8 Temple Tours in Dambulla Worth Booking

1.Polonnaruwa Ancient City Tour/Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 13 reviews · from $49Our pick

Travel by private vehicle from Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa with an English-speaking driver, then explore Gal Vihara, the Royal Palace Complex, Vatadage, Lotus Pond, and Parakrama Samudra. A safari jeep is included, with Minneriya or Hurulu elephant viewing possible. Entrance fees, lunch, and a £20 ruins guide cost extra.

“Elephant safari in the morning to Hurulu Conservation Park was brilliant. Saw so many elephants close up inc 4 babies. Overall, a great day out.”

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3.Sigiriya To Kandy Private Transfer: Visit Dambulla Temple

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 11 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $40Best value

Travel privately from Sigiriya, Habarana, Kandalama, or Dambulla to Kandy with an English-speaking driver. Stop at Dambulla Temple, visit a herbal spice garden, see wood carving, and ride through central Sri Lanka. The $40 price includes hotel pick-up, Kandy drop-off, parking, and bottled water, but not temple admission.

“Erg prettig, chauffeur was heel behulpzaam. En bracht ons eerst naar de Dampulla Tempel en daarna naar onze accommodatie.”

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4.Caves Temple & Traditional Village Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 8 reviews · 5.5 hours · from $70

Start with Dambulla Cave Temple, where 80-plus caves hold 153 Buddha statues and 2,100 square meters of murals. Then visit Hiriwadunna for a bullock cart ride, short boat trip, cooking demonstration, and Sri Lankan lunch in a village home. Hotel pickup by tuk-tuk is offered from Dambulla, Sigiriya, Habarana, and Kandalama.

“Lovely people from start to finish. The time spent in the village with the local family was amazing. They were so kind and welcoming and home cooked Sri Lankan food was amazing.”

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5.Sigiriya Rock , Dambulla Cave Temple Day Tour from Kandy”

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 1 day Top rated

Leave Kandy at 7:00am for a small-group day with Sigiriya Rock, Dambulla Cave Temple, Matale Hindu Temple, spice and herbal gardens, craft workshops, and an evening safari. Air-conditioned transport, a driver-guide, and water are included. Entrance fees, meals, and the safari cost extra.

“We had the pleasure to have Sachintha as our guide for a day tour to Kandy and it was a great experience. He is very caring, tries to explain things along the way and was always happy to answer our questions and accomodating any requests.”

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6.All Inclusive Sigiriya Rock & Dambulla Cave Temple

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 4 reviews · 5.5 hours · from $135

Visit two of central Sri Lanka’s greatest sights in 5.5 hours. Your private tour includes hotel pickup from Dambulla, Sigiriya, Habarana, or Kandalama, entrance fees, an English or German-speaking guide, transport, water, and refreshments. You’ll climb 1,200 steps at Sigiriya before exploring Dambulla’s five painted cave shrines.

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7.Cave Temple and Village All-Inclusive Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 4 reviews · 6 - 8 hours · from $49

You’ll visit Dambulla’s five painted caves with an English-speaking guide, then travel by bullock cart through rural fields to a lake for a traditional catamaran ride. A cooking demonstration and home-cooked lunch complete this private, 6 to 8-hour outing, with tuk-tuk pickup and return.

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8.Sigiriya Rock Fortress & Dambulla Cave Temple Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 3 reviews · from $95

Travel from your Colombo hotel to Sigiriya Lion Rock and Dambulla Cave Temple in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide. Climb to Sigiriya’s frescoes and lion paws, then see more than 150 Buddhist statues across five caves at Dambulla. Banuka is one named guide praised for calm driving and clear explanations.

“Thank you so much to our guide, Banuka, for such a day full of amazing sights. Despite the weather (it rained heavily all day), we were left with only the brightest impressions. The trip was very comfortable. At tourist spots, Banuka drove us as close as possible to the ticket counters (Sigiriya and Dambulla), providing concise and informative historical overviews of each site. He also offered us an umbrella (we made the mistake of not bringing our own, so be sure to check the weather) and two bottles of water. We are not very talkative, so we really appreciated Banuka’s approach. He wasn’t overly chatty, but if we asked him…”

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