Colombo Trip Overview
Visit two most important UNESCO sites on this day tour. Referred as the Eighth Wonder of the World this ancient palace and fortress complex has significant archaeological importance and attracts thousands of tourists every year. It is probably the most visited tourist destination in Sri Lanka. Next is the most popular Dambulla Cave Temple. Dambulla’s cave temples are cut out of an enormous granite outcrop that rises more than 160m above the surrounding countryside and offers majestic views across the plains of the dry zone as far as Sigiriya, over 20km distant. Visiting both these attractions which are nearby to each other must be in your bucket list in Sri Lanka!
• Hassle free two way hotel transfers
• Hear commentary from an expert guide
• Visit two impressive and UNESCO sites within a day
Additional Info
Duration: 11 to 13 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
Visit two most important UNESCO sites on this day tour. Referred as the Eighth Wonder of the World this ancient palace and fortress complex has significant archaeological importance and attracts thousands of tourists every year. It is probably the most visited tourist destination in Sri Lanka. Next is the most popular Dambulla Cave Temple. Dambulla’s cave temples are cut out of an enormous granite outcrop that rises more than 160m above the surrounding countryside and offers majestic views across the plains of the dry zone as far as Sigiriya, over 20km distant. Visiting both these attractions which are nearby to each other must be in your bucket list in Sri Lanka!
• Hassle free two way hotel transfers
• Hear commentary from an expert guide
• Visit two impressive and UNESCO sites within a day
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Sigiriya The Ancient Rock Fortress, Sigiriya 21120 Sri Lanka
Sigiriya rock plateau, formed from magma of an extinct volcano, is 200 meters higher than the surrounding jungles. The palace is located in the heart of the island between the towns of Dambulla and Habarana on a massive rocky plateau 370 meters above the sea level. Its view astonishes the visitors with the unique harmony between the nature and human imagination. The fortress complex includes remnants of a ruined palace, surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys and fountains. The surrounding territories of Sigiriya were inhibited for several thousand years. Since 3th century BC the rocky plateau of Sigiriya served as a monastery. In the second half of the 5th century king Kashyapa decided to construct a royal residence there. After his death Sigiriya again became a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century, when it was abandoned.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Dambulla Cave Temple, Jaffna Hwy, Habarana 50150 Sri Lanka
The cave temples date back to the days of Vattagamini Abhaya (also known as Valagambahu or Valagamba; reigned 103 BC and 89–77 BC). Vattagamini lost his throne to a group of Tamil invaders and was forced into hiding for fourteen years, during which time he found refuge in these caves. Having reclaimed his throne at Anuradhapura, Vattagamini had temples constructed here in gratitude for the hiding place the rock had offered him – the individual caves which now house the temples were created by building partition walls into the space beneath what was originally a single huge rock overhang. The cave temples were further embellished by Nissankamalla – while comprehensive restorations and remodellings were carried out by the Kandyan kings Senerath (1604–35) and Kirti Sri Rajasinha (1747–82) – the latter also created the magnificent Cave 3 and commissioned many of the vast number of murals that now adorn the interiors.
Duration: 1 hour
