Heritage in Sri Lanka
Start with the best-known places: Colombo, Nine Arch Bridge, Galle and Ratnapura.
108 guides10 itineraries pass throughChecked 10 Oct 2026
Where to find heritage
- Central Province 23 guides
- Southern Province 18 guides
- Uva Province 17 guides
- North Central Province 17 guides
- Western Province 15 guides
- Northern Province 14 guides
- Eastern Province 11 guides
- North Western Province 6 guides
- Sabaragamuwa Province 4 guides
Top places for heritage
1. Nine Arch BridgeA 1919 concrete railway viaduct of nine arches near Ella, on the hill-country line…No entrance feeRead guide
2. SigiriyaKing Kassapa I's 5th-century rock fortress and gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the…Foreign visitors: USD 35…Read guide
3. Temple of the ToothSri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, home of the Buddha's tooth relic: opening hours, daily…Foreign visitors LKR 3,000;…Read guide
4. Dambulla Cave TempleFive painted cave shrines above Dambulla, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 157 statues…Read guide
5. Adisham BungalowA 1931 stone country house near Haputale, modelled on Leeds Castle and now St…Read guide
6. Colombo National MuseumSri Lanka's oldest museum, opened in 1877: the throne and crown of the last…Foreign visitors: USD 5…Read guide
7. Nallur TempleJaffna's Murugan temple, rebuilt in 1734: men enter bare-chested, pujas start on time, and…Read guide
8. Sacred City of AnuradhapuraSri Lanka's ancient capital and UNESCO site: the Sri Maha Bodhi, the great stupas,…Central Cultural Fund ticket…Read guide
9. Avukana BuddhaA standing Buddha carved from a granite rock face beside the Kala Wewa reservoir…Read guide
10. Lankatilaka TempleA 14th-century Gampola-period temple on a rock in Udunuwara, west of Kandy, with a…Read guide
11. MihintaleThe hill near Anuradhapura where, by tradition, Buddhism came to Sri Lanka: stupas, caves,…Read guide
12. Pidurangala RockA rock with an ancient temple at its foot, just north of Sigiriya; a…Read guide
13. PolonnaruwaSri Lanka's medieval capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Gal Vihara…Full ticket USD 30…Read guide
14. AluviharaA cave temple among boulders north of Matale, where tradition says monks first wrote…Read guide
15. ArankeleRuins of an ancient forest monastery near Kurunegala, with stone meditation walkways through the…Read guide
16. MulkirigalaA Buddhist cave temple on terraces up a 205-metre rock inland from Tangalle, with…Read guide
17. Peradeniya Botanic GardensBotanic gardens in a loop of the Mahaweli near Kandy, with orchids, palm avenues…Foreign visitors: adult (over…Read guide
18. RitigalaRuins of an ancient Buddhist forest monastery on the slopes of Ritigala, a mountain…Full ticket USD 6…Read guide
19. Adam's BridgeThe chain of sandbanks between Mannar Island and India: a marine national park on…Read guide
20. Ambalangoda Mask MuseumThe Ariyapala family's mask museum and carving workshop in Ambalangoda, explaining kolam, sanni and…Read guide
21. Embekke DevalayaA Kataragama shrine in Udunuwara, west of Kandy, known for its carved wooden hall:…Read guide
22. Jaffna FortThe five-sided Dutch fort on Jaffna lagoon: walk its rebuilt ramparts and moat past…Read guide
23. KoneswaramA Hindu temple to Shiva on Swami Rock in Trincomalee, reached through Fort Frederick;…1 hour – 2 hoursRead guide
24. Maligawila BuddhaA colossal 7th–8th century limestone Buddha in the Monaragala forest, with the giant Dambegoda…Read guide
25. YapahuwaA 13th-century royal capital on a granite rock near Maho, known for its steep…Read guide
26. BuduruwagalaSeven figures carved in relief on one rock face near Wellawaya, dated to the…Full ticket USD 3…Read guide
27. Gadaladeniya TempleA 14th-century stone temple near Pilimatalawa, west of Kandy, built in South Indian style…Read guide
28. IsurumuniyaA rock temple by Tissa Wewa in Anuradhapura, known for its carvings: bathing elephants,…Read guide
29. Kelaniya TempleA riverside temple north-east of Colombo, linked to the Buddha's third visit, with a…Read guide
30. Nagadeepa ViharayaBuddhist temple on Nainativu island, one of Sri Lanka's sixteen sacred sites, where tradition…Read guide
31. Nagapooshani Amman TempleNainativu's Hindu temple to the goddess Nagapooshani: a tall painted tower by the jetty,…Read guide
32. RuwanwelisayaThe great white stupa of Anuradhapura, begun by King Dutugemunu in the 2nd century…Read guide
33. WewurukannalaA south-coast temple near Dikwella with a giant seated Buddha, an 18th-century image house…1 hourRead guide
34. DeegavapiOne of Sri Lanka's sixteen great Buddhist shrines, east of Ampara: a vast brick…Read guide
35. Dimbulagala MonasteryA forest hermitage built into a rock 16 km south-east of Polonnaruwa, with Brahmi-inscribed…Read guide
36. Dowa Rock TempleA cave temple near Bandarawela with Kandyan-era murals and a huge standing Buddha carved…Read guide
37. Kalutara BodhiyaA sacred bo tree and a hollow white stupa you can walk inside, on…Read guide
38. Kande ViharaHilltop temple near Aluthgama, founded in 1734, with a 48.8-metre (160 ft) seated Buddha…Read guide
39. Kiri VeheraA large white stupa in Kataragama, one of the 16 most sacred Buddhist sites…Read guide
40. MahiyanganaThe stupa where tradition places the Buddha's first visit to Sri Lanka, near the…Read guide
41. Medirigiriya VatadageA ruined circular stupa house on a rock in Polonnaruwa District, with three rings…Read guide
42. MunneswaramAn ancient Shiva temple near Chilaw whose Kali shrine draws Buddhists as well as…Read guide
43. RajagalaA forest monastery over 2,000 years old on a jungle-covered rock north of Ampara,…Read guide
44. Richmond CastleA faded mansion above the Kalu Ganga near Kalutara, built for a wealthy Mudaliyar…Read guide
45. SeruwilaAn ancient stupa south of Trincomalee, built by King Kavantissa and revered for the…Read guide
46. Vavuniya Archaeological MuseumA small Department of Archaeology museum in Vavuniya town, with 5th-8th century stone carvings…Free entry; no ticket…Read guide
47. Wickramasinghe Folk MuseumMartin Wickramasinghe's birthplace in Koggala: the writer's ancestral house, his grave and a large…Non-residents: adult Rs 1,000,…Read guide
48. Batticaloa FortA small four-bastion fort on Batticaloa's lagoon, where the Dutch and the King of…Read guide
49. Ceylon Tea MuseumA former tea factory from 1925 near Kandy, now a museum of old machinery…Non-resident adult LKR 1,000;…Read guide
50. DambadeniyaA rock-top ruin in Kurunegala District that was Sri Lanka's capital for several decades…Read guide
51. Dambatenne Tea FactorySir Thomas Lipton's 1890 tea factory above Haputale, still at work: what you see…Read guide
52. Dedigama Kota VeheraThe flat-topped brick stupa built by Parakramabahu I on his birthplace, with a free…Museum: no entrance ticket…Read guide
53. Dematamal ViharaA small, still-active temple at Okkampitiya near Buttala, built round an ancient brick stupa…Read guide
54. Dondra LighthouseSri Lanka's tallest lighthouse, a 49-metre white tower of 1890 among palms at Dondra…Read guide
55. Fort FrederickTrincomalee's working army fort on the Swami Rock headland: the 1675 gate, shore walls,…Read guide
56. Gal ViharaFour giant Buddha images carved into one granite rock face at Polonnaruwa in the…Read guide
57. Galle FortWalking the walls of Galle's UNESCO-listed old town: gates, bastions, the lighthouse, the powder-store…Read guide
58. Independence SquareColombo's memorial hall and park on the site where the first parliament opened in…Independence Memorial Museum: Sri…Read guide
59. Jaffna Public LibraryJaffna's white domed public library, burned in 1981 and rebuilt: its history, what visitors…Read guide
60. Kandy LakeAn artificial lake built in 1807 beside the Temple of the Tooth, with a…Read guide
61. Kanniya Hot SpringsSeven small stone-lined hot wells near Trincomalee, tied to the Ravana legend and the…Read guide
62. Kataragama DevalayaThe main shrine of Kataragama, open to Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians: puja times,…Read guide
63. Maha Saman DevalayaRatnapura's great shrine to Saman, god of Sri Pada: a gem-vow origin, a Portuguese…Read guide
64. Mannar FortThe Portuguese-built, Dutch-strengthened fort at the island end of the Mannar bridge: walk the…Read guide
65. Muthiyangana templeBadulla's old temple and one of the 16 sacred places: the pearl-and-hair legend, the…Read guide
66. Nalanda GedigeA small stone temple beside the Bowatenne reservoir in Matale District, built in a…Read guide
67. Old Dutch HospitalA 17th-century Dutch East India Company hospital in Colombo Fort, restored in 2011 as…Read guide
68. PanduwasnuwaraA moated 12th-century palace and monastery ruins near Hettipola, the first capital of King…Read guide
69. Pooneryn FortA ruined Portuguese and Dutch fort on the A32 at Pooneryn, on the Jaffna…Read guide
70. Red MosqueThe red-and-white striped Red Mosque on Second Cross Street in Pettah, Colombo, built in…Read guide
71. SithulpawwaAn ancient Buddhist rock monastery in Yala's forest, with a stupa on top of…Read guide
72. Sri Maha BodhiThe sacred fig tree at Anuradhapura, grown from a cutting of the Bodh Gaya…Read guide
73. Star FortA small six-pointed Dutch fort of 1763–65 in central Matara, with a moat, a…Read guide
74. Tissamaharama stupaThe great white stupa of Tissamaharama, one of Sri Lanka's 16 sacred places: who…Read guide
Map of Heritage
The 15 places with coordinates in their guides; numbers match the top places.
- 1Nine Arch Bridge
- 2Sigiriya
- 3Temple of the Tooth
- 4Dambulla Cave Temple
- 5Adisham Bungalow
- 6Colombo National Museum
- 7Nallur Temple
- 8Sacred City of Anuradhapura
- 9Avukana Buddha
Around Colombo, by distance
Road distance from Colombo to each guide's map point. Places without a road route show the straight-line distance.
Colombo National MuseumAttraction · Colombo District3 km by road
Kelaniya TempleAttraction · Gampaha District10 km by road
NegomboDestination · Gampaha District40 km by road
KitulgalaDestination · Kegalle District85 km by road
RatnapuraDestination · Ratnapura District95 km by road
Peradeniya Botanic GardensAttraction · Kandy District110 km by road
Lankatilaka TempleAttraction · Kandy District110 km by road
Gadaladeniya TempleAttraction · Kandy District110 km by road
© openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Heritage in pictures
Photos from the guides, credited on each page.
Temple in heritage
- Temple of the ToothSri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, home of the Buddha's tooth relic: opening hours, daily…Read guide
- Dambulla Cave TempleFive painted cave shrines above Dambulla, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 157 statues…Read guide
- Nallur TempleJaffna's Murugan temple, rebuilt in 1734: men enter bare-chested, pujas start on time, and…Read guide
- Avukana BuddhaA standing Buddha carved from a granite rock face beside the Kala Wewa reservoir…Read guide
- Lankatilaka TempleA 14th-century Gampola-period temple on a rock in Udunuwara, west of Kandy, with a…Read guide
- MihintaleThe hill near Anuradhapura where, by tradition, Buddhism came to Sri Lanka: stupas, caves,…Read guide
- Pidurangala RockA rock with an ancient temple at its foot, just north of Sigiriya; a…Read guide
- AluviharaA cave temple among boulders north of Matale, where tradition says monks first wrote…Read guide
Archaeological site in heritage
- SigiriyaKing Kassapa I's 5th-century rock fortress and gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the…Read guide
- Sacred City of AnuradhapuraSri Lanka's ancient capital and UNESCO site: the Sri Maha Bodhi, the great stupas,…Read guide
- Avukana BuddhaA standing Buddha carved from a granite rock face beside the Kala Wewa reservoir…Read guide
- MihintaleThe hill near Anuradhapura where, by tradition, Buddhism came to Sri Lanka: stupas, caves,…Read guide
- PolonnaruwaSri Lanka's medieval capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Gal Vihara…Read guide
- ArankeleRuins of an ancient forest monastery near Kurunegala, with stone meditation walkways through the…Read guide
- RitigalaRuins of an ancient Buddhist forest monastery on the slopes of Ritigala, a mountain…Read guide
- Maligawila BuddhaA colossal 7th–8th century limestone Buddha in the Monaragala forest, with the giant Dambegoda…Read guide
Historic fort in heritage
- Jaffna FortThe five-sided Dutch fort on Jaffna lagoon: walk its rebuilt ramparts and moat past…Read guide
- Batticaloa FortA small four-bastion fort on Batticaloa's lagoon, where the Dutch and the King of…Read guide
- Fort FrederickTrincomalee's working army fort on the Swami Rock headland: the 1675 gate, shore walls,…Read guide
- Galle FortWalking the walls of Galle's UNESCO-listed old town: gates, bastions, the lighthouse, the powder-store…Read guide
- Mannar FortThe Portuguese-built, Dutch-strengthened fort at the island end of the Mannar bridge: walk the…Read guide
- Pooneryn FortA ruined Portuguese and Dutch fort on the A32 at Pooneryn, on the Jaffna…Read guide
- Star FortA small six-pointed Dutch fort of 1763–65 in central Matara, with a moat, a…Read guide
Where to go for heritage
ColomboSri Lanka's largest city and commercial capital: Fort and Pettah, Galle Face, temples and…Read guide
GalleGalle's UNESCO-listed fort: walk the ramparts, see the lighthouse, Dutch church and museums, and…Read guide
RatnapuraSri Lanka's gem town and capital of Sabaragamuwa: the gem trade, the Maha Saman…Read guide
KitulgalaKelani River town for white-water rafting, rainforest birds, Belilena cave and the site of…Read guide
Arugam BaySouth-east coast surf town 4 km from Pottuvil, with an April–October surf season and…Read guide
KandyThe last royal capital and UNESCO Sacred City around its lake: the Temple of…Read guide
NegomboWest-coast fishing town at the mouth of Negombo Lagoon, near the main airport: beach,…Read guide
TrincomaleeA north-east coast port city with a natural harbour, Fort Frederick and the Koneswaram…Read guide
WeligamaSouth-coast town on a wide sandy bay, popular for learning to surf, with the…Read guide
JaffnaCapital of the Northern Province: Jaffna Fort, Nallur temple, the rebuilt public library, ferries…Read guide
TissamaharamaThe usual base for Yala safaris, with an ancient stupa that is one of…Read guide
HabaranaA small town on the Colombo–Trincomalee road, used as a base for Sigiriya, Dambulla,…Read guide
Mannar IslandA flat island off the north-west coast: a Portuguese-built fort, a giant baobab, Talaimannar's…Read guide
BadullaUva's capital and the end of the hill-country railway, with the sacred Muthiyangana temple…Read guide
BatticaloaEast-coast lagoon city with a Portuguese-built fort, the singing-fish legend at Kallady Bridge, a…Read guide
Delft IslandA remote island off Jaffna, reached by an hour-long ferry: feral ponies, coral-stone walls,…Read guide
KurunegalaThe North Western Province's capital: climb Ethagala to the giant Buddha, walk by the…Read guide
MataraSouthern town with two Dutch forts and an island temple, a short ride from…Read guide
AnuradhapuraThe ancient capital and its Sacred City, plus how long to stay, where to…Read guide
BeruwalaWest-coast fishing town with an old Muslim heritage: the Kechimalai Mosque, a dawn fish…Read guide
DambullaDambulla as a base for the Cultural Triangle: where to stay, buses from the…Read guide
MataleA market town on the A9 between Kandy and Dambulla, with a Hindu temple's…Read guide
PolonnaruwaPolonnaruwa town as a base for the ancient city: how many nights, where to…Read guide
Sigiriya villageSigiriya village as a base: how many nights, where to stay, early climbs, elephants…Read guide
Itineraries for heritage
- 5 days in the Cultural TriangleFive days in Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle: Sigiriya at opening time, Pidurangala at sunset,…Read guide
- 7 days in Sri LankaA week for a first visit: Sigiriya, Dambulla, Kandy and Ella with two nights…Read guide
- Northern Sri Lanka in 7 daysA week in the north: four nights in Jaffna for Nallur, the fort, the…Read guide
1 day in ColomboA one-day Colombo plan built around the heat and traffic: Gangaramaya early, Pettah by…Read guide
3 days: Colombo and GalleA three-day heritage break: a day in Colombo, then two nights at Galle Fort…Read guide
5 days in Sri LankaA five-day first trip with one hotel change: two nights in Kandy, two in…Read guide
Backpacking Sri LankaA three-week budget loop by bus and train: Sigiriya, Kandy, the hills and Ella,…Read guide- Sri Lanka honeymoonA slow 12-day honeymoon: Kandy, three nights on a tea estate, a beach chosen…Read guide
14 days in Sri LankaTwo weeks on the classic loop: the ancient cities, Kandy, Horton Plains, Ella, a…Read guide- 21 days in Sri LankaA three-week Sri Lanka route: Jaffna and the north, the ancient cities, Kandy, tea…Read guide
Header photo: Hendrik Cornelissen / Unsplash.