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From Colombo · about 15 hours
Sigiriya and Dambulla day tour from Colombo
Two UNESCO sites, about nine hours in the car
$125
per person for two, from Colombo, tickets included
Anuradhapura sacred city from Colombo
Anuradhapura sacred city from Colombo is Majeste's private day tour. It takes about 14.5 hours door to door and costs $126 per person for two, including your own car with an English-speaking driver and entrance tickets, with temple-run sites paid there. Prices checked 7 Nov 2026. Nothing to pay now.
The first capital: giant dagobas and the sacred Bodhi tree.
At a glance
| Start | Hours | Km | Per person for two |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negombo | about 14 | 365 | $116 |
| Airport | about 14 | 380 | $120 |
About this tour
The island's first capital and a living pilgrimage city: the Sri Maha Bodhi, the dagobas of Ruwanwelisaya, Jetavanaramaya and Abhayagiri, the Samadhi Buddha and the Twin Ponds. The sites are spread over several kilometres of hot ground, so you move between them by car, or by bicycle if you add it. It is about four and a half hours each way, so this is a long day with an early start.
- Sri Maha Bodhi, a fig tree tended since the 3rd century BC
- Ruwanwelisaya, Jetavanaramaya and Abhayagiri dagobas
- Samadhi Buddha, Twin Ponds and the moonstones; site ticket included
Your day
Planning times from Colombo, not promises. From another start town the times change.
Pickup in Colombo; A3 via Puttalam or A28 via Kurunegala.
Sri Maha Bodhi and Ruwanwelisaya. Shoes off on hot stone; bring socks.
Jetavanaramaya, Abhayagiri, the Samadhi Buddha and the Twin Ponds.
Lunch in the new town, paid directly.
Isurumuniya rock temple (its own small ticket, LKR 200 to 1,000, paid at the door).
Start the drive back.
Arrive in Colombo.
What is in the price
Included
- Private air-conditioned car or van with an English-speaking driver for the day
- Fuel, expressway tolls and parking
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Colombo, Negombo or at the airport
- Every entrance ticket listed under tickets and fees
Not included
- Lunch is at a local restaurant, paid directly, about USD 5 to 15 a head
- Temple-run sites such as the Sri Maha Bodhi enclosure and Isurumuniya charge LKR 200 to 1,000 each at the door
- Tips for the driver and any local guide, at your discretion
- Drinks, snacks and personal spending
Tickets and fees
Anuradhapura Sacred City
$60
USD 30 per adult, USD 15 for children 6 to 12 and SAARC passport holders. The Sri Maha Bodhi and Isurumuniya are run by the temples and charge separately, LKR 200 to 1,000 each, paid at the door.
Source
- Central Cultural Fund price list, checked 7 Nov 2026
- Central Cultural Fund, heritage site tickets, checked 7 Nov 2026
- MySLTravel, Anuradhapura ticket page, checked 7 Nov 2026
Amounts are for two adults. Entrance fees for Sri Lankan residents differ. Message us and we price them for you.
Entrance fees last checked 7 November 2026. Activity prices last checked 7 November 2026. Rupee fees converted at LKR 332.5 to USD 1 (XE mid-market rate, 6 Nov 2026).
Good to know
- Nine hours in the car. Anuradhapura fits better as a night on the way to Jaffna or Wilpattu.
- Very crowded in the week around Poson Poya in June; March and April reach about 35 °C.
- No marketplace listing for this day from Colombo was found; the price is built from our car rate and the official ticket.
Good months: January, February, March, May, June, July, August, September.
Harder months: October, November, December.
Optional extras
Not in the price. Add them in the price box.
- Anuradhapura sacred city by bicycle
+$46 for two
USD 23 per person from marketplace listings (USD 23 to 25).
Read more
- Sri Lanka entrance fees 2026: Sigiriya and parks
Sigiriya is USD 35, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura USD 30, the Temple of the Tooth LKR 3,000; a park ticket for two is USD 71.86. Checked 7 November 2026.
- Best time to visit Sri Lanka: month by month
January to March is driest on the west and south coasts, in the hills and the Cultural Triangle; May to September suits the east. Checked 7 Nov 2026.
Where the figures come from
- Central Cultural Fund price list, checked 7 Nov 2026
- Majeste rate card, checked 7 Nov 2026
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