Colombo Trip Overview
Rewind to ancient and medieval Sri Lanka on this full-day private trip to three of its early capitals from Colombo. See the royal palace complex of Dambadeniya, visit the beautiful rock fortress of Yapahuwa, and admire the old city of Panduwasnuwara. This tour will give you the chance to watch not only one but 3 of the Sri Lanka’s capitals at once. Want to explore the history of Sri Lankan Architecture? This is your chance.
• Private full-day ancient kingdoms tour from Colombo
• See the relics of three early capitals in Sri Lanka’s lush northwest
• Enjoy personalized attention on a private tour
• Hassle-free hotel pickup and drop-off
• Travel comfortably in an air-conditioned vehicle with a travel guide driver
Additional Info
Duration: 12 to 14 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
Rewind to ancient and medieval Sri Lanka on this full-day private trip to three of its early capitals from Colombo. See the royal palace complex of Dambadeniya, visit the beautiful rock fortress of Yapahuwa, and admire the old city of Panduwasnuwara. This tour will give you the chance to watch not only one but 3 of the Sri Lanka’s capitals at once. Want to explore the history of Sri Lankan Architecture? This is your chance.
• Private full-day ancient kingdoms tour from Colombo
• See the relics of three early capitals in Sri Lanka’s lush northwest
• Enjoy personalized attention on a private tour
• Hassle-free hotel pickup and drop-off
• Travel comfortably in an air-conditioned vehicle with a travel guide driver
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Dambadeniya Maliga Gala, Dambadeniya Sri Lanka
Served as the capital of Sri Lanka in the mid 13th century Dambadeniya is a ruined ancient city situated in the North Western Province (Wayamba). Among the ruins of the remaining palace grounds, the foundations are still visible. Excavations have uncovered remains of the temple of the Relic of the tooth of the Buddha, the Royal Palace, gardens, moats, and city walls. The double-story temple of the Tooth Relic has Buddha images, identified as the Vijayasundararamaya. It also has some interesting wall paintings dating from the 18th century.
Duration: 2 minutes
Stop At: Yapahuwa Rock Fortress, Yapahuwa Sri Lanka
During the reign of King Buvanekabahu I, the son of Parakramabahu, yapahuwa was used as the capital, and at one time Yapahuwa housed the tooth relic for over 11 years. As you enter the Yapahuwa rock fortress premises, the dry howling wind will caress on your body and howl away. I the steep ornamental staircase of this dramatic rock fortress is perhaps its finest feature, and once led to the Temple of the Tooth. It also the first and only lion sculpture with Chinese features in Sri Lanka. One of the lions near the top of the staircase appears on the Rs 10 note. Known as the jewel of Yapahuwa’s Ancient Stone Ruins, the elaborately constructed window has been compared to the tracery work at the Taj Mahal in Agra.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Panduwasnuwara Kingdom, Wariyapola Road, Kurunegala 60000 Sri Lanka
Panduwasnuwara was the capital of the island during the 12th century and was the home of the sacred Buddha tooth relic during this time. The main attraction of the city is the ancient round palace which was built during the 12th century, although only the original foundations of the building remain to this day. The palace itself is enclosed by a wide circular moat which helped protect the palace. The other main feature of the city is the Temple of Tooth (not to be confused with that in Kandy) which was once home to the sacred tooth relic during the 12th century after it was brought back from India by King Parakramabahu. Today the foundation of the temple can still be seen but the roof is a restoration completed in the 1970s. The revered bo tree is located at the temple.There are lots of other interesting ruins around Panduwasnuwara, including dagobas, image houses, monasteries, pillars and other historic buildings and constructions.
Duration: 2 hours
