Best Tourist Places to Visit in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka, Asia

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka, Asia

Sigiriya is a city situated in Matale District of Central Province of Sri Lanka, about 170 kms northeast of national capital Colombo. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites highly visited ancient site of Sri Lanka.

Sigiriya is famous for its several historical sites include The Lion Gate, Lions Paw, The Mirror Wall and Fountain Gardens and also the city houses several famous educational institutions and financial organizations.

Etymology and history of Sigiriya:

Sigiriya draws its name from lion shape rock called Sihagiri and later it changed as Sigiriya. Sigiriya served as the capital of King Kasyapa from 477 – 495 AD.

Geography of Sigiriya:

Sigiriya is placed between latitude 7°57′25″ in the north and longitude 45′35″ in the east.

Connectivity to Sigiriya:

Sigiriya is well connected Dambulla City (25 kms) through roadway by frequent general and luxury buses. Buses ply between morning 6:30 to evening 6:00. One can board buses at Sigiriya City Bus Stand.

Polonnaruwa Railway Station is the nearest railway station to Sigiriya located at a distance of 59 kms. The closest airports include Hingurakgoda Airport (45 kms) and Anuradhapura Airport (77 kms).

Cuisine, Culture and Shopping in Sigiriya:

Sigiriya has a strong historical and cultural background. The lion rock of the Sigiriya is visited by tourists from all around the country for its cultural and historical significance. The Mirror Wall, Frescoes, Lions Paw and The Lion Gate display the stories of ancient Sigiriya. Sigiriya houses the several cultural centres of music and dance and the natives of Sigiriya celebrate Tamil New Year and Independence Day with a grand manner by gathering together.

Sigiriya houses few shopping centres and food corners, due to this reason, tourists must kept water bottles and food packets along. There is one ATM located 2 km away from Sigiriya at Kibissa. One can find the hotels of Dambulla for quality food and drinks, located about 25 km away from the centre of Sigiriya City.

Tourist Attractions in Sigiriya:

Lion Rock:

Lion Rock is a must visit place in Sigiriya houses The Lion Gate, Lions Paw and The Mirror Wall. It magnetizes tourists for its several amazing facts from all around the country.

Sigiriya Museum:

Sigiriya Museum has a large collection of historical objects and ancient frescos. It exhibits the colorful photographs of Mirror Wall and Garden.

Dambulla Cave Temple:

Dambulla cave Temple is located in Dambulla houses more than 150 Buddha Statues, 3 Sri Lankan Kings statues and statues of Hindu deities Vishnu and Ganesha.

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium:

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium is the international cricket stadium located in Dambulla City, about 27 kms away from Sigiriya City.

The list of other tourist attractions near Sigiriya is as follows:

The Boulder Gardens
The Water Gardens
The Terraced Gardens
Garden Complex
Fountain Gardens

Best time to visit Sigiriya:

Between June and September is the ideal time to visit Sigiriya.

Accommodation Options in Sigiriya:

The specialties available in the hotels of Sigiriya include 24 hour electricity, internet connectivity, cable TV with international channels, hot water bath, air ticket booking, pick up an drop facility to airport and fitness centre. The average cost for double rooms is 2000 LKR. The list of best hotels and guest houses in Sigiriya and Dambulla (25 kms) is as follows: