The 11 Best Temple Tours in Sigiriya

1.Day tour sigiriya to anuradhapura

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 45 reviews · from $120Our pick

Travel from your Sigiriya address to Anuradhapura with a small group of no more than three people. Visit Thuparamaya, Ruwanwelisaya, the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi, Abhayagiri, Isurumuniya, the Twin Baths, a moonstone, and Mihintale. The tour lasts about 8 to 10 hours. Entrance fees are extra.

“visited Sigiriya during my trip to Sri Lanka, and it was an unforgettable experience. The climb to the top was a bit tiring but absolutely worth it. The views from the summit were breathtaking, with lush greenery stretching as far as the eye could see. The most memorable Read more”

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2.Private Polonnaruwa Sightseeing Day Tour from Sigiriya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews Top rated

Travel by private vehicle from Sigiriya, Dambulla, or Habarana to Polonnaruwa with driver Shahiru or another Sinhagiri Tours driver. You’ll visit 11 major sites, receive a written guide, and explore at your own pace. Entrance fees, lunch, and the optional 5,000 LKR site guide cost extra.

“We got exactly what we wanted on this trip! We didn’t need a tour guide but the driver was really friendly and pointed us in the right direction of where to go. 23 has the option to hire bikes or have use the car to get around to the various sites, Read more”

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3.Polonnaruwa Sight Seeing Tour and Minneriya Elephant Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 18 reviews · 8 hours · from $59

Pair Sri Lanka’s medieval capital with a sunset jeep safari in Minneriya National Park. You’ll see Polonnaruwa’s Gal Vihara, Royal Palace, and giant reservoir, then search for elephants near Minneriya Tank. English-speaking drivers such as Kumar, Kumara, Mathisa, or Sanju may lead the day, with a national park guide joining the safari.

“We got picked up from our hotel at 7am by our wonderful driver Mathisa (very safe driving), then arrived at Polonawaru at about 9am. A knowledgeable guide Suminda Silva gave us a tour of the archeological museum and main sites. The archeological sites are very large so it was very convenient to have a guide point out the important features and a jeep to drive us between the different ruins. Suminda had great English and could answer all our questions about the site. It is hot and the site is too big to walk. Lunch was very generous buffet, you could choose from a range of different local curries, salads…”

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4.Private Polonnaruwa Ruins & Minneriya Safari Tour from Sigiriya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews

Travel by private car or van from Sigiriya, Habarana, or Dambulla to Polonnaruwa’s royal ruins, sacred stupas, Gal Vihara, and ancient reservoirs. Then spend up to three hours in a 4x4 safari jeep at Minneriya National Park or, in the wet season, Hurulu Eco Park. Driver Rashith is among the named team members.

“Good experience, our driver Rashith very attentive that everything went well. Time is used to a great extent, especially in commuting. The restaurant took us very well, cleanliness and a lot of variety of food.Auto-translated”

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5.Polonnaruwa Ancient City & Minneriya Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 8 reviews · 9 hours · from $67

Travel by private jeep or SUV from Sigiriya, Dambulla, Habarana, Kandalama, or Kimbissa to Polonnaruwa, then continue to Minneriya or Kaudulla for a three-hour safari. Expect an English-speaking driver, ancient temples, Gal Viharaya blessings, wildlife viewing, and a long day with several extra costs.

“Overall, a great day. Polonnaruwa is fascinating and well preserved. I also got up close with a family of elephants during the safari. There were a couple of changes to the itinerary, which were not communication. The tour was for Minneriya, and was taken to another park without being told. It worked out fine in the end, but the company/driver should be more up front about this. The driver was very nice though.”

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6.Sigiriya To Polonnaruwa Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews

Travel by private car from Sigiriya, Dambulla, Kandalama, or Habarana to Polonnaruwa for a sightseeing day with local driver-guides such as Umesha or Malid. Pickup and drop-off are flexible, bottled water is included, and you may be able to add a Minneriya, Kaudulla, or Hurulu Eco Park safari if time allows.

“I particularly valued Umesha's proactive communication, as he consistently confirmed pickup times the day before each scheduled transfer. His associates were attentive to our needs, making stops as requested and even highlighting local pRead more”

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7.Sigiriya Rock & Dambulla Cave Temple Private Guided Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · from $55Best value

Spend 7 to 9 hours visiting Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Dambulla Cave Temple in a private air-conditioned vehicle. Your driver-guide takes you from your hotel to the Sigiriya Museum, Lion’s Rock, Dambulla’s Golden Temple, a spice garden, a woodcarving workshop, and a silk showroom. Roshitha is one named driver associated with the tour.

“We visited in October and we had lovely weather. Sunny but not terribly hot, also not a lot of tourists. I think this was an ideal time to go to avoid crowds and unbearable heat. Our guide was excellent. The area has great history and the views were stunning. Also lots of wildlife.”

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8.Anuradhapura and Mihintale Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4 reviews · 8 hours · from $75

Travel privately from Dambulla to Anuradhapura and Mihintale in one full day. Your English-speaking driver handles the 1.5-hour transfers while local guide services, entrance fees, lunch, and temple visits are arranged at extra cost. Expect ancient stupas, monastic ruins, Sri Maha Bodhi, and the hilltop birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhism.

“El guia y el conductor perfecto, muy simpáticos y atentos, lo que menos nos gustó, es que nos llevaron a un sitio a comer que no nos gustó nada y además bastante caro, por eso no le doy las 5 estrellas, por el resto magnífico. Y otra cosa pero eso no es culpa de nadie, como son lugares de culto, hay que ir descalzos y el suelo ardía.”

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9.Polonnaruwa Day Tour with Farmers lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $58

Travel from Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa with an English-speaking driver, stopping at the Royal Palace, Gal Vihara, Vatadage, Lotus Pond, Lankathilaka, and Parakrama Samudra. Your day includes a farmers lunch with curry, fruit juice, and paddy-field views. Driver Amal is praised for clean cars, safe driving, and flexible extra stops.

“The pick-up from the hotel was very convenient. Amal was very helpful, his car was spotless, and lunch with the farmers enriched the experience. Highly recommended!!”

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10.Sigiriya Lion’s Rock & Dambulla Golden Cave Temple Trip

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 4 reviews · 30 days · from $101

You’ll spend two active days with a private guide visiting Dambulla Cave Temple, Minneriya National Park, Sigiriya Lion Rock, a vegetable market, and a local craft house. Choose a Pidurangala sunset climb or yoga session. Deegoda is noted as a friendly, flexible guide, but transport, tickets, accommodation, and safari fees cost extra.

“Super activité Bon il faut tout payer en plus Car juste le guide et les repas du midi sont pris en compte (et pour les repas il faut bien leur dire sinon il vous laisse payer) Guide qui parle français c’était vraiment bien. Mon guide a pris des photos car en voyage seule cest pas facile”

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11.Exclusive: Sigiriya Fortress & Polonnaruwa Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 10 hours · from $70

Travel by air-conditioned vehicle from Habarana, Dambulla, Kandy, or Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya. Your English-speaking guide leads you through royal ruins, water gardens, frescoes, and the Lion Rock climb. Lunch is included, while both entrance fees cost extra.

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