8 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Colombo, Kandy & Mirissa Whales
Two easy nights in Colombo, then Dambulla, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Kandy, ending by the sea at Mirissa with a dawn boat trip to look for whales.
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Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's second ancient capital, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site more compact and better preserved than Anuradhapura. Polonnaruwa flourished from around the 11th to 13th centuries, and its ruins include royal palace remains and the Gal Vihara — a set of four Buddha statues carved directly into a single granite rock face.
What to expect
- The Gal Vihara rock-carved Buddha statues — among the finest examples of ancient Sinhalese sculpture
- Royal palace and audience hall ruins
- A more compact site than Anuradhapura, often easier to see in half a day
Tours that include Polonnaruwa
Every tour is private and can be adjusted to spend more or less time here.
Whales, Wildlife & Ancient Cities
Ten days from Colombo through Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy to Ella, Yala and the whale coast at Mirissa, finishing with two beach nights in Hikkaduwa.
View Tour13 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Sigiriya, Kandy, Yala & Bentota
Three nights in Habarana, a rail journey through tea country, a dawn safari in Yala and three unhurried nights on the Bentota coast.
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13 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Trincomalee, Kandy, Ella & Wadduwa
Beach days on two coasts frame a route through ancient cities, the Kandy temples, a scenic train down to Ella and a jeep safari in Yala.
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Grand Ceylon Discovery
Thirteen days that follow the island's royal cities from Anuradhapura to Kandy, then climb to the tea hills, enter Yala and finish on the southern coast.
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14 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Anuradhapura, Kandy, Ella & Bentota
Sacred Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa by bicycle, Kandy, the hill train to Ella and an elephant safari at Udawalawe, then four nights at Bentota.
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The capital fromthe 11th century
Polonnaruwa ancient city: a compact capital to explore
Polonnaruwa took over from Anuradhapura as the capital in the 11th century, and the Polonnaruwa ancient city is smaller and easier to cover. You can see the royal palace ruins, the Quadrangle with its carved stone buildings and the Gal Vihara, where huge Buddha figures were carved out of a single granite face. The Parakrama Samudra, a vast man-made lake, sits next to the ruins and adds a breezy edge to the visit.
Gal Vihara
Huge Buddha figures carved out of a single granite face.
Flat tracks, easy to cycle
Start early and bring water and a hat. Or let your driver go from site to site.
Tickets at the gate
The archaeological park sells them on the spot.
Cycling, timing and combining Polonnaruwa with Sigiriya
The ruins are spread along flat tracks, which makes cycling a pleasant way to see them. Start early to avoid the midday heat, and bring water and a hat. Polonnaruwa is about an hour from Sigiriya and Dambulla, so it is often paired with an elephant safari at Minneriya. If you would rather not cycle, your driver can take you from site to site. We plan it as a half day or a full day, depending on how much you like ruins.
Entrance tickets for the archaeological park are bought at the gate, and a map helps if you wander alone. Visiting with a guide gives the carvings and ruins a story, which most guests find far more memorable.
Nearby and easy to combine
Planning a visit to Polonnaruwa?
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