In January, with the planner's pick for each leg; you can switch any leg in the plan.
Delhi → AnuradhapuraFlight via Colombo · 13h 18m · SriLankan Airlines / Air India / IndiGo to Colombo, then train
Anuradhapura → Sigiriya & DambullaCar · 1h 48m · Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle
Sigiriya & Dambulla → PolonnaruwaCar · 1h 30m · Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle
Polonnaruwa → KandyCar · 3h 30m · Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle
Kandy → ColomboTrain · 3h 12m · Train to Peradeniya + tuk-tuk to Kandy
Colombo → DelhiFlight · 7h 18m · SriLankan Airlines / Air India / IndiGo
About this circuit
The island's old capitals in eight days: the sacred Bo tree and great stupas of Anuradhapura, Sigiriya's rock fortress and the painted caves of Dambulla, the stone Buddhas of medieval Polonnaruwa, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, and Colombo, on the sea, to finish.
Why it matters
Anuradhapura was the first great capital for some 1,400 years; its Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, grown from a cutting of the Bodh Gaya tree brought by Sanghamitta, Emperor Ashoka's daughter, is the oldest recorded planted tree. Sigiriya and Dambulla, Polonnaruwa and Kandy's Temple of the Tooth are UNESCO sites.
Stop by stop
How the 8 days split across the 5 stops, and what each one costs on the ground for two.
Sri Lanka's first great capital, for some 1,400 years, and one of Buddhism's holiest places: the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, grown from a cutting of the Bodh Gaya tree brought by Sanghamitta, Emperor Ashoka's daughter, is the oldest recorded planted tree. Around it stand the white Ruwanwelisaya and the brick dagobas of Jetavanaramaya and Abhayagiri, among reservoirs and forest. Mihintale, where Buddhism reached the island, is 12 km east. Wear white to the temples, as pilgrims do; the site is spread out, so hire a tuk-tuk or bicycle.
Don't miss: Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi · Ruwanwelisaya at dusk.
How long: 1 day, which is the recommended stay.
Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), 175 km
1 day for two from ₹7,749 · ₹11,933 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
The centre of the Cultural Triangle. Sigiriya is a fifth-century palace on a 200 m rock, climbed past the frescoes and the lion's paws; Pidurangala rock next door gives the view of it at sunrise. Twenty minutes away, the Dambulla cave temple has five caves of Buddha statues and painted ceilings. Both are UNESCO sites. Stay in Sigiriya, Dambulla or Habarana, and add a jeep safari at Minneriya or Kaudulla, where elephants gather from about June to October.
Don't miss: Climb Sigiriya Lion Rock early · Sigiriya frescoes and Mirror Wall.
How long: 2 days, which is the recommended stay.
Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), 150 km
2 days for two from ₹15,142 · ₹27,840 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
The island's capital in the 11th and 12th centuries, now a compact UNESCO site best seen by bicycle: the royal palace and council chamber, the circular Vatadage, the Gal Vihara's four great Buddhas carved into one granite face, and the vast Parakrama Samudra reservoir. Smaller and easier than Anuradhapura, and an hour from Sigiriya. The site also has Hindu Shiva temples (Shiva Devale No. 1 and 2) from the Chola period.
Don't miss: Gal Vihara rock-cut Buddhas · Vatadage and the Quadrangle.
How long: 1 day, which is the recommended stay.
Batticaloa Airport (BTC), 100 km
1 day for two from ₹7,749 · ₹11,933 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
The hill capital of the last Sinhalese kings, round a lake 500 m up. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), a UNESCO site, holds Sri Lanka's most revered Buddhist relic; the evening puja with drums is the time to go. The Peradeniya botanical gardens, a Kandyan dance show and the spice and tea country round about fill two days. In July-August the Esala Perahera brings ten nights of elephant processions and the town fills up.
Don't miss: Evening puja at the Temple of the Tooth · Walk round Kandy Lake.
How long: 2 days, which is the recommended stay.
Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), 100 km
2 days for two from ₹10,428 · ₹24,155 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
Sri Lanka's commercial capital and the city most flights land near (Bandaranaike airport is 33 km north, at Katunayake). Galle Face Green on the sea, the Pettah bazaars and the red-and-white Jami Ul-Alfar mosque, Gangaramaya temple on Beira Lake, the National Museum and the old Dutch Hospital make a good day or two. Indian and vegetarian food is easy: Wellawatte and Bambalapitiya, the Tamil neighbourhoods on Galle Road, have pure-vegetarian South Indian restaurants.
Don't miss: Sunset and street food on Galle Face Green · Pettah bazaar walk.
How long: 2 days, which is the recommended stay.
Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), 33 km
2 days for two from ₹11,026 · ₹26,481 mid-range — stay, food, local travel and entry; the journey here is extra
What it costs
from ₹62,843 a person
The whole 8-day trip as the planner prices it in January, for two sharing at budget stays: flights from India and back, travel between the stops, stays, food, getting around, entry fees and the planner's buffer.
January to April suits the route; October and November bring thunderstorms and the risk of cyclones across the island, and late December to January is the busiest time at Sigiriya
Entry rules
E-visa before you fly for up to 30 days
Before you fly, apply for the tourist ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) at eta.gov.lk. It is free for Indian passport holders since 25 May 2026, but still required: airlines check it at boarding. Approval usually comes by email; carry the approval.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Make it yours
Opens in the planner with all 5 stops, suggested days and your home city pre-filled, in January. Swap anything.
