Culture & Heritage
Sri Lanka Grand Experience
Culture, wildlife and beach — ten days, nine nights
Two UNESCO cities, the tea estates, the scenic train, a Yala safari, whale season at Mirissa and three days working down the south coast.
Cultural Triangle
Polonnaruwa
The second capital, and the better preserved one.
- Region
- Cultural Triangle
- Best time
- May to September
- How long to stay
- 1 day
Polonnaruwa succeeded Anuradhapura in the eleventh century and lasted only two hundred years, which is precisely why it survives so well. It was built quickly, to a plan, and abandoned before it could be rebuilt over.
The Gal Vihara, four colossal Buddha figures cut from a single granite face, is arguably the high point of Sri Lankan art.
The whole site can be seen in a morning on a bicycle, and the reservoir alongside it draws elephants at dusk.
What not to miss
- Gal Vihara rock sculptures
- The Royal Palace and Council Chamber
- Parakrama Samudra at dusk
- Cycling the ruins
Journeys including this place
Tours that visit Polonnaruwa.
Culture & Heritage
Historical & Cultural Sri Lanka
Four days through the ancient capitals
Dambulla, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Mihintale and the Temple of the Tooth — the whole Cultural Triangle in four days.
Beach & Coastal
East Coast & Surf
Fifteen days via Trincomalee and Arugam Bay
The route most itineraries skip: Trincomalee and Pigeon Island, the surf at Arugam Bay, then over the hills and down the south coast to Galle.
Start here
Your Sri Lanka story starts here.
Tell us what you imagine — a rough idea is plenty — and we will turn it into a journey worth remembering. No obligation, no pressure, and a real person on the other end.
Or call +94 77 790 4054 · Mon–Sat, 8.30am – 6.00pm (GMT+5:30)