bigtravelbuzzDambulla, Sri Lanka is a small, quiet town about two hours from Kandy. Perfect for visiting nearby historic sites and national parks as a base. Dambulla is also much cheaper than the neighboring town of Sigiriya, world-famous for its Lion Rock Fortress. Here are all the great things you can do in Dambulla within an hour’s drive.
6 things to do in Dambulla
Dambulla is not the best place to stay in Sri Lanka, but it has a lot of interesting things to do. Stay a night or two here before heading out to the next attraction.
- Sigiriya Lion Rock
Sigiriya Lion Rock is one of the symbols of Sri Lanka. A huge rock 200 meters high with a fortress on top. Climbing to the top is quite a challenge, so it takes about half a day to visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site! It is on approx 30-minute drive from Dambulla. Travelers often choose to spend the night in Dambulla as accommodation is much cheaper. - Pidurangala Rock
For the best views of Sigiriya Lion Rock, you’ll need to climb the adjacent rock.
Pidurangala Rock. From the top, you have a great view as Lion Rock is directly opposite.
There are fewer tourists as Pidurangala is difficult to climb due to the lack of proper stairs. 3. Dambulla Cave Temple and Museum
Dambulla is especially popular for its cave temples. An iconic religious complex with over 100 Buddha statues of him in a huge cave complex. The cave is also decorated with highly detailed colorful paintings and murals.
At the entrance of the cave is a huge golden Buddha statue representing the entrance to the Dambulla Museum. A mural art museum worth seeing.
Tips:
Remember to wear long pants and cover your shoulders with your temples.
- Avukana Buddha Statue
Avukana Buddha is a statue of the Buddha located about an hour from Dambulla. This statue was carved out of a large granite rock and is over 12 meters tall. The Avukana Buddha statue is mostly visited by local tourists and is not well known by foreign tourists. A combined visit with Yapahuwa Rock Fortress is highly recommended.
Get there:
Avukana is about an hour northwest of Dambulla. Hire a tuk tuk driver or drive your own motorbike for his day.
- Yapahuwa Rock Fortress
An alternative to Sigiriya Lion Rock with few tourists. The Yapahuwa Rock Fortress is a 100-meter-high rock, known as one of the medieval capitals of Sri Lanka. Yapahuwa was a fortified fortress with inner and outer sections. The Buddha’s sacred tooth relic, now at the Kandy Tooth Temple, was first discovered at Yapahuwa.
Get there:
Yapahuwa is 1.5 hours from Dambulla. Combine the visit with the Avukana Buddha statue for a great day trip.
- Minneriya National Park
Sri Lanka’s national parks have an incredible amount of wildlife. Minneriya National Park is a great place to see elephants, monkeys and colorful flocks of birds. So a jeep safari near Dambulla is great.
Safaris can be booked in Dambulla and hotels or guesthouses. Minneriya National Park is a 30-minute drive from the park entrance.
Arrival at Dambulla
Dambulla is best reached by train, bus or car from Kandy. A 2-hour direct train will take you downtown.
Accommodation in Dambulla
It has very good accommodation due to its strategic location.
Best time to visit Dambulla
Dambulla is sunny all year round with 30 degrees from April to October. However, April and he get more rainfall from October to December. January to March is Dambulla’s best season.