden temple where the South Asia’s biggest ‘Samadhi Buddha statue’ holds.
Tip> Cover your knees and shoulders when you are going to the temples.
6. A day visit to Ancient Kingdom Anuradhapura
Entrance fee: $25 USD (the ticket office is closed on Tuesdays!)
Location: 2 hours from Sigiriya city
Being the first Kingdom of Sri Lanka, the city Anuradhapura holds lot of historical importance in the country. Also it is an ancient capital of the country and have many preserved temples and ‘Stupas’. In fact the largest Stupa in Sri Lanka (Ruwanmeliseya) also situated here.
The whole city is like an archaeological site which comprise of ancient monasteries, palaces, magnificent temples and Stupas which shows the strong cultural and political background the country had in the past.
Tip> As a tourist there are many things to see around this UNESCO site and we suggest you to hire a tour guide to help you understand the massive history behind the city.
7. A day trip to Ancient city of Polonnaruwa
Entrance fee: $25 USD
Location: 1 hour from Sigiriya city
Comprised of beautiful stone-carved statues, palace ruins the city of Polonnaruwa (UNESCO heritage site as well) is another fine example to display the successful kingdoms prevailed in Sri Lanka. Also you can witness the biggest lakes in the country that proves the marvel of ancient Sri Lankans.
Hint> You can always rent a bicycle to go around the city and it will be fun.
8. Enjoy the sea breeze at Trincomalee
Location: 1.5 hours from Sigiriya city
Sri Lanka owns the world’s most beautiful beaches and at Trinco have two of them namely Nilaweli and Marble beach. You can enjoy some drinks while enjoying the clean sandy beaches in Trinco.
Tip> Want a free natural tan skin?? Trinco beaches are the place to be as it is way hotter than the south coastal line of the island!
9. Climb the Rose quartz rock (National Namal uyana reserve)
Entrance fee: $5 USD
Location: less than 1 hour from Sigiriya city
The largest rose quartz mountain in South East Asia is the one of the unique, best things to see while you are in here. The journey takes about 1 hour to climb to the bottom of this dusty pink rock.
Tip> Wear shoes since some parts of the rock can be steep.
10. Experience Lankan Village tour
Cost: $20 USD
Location: nearby villages in Sigiriya
The tour is a unique experience if you want to see how the village people live in Sri Lanka. The tour comprised of 5 hours, which includes a cart ride, a boat ride in the lake where you can see people fishing and farming in nearby paddy fields. The final session is a cooking demonstration using ancient cooking equipment by a village woman and to enjoy some traditional village cuisines as your lunch. If you like to learn about culture this can be a one-time experience.
11. Peaceful Ritigala monastery
Location: 15-20 minutes from Sigiriya city
Entrance fee: LKR 350
Wander through a beautiful forest reserve to see the ruins of an ancient city, which existed 1000 years ago. This archeological site is not so crowded with travellers, thus you can enjoy s peaceful hike. The site is also a monastery for Buddhist monks who use it as a meditation hermitage.
12. Enjoy a nature trail in Habarana
Location: 20 minutes from Sigiriya
Cost: $15 USD
You can experience some natural encounters including some bird watching and wild life with the guide of a local naturalist. The trail will end with a sunset viewing at a charming lake or a on a rock. If you are a fan of eco tourism this is a best thing to do While in Sigiriya.
Convinced to visit this multi tourism destination?? Let’s start planning!