How to plan a trip to the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka.

This post contains affiliate links. If you book something through these links I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more about my disclosure and affiliate policy here.

…

“Don’t know much about history…” Well, I am actually quite a history geek. My high school history teacher was great and ignited a big interest and love for anything old in me (no, not in him! He looked anything but Indiana Jones…).

So, needless to say, I was beyond excited when I did my first trip to the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka, greeted by a gazillion monkeys but also by our very own archeology professor. While Professor Sudharshan Seneviratne usually isn’t available as a regular tour guide, this shouldn’t deter you – seeing the historic treasures in Sri Lanka is a must. 

How to organize a trip to the North Central Province and some highlights of the Cultural Triangle in Sri Lanka, in this post. 

Cultural Triangle Sri Lanka Itinerary

How to plan your trip to the Cultural Triangle in Sri Lanka? 

The triangle itself is not too big. The longest distance from Anuradhapura to Kandy is only 150 km, and from Kandy to Polonnaruwa130 km. That said, there are no highways, so you need to factor in enough travel time, and there is much to see and explore. 

During my first Sri Lanka trip, we only stayed for a few nights and were stupa-fied at the end of it. I recommend you plan at least 5 nights, even more if you are very interested in the history, or want to add a few days in the Sri Lankan highlands around Kandy. 

Since the distances are short, you don’t have to move around too much. I recommend you stay around Anuradhapura and visit Mihintale from there. After you can move to Sigiriya, set up base, and visit Dambulla, Minneriya or Kaudulla, and Hiriwadunna from here. You can even do a day trip to Polonnaruwa from Sigiriya. For your last stop, head to Kandy. If you want to extend your trip you can take the most scenic train from here to Ella.

While putting together this itinerary for the Cultural Triangle in Sri Lanka for you, I have tried to minimize travel times. I will tell you at each stop how to get from A to B and also share my recommendations on where to stay. And fear not – this is not just for seeing ‘old stones’ but a trip that will give you a true insight into Sri Lanka’s past and culture. And have I mentioned the elephants?!

How to get around in Sri Lanka

To get around in the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka, you can either take a train or book a private transfer. I am not a big fan of the local buses in terms of safety and convenience. 

To start your trip, take a train from Colombo to Anuradhapura… 

Anuradhapura

One of the best places to visit in Sri Lanka is the city of Anuradhapura, one of the country’s ancient capitals and one of the most famous UNESCO heritage sites.

Keep in mind that this used to be a city – you will need to take tuk-tuks to get around and bring some time. We saw the most important temples and stupas in one day, but in the end, we were properly stupafid as our professor called it.

Some of the stupas contain enough masonry to build a town for twenty-five thousand inhabitants (according to Wikipedia) which makes about 2 million bricks.

If you are templed out, I recommend you head over to see some holy greenery in Anuradhapura. The Sacred Bodi Tree was something I was incredibly keen to see and one of my Sri Lanka highlights. After all, I have planted quite a few trees myself and think it is an awesome practice to declare trees sacred.

This one is even more special as it is a sapling from the sacred Indian Bodhgaya – the tree Buddha was sitting underneath when he got enlightened. Being from 3rd Century BC this is the oldest historical tree on record!

Note that to visit any holy place in Sri Lanka you will need to take your shoes and hats off and have shoulders and knees covered. And yes, that goes for guys as well – a few of my guy friends had to wrap a sarong around them as their shorts were too short!

Mihintale

From Anuradhapura head to Mihintale, another Buddhist pilgrimage site for the perfect sunset view. My favorite was the Aradhana Gala, a rock pilgrims climb (or in my case pull themselves up to). I only made it halfway because we shared the place with a few school classes and my weird acrophobia kicked in.

But the view over the Maha Stupa and a white Buddha statue for sunset was breathtaking – definitely one of the most beautiful places to visit in Sri Lanka.

Hotel recommendations for Anuradhapura:

$ – The Ivy Lake

$$ – Maho Boutique Hotel

$$$ – Arachchi Heritage

How to get from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya:

To get to Sigiriya from Anuradhapura you will need to take a taxi or book a private transfer. The trip will take about one hour. 

Sigiriya

So, Sigiriya. Wow, I was scared of that hike but it can not miss from any Sri Lanka itinerary. I don’t consider myself a very fit person and I also didn’t bring any hiking shoes so I only had a choice between Converse or Birkenstocks. I chose the latter and really shouldn’t have worried. Sigiriya is mainly neat steps and staircases. There are a lot of them but you won’t need hiking boots.

Sigiriya, meaning Lion Rock in Sinhalese, is a 200m high rock formation that was chosen by King Kasyapa for his new capital in the 5th century. Just wrap your head around this – he actually had a palace built on top of it – no elevators, but a gate that looks like lion paws thus the name. To this day it is considered one of the best examples of ancient urban planning and you can still see why once you made your way up there. After the king’s death, his successor returned the capital to Anuradapura and Sigiriya became a monastery.

For the climb, make sure you take enough water, sunscreen, and unless you are on a blogger trip too and can annoy other people to take your pictures, pack your selfie stick – this is a view you don’t want to miss. For hose of you thinking it might be a good place to take some aerial views with a drone – don’t bother, drones are strictly prohibited, not all Sri Lanka highlights are meant to be photographed from above.

The best view of Sigiriya is either from the water garden below or from adjacent Pidurangala Rock. I didn’t care for another climb and a scramble but those who went up absolutely loved it. If you are not keen either, I recommend getting up early for a sunrise shot from the nearby village. From here a huge lilypond is included in the view!

Dambulla Cave Temple

Next up is the Dambulla Cave Temple, a highlight in the Cultural Triangle in Sri Lanka. With over 153 Buddha statues and 2,100 m² of murals, it is the largest cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. While some restoration work was done the original paintwork is still from the 1st century BC.

Be prepared for a little hike to get up there (well worth it and also – more monkeys!). It wasn’t too bad but I was definitely in admiring many older people who go there each day to pray. They put me to shame by how quickly and without huffing and puffing they got up there.

Inside, you could immediately tell that it was a living, sacred space. I was surprised to find that while people were minding their own prayers they also made me feel welcome to share this space with them. Some curious looks from both sides, some smiles – I felt included, even though it was pretty obvious that I wasn’t there to pray. A beautiful experience and my first glimpse into Sri Lankan hospitality which extends to all areas of life.

Minneriya & Kaudulla National Parks

Whether you have 1 or 2 weeks in Sri Lanka, your itinerary has to include a visit to one of the country’s many national parks in search of wildlife. Yala and Wilpattu have leopards, while Minneriya and Kaudulla have elephants. Both are connected by a corridor, meaning that elephants can roam freely between those two parks. 

During the dry season from June to September, you can witness the Gathering here – meaning hundreds of elephants come together at the remaining water reservoirs. 

If you book a safari, most operators are flexible when it comes to where they take you. You may book Minneriya, but might end up in Kaudulla depending on where most elephants are sighted – trust your guide and you may end up seeing a hundred & one elephants. 

During the rainy season, you might end up at the adjacent Hurule Eco Park instead – again, trust your guides and practice your patience. 

Hiriwadunna

For most of us, one of the best parts of traveling is meeting local people. Even if they ask you how old you are and then repeat it very loudly for the world to hear. Yes, I am looking at you, little boy from Mihintale!

But usually, meeting the locals is easier said than done. At least I don’t really walk around knocking on people’s doors – do you?

I was happy to learn that many hotels in the area can organize village walks to show you a glimpse of rural life in Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle. This included literally walking into people’s front yard in Hiriwaddunna to learn more about local plants, a catamaran ride, and a cooking class where we learned how to make coconut roti from scratch as well as coconut sambal. It must have been one of my favorite meals during the entire trip – is anybody else as obsessed as I am with coconut everything?

Polonnaruwa

If you are still in the mood for more ancient sights, head to Polonnaruwa. The ancient capital is home to the Gal Vihara, a historic Royal Palace complex. Especially the audience hall, with carved elephants, is beautiful. 

Unless you really want to dive deep, you can cover the highlights in Polonnaruwa in half a day. I’d recommend you keep your lodge in Sigiriya and take a trip with a transfer from there. 

• Book Polonnaruwa Ancient City And Habarana Day Tour From Sigiriya

Hotel recommendations for Sigiriya: 

$ – EKHO Sigiriya

$$ – Back of Beyond – Pidurangala

Make sure to book a treehouse!! 

$$$ – Water Garden Sigiriya

How to get from Sigiriya to Kandy:

You can either book a private transfer or a shared minivan with Real Lanka Holidays to get to Kandy. The trip will take between 1,5 to 2,5 hours. 

Kandy

The final corner of the triangle is Kandy, best known for its Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth. It is home to a Buddhist sacred tooth relic. Every year in July or August, the tooth is honored during the Esala Perahera festival that lasts for 10 days and has different processions each day. 

Other than that, Kandy is a great place to explore the surrounding highlands and tea plantations.

Hotel recommendation for Kandy:

$ – Colonial Residence Kandy

$$ – The Elephant Stables

$$$ – Santani Wellness Kandy

How to get from Kandy to Colombo: 

You can take a quick train from Kandy to Colombo – it takes about 2,5 hours. Alternatively, I recommend you book a private car transfer with Real Lanka Holidays. They are super reliable, inexpensive, and the trip only takes about 3,5 hours. You can book both on 12go.