Central Province, hill country · Sri Lanka
The last royal capital and the sacred home of the Buddha's tooth relic, on a lake among green hills, with drumming and dance every evening.
Photo: Dan arndt · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kandy is the cultural capital of Sri Lanka's hill country, set around a small artificial lake among green hills at about 500 metres. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese kings, who held out against the Portuguese, Dutch and British until 1815, and its old core is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its heart is the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, said to house a tooth of the Buddha, brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th century. Pilgrims come daily to offer lotus flowers, and rituals called pujas take place three times a day with drumming. In July or August, the Esala Perahera, a grand procession of elephants, dancers and drummers, honours the relic for ten nights.
Kandy also has the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, with orchids and giant trees, nightly Kandyan dance shows, and lakeside walks. It is a hub for the hill country, and the start of the train to Nuwara Eliya and Ella. Two days is enough, and Kandy is busy and traffic-heavy, so a hill-side hotel gives calm.
Why visit
Kandy is Sri Lanka's spiritual and cultural centre, and a natural base for the hills.
A pilgrimage site.
Dance and drumming.
Peradeniya.
A calm centre.
Trains to Ella.
Main attractions
Sights are close to the lake.
The palace-temple complex holding the tooth relic in a golden casket, visited by pilgrims and tourists.
Tip Go for the evening puja.
An artificial lake built by the last king, with a walking path.
Tip Walk at dusk.
A nightly show of drumming, acrobatics and fire-walking, in the Kandyan tradition.
Tip Book seats.
A 147-acre garden with orchids, palms and giant trees, 6 km from Kandy.
Tip Allow half a day.
A giant white Buddha on a hill.
Tip For city views.
A 14th-century temple outside town.
Tip Combine with a tour.
Things to do
Kandy is for temples and culture.
With drummers.
Tip Dress modestly.
A gentle circuit.
Tip Go at dusk.
Kandyan culture.
Tip Book.
Peradeniya.
Tip Go in the morning.
Nearby estates.
Tip Ask hotels.
To Nuwara Eliya or Ella.
Tip Book seats.
Local food
Kandy's food is hill-country curry.
Multiple dishes.
Where to try it Local restaurants.
Treacle and coconut sweets.
Where to try it Shops.
Egg hoppers.
Where to try it Cafés.
Sold in markets.
Where to try it Spice gardens.
Hill-country tea.
Where to try it Cafés.
Accommodation
Choose the lake or the hills.
Transport
Kandy is 115 km from Colombo.
Tuk-tuks and walking.
When to go
Kandy is warm and wet year-round, with a drier period from January to April.
Drier.
Showers.
The Perahera festival, busy.
Heavy rain.
Worth planning around: Heavy rains.
Itinerary
The temple and the gardens.
Temple and lake.
Peradeniya.
Travel tips
A few tips help you plan.
FAQ
A relic said to be the Buddha's tooth.
Yes.
In July or August.
About 3 hours.
Yes, but not the relic.
January to April.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with Kandy, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Central Province, Cultural Triangle, Sri Lanka
The 5th-century rock fortress of Sigiriya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with frescoes, water gardens and lion's paw gates, plus Pidurangala Rock and the cave temples of Dambulla.
Don't miss Reaching the summit of Sigiriya Rock, with the ruined palace beneath your feet and the jungle spread to the horizon.
Explore Destination — Sigiriya and DambullaCentral Province, hill country, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's tea capital at 1,900 metres, with tea estate tours, colonial architecture, Gregory Lake and the Horton Plains' World's End and Baker's Falls.
Don't miss Standing at World's End on the Horton Plains at dawn, before the mist rolls in, with a 870-metre drop at your feet.
Explore Destination — Nuwara Eliya and Horton PlainsUva Province, hill country, Sri Lanka
A small hill-country village with Little Adam's Peak, Ella Rock, the Nine Arch Bridge, Ravana Falls and cafés overlooking the Ella Gap.
Don't miss Watching a blue train cross the Nine Arch Bridge among the jungle and tea bushes.
Explore Destination — EllaRead next
Heritage
A UNESCO listing tells you a place matters; it does not tell you whether it is worth two days and a detour. This is how to read the list usefully — and which sites reward building a trip around them.
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The most visited place in a country is rarely its best, and it is almost never its best value. This is a method for finding the destinations that do not make the postcards — and a set of examples from five of the 50 countries on this site.
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