Kandy City Tour

Kandy was the capital of the last Sinhalese kingdom until the British took it in 1815, and it still feels different from the rest of the island: smaller, greener and built around a lake, with the Temple of the Tooth at its centre. This full-day tour covers the main sights at an easy pace, with the temple saved for the evening.

Morning: the view and the gardens

The day starts with a drive up the hill above Kandy Lake to the viewpoint, where you see the whole town laid out around the water. From there you head a few kilometres out of town to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya. They cover about 60 hectares and hold several thousand plant species. The orchid house, the avenue of royal palms and the giant Javan fig tree on the great lawn are the parts most people remember.

Midday: tea

Next is a tea factory near Kandy, where you see how fresh leaf becomes black tea and taste a cup straight from the source. Tea has been grown in these hills since the 1860s, when it replaced coffee after a leaf disease wiped out the coffee estates.

Afternoon: town, market and gems

After lunch you head into town. The market sells spices, tea, wood carvings, batik and clothes, and it is a good place to pick up gifts. Sri Lanka has long been known for gems, and the visit to a gem museum shows how sapphires, cat's eyes and other stones are mined, cut and polished. There is no obligation to buy.

Evening: the Temple of the Tooth

The Temple of the Tooth Relic holds what Buddhists believe is a tooth of the Buddha, kept in a golden casket inside the inner shrine. It is the most important Buddhist site in the country and part of the Sacred City of Kandy World Heritage Site. Visiting in the evening means you see it during the ceremonies, with drummers and worshippers bringing flowers. Wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, and expect to leave your shoes at the entrance.

Practical details

The tour covers around 20 km of driving in and around Kandy over about eight hours. If you want to see Kandyan dancing as well, an evening cultural show can be added. For more ideas, see our guide to Kandy.

When to visit

Kandy is busiest during the Esala Perahera, usually in July or August, when the temple holds ten nights of processions with dancers, drummers and decorated elephants. It is a spectacular time to be in town, but hotels fill up months ahead and roads close in the evenings. Read more about the Esala Perahera.