Sigiriya: An adventurous journey to Lion's Rock

Sigiriya, also known as the Lion's Rock, is an ancient fortress located in Matale district, near Dambulla, in the central region of Sri Lanka. This site is one of the most valuable monuments within the country. It is recognized for the significant contribution to the history and culture, being declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.

I had the opportunity to spend a whole day in Sigiriya and I can confirm the rock is even more impressive than it looks in this picture I took. It is definitely something you can't miss, so I have prepared a full guide with recommendations for you to know everything you can visit at Sigiriya.

The history of Sigiriya dates back to the 5th century A.D., when King Kasyapa built this palace on top of the 200 meter high volcanic rock. He was looking for a safe place against possible attacks, having seized the throne in a coup against his father, King Dhatusena. Yes, the son killed his father and drove out his brother Moggallana, the rightful heir. Kasyapa chose this site for its strategic defensive location and natural beauty.

Kasyapa enjoyed his creation for a short time, because his brother, who fled to India, returned soon after to take his revenge. After his death in 495 AD, Sigiriya was abandoned and later transformed into a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.

I've already told you about the history of Sigiriya, now get ready to know what you need to see in order to have an outstanding visit: transportation, facilities, accommodations, tickets, tips... Ready?

There are several ways to get to Sigiriya, most probably you will come from Kandy. In that case, you can consider the following options:

Car

• This is the fastest and most convenient option, and it takes 2 hours.
• You can rent a car at discoverycars.com, the car comparator that I use or book an Uber/Pick me.
• Please note that Sri Lankan roads can be congested, so plan accordingly.

Bus

• There are public buses that they run regularly from Kandy to Sigiriya.
• The trip lasts about 4 hours and costs around 400 rupees.
• Buses can be crowded and may not be the most comfortable.

Train

• There is no direct train from Kandy to Sigiriya.
• You can take a train from Kandy to Dambulla (and take the opportunity to see the temples that the city offers) and then take a bus or taxi to go from Dambulla to Sigiriya.
• The trip lasts about 3 hours (To Dambulla) and costs around 500 rupees.

tuk tuk

• This is a more expensive option than public transportation, but from my point of view the best with a lot of difference.
• The trip lasts about 3 hours and costs around 3000 rupees/person.
• The tuk-tuks fits up to 3 people.

We opted to go by tuk-tuk, we left very early around 5 am and arrived to see the sunrise in Pidurangala Rock. This is something you absolutely have to do because the views of Lion's Rock are tremendous when the sun is rising. On the way we made a stop to have a quick breakfast, remember to bring a snack with you because it is a long visit and will take you the entire morning.

The best time to visit Sigiriya is during the dry season, which runs from December to April. During this season, the weather is warm and sunny, with little rain. It is perfect for outdoor activities like this and exploring the surroundings.

In our case we visited the rock in the month of February and everything was just as we expected, there was no rain and we enjoyed the day exploring without any problem, however, keep in mind that the sun is very strong during this season.

Once at the venue you will have to visit the facilities where the tickets are sold. The cost is 36 euros as of 2024 and They will give you an information brochure with a map so you can get situated and start your route through Sigiriya. When you pay you can enter and right there you can decide if you want to hire a guide or not.

You will see the giant rock in front of you as soon as you enter and the path is simple. Also, the venue brochure is enough if you already know what you are going to see. I would recommend a guide if you are really interested in the historical section and curiosities.

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Although the main and most popular thing is the Sigiriya rock itself and its views from the top, on which the palace was located, there is much more to see:

The main access to the fortress was through a huge gate built in the shape of a lion (the original gate), from which its name "Lion's Rock" is derived. The door is protected by two stone lion's claws, which is what remains of the lion.

The stairs Leading to the top of Sigiriya are a series of steep, narrow steps that wind down the side of the rock. There are a total of 1,200 steps, divided into two sections: the lower staircase and the upper staircase.

When you reach the top, you will come across a grassy plain that once housed the royal palace. Now only the ruins of the structures remain, but you will be able to get an idea of the magnitude of the construction. Besides, the panoramic views of the jungle surrounding the rock and the landscape are amazing. The ruins include:

• Building foundations: The foundations of several buildings and some reconstructions that are in a state of restoration.
• Pool: A rectangular pool carved into the rock that served as a water reservoir.
• "The King's Throne": A natural rock shaped like a throne where you can take some good photos.

These paintings are a set of wall paintings that represent half naked women floating in the clouds. They are quite curious, what shocked us the most about these women were their gifted breasts.They are found in a small cave on the slope of the Sigiriya rock, about 140 meters high and date from the reign of Kasyapa and are believed to represent the ladies of the court.

You will find them following the exit route just after your visit to the top, when you go down the stairs.

Be careful because it is totally prohibited to take photos during the visit, they personally asked me for my cell phone to check it.

There are a group of landscaped gardens surrounding the ruins of the buildings, you will find them everywhere. These gardens are made up of:

• Water gardens: These gardens with ponds and canals probably had a decorative and functional purpose, helping with drainage and cooling.
• Gardens with terraces: These elevated platforms could have served as viewing points or spaces for leisure.

There are all kinds of accommodations in Sigiriya and surrounding areas, here I am going to show you three of the best ones depending on the type of traveler you are. I also leave you a link to booking so you can see all the options directly.

Taking into account the duration of the visit and all the walking in the sun that you are going to do, there are some things that cannot be missing from your backpack:

If you plan to stay several days in Sigiriya there are some activities that you cannot miss in addition to your visit to Lion Rock.

Minneriya National Park in Sri Lanka is one of the best places to go on safari and spot wild elephants. It is located very close to Sigiriya, about 1 hour by tuk tuk.

In this park you can find herds of Asian elephants, which gather around the Minneriya reservoir during the dry season and use it as a water shelter.

Dambulla It is the most important city that It is located just before the arrival in Sigiriya. Right in this city is the Cave Temple or Golden Temple.

It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the country.

• The complex is made up of five main caves:
  • Cave of the Divine Kings: It contains 50 Buddha statues, including a 14-meter-long reclining statue.
  • Great Cave Cave: It contains the largest Buddha statue in the complex, 15 meters high.
  • New Monastery Cave: It contains murals depicting the life of Buddha.
  • Deity Cave: It contains a statue of Vishnu, the Hindu god.
  • Demon Cave: It contains wall paintings depicting demons and scenes from hell.

It is a visit that you should not miss since it catches you on the way to Sigiriya. My recommendation is that you do it when you return, remember that you cannot miss the sunrise in Pidurangala.

I'm sure you've already seen somewhere a photo similar to the one I took from Pidurangala Rock, a mountain located right next to Sigiriya. can be accessed easily up this rock paying 1000LKR (about three euros) to take the route 20 minutes it takes to the top.

The route is moderate in nature and is done very quickly. I one hundred percent recommend doing this route at sunrise and visiting Sigiriya right after. Here I leave you a link to alltrails so that you can visualize the route on a map, although there is no loss, the path is clear.

After Sigiriya you can head south, return to Kandy and take the famous train from Kandy to Ella. The train lasts about 7 hours but the views of the jungle, mountains and tea plantations are spectacular.

Ella is one of my favorite cities, it is located in the mountains and is surrounded by waterfalls. Among them you can find Diyaluma waterfall, the second largest waterfall in Sri Lanka, which is amazing and a lot of epic routes like Little Adams Peak, right next to the 9 arches bridge. In Ella you can spend from a couple of days to a week, there is a lot to do.

When you finish watching Ella you can continue your way south and make a Yala national park safari, the most famous in Sri Lanka and the one I most recommend if you want to see leopards.

Finally, you only have to visit the west coast, the beaches and the surf. You can start at Hiriketiya, one of my favorites and continue towards Mirissa, Weligama, Midigama, Ahangama and Unawatuna.

In my case, I went to Sigiriya from Kandy with two of my best friends, Galo and Scott. I remember taking the Tuk Tuk early in the morning around 5 am, the trip to Sigiriya was about 3 hours, I had to get up early and I didn't like that very much. In any case, after a stop halfway to have breakfast and recharge our batteries, we arrived at Pidurangala to see the sunrise on the rock.

There the nonsense was gone and I quickly understood why this place is so special. We saw a spectacular sunrise with the monkeys prowling around the rock, we fooled around a bit and with the same we headed to Sigiriya Rock.

Around 9 am we arrived at Sigiriya, you have to wait in line to get in as it is very popular with locals and tourists. We saw the gardens, we climbed the three hundred thousand stairs laughing and looking like we hadn't slept in 3 days and finally, after about 30 minutes, we reached the top. The views from Sigiriya are absolutely spectacular.

Once we finished taking a walk and hydrating ourselves with some good King coconuts we went back to Kandy passing through Dambulla to see the cave temples. I regret not having spent a couple of nights in the area and visiting the jungle and surrounding areas. It is something that if you have the opportunity you should do, I think it is very worth it.