From Colombo: 3-Day Ancient Buddhist Temple Tour

Embark on a 3-day cultural tour of Sri Lanka's holiest, the Cultural Triangle. See the ancient city of Anuradhapura, the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla, Kandy and the ancient city of Polonnaruwa.
Embark on an exciting and rare 3-day cultural tour of Sri Lanka's holiest, the Cultural Triangle. Visit the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, and the rock fortress of Sigiriya. See the great gathering around Minneriya Lake on an off-road jeep safari.

Day 1: Colombo-Anuradhapura-Sigiriya
Get picked up in Colombo and head to your hotel in Sigiriya. On the way, stop at Mihintale, Aukana Temple, and Anuradhapura, the oldest city in Sri Lanka. The first activity of the 3-day tour is the hop-on, hop-off city tour of the historical city of Anuradhapura.

The tour covers a large number of historical places, such as Buddhist temples, dagobas, palaces, gardens, and other remarkable structures in the city that testify to the grandeur of ancient civilization. The city tour also includes the most sacred 8 Buddhist sites in the city, better known as "Atamasthana," Jaya Sri Maha Bodhiya, Ruwanwelisaya, Thuparamaya, Lovamahapaya, Abhayagiri Dagaba, Jetavanarama, Mirisaveti Stupa, and Lankarama.

Day 2: Sigiriya-Polonnaruwa-Sigiriya
After breakfast, leave for the Sigiriya rock fortress, home to one of the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. Your Sigiriya tour starts early in the morning, allowing you to escape the mid-day heat. Climb the rock and reach the summit to see the site of the king's palace, swimming pool, and king's throne. Soak up the breathtaking scenery from the top of the pinnacle. Later visit Pidurangala temple.

Later, drive to Polonnaruwa and see the dozens of ancient temples, Buddha statues, and many other ancient structures built by ancient kings. Witness massive stone-cut Buddha statues, dagobas, an audience hall, and much more at the cultural museum of Polonnaruwa.

Later in the day, go on an off-road jeep safari to see the great gathering around Minneriya Lake. Enhance your experience with a wildlife safari at Minneriya National Park. Spot wild elephants, bears, wild boars, deer, buffalo, monkeys, and maybe even a leopard.

Day 3: Sigiriya-Kandy-Colombo
Depart early for Colombo via Kandy, visiting a spice/herbal garden en route. In Matale, spices and herbs are used for Sri Lankan cuisine and medicine. Hear about this history as you explore the site with your guide.

Later, visit Dambulla Golden Temple and Tooth Relic Temple, which are sure to add another level of sacrosanctity to your experience. Dambulla hosts more than 150 Buddha statues and a large number of ancient murals. The next stop will be Kandy City.

Today, Kandy is one of Sri Lanka's most important cities because of the presence of the temple of the sacred tooth of the Buddha. Thousands of devotees visit this temple every day, making it the most popular Buddhist shrine on the island. Return to your hotel in Colombo.

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.