01
Sri Maha Bodhi
A sacred fig grown from the original Bodhi tree, tended without interruption for over two millennia.
Anuradhapura
The island's first great Buddhist capital.
What makes Anuradhapura.
Anuradhapura was the island's capital for more than a thousand years, from the fourth century BCE, and remains one of the great cities of the ancient Buddhist world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its vast monastic ruins, colossal brick dagobas and sophisticated irrigation tanks sprawl across a green archaeological park best explored slowly by bicycle. At its heart stands the Sri Maha Bodhi, grown from a cutting of the very tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, making it among the oldest documented trees on earth. The site is still a living pilgrimage centre, so dress modestly and expect white-clad devotees moving between the shrines and the ruins.
The island's first great Buddhist capital.
- February – September (driest in the dry zone)Best time
- 8Spots to see
- ~400KVisitors / year
What to see
Where to explore in Anuradhapura.
The landmarks and corners worth carving out time for. Each one a reason this place earns its place on the route.
- 02
Ruwanwelisaya Stupa
A brilliant white hemispherical dagoba ringed by stone elephants, one of the country's most revered monuments.
03Jetavanaramaya
A colossal red-brick stupa that was once among the tallest structures in the ancient world.
04Abhayagiri Monastery
The ruins of a great monastic university and its towering dagoba, once home to thousands of monks.
- 05
Thuparamaya
The island's oldest dagoba, believed to enshrine a collarbone relic of the Buddha.
- 06
Isurumuniya rock temple
A rock-cut temple famous for its delicate carving of the 'Isurumuniya Lovers'.
07Twin Ponds (Kuttam Pokuna)
A pair of beautifully cut bathing pools showing the era's mastery of hydraulic engineering.
- 08
Samadhi Buddha statue
A serene fourth-century seated Buddha carved in deep meditation, much admired for its calm.
Find Anuradhapura on the map.
Where Anuradhapura lies within the Cultural Triangle, and the landmarks clustered around it, so you can picture how it threads into the rest of a tour.
Our tours through Cultural Triangle.
Make Anuradhapura yours.
We weave it into a private, tailored trip around how you want to travel.