A Traveler’s Guide to Sigiriya, Sri Lanka: Where to Eat, Stay, & Explore
Ancient temples, wild elephants, home-cooked meals, and serene homestays, here’s how to spend a few solid days in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka.
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Sigiriya’s no secret spot these days, with its iconic Lion Rock and ancient hilltop fortress, but it’s still a slice of serenity in Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle. Spend your days cycling its sandy streets, eating at its smattering of authentic family-run eateries, and digging into the history both in Sigiriya and beyond the city limits. In this handy Sigiriya travel guide, I lay out not only where to stay, where to eat, and some of Sigiriya’s top things to do, but also how to get to it and around by train, bus, and tuktuk. Let’s go!
Where to Stay in Sigiriya
Where I Stayed: Passion Ray Villa & Tree Hut
Passion Ray Villa & Tree Hut is a really quiet, well-kept, budget-friendly place to stay in Sigiriya. It’s a homestay-style stay, which mostly means you’re staying on the property of the family who runs it. It includes an amazing breakfast spread each morning and there are bikes you can rent for the day. I stayed in one of their air-conditioned private en suite rooms, but they also have a tree hut that I would have loved to stay in had it been available.
Check Availability - rooms from $12USD per night
Other Great Sigiriya Hotels & Hostels:
Budget-Friendly Places to Stay in Sigiriya:
Another World Hostel - dorms from $25USD, private rooms from $41USD
Back of Beyond Jungle Hideaway - cottages from $66USD
Kuwera Eco Lodge - private rooms from $60USD
Mid-Range Hotels in Sigiriya:
Heritance Kandalama - private rooms from $138USD
Atha Resort - private rooms from $130USD
Luxury Hotels in Sigiriya:
Water Garden Sigiriya - private rooms from $350USD
Where to Eat & Drink in Sigiriya
Some of my favorite places to eat and drink in Sigiriya include:
Soul Food: While there are a few restaurants in Sigiriya with the same view of Lion’s Rock, Soul Food is the one with the best menu and vibes. Serving only vegan and vegetarian fare, it’s also a healthy reprieve whenever you need a break from Sri Lankan cuisine.
Mr. Caffeine Cafe & Eatery Restaurant: I popped into Mr. Caffeine Cafe for a coffee and something sweet and was surprised by the quality of their pour. The staff is really friendly too and everything they make has that extra special flavor of being homemade.
Rastarant: For a bar-like atmosphere, but a full food menu, Rastarant is an excellent option, especially come nightfall when the outdoor space lights up with string lights and lanterns. It’s such an inviting spot that it’ll have you finding excuses to order another beer or sip your current one more slowly.
Sigiriya Rock View Point - The Restaurant: This delicious Sigiriya eatery broke records for how long it took to get our meal, but that could have something to do with our 12-strong group. Sigiriya Rock View Point - The Restaurant has everything you’d expect on a Sri Lanka menu and the flavor is all there - a must-visit in Sri Lanka for dinner…if you can get a table.
Other Great Restaurants in Sigiriya:
Kenoli Restaurant: family-run spot known for its curries
Sigiriya Wew Thawulla Restaurant: popular spot known for its meat and seafood barbecue, curries, and kottu
Liya Restaurant: peaceful spot known for its string hoppers, kottu, and veg-friendly options
What to See & Do in Sigiriya
Climb Pidurangula Rock
As a cheaper alternative to Lion’s Rock, Pidurangula Rock offers similar 360-degree panoramic views for 500 rupees instead of the 5,000 rupee entrance fee required to hike up Lion Rock just next to it. Time your climb for sunrise or sunset to make it even more breathtaking. The 30-minute climb to the summit is straight forward and you do not need a guide, though guides are available there at the entrance if you want to get more of a historical and ecological perspective of the site.
Tip; When you hire your tuktuk to get you the 5km north of town to Pidurangula’s base, be sure to arrange it so that they also take you back to town when you’re done. A couple of people in our group struggled to get a ride back to town and almost had to walk in the dark back to Sigiriya along a stretch of road known for its wild elephant crossings. You should be able to arrange that roundtrip transport for anywhere from 1000 to 2000 LKR.
Cost: 500 LKR (about $2.50 USD)
Visit Sigiriya Lion Rock & Its Museum
Perhaps the most iconic thing to do in Sigiriya is to visit the ancient fortress atop Sigiriya Lion Rock. This 180-meter-tall granite column is where King Kassapa I (477-495 CE) built his fortress-palace. It’s an architectural marvel bearing the UNESCO World Heritage badge, with its intact frescoes, water gardens, and a massive lion’s paw at the entrance. The views from the summit are breathtaking, if you haven’t already seen them from the summit of Pidurangula Rock just next to it. Included in your entrance is access to the Sigiriya Museum at the base, an equally impressive modernist structure housing even more context for the fortress through its collection of artifacts, scale models, and interactive displays. You also have the option to save yourself a few rupees and skip the climb up Lion Rock by just buying a ticket for the museum alone for 1500 rupees.
Cost: 5000 LKR (includes entry to the museum)
Visit the Dambulla Cave Temple
While not in Sigiriya itself, the Dambulla Cave Temple is just a half hour down the road, making it an easy half-day trip from Sigiriya. At 2,000 years old, this temple complex of more than 150 statues of Buddhas and elaborate frescoes across five caves is considered to be one of Sri Lanka’s most important and impressive Buddhist sites, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and a popular pilgrimage site. The best time to go is when it opens or just before it closes to avoid the heat and some of the crowds.
Tip: Start at the cave furthest from the entrance and work your way back towards the entrance from there. This allows you to avoid some of the crowds that collect at the first few caves and it allows you to experience the evolution of the artwork, saving the most elaborate and intricate cave for last.
Cost: 1500 LKR
Other Great Things to Do in Sigiriya
Sign up for a Cooking Class: Learn how to prepare a traditional Sri Lankan meal from start to finish during this private, half-day organic cooking workshop in Sigiriya. Relax in the home of a local family as you gather ingredients from the garden, learn about Sri Lankan spices, and aid in the preparation of a multi-dish curry dinner. Then, simply sit back and enjoy the meal prepared. - from $55 USD on Viator
Go for an Elephant Safari in Minneriya National Park: Enjoy a thrilling look at Sri Lanka and the world’s largest gathering of Asian elephants at Minneriya National Park, observing these giant creatures from your jeep as they drink, feed, and congregate. - from $35 on Viator
Visit the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa: Discover the ancient wonders of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka’s medieval capital, where history comes alive through towering ruins and intricate stone carvings. Explore iconic sites like the majestic Gal Vihara rock sculptures and the remains of the Royal Palace, all set against a backdrop of lush greenery. Wander through centuries-old temples and serene ruins, experiencing one of Sri Lanka’s most impressive UNESCO World Heritage sites without the crowds. - combine Polonnaruwa with a Minneriya Safari on this GetYourGuide tour
Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride Over Sigiriya: Enjoy stunning, bird’s eye views overlooking some of Sri Lanka’s most iconic monuments during this private hot-air balloon ride. Beat the heat—and the crowds—as you soar overhead, letting your pilot point out landmarks such as the Golden Buddha statue in the Dambulla temple complex and the lion-shaped rock fortress of Sigiriya. - from $360 on Viator
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How To Get To, From, & Around Sigiriya
How to Get To & From Sigiriya
By Public Transportation
From Colombo: I took a train from the Colombo Fort Station to Habarana (about 5 hours), and then a tuktuk from there to my lodging in Sigiriya. It was pretty painless, save for negotiating a rate with the waiting tuktuks at the Habarana Station. Try to pay no more than 1500-2000LKR for the 15km journey to town. You could also take a bus from Colombo to Dambulla or Habarana. Those buses depart out of Colombo’s Bastian Mawatha Bus Terminal. Bus numbers 15, 48, and 49 should get you in the direction of Sigiriya by way of Dambulla or Habarana.
From Kandy: There is a direct bus from Kandy’s main bus station to Sigiriya (and vice versa) that takes about 2 hours and costs at most 1000LKR. There’s also an indirect bus that will get you as far as Dambulla. From there, you can get a tuktuk for 1500-2000LKR to Sigiriya, about a 25-minute drive.
By Private or Shared Shuttle
In Sri Lanka, 12go.com and Bookaway are king when it comes to finding and booking a private or shared shuttle transfer to pretty much anywhere in the country. You can also book your train and bus tickets through them as well. Both sites have thoroughly vetted the on-the-ground local companies and drivers they work with, so you can trust who you’re getting in the car, shuttle, bus, or train with and have the peace of mind of 24/7 support should anything go wrong.
Rent a Tuktuk, Car, or Scooter
If you’re comfortable sharing the road with Sri Lanka’s sometimes chaotic drivers (mostly the bus drivers), consider renting a car, scooter, or tuktuk. For car rentals, I recommend checking out DiscoverCars.com. It’s an award-winning car rental comparison site where you can find, compare, and rent a car. They include all mandatory fees, taxes, and extras in the quoted price and offer 24/7 support and free cancellation. For something more local and maneuverable, I recommend a scooter or tuktuk. For tuktuk rentals, check out the social enterprise tuktukrental.com and use code NOMAPS for 5% off your booking.
How to Get Around Sigiriya
The town of Sigiriya is relatively spread out. Many of the homestays and hostels have a few bicycles available for rent and I highly recommend that you rent one, not only to make exploring easier, but to save you from walking in the heat and/or having to negotiate with the often overpriced tuktuks in town. You’ll also find locals are extremely friendly in Sigiriya, so don’t be surprised if someone offers to give you a free lift to your destination if you happen to be heading the same way they are.
You can also try to use apps like Uber and PickMe, but oftentimes your request for a ride will go unanswered. If and when that happens, either ask your host to call a trusted tuktuk for you and negotiate a fair rate or arrange a ride with one of the drivers sitting at the center of town (but let that be a last resort, as those guys almost always overcharge).
It’s important to note that there are wild elephants in the vicinity of Sigiriya. While the daylight hours seem to be safe, after dark can be a bit riskier. After dark, it’s best to avoid walking and instead get to and from your destination in town by way of tuktuk or car. Stumbling across a wild elephant may sound cool, but it’s definitely not a situation you want to find yourself in.
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