What to see and do in Kandy, Sri Lanka: Ultimate Travel Guide

During my trip to Sri Lanka I spent 4 days in Kandy, more than enough to visit everything there is to see in the city. Although I personally enjoy more in nature, Kandy is a must-see destination in Sri Lanka due to the rich culture and history of the city.

In addition, it is most likely to be the point from which you will depart towards Dambulla and Sigiriya.

Known as the last capital of the era of the ancient kings of Sri Lanka, Kandy is located on a high plateau surrounded by tea plantations, and it is both an administrative and religious center of the Province. The city is known to be the home of the Temple of the Tooth (Officially named Sri Dalada Maligawa), a place of sacredness in the Buddhist world and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

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We stayed 4 days in Kandy, yes, 4 days to see 8 things. Why so much time? Well, the truth is that Kandy is quite a big city, you will have to take a tuk tuk to move everywhere. Besides, some of the must-sees, such as the botanical garden, are located outside the city.

But don't worry if you are short on time, most importantly, the temple of the tooth is centrally located. Here is a summary of all the places we visited during our stay.

This 27-meter high Buddha, commonly known as the "Big Buddha" is situated atop Bahirava Kanda Hill, and offers panoramic views of all of Kandy.

You can reach to the base of the statue by tuk-tuk or by walk, although I recommend the first option if you want to save yourself the suffering of the hill you have to climb to get there.

The entrance is quite accessible, with a price of just 300 SLR (under 1€) per person. The temple has a booth where you can leave your shoes before entering in exchange for a voluntary donation. It is important that you do not forget to wear long pants to follow the rules of the temple.

The Peradeniya Botanical Garden is famous for its orchid collection, its history and its size.

The garden spreads over approximately 147 acres (59 hectares), making it one of the largest botanical gardens in Sri Lanka. Within this space, it houses a wide variety of plants, including more than 4000 species of plants, trees and orchids.

The entrance fee is about 3000 SLR per person. The garden is located on the outskirts, so it will take you about half an hour to get there. The visit will depend on the time you want to spend in the enclosure, which is quite big, so minimum it will take you 1 hour and a half if you want to see the highlights of the garden.

The Garden's history dates back to the 14th century, but it was formally established as a botanical garden in 1821 during the British colonial period. Initially, it was used as a private garden by a Kandy king before being taken over by the British. Over the years, the garden has played a crucial role in introducing plants from other parts of the world to Sri Lanka and vice versa.

• Orchid Collection: The Peradeniya Botanical Garden is famous for its impressive collection of orchids, with more than 300 varieties.
• The Jawa Tree Fig: One of the most photographed attractions of the garden is the gigantic Jawa Fig tree (Ficus benjamina), known for its huge canopy and intertwining aerial roots, creating a spectacular sight.
• The Garden of Spices and Medicinal Plants: This garden is home to a variety of spices and medicinal plants traditionally used in Sri Lanka.
• The Palmetum: A collection dedicated exclusively to palms, showing the diversity of this family of plants in Sri Lanka and other parts of the world.

The Udawatta Kele Forest, also known as the Udawattakele Sanctuary is located on the hillside behind the Temple of the Sacred Tooth, one of the most revered sites in Sri Lanka. The sanctuary is known for its biodiversity and is a popular bird watching destination.

The entrance to the forest will cost you about SLR 900. and the access is made to the ascent of a slope. It is located in the center of the city so you can get there on foot or by tuk tuk.

Udawatta Kele extends over a considerable area and is home to a vast array of flora and fauna. In terms of vegetation, the forest is mainly composed of tropical tree species, including numerous endemic and medicinal plants. The fauna includes several species of birds, some of which are endemic to Sri Lanka, as well as mammals, reptiles and a diversity of insects.

During the reign of Kandy, this forest also played an important role as a defensive belt protecting the royal palace and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth.

The importance of the temple lies in its history and the significance of the object it houses. It is said that a relic of Buddha's tooth, considered one of the most sacred elements in Buddhism, is kept inside.

The entrance fee is 1000 SLR, plus an additional cost of 100 SLR to leave the shoes at a booth before entering. To get there you will have no problem as it is located in the center of Kandy. A tuk tuk from anywhere in the city to the temple will cost about 300 SLR.

The history of the temple and the relic goes back thousands of years. According to the legend, after Buddha's cremation, his left canine tooth was recovered from the ashes in India and later brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th century. Since then, the relic had several homes on the island, always near the residence of a ruler, because of the belief that whoever possessed the relic had the divine right to rule the earth. Finally, it arrived to Kandy at the end of the 16th century.

When I visited on February 4, coinciding with Sri Lanka's Independence Day, the temple was overflowing. All the locals were there to present their offerings and pay homage. The truth is that it was so crowded that it was uncomfortable, and although we enjoyed the visit it was very difficult to make our way through the crowd once inside.

The entrance fee also includes access to the Sri Lanka Museum of Buddhism and the former royal palace, located within the same complex.

This is the first international museum dedicated to Buddhism and its expansion throughout the world. The museum was inaugurated in 2011 and as I have already mentioned it is located inside the complex of the Temple of the Tooth.

Inside, you can explore a series of exhibits covering the history of Buddhism, its philosophy, and how it has spread across different countries and cultures. The exhibits are organized by country, including not only Sri Lanka but also nations such as Thailand, China, Japan, Vietnam, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Nepal, India, Bangladesh among others.

Each room is dedicated to a specific country and exhibits artifacts, architectural models of famous temples and stupas, sacred texts, and works of art representing the interpretation and adaptation of Buddhism in different cultures.

During our visit we were not allowed to take pictures of the interior, but in all honesty it was my favorite part of the complex. What we enjoyed most was being able to see in detail the relics and the different artistic ways of representing Buddhism that each country had.

The Royal Palace, also known as Maha Wasala or Raja Wasala, was the official residence of the monarchs of Kandy. Strategically located to the north of the Temple of the Tooth complex, the palace was the administrative and spiritual heart of the kingdom. Here the kings met with their ministers and oversaw the affairs of their kingdom, all under the protective shadow of the sacred relic of the Buddha's tooth.

Most of the structures, including the Royal Audience Hall, are now part of the National Museum of Kandy, managed by the Department of Archaeology.

The Ambuluwawa Tower is a unique landmark located in the center of Sri Lanka, near the town of Gampola, a few kilometers from Kandy. This tower is part of the Ambuluwawa Biodiversity Complex, a project designed to promote biodiversity conservation.

The entrance fee is about 2000 SLR and to go from Kandy I recommend you to talk to any Tuk Tuk driver and negotiate a price. It should not cost you more than about 7000 SLR.

What makes Ambuluwawa Tower special is its distinctive design and hilltop location, which provides panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, including mountains, valleys and rivers. The tower itself is a spiral structure that rises skyward, allowing visitors to ascend a spiral path to the top.

The complex houses places of worship for various religions, including a Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple, a mosque and a church.

Right after our visit to the Ambuluwawa Tower our driver took us to the Storefield tea factory. There are many tea factories in Kandy, even a museum dedicated to tea. In any case, what will interest you most is that your driver will find you a factory where you can taste tea for free.

In our case they gave us a tour of the factory and explained the tea manufacturing process step by step. Right after that they took us to the tasting area where they prepared for us 8 cups of tea with different aromas.

The tasting is free, once you have finished you will have the opportunity to buy some aroma or tea bag. But don't worry, you don't have to buy anything if you don't feel like it, besides the bags were quite expensive in our opinion, about 40€, so we didn't buy anything.

The best option to get to Kandy from Colombo is to go by train from Colombo Fort station. The price is quite reasonable, from 500 SLR per person and the most viable option is to buy it directly at the station.

The journey lasts approximately 3.5 hours And if I were you, I would try to be among the first to get on the train to get a seat. Although personally I recommend taking the 8 am train to make the most of the day in Kandy, it is important to keep in mind that this schedule is quite popular and fills up quickly. In our experience, we were forced to opt for the 10:35 am train due to lack of space on the 8 am train.

At this point, you may have already tried the local food in Sri Lanka a couple of times. In Kandy you will find many local restaurants, but if you are in the mood for something different like us, find here some recommendations:

Banana Chill: It is a vegetarian restaurant, the owner is a local from Nagombo but moved to live in Kandy and set up this restaurant inspired by the cafes you can find in Bali. The guy is super nice and will treat you like a king, plus the food is spectacular, if you go give him my regards.

Indi's Joint: This restaurant is the first one you will find when you arrive in Kandy if you come by train. If you are hungry and you have just arrived this will be your best option. The food is very good and they offer a variety of wraps, burgers and smoothies.

After Kandy, my personal recommendation to visit Sigiriyaas I have told you before. After Sigiriya you will have to go back to Kandy on the way to Ella, the city of mountains and waterfalls.

This is one of my favorite cities in Sri Lanka, there are so many activities and things to do in Ella. Among them is the epic Little Adams Peak route and the Diyaluma waterfalls, the second largest waterfalls in Sri Lanka.

After Ella head south to Tissamaharama to see Yala Safari, the best in Sri Lanka, where you can see leopards and elephants.

When you see all this, you only have to explore the southern beaches, the first of them will be Hiriketiya, followed by Mirissa, Weligama, Midigama, Ahangama and finally Unawatuna.

Although Kandy has not positioned itself as one of my favorite places in Sri Lanka, I recognize its undisputed value as a mandatory stop if you are going to spend more than a week on the island. Its history and local essence provide an essential context for understanding Sri Lanka's diversity and cultural richness.

In summary, my time in Kandy was an enriching experience, a window into the history and culture of Sri Lanka. However, it was the trip to Sigiriya that made the biggest impression on me during the visit.