Planning to visit Kandy, Sri Lanka? Congratulations on adding Kandy to your Sri Lanka itinerary! You’ll love it! Now that you’ve already outlined a trip to Kandy, you must be looking for the best things to do in Kandy. We hear you. Here, we have spelled out the best places to visit in Kandy for you.
Check Out the Best Hotel Deals in Kandy!
Best Places to Visit in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Winding around a scenic Kandy Lake, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kandy is gorgeously stunning. The hill country is now the second-largest city of Sri Lanka and is home to the famous Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, beautifully landscaped Botanical Gardens, cultural attractions, and much more.
From lush tea plantations to tropical rainforests to attractive hiking trails – there’s a world beyond Kandy too meaning a lot of day trips.
Book your Kandy tour easily online!
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
One of the most beautiful and sacred places to visit in Kandy, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa) is a Buddhist temple housed in a royal palace complex of the erstwhile Kingdom of Kandy.
The temple is home to the relic of the tooth of the Buddha which is preserved in a decorative gold box.
Make sure you plan to visit the temple during the ceremony because that’s when they bring out the casket holding the Tooth Relic from the chamber so devotees can witness it. The ceremony takes place thrice a day – 5:30 am, 9:30 am, and 6:30 pm.
Tip: Plan an early morning trip to skip the crowds.
Read Next: Sri Lanka Travel Guide
Kandy Lake
Located in the heart of Kandy, next to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy Lake is a scenic artificial lake created in 1807 by Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last ruler of the kingdom of Kandy. The lake is aka Kiri Muhuda or the Sea of Milk.
An evening stroll around the lake is a great way to rejuvenate and relax.
Read More: Best Beaches in Sri Lanka
Arthur’s Seat (Kandy View Point)
A beautiful lookout point at 550 m above sea level, Arthur’s Seat is the highest point in Kandy. It offers panoramic views over Kandy Lake, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the Royal Palace of Kandy, and the city center.
Kandy View Point is named Arthur’s Seat after a British science writer and a tea planter, Arthur Charles Clarke who had a bungalow above the lookout point. He’d stand on a stone under a tree before his bungalow and enjoy the views across the city.
You Might Like: A Complete Family Guide to Galle, Sri Lanka
Kandy Lake Club Cultural Show
One of the best of all the Kandy attractions, the Kandy Lake Club Cultural Show is a vibrant and unique extravaganza where dancers perform the intriguing blend of Sri Lankan folk and traditional dances. It’s your chance to witness the rich cultural heritage of Sri Lanka.
The Fire Show is the high point of the show where the artists walk barefoot on a fire pit and come out absolutely unharmed. It’s quite an experience.
One word. Brilliant.
Must-Read: Souvenirs from Sri Lanka
Kandy to Ella Train
One of the most scenic train journeys in the world and of course, the cheapest, the Kandy to Ella train lets you experience Sri Lanka’s eternal beauty. From lush hill country to rolling tea plantations to misty mountains to ever-smiling locals – this 7-hour train journey is pure joy.
Tip: For a first-hand authentic experience, we urge you to prefer third class over first class.
Read More: Best Places to Visit in Asia
Royal Botanic Gardens
Sri Lanka’s most imposing and largest botanic garden, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya is located near the Mahaweli River. It has to be one of the most beautiful places in Kandy. The garden with about 4,000 species of plants is well-known for its fine selection of orchids, royal palms avenue, cannonball fruit tree, giant Javan Fig tree, and Burma bamboo.
It’s a great way to escape the city pandemonium for a while.
You Might Be Interested: What to do in Galle
Kandy War Cemetery
About 3 km from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Deveni Rajasinghe Mawatha is the Kandy War Cemetery. It’s the final resting place of the soldiers from many countries (mostly soldiers of the British Empire) who were martyred during WWII and a soldier who died during WWI.
Previously known as Pitakande Military Cemetery, it is now managed by Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Among the buried (203 in number) are soldiers from Britain (107), East Africa (35), Sri Lanka (26), India (23), Canada (6), Italy (3), and France (1). There are 2 unidentified graves too.
The Commonwealth War Cemetery is well-kept and exudes beauty and peace amid sadness.
The cemetery is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. all days and is free to enter.
Streets of Kandy
Full of classical Kandyan and colonial-style buildings, vibrant markets, charming cafes, and authentic restaurants – strolling the streets of Kandy is a delight.
Wander around the streets to get the vibe of Kandy.
Next Read: Best National Parks in the World for Families
Sri Mahabodhi Maha Viharaya
A Theravada Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, Sri Mahabodhi Maha Viharaya is located on Bahirawakanda hill, just about 2 km from the Kandy city center. The temple is best known for its 88-foot-high beautiful white statue of Buddha in Nirvana mudra (pose), Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue. One of the tallest statues of Buddha in Sri Lanka, it can be seen from anywhere in Kandy.
The top of the hill can easily be reached by car. You can climb up the stairs for the panoramic views over the city of Kandy.
Tip: Bahirawakanda is best visited at night when the statute as well as the city of Kandy, are all lit up.
Read More: Places to Visit in Asia in Spring
Udawatta Kele Sanctuary
Beautifully located on a hillside behind the Temple of the Tooth Relic, Udawatta Kele or Udawattakele Forest Reserve is a royal forest park. Back in the days of the Kandyan Kingdom, the reserve was known as Uda Wasala Watta in Sinhalese which translates to the upper palace garden.
The places of interest inside the sanctuary are Kodimale (highest peak), Senkanda Cave, Garrison cemetery, and a host of Buddhist temples and hermitages.
You can hike in the forest reserve with a naturalist guide to witness the history and rare flora and fauna. It takes about 4-5 hours. It serves as a great respite from city life.
Spice Garden
Sri Lanka is well-known for its variety of spices and herbs. Visit a spice garden to discover the Sri Lankan herbs and spices. As soon as you enter a spice garden, the aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, mace, cumin, and pepper fill in your senses.
A tour guide takes you through the spices garden while making you learn the way different spices are produced and their uses and benefits. After a tour, you can buy various products made with Sri Lankan spices.
There are many spice gardens in and around Kandy. New Ranweli Spice Garden, New Paradise Spice and Herbal Garden, and Isiwara Ayurvedic Village are to name a few.
Best Places to Visit Near Kandy, Sri Lanka | Day Trips from Kandy
Hanthana Mountain Hike
If you love hiking and bird-watching, Hanthana is for you. Southwest of Kandy lies Hanthana Mountain Range (3800 ft.) featuring beautiful wildflowers and spectacular views over Kandy city from the top.
Hanthana consists of seven peaks, Uura Kanda being the highest.
It’s a moderate-risk hike. There are steep and uneven sections. There are several routes to take this hike (a guide will come in handy), each more beautiful than the next. It takes anywhere between 3 to 5 hours to complete the hike. It’s recommended to start early. Carry salt to deal with the leeches.
Don’t forget to stop by Uda Kanda temple, an ancient Buddhist temple on the way. You can also visit Hanthana Tea Plantation to learn about the history of tea in Sri Lanka.
Sembuwatta Lake
Located in Elkaduwa in the Matale District of Sri Lanka, Sembuwatta Lake is a stunning man-made reservoir.
Enveloped by Cambell’s Land Forest Reserve, the lake isn’t only beautiful but it offers many adventure activities like ziplining, boat riding, canoeing, and hiking to its visitors.
There’s a natural pool and a kids’ play area too.
Sembuwatta is open from 8 am to 5 pm and the entry ticket costs LKR 200. The charges for activities are separate.
Sigiriya
If you are looking for the best day trips from Kandy, Sigiriya is the answer!
Around 90 km (2 hours 35 minutes) from Kandy, Sigiriya, or Sinhagiri (Lion Rock) is one of the best places to visit near Kandy. It is an ancient rock fortress located in the center of the island between the towns of Dambulla and Habarana on a massive rocky plateau that’s 370 meters above sea level.
A UNESCO World Heritage site is reached by a series of steep stairs. Don’t forget to stop and admire the frescoes and a pair of lion’s paws carved into the rock on the way to the top.
Once you reach the top, apart from the ruins of the fortress you get to enjoy the views across the lush forests surrounding Sigiriya.
Sigiriya is one of the most visited attractions in Sri Lanka and thus, you can expect hordes of tourists.
Tip: Sunrise and Sunset are the best times to visit Sigiriya.
Pidurangala Rock
Pidurangala Rock lies just opposite Sigiriya. You’ll get a good view of Pidurangala Rock from Sigiriya.
If you want to avoid the crowds at Sigiriya, you can plan to climb Pidurangala as it offers the same panoramic views you get by climbing Sigiriya. Plus, you also get an amazing view of Sigiriya Rock.
Dambulla Cave Temple
The largest and the best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri Lanka, Dambulla Cave Temple, or Golden Temple of Dambulla is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s around 71 km (2 hours) from Kandy.
Out of about 80 caves, 5 caves are of particular importance and contain 157 statues and mural paintings depicting the life and times of Gautam Buddha.
You can explore Sigiriya, Dambulla, and Pidurangala Rock as a day tour from Kandy or can arrange a night stay in Dambulla or Habarana to explore at leisure.
Polonnaruwa
The ancient city of Polonnaruwa, once a royal capital for the Chola and Sinhalese kingdoms, is now an archeological treasure and a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s around 135 km (3 hours) from the city of Kandy.
From palaces to tombs to ancient pools to temples to statues to stupas to sacred quadrangle – with intriguing ancient structures, the Polonnaruwa archeological park is captivating.
Anuradhapura
About 136 km from Kandy, one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Anuradhapura is well-known known for its vivid ruins of an ancient Sinhala civilization.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, Anuradhapura was once a center of Theravada Buddhism. The archeological complex houses many monuments like dagobas (stupas), temples, ancient pools, monasteries, and statues.
You can’t miss Jaya Shri Maha Bodhi, the Sacred Bo Tree at Anuradhapura which is considered the oldest (2,130 years) historical tree in the world.
This is it!
Oh, I forgot to tell you, if you love attending world festivals like us, you wouldn’t want to miss the coolest, oldest, and grandest Buddhist festival of Kandy Esala Perahera (The Festival of the Tooth) when in Kandy. So, better plan around July and August. In 2021, it’s taking place between 14 August to 24 August.
Save the Best Places to Visit in Kandy Sri Lanka to Pinterest
Sharing is nice 🙂 If you have liked our post please share it with your friends and family and feel free to subscribe to our mailing list or you can also follow our stories on Facebook,Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.
