Central Province
The Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, just outside Kandy, are Sri Lanka's best-known botanical gardens. Highlights include the orchid house, grand palm avenues, a giant Java fig tree and riverside lawns. Allow 1.5–3 hours, and go in the morning when it's cooler.
Check current details before travelling: prices, opening hours, access and seasonal conditions change.
1.5–3 hours, depending on your pace.
About 15–20 minutes by car.
Yes. There's plenty of open space to explore.
Morning, when it's cooler and quieter.
Kandy was the capital of the last Sri Lankan kingdom and is still the island's cultural heart. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, beside a lake ringed by green hills, makes the city a sacred site for Buddhists and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Dalada Maligawa, enshrines a relic of the Buddha's tooth and is the most important Buddhist shrine in Sri Lanka. It stands within the royal palace complex of the last Kandyan kingdom, at the heart of the UNESCO-listed Sacred City of Kandy.
Ambuluwawa Tower stands on a hilltop near Gampola, about 1–1.5 hours from Kandy. Its spiral staircase winds around the outside of the tower to 360-degree views over the hills. The site is a multi-religious complex, with places of worship for several faiths. The top section is very narrow and exposed, so it's not for anyone afraid of heights.
The Knuckles Mountain Range, north-east of Kandy, is part of Sri Lanka's UNESCO-listed Central Highlands. It's the place for real hiking: cloud forests, grassland ridges, waterfalls and remote villages such as Meemure. Treks range from half-day walks to multi-day routes. Hike with a local guide, and go in the drier months.
Tell us when you'd like to travel and what you love, and we'll suggest a route that fits. There's no obligation.