Colombo Trip Overview
This day excursion allows you to visit three ancient kingdoms of Sri Lanka, located in the Northwestern Province. Get to see the royal palace complex of Dambadeniya. Yapahuwa was the capital of Sri Lanka right after Dambadeniya, when the Dravidians invaded. The fortress was built on a giant rock in the style of the Sigiriya rock fortress. However, the architecture of this fortress is completely different from Sigiriya with wide staircases, beautiful stone sculptures and highly detailed carvings on pillars. The fortress was later used as a monastery by Buddhist monks. On your visit you will be able to climb to the fortress and view the ruins of the stupa on the summit of the rock. Discover the old city of Panduwasnuwara with its ruins spanning a period of over two millennia.
Additional Info
Duration: 11 to 12 hours
Starts: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka
This day excursion allows you to visit three ancient kingdoms of Sri Lanka, located in the Northwestern Province. Get to see the royal palace complex of Dambadeniya. Yapahuwa was the capital of Sri Lanka right after Dambadeniya, when the Dravidians invaded. The fortress was built on a giant rock in the style of the Sigiriya rock fortress. However, the architecture of this fortress is completely different from Sigiriya with wide staircases, beautiful stone sculptures and highly detailed carvings on pillars. The fortress was later used as a monastery by Buddhist monks. On your visit you will be able to climb to the fortress and view the ruins of the stupa on the summit of the rock. Discover the old city of Panduwasnuwara with its ruins spanning a period of over two millennia.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Dambadeniya Maliga Gala, Dambadeniya Sri Lanka
Dambadeniya is the third kingdom in Sri Lanka which became significant due to the Sacred Tooth Relic that was placed here during the rule of King Vijayabahu III in the 13th Century. It was initially used as a fortification, built on a rock, which was protected by a moat, marsh, ramparts and royal gardens. Vijayabahu’s successor was his son, King Parakramabahu the II who ruled till 1270. King Parakramabahu was known to be a genius and it was during his reign that the Dambadeniya Kingdom flourished. Though Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa kingdoms survived for a long period of time, Dambadeniya was held as a kingdom only for about forty years from 1232 to 1272 A.D. Even within this short epoch Dambadeniya acquired a prominent place as a center of royalty. Dambadeni rulers were able to confront successfully all three foreign invasions carried out respectively by Kalinga Magha from South India, Chandrabanu from East Asia and Pandya from South India.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Panduwasnuwara, Kottamba Pitiya, Sri Lanka
Panduwasnuwara is the largest excavation site in Sri Lanka’s Northwestern Province. According to legends, it was the residence of King Panduvasdeva in the pre-Buddhist period of early Sinhalese history. What can be seen today are foundation walls of a city from the middle ages. Historically, Panduwasnuwara was the capital of the principality reigned by Parakramabahu the Great before he succeeded in unifying the country as the most important king of the Pollonaruwa period. In a sense, Panduwasnuwara was the prototype of his royal residence in Polonnaruwa. The excavation site is unspectacular, both in terms of the flat landscape and also the plane remnants of historical buildings. After all, the ruins are quite extensive, stretching over a large area.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Yapahuwa Rock Fortress, Yapahuwa Sri Lanka
Yapahuwa rock fortress, standing tall over 300-feet with a history dating back to the 13th century. Once Sri Lanka’s seat of governance and home to the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, today Yapahuwa is one of the country’s most unique and important sites of historic interest. Its likeness is compared to the Sigiriya rock fortress, Although Yapahuwa was built on a much smaller scale its allure remains the same. Traces of ancient battlements and remnants of King Buvenekabahu’s kingdom lures thousands of travellers, while its ornamental stairway remains its centrepiece. Masterfully crafted, this long steep staircase is flanked by intricate rock carvings. As you make your way to the top, surrounding vistas of breathtaking beauty enhances your trek as you glance over the sprawling jungle, rolling hills and precipitous rocks.
Duration: 2 hours
