Temple Tour Of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s Historic Temple Cities

This unique tour takes you to every single site of major historic interest that lies within Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle.

Included is a detailed visit to the ancient capital city of Anuradhapura, one of the great ‘lost’ cities of Asia.

Many interesting sites that lie off the beaten track are also included such as the Ritigala Monastery and Medirigiriya, both hidden in remote jungles. The massive Aukana Buddha statue lies near the Kala Wewa Lake.

At Polonnaruwa you can visit the medieval capital of the island with a fascinating assortment of well preserved palaces and stupas. The popular sites of The Sigiriya Fortress and The Golden Cave Temple at Dambulla are also included.

You then journey south to sample the charming colonial atmosphere of the last royal capital of Kandy. You can additionally explore charming temples in idyllic rural surroundings on the outskirts of the town.

Recommended For: Anyone with a special interest in history, archeology and Buddhism may wish to consider a Temple Tour of Sri Lanka’s fascinating historical sites.

Day 01

Depart UK

Depart UK – Overnight flight.

 

Day 02

Colombo

The Galle Face Regency 

Colombo

Arrive at Colombo and relax prior to your tour. In the evening visit the Kelaniya Temple, one of the centres of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. A beautifully shaped ancient stupa (3rd Century B.C.) lies next to an image gallery covered in Buddhist paintings (early 20th Century), that are world famous examples of Modern Buddhist Art.

Day 03

Anuradhapura

Palm Garden Village Hotel

Yapahuwa Rock Fortress
Capital City From 1272 AD - 1284 AD
A fortress built upon a 300 ft granite rock rising from the plains with fantastic views over the far distant hills.

The main feature of interest is an impressive ornamental stairway with beautifully carved lion figures that are very reminiscent of Far Eastern Art. There are stone window frames that decorate the remains of a Royal Palace on top.

Padeniya Temple
A very pretty example of a traditional Buddhist village temple. You will see as an Alms Hall, stupa and monk’s quarters.

There is also a very old, perfectly preserved ‘mud-brick’ storehouse and a medieval Kandyan period image house with intricately caved pillars and paintings.

Day 04

Anuradhapura

Palm Garden Village Hotel

Anuradhapura
Capital City From 500 BC - 1073 AD
One of the fabled ‘Lost Cities Of The East’ with a history going back well over 2000 years. The city has great significance to Buddhists throughout the world on account of its numerous ‘stupas’ that are said to contain relics of the Buddha. The Sacred Bo Tree - planted from a sapling of the tree under which the Buddha attained Nirvana is the oldest historically documented tree in existence and is the central place of pilgrimage for devotees.

The Jethawanaramaya Stupa at Anuradhapura (3rd Century) was the tallest structure of the Ancient World (400 ft) after the Third Pyramid at Giza. Other huge stupas from this period include the Abhayagiri, Ruwanveliseya and Miriswetiya temples.

Remains of royal pleasure gardens, palaces and monasteries lie throughout a vast area of about 25 square km. in size. There are some beautiful Moonstones - elaborately carved stone ornaments that are usually placed at the entrance to important buildings. The rock temple of Isurumuniya (260 B.C.) contains famous ancient sculptures. The serene Samadhi Buddha statue (4th Century) is widely recognised as a world masterpiece. The oldest stupa, the bell-shaped Thuparamaya (3rd Century B.C.) is thought to enshrine the collar-bone of the Buddha.

Mihintale Monastery - From 250 BC
A flight of 1840 granite steps leads to an extremely ancient monastery that is revered as the place where Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in 243 B.C. by Mahinda, the brother of the Great King Ashoka of India. Ruins of hospitals, alms halls and meditation caves are spread among the entire hillock of Mihintale. The entire area has remained a forested sanctuary for well over 2000 years!

Day 05

Giritale

The Deer Park Hotel

Colossal Buddha Of Aukana
Near the immense lake of Kala Wewa at Aukana Temple is a remarkably beautiful 42ft high standing statue of the Buddha (5th Century) carved out of a single rock that is the most celebrated in Sri Lanka.

Ritigala
An ancient forest hermitage complex that dates from the early 3rd Century BC has a fascinating collection of ‘meditative paths’ running through thick jungle connecting fascinating remains of monk’s cells and ambulatories.

Day 06

Giritale

The Deer Park Hotel

Polonnaruwa
Capital City From 1073 AD - 1300 AD
Polonnaruwa was the island’s capital city during the Medieval period and is the best preserved of Sri Lanka’s ancient cities. Ruins of royal palaces, stupas and monasteries are scattered over several square kilometers around a vast lake known as the Sea Of Parakrama.

The Quadrangle area contains the most concentrated historical remains at Polonnaruwa and include the Thuparama image house and the Vatadage with its 4 seated Buddhas. Look out for ancient guard-stones, sculptures and stone inscriptions among these ruins. The amazing Palace Of 7 Stories is a unique ziggurat in a South East Asian architectural style

The highlight of any visit to Polonnaruwa is The Gal Vihare (Temple Of The Rock) consisting of 4 rock cut Buddhas that are among the masterpieces of Buddhist Art, and one of the world’s great artistic treasures.

An interesting and well maintained Archaeological Museum has a collection of bronze statue and other artefacts that have been excavated.

Day 07

Dambulla

Amaya Lake 

Medirigiriya
The beauty of this ancient monastery lies in it’s off the beaten track location. The circular image house or ‘Vatadage’ dating from the 2nd Century is the best preserved in the entire island.

Sigiriya Rock Fortress
Mystery and controversy rages over the history and purpose of this fantastical site, which is easily the most impressive in Sri Lanka. What we do know is that a monastery existed here for many centuries until the infamous King Kasyapa known as ‘The God King’ built a fortress and palace on this 650 ft high rock around 480 A.D. He held court at Sigiriya for a brief but brutal period of 18 years.

The site is entered via a water-filled moat that leads to The Royal Pleasure Gardens. Only recently excavated with help from UNESCO, these gardens have proved to be one the oldest in the world. An ingenious system of pipes and channels fed water to fountains and water pools where islands with pavilions were constructed.

During the ascent of the rock a hidden cave reveals The Sigiriya Frescoes. This is Sri Lanka’s premier artistic treasure and is a must for all visitors. An old iron staircase spirals its way to a cave where 21 exquisite frescoes are still to be found. Originally the gallery is thought to have contained over 500 such paintings!

The paws of a gigantic stone lion guard the gateway to the summit of Sigiriya, littered with foundations of palaces and spectacular views over the forested plains below.

Day 08

Kandy

Chaaya Citadel 

The Golden Cave Temple At Dambulla
The 5 Cave Temples Of Dambulla contain a very beautiful collection of sculptures, paintings and frescoes from various periods of the island’s history. Some of the paintings here are in fact over 2000 years old but many have been re-painted several times over the centuries.

Cave No 2 – The Temple Of The Great Kings is the biggest and most spectacular cave temple with over 150 statues and 1500 paintings! The ceilings and walls are covered by the finest murals to be seen in Sri Lanka.

Nalanda
A well preserved 7th-10th Century Hindu shrine with stone sculptures (some of them ‘erotic’) in a very pretty forest location.

Kandy And The Temple Of The Tooth
Beautifully located in a valley surrounded by hills, Kandy was the last capital of the ancient Sri Lankan kings.

The Temple Of The Buddha’s Tooth is the holiest and most revered temple in Sri Lanka and one of Buddhism’s great places of worship. Enshrined within the temple is said to be the ‘Tooth Relic’ of the Buddha and the object of great veneration. Its main features are an entrance moat, the Octagon (1810) and the central ‘Relic Chamber’ with a gilded golden roof.

The interesting Audience Hall (1784) of the Kandyan Kings contains excellent carved pillars. Another exquisite building is the Queen’s Bathing Pavilion, which juts out onto the enchanting Kandy Lake.

The small but very interesting Hindu shrines in the temple enclosure house deities of Natha and Pattini and are a haven of tranquility in the evenings.

Kandy’s historic Old Quarter has a collection of very early British colonial and Kandyan period buildings that are unique and interesting in character. UNESCO has declared the whole area a World Heritage Site.

Day 09

Kandy

Chaaya Citadel 

The 3 Temples Of Kandy
A group of 14th Century temples in the environs of Kandy that display the excellent artistry and skills of the island’s Medieval craftsmen.

Gadaladeniya Temple (1344 A.D.) is set in a beautiful hilltop location surrounded by rice fields. Lankatilaka Temple (1340 A.D.) has a 2 storied building containing some rare and well-preserved frescoes. The Embekke Temple stands in a lovely rural setting and is justly famous for its hall of intricately carved wooded pillars.

Degaldoruwa Temple
Degaldoruwa Temple (18th Century) contains famous cave paintings and murals with unique depictions of the everyday rural life of Kandyan peasantry as well as traditional Buddhist ‘Jataka’ stories.

Day 10

Colombo Or Sri Lanka’s Beaches

 

Continue to Sri Lanka’s beach resorts to add a beach stay to your tour or a stopover night at Colombo or near the Airport prior to your departure. The beach resorts of Waikkal, Marawila, Mount Lavinia, Wadduwa and Kalutara are easiest to reach from Kandy.

NOTE: You can choose as many beach nights as you require.

NOTE: If you do not require a beach stay, you need to add a stopover night at Colombo or near the Airport prior to your departure.

 

 

Depart Sri Lanka

 

Depart Sri Lanka – Daytime flights arrive back in UK the same day.

* We will send you a detailed quote with flight options, descriptions of hotels used and daily schedules.