Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura was Sri Lanka’s first great royal capital, founded in the 4th century BC and occupied for well over a thousand years, home to the Sri Maha Bodhi tree and some of the largest brick structures built anywhere in the ancient world. Exploring the sacred city by bicycle turns a vast archaeological site into a […]
Yapahuwa
Yapahuwa is a lesser-visited rock fortress that briefly served as Sri Lanka’s capital in the 13th century, with an ornately carved stone stairway that remains one of the finest examples of medieval Sinhalese stone craft. Its relative obscurity means visitors often have the site largely to themselves.
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla’s five rock-cut cave shrines have been in continuous religious use since the 1st century BC, filled with painted ceilings and gilded Buddha statues that span two thousand years of devotion. It is almost always paired with Sigiriya, given the short distance between them.
Sigiriya
Sigiriya is a 5th-century rock fortress rising 200 metres above the surrounding plains, with hydraulic water gardens, ancient frescoes and a summit that once held a royal palace. The pre-dawn climb, before the heat and the crowds arrive, remains one of the defining experiences of any Sri Lanka trip.
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa was Sri Lanka’s medieval capital from the 11th to 13th century, and what survives is unusually complete, with royal palaces, sacred quadrangles and the Gal Vihara’s four Buddhas carved from a single granite face. Exploring it by bicycle or tuk tuk at a relaxed pace brings the ancient city genuinely to life.