5 Best things to do in Sigiriya
Hey everyone, in this article we will share with you the 5 best things to do in Sigiriya. In April 2024, we spent 2 weeks travelling in Sri Lanka. Out of which we spent 2 nights in Sigiriya which gave us enough time to visit the main things to do in Sigiriya.
There will be a historical and UNESCO world heritage site, a hike to a viewpoint for sunset, a beautiful temple, an amazing elephant’s safari and some delicious food.
And if you are looking for more in-depth detail, check-out our video about our journey from Negombo to Sigiriya.
In this article, we will tell our story going around all the best things to do in Sigiriya. So, if you too are planning a trip to Sri Lanka and to Sigiriya, then let ‘s dive in these best things to do in Sigiriya.
Here is our complete video from this trip :
Table of Contents
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Getting there
Getting to Sigiriya is easy. We personally arrived in Colombo international Airport and decided to stay overnight in Negombo. We opted for Negombo because airport is closer to Negombo than Colombo.
Our accommodation in Negombo organised a driver to pick us up from the airport. To reach Sigiriya, we also organised a driver.
It takes around 3h30 to reach Sigiriya. And on the way we organized to make a stop in Dambulla to visit the Cave and Golden temple which is 3h away. The cost for the driver is around 16 000 Rupees.
If you do not want to hire a driver, you can also take a bus. Which takes around 4h. Hop on either a No. 15 bus to Anuradhapura, No. 48 bus to Kaduruwela (Polonnaruwa) or a No. 49 bus to Trinco and get off from Dambulla (Rs. 190, Normal) or Habarana (Rs. 210, Normal). These buses run throughout the day, so you wouldn’t have a problem finding one. From there you can easily get a tuktuk to reach Sigiriya.
Moving Around
The best way to move around Sigiriya is by tuktuk. Always ask your accommodation to organize it for us as you will be able to know the rate before taking it and won’t need to negotiate.
Also, the tuktuk that drives your somewhere, will always come and pick you up to drive you back at the same rate.
When to Visit
Sri Lanka is a year-round destination thanks to its combination of weather systems ensuring that one or several regions has a good weather. Meaning that each side of the island has its own best time to visit.
The dry seasons by month and destination are:
- North – May to September
- Center – January to April
- South – December – March
If like us you plan a trip around the country, the best time to visit to Sri Lanka will be between January and mid-April.
Temperatures are constant year-round, with coastal regions enjoying average temperatures of 25-30°C and the highlands 15-18°C on average.
We visited it beginning of April and got quite a good weather with only some rain on our final days there. However, it was hot and humid.
Where to Stay
What to Eat
The best things to try in Sri Lanka are:
- Dhal curries
- Vegetable curry
- Vegetable Kotu
- Egg Hoppers
- Coconut Sambals
Regarding alcohol, the Lion beer is quite nice, and you can also try the coconut spirit.
Best things to do in Sigiriya
Lion Rock
The best things to do in Sigiriya us to visit the Lion Rock.
According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle, this area was a large forest, then after storms and landslides it became a hill and was selected by King Kashyapa (AD 477–495) for his new capital. He built his palace on top of the rock and decorated its sides with colorful frescoes.
The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king’s death. It was later used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century and today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After getting a 36 USD ticket, you will be able to visit the museum telling you about the history of the place and then walk up the ancient rock fortress located on a massive column of granite approximately 180 m high.
Pidurangala Rock
Located next to the Lion rock is the Pidurangala Rock. This is without a doubt the best place to actually see the Lion rock. The view on top of the Pidurangala Rock is magnificent, and it is the best place to actually watch sunset or sunrise.
Plus, the entrance fee is only 1000 Rupee per person.
To get on top of Pidurangala Rock it is a nice and easy hike at the beginning following a somehow made trail. However, the end of trail can be a little tricky. And you may do a part of the trail at night.
Beware of the monkeys. While waiting for sunset Tina almost got her small backpack stollen by a monkey! I just managed to grab it before the monkey got it.
Safari
One of our favorite things to do in Sigiriya was without a doubt a safari. There are 3 nationals parks near Sigyria where Elephants are rooming wild. (Kaudulla, Minneriya and Hurulu Eco Park). In the morning, ask your host to check where the elephants are and then to book the safari
The afternoon safari we did started at 1:30pm from our accommodation. After driving to the park, we started exploring it and by the end of the afternoon we had seen so many elephants. It was so great, and we even saw little ones.
At some point we even were surrounded by them. And the best is that we had the jeep for our ourselves.
Regarding cost, it was 12 000 Rupees for the jeep and 5000 Rupees for the entrance fees.
Dambulla Cave and Golden temple
Some 30min from Sigiriya is Dambulla, there you can visit the breath-taking Cave and Golden temple
The Cave temple is breathtaking. It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The caves we visited contained statues and paintings related to Gautama Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, 3 statues of Sri Lankan kings and 4 statues of gods and goddesses. The murals cover an area of 2,100 m².
Once out of the Cave temple, be sure to walk to the Golden temple located some 5 to 10min away on foot. There you will be able to see The Golden Buddha statue which stand on top of a museum.
The cost to access to the cave temple is 2000 Rupees per ticket
Food
Sigiriya is one of the best places in Sri Lanka to eat food. We found that Sigiriya is without a doubt one of the most authentic places in Sri-Lanka.
There we had some of the best food we have ever tried, most probably the cheapest and where the portion where the biggest, one dish could have easily been for two.
We would especially recommend SLK Café, where we got the best curry and Kotu ever! Freshly made, huge and so delicious.
More things to do in Sigiriya
If you want more things to do in Sigiriya, you can consider:
- Polonnaruwa
- Trincomalee
It is not the destination where you end up but the mishaps and memories you create along the way
Get our full map
Why pin one by one when you can get them all at once? With this map, you get all our pins, destinations, things to see, where to eat and sleep, and so much more in one time.
