By air
Bandaranaike International, Colombo (CMB), ~4 h by road
Indian Ocean Islands · Sri Lanka
Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
A fortress palace on a rock
Getting there
Best time to visit
January to April — dry in the Cultural Triangle
Don't miss
Sigiriya Rock and its frescoes
The Dambulla Cave Temple
Minneriya National Park
Things to do
Climbing Sigiriya early
The Dambulla cave temples
An elephant safari at Minneriya
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Wrobell · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Sun hat, water, sturdy shoes for the climb
A quieter corner
Pidurangala Rock, for the view back at Sigiriya at sunrise
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to climb Sigiriya?
January to April, when the Cultural Triangle is dry. Start the climb early in the day.
What should I bring for the Sigiriya climb?
A sun hat, water and sturdy shoes for the climb.
Where is the best view of Sigiriya Rock?
From Pidurangala Rock at sunrise, looking back at Sigiriya.
What else should I see around Sigiriya?
The Dambulla Cave Temple and an elephant safari at Minneriya National Park. Refuel on rice and curry in village kitchens.
About Sigiriya
- Forest
Where it is
Sigiriya is a great column of rock rising about 180 m above the forests and plains of Matale District in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, near the town of Dambulla in the island's dry zone.
History
In the 5th century King Kashyapa made the rock his capital, building a palace on its summit and gardens, pools and a gateway in the form of a lion at its foot. After his death it became a Buddhist monastery until about the 14th century, and it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
People
The villages around Sigiriya are home to Sinhala-speaking farmers who grow rice and vegetables watered by ancient reservoirs, and many families now also work as guides, drivers and guesthouse hosts. Rice and curry, buffalo curd with kithul treacle and fresh fruit are local staples.
Known for
- The climb to the summit palace
- The frescoes of the maidens
- The Mirror Wall and its ancient verses
- The giant paws of the Lion Gate
- The Dambulla Cave Temple nearby
Did you know?
Visitors from about the 8th century onwards scratched poems and comments on Sigiriya's polished Mirror Wall, and these verses are among the earliest Sinhala poetry to survive.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.