While mapping out our itinerary for Sri Lanka, we planned a full 10 days for Kandy.
It was close to the middle of our trip, so we knew we’d likely need a few days to recover from weeks of constant travel.
But there are so many places to see in the foothills surrounding Kandy. The city is almost exactly in Sri Lanka’s geographical center, so you can easily access wildlife parks, mountain peaks, huge waterfalls, and historical sites in the Cultural Triangle (Dambulla, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura)!
We knew we would need extra time to take a few day trips while based in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
The city is almost exactly in Sri Lanka’s geographical center. Because of this, visitors have access to wildlife safaris at the northern national parks, surrounding mountain peaks, gorgeous waterfalls, and the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka (Dambulla, Sigiriya, Anuradhapura)!
These are the best places to visit on a day trip from Kandy!
1. Lion’s Rock in Sigiriya
Distance from Colombo: 90km (2 hours 15 minutes)
When to Visit: January – October
Best Guided Tour to Sigiriya
A 200-meter (650-foot) monolith known as Lion’s Rock is located in a completely flat region of Sri Lanka.
It would be worth seeing by itself, but what’s even more amazing is an ancient palace (Sigiriya Rock Fortress) constructed at the top of the rock that dates back to the 5th century!
It’s extremely sacred to the Sri Lankan people and the focal point of the town of Sigiriya.
Hiking to the top takes about one hour roundtrip and covers over 1,200 steps. It’s not terribly difficult, but it will undoubtedly have you breathing pretty hard by the end!
Once at the top, you’ll find gorgeous views of the valley and ancient artifacts and ruins that have been preserved for over 1,000 years.
Sigiriya is roughly 2 ½ hours from Kandy, so we recommend combining a trip to Sigiriya with a wildlife safari and a visit to the Dambulla Cave Temple. This will make the most of your time and effort.
This day trip with Aaliya Tours offers incredible value for your money (and time).
You’ll get private transportation and a guide to Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla Cave Temple, Pidurangala Rock, and Minneriya National Park (safari).
2. Ramboda Falls
Distance from Colombo: 55km (1 hour 45 minutes)
When to Visit: December – March
Best Tour of Ramboda Falls
Ramboda Falls is a massive waterfall spanning 3 tiers and over 109 meters (357 feet) in height.
These waterfalls are about 2 hours from Kandy, right off the highway leading to Nuwara Eliya and Ella. So, you can visit as a day trip from Kandy or on your way to these other mountain towns.
The drive from Kandy to the Ramboda Falls area is 2 hours each way, but it’s definitely worth it!
There are three tiers (Upper, Center, Lower). Center Falls and Lower Falls both have tourist lookouts for people just passing by, but our favorite part of the day was hiking to Upper Falls. It’s roughly 1 mile (2 kilometers) roundtrip but leads to the most impressive part of Ramboda.
We rented a motorbike in Kandy and drove ourselves to the trailhead. Next to the bridge over Center Falls, there’s a small pull-off where you can park your scooter or tuk-tuk and venture up the falls.
You can also take a guided tour of Ramboda Falls.
Just be aware that these tours often include multiple stops at places like Ambuluwawa Tower or Nuwara Eliya. If you’re ONLY interested in Ramboda Falls, rent a scooter and visit independently.
3. Kandy Lookouts
Distance from Colombo: 50km (1.5 hours)
When to Visit: Morning
Kandy has two famous lookouts nearby.
Peacock Hill (Monaragala) is the most popular lookout in Kandy. The mountain peak is 4980 feet tall and is located in Pussellawa, about 1 hour and 20 minutes from the city. There are many routes to the top, but this trailhead is the most straightforward.
Kondagala Mountain is slightly farther than Peacock Hill (1 hour 40 minutes), which makes it much less touristy. However, the top is even more jaw-dropping, and the hike to the top takes less than 10 minutes.
You won’t find many tours online visiting either destination (we couldn’t find a single one to Kondagala, but it’s easy to get here by renting a scooter, a tuk-tuk, or a private driver for the day!
4. Dambulla Cave Temple & Golden Temple
Distance from Colombo: 70km (1.5 hours)
When to Visit: January – September
Best Guided Tour to Dambulla Cave
One of the best places to visit in northern Sri Lanka is the Dambulla Cave & Golden Temple.
We were initially confused by how the temples were set up, but two temples are actually part of the same complex, so it’s very easy to see both on a one-day trip from Kandy.
Tickets give you access to both temples, and they’re just 1500 LKR ($5) per person.
However, you can also book a combo tour that includes all transportation from Kandy 3 stops (Sigiriya Rock, Pidurangala, and Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Tombs).
5. Kitugala White Water Rafting
Distance from Colombo: 60km (1 hour 50 minutes)
When to Visit: January – March
Best White Water Rafting Tour
Kitugala is one of Sri Lanka’s adventure capitals and the only place on the island where you can go whitewater rafting! This region also offers guided rainforest hiking, waterfall treks, and mountain biking!
This is also one of the easiest places to take a day trip from Colombo!
The only catch is that this is one of the places where you have to visit during the dry season (January to March). Otherwise, the rain could be too heavy for any of these activities to be possible.
Here’s the best day tour, with transportation from Kandy, but you could also save some money by driving yourself to Kitugala and booking a white water rafting tour after you get there.
6. The Ancient Capital of Anuradhapura
Distance from Colombo: 135km (3 hours)
When to Visit: January – September
Best Guided Tour to Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura is the oldest city in Sri Lanka. It’s been preserved for over 2000 years and has an entire old city with massive stupas, intricate moonstones, and other remnants of bathhouses, wells, and other buildings from the 1st century B.C.
We also recommend taking time to check out Mintahale on the outskirts of the city!
This is one of the farthest Kandy day trips on our list. So, if you have time, we’d encourage you to make it a multi-day trip to see everything that Anuradhapura has to offer. The entry fee for Anuradhapura is $30 per person (non-SAAC country), and this ticket is good for one week.
However, if you are short on time, here is the most affordable tour that leaves from Kandy every day to the ruins of Anuradhapura.
7. Ambuluwawa Tower
Distance from Colombo: 25km (55 minutes)
When to Visit: December – April
Best Guided Tour of Ambuluwawa Tower
Ambluwawa Tower is a beautiful multi-religious Biodiversity Complex just outside of Kandy. Sri Lanka built the Ambuluwawa Tower to represent unity, and it was only recently completed in 2009 (the year the civil war officially ended).
The tower sits high over Gampola, Sri Lanka (a small town southeast of Kandy), and climbing to the top was one of the most exhilarating parts of our time in Kandy.
From Kandy, Ambuluwawa is only 54 minutes by car (slightly longer if you are taking a tuk-tuk).
It may sound counterintuitive, but we recommend visiting later in the evening. The tower is only open between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM, but almost everyone goes in the morning.
If you wait until later in the afternoon (around 4:00 PM), people will begin filtering out, and you’ll have the tower all to yourself for the sunset! Just don’t hang out too long because the gates lock around 6:30 PM.
You can take a tour from Kandy to Ambuluwawa Tower. However, if you’re already renting a scooter in Kandy, it’s easy enough to just drive yourself.
8. Pidurangala Rock
Distance from Colombo: 92km (2 hours 15 minutes)
When to Visit: December – September
Best Guided Tour with Pidurangala
To this day, hiking Pidurangala Rock at sunrise is one of the most treasured experiences in Sri Lanka.
But even if you don’t make the sunrise, it’s still worth visiting for the #1 viewpoint of Lion’s Rock!
The hike itself is not long at all. It’s less than a mile and takes only 20-30 minutes to reach the summit. It’s also very crowded, but Pidurangala Rock has plenty of space at the top to find a secluded area.
Pidurangala Rock follows the same seasonal pattern as the rest of the cultural triangle, so avoid visiting during the short monsoon season in October and November!
We drove our tuk-tuk to Pidurangala, but if you don’t have your own transportation and are interested in taking a day trip to Dambulla/Sigiriya, this tour would be perfect for you!
9. Take a National Park Safari
Distance from Colombo: 100-120km (2 hours 30 minutes)
When to Visit: December – September
Best Safari Tour From Kandy
You could reasonably visit three national parks on a day trip from Kandy: Kaudulla National Park, Minneriya National Park, and Habarana National Park (Hurulu Eco Park).
These three parks are known for having some of the densest elephant populations in Asia, and the most popular of them is Minneriya National Park.
There’s a good chance you’ll see wildlife between December and September, but it’s even better if you can visit for what Sri Lankans call ‘the gathering‘ in July/August. During this season, most of Sri Lanka dries up, so hundreds of elephants migrate to Minneriya and Kaudulla National Park for food and water.
You can’t drive through the National Parks by yourself, so the best option is to book a safari tour straight from Kandy. There are several options, but we love this tour because it also includes stops at Dambulla Temple, Lion’s Rock, and Pidurangala.
10. Take the Train to Ella
Distance from Colombo: 140km (3.5 hours)
When to Visit: January – March
Book Train Tickets to Ella
There are many different methods of getting around in Sri Lanka, but taking the train is one way everyone should travel through the hill country.
The famous train route runs from Kandy to Ella, with the most scenic part between Haptule and Demadora Station.
In full transparency, taking the train would not necessarily be a ‘day trip.’ However, we added it to the list because many tourists travel south after visiting Kandy to explore the popular mountain town of Ella.
This is an excellent opportunity to take the day to travel between the two cities by train!
The views are incredible, and this experience is on almost every Sri Lankan travel itinerary we’ve seen. There are also a lot of great things to do and really cool hikes in Ella!
The best weather in Sri Lanka’s hill country is from December to April, but you should book an early train no matter the season because it often only rains in the afternoon.
It’s important to buy tickets ahead of time. The trains sell out very quickly, and if you don’t get a ticket, all there will be is unreserved seating, which is way less comfortable than the 1st-3rd class reserved seating.
11. Adam’s Peak Sunrise Hike (Overnight)
Distance from Colombo: 86 km (3 Hours)
When to Visit: December – April
Best Guided Adam’s Peak Hike
After the Temple of the Sacred Tooth in Kandy, the Sri Pada Footprint at the top of Adam’s Peak is Sri Lanka’s second most sacred place.
Millions of local people make the pilgrimage to the top each year (December and April) to honor the traditions of their faith, and it’s become popular for travelers to join the pilgrimage for both an immersive cultural experience and to see the best sunrise in Sri Lanka.
The thing is…to reach the top by sunrise, you’ll need to start hiking by 2:00 AM.
So, with 3-4 hours between Kandy and Adam’s Peak, you should expect your tour guide to pick you up at your hotel in Kandy around 10:00 PM.
The hike is also not easy, with over 5000 steps to the summit, but if you are in good shape (and in good spirits), it is certainly something that you should do while in Sri Lanka. It was 100% worth the effort.
Just make sure you don’t schedule much for the day after in Kandy so you can rest and recover.
Also, I would always book transportation ahead of time because tours sell out during the limited pilgrimage season).
12. Nuwara Eliya & Bomburu Ella
Distance from Colombo: 76km (2 hours 25 minutes)
When to Visit: December – April
Best Guided Tour to Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya is the highest city in Sri Lanka, and locals love visiting on holiday to escape the heat of Colombo and other coastal towns around the island.
We love it because it has a very different Nuwara Eliya. It’s a nice day trip from Kandy because it has such a different vibe from other parts of Sri Lanka. The city was a European base during the British colonization of Sri Lanka, which is apparent in all the colonial-era architecture.
There are several luxury hotels, restaurants, golf courses, and even a horse track from that era!
We also found our favorite waterfall in Sri Lanka just outside of Nuwara Eliya – Bomburu Ella.
13. Laxapana & Aberdeen Falls
Distance from Colombo: 70km (2 hours 15 minutes)
When to Visit: January – October
Best Guided Tour to Sigiriya
Two waterfalls in Sri Lanka are worth the time and effort of a day trip: Laxapana Falls and Aberdeen Waterfall. These neighboring waterfalls are 300-400 feet tall and absolutely unbelievable.
Not many tourists are willing to make an effort to visit these waterfalls. They’re over 2 hours from Kandy, and we’ve never found any online tours to book.
But this also means they are practically empty!
The hikes to the base of the falls are both moderate hikes, doable for anyone who is relatively healthy!
Closing Thoughts
Kandy is one of the best places to base yourself in Sri Lanka. Not only are there awesome things to see and some incredible places to eat within the city, but you can also take various day trips to other parts of the island.
You can venture further into the hill country, hike to waterfalls, head north into the cultural triangle to visit places like Lion’s Rock and Pidurangala or combine these historic sites with an elephant safari.
Then, there are even more adventurous opportunities to climb Adam’s Peak, Ambuluwawa Tower, or go whitewater rafting in Kitugala.
If you have more specific questions, feel free to shoot us an email or DM us on Instagram. We’d be happy to help however we can!
