Heritage & culture

The fifth-century rock citadel that gives the area its name — and the reason most guests come to Sigiriya.

Sigiriya’s neighbour: a quieter climb through a working temple to one of the best views of Lion Rock.

A good first stop: the story of the citadel, its builders and its gardens, before you set off up the rock.

A rock temple of five caves, filled with Buddha statues and painted ceilings, on a hillside above Dambulla.

Explore Sri Lanka’s medieval royal capital with a guide: palaces, temples and some of the island’s finest rock carvings.

A guided day in the island’s first great capital, a sacred city of giant stupas, ancient ponds and the revered Bodhi tree.

Walk the stone paths of an ancient forest monastery, hidden on the slopes of a mountain reserve.