Colombo Trip Overview
We pick up travels from your Hotel in Negombo and first travel to Sigiriya. Sigiriya, an ancient palace, was once nominated as the 8th wonder of the world. Today, Sigiriya and Dambulla are a UNESCO recognized heritage site and a major tourist attraction. Dambulla is home to an ancient cave Temple also known as the Golden Rock Temple, which is a popular tourist attraction. Approximately 25kms from Dambulla is Sigiriya, which is where you will find the “Lion’s Rock”. This is a 220 meters high rock, at the top of which an ancient King built his Palace. In addition to being a well maintained model of ancient urban life, Sigiriya is also an adventure of rock climbing for many. A day tour of Sigiriya and Dambulla will suffice for you to explore Sri Lanka’s Majestic past. Leave from Negombo at about 6.00 a.m., enjoy the scenic four hour drive to your destination, explore the two cities, and be back to Negombo by evening.
Additional Info
Duration: 11 to 12 hours
Starts: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Colombo Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka
We pick up travels from your Hotel in Negombo and first travel to Sigiriya. Sigiriya, an ancient palace, was once nominated as the 8th wonder of the world. Today, Sigiriya and Dambulla are a UNESCO recognized heritage site and a major tourist attraction. Dambulla is home to an ancient cave Temple also known as the Golden Rock Temple, which is a popular tourist attraction. Approximately 25kms from Dambulla is Sigiriya, which is where you will find the “Lion’s Rock”. This is a 220 meters high rock, at the top of which an ancient King built his Palace. In addition to being a well maintained model of ancient urban life, Sigiriya is also an adventure of rock climbing for many. A day tour of Sigiriya and Dambulla will suffice for you to explore Sri Lanka’s Majestic past. Leave from Negombo at about 6.00 a.m., enjoy the scenic four hour drive to your destination, explore the two cities, and be back to Negombo by evening.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Sigiriya The Ancient Rock Fortress, Sigiriya 21120 Sri Lanka
Early morning leave for Sigiriya and climb the 5th-century Sigiriya rock fortress. Sigiriya is an ancient rock fortress located in the Matale district near Dambulla town in the Central Province. The name refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 meters high. According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle, the Culavamsa, this site was selected by King Kashyapa (477- 495 CE) as his new capital. He built his palace on top of the rock and decorated its sides with colorful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure – Sinhagiri, the Lion Rock. The capital and the royal palace was abandoned after the King’s death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. Sigiriya today is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is one of the best preserved exhibits of ancient urban planning. Afterwards visiting this beautiful area, have lunch at a Local Restaurant.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Dambulla Royal Cave Temple, Kandy – Jaffna Highway, Dambulla 21100 Sri Lanka
After lunch, visit Dambulla rock temple that was built by King Walagambahu in the 1st century B.C. and it is a World Heritage Site. It is the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. The complex of five caves with over 2000 sq. meters of painted walls and ceilings, is the largest area of paintings found in the world. It contains over 150 images of the Buddha and the largest is the colossal figure of the Buddha carved out of rock and spanning 14 meters.
Duration: 2 hours
