Full-Day Private Sigiriya and Dambulla from Kandy
5
Full-Day Private Sigiriya and Dambulla from Kandy
By Sri Lanka by Car
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About
The eerie, gold-decked caves of the Golden Temple of Dambulla and the rock fortress of the Ancient City of Sigiriya are Sri Lanka’s two signature sights. Skip the self-drive strain, while maintaining the flexibility of independent travel, on this private door-to-door tour with your own guide. Tour excludes entrance fees.
from per adult (price varies by group size)
$83.34
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99
Duration: 5–8 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- Discover Sri Lanka’s rich history as you explore Sigiriya and Dambulla
- Private guide makes for a more intimate and flexible experience
- Save time with private transfers, direct from your door
- Capture epic shots of the Sigiriya rock, Sri Lanka’s most iconic sight
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Local taxes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Private tour
- Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
- Local guide
- Air-conditioned vehicle
What's not included- Entrance tickets : Sigiriya 30 USD / Dambulla 10 USD per person. Children 50%
- Lunch
- Entry/Admission - Sigiriya The Ancient Rock Fortress
- Entry/Admission - Dambulla Cave Temple
- Entry/Admission - Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Tombs
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Pickup details
- B&Bs, homestays, other hotels in Kandy
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.Airport pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included airports.- Bandaranayake Intl Airport, Colombo Sri Lanka
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 17652P35- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- A dress code is required to enter Dambulla Cave Temples complex. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 17652P35
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Explorer006334304970 contributionsUnforgettable Colombo visit.Our visit to Colombo was awesome. Ushuan Cross, our tour guide and driver was fantastic. We were able to go and see so many places in such a short time. Consider yourself lucky if you get Ushuan Cross in your visit to Colombo. Thanks Ushuan!Written May 20, 2024
- Explorer006334304970 contributionsWhat a memorable day.The places and the views were amazing. We were really surprised how beautiful Colombo is. It is made memorable by Ushan Croos who explained in details what are we looking for. He was very patient answering all our question and he went out of his way to make us comfortable. We couldn't ask for a better guide and driver.Written May 11, 2024
- austinlA5934IW0 contributionsFlawless experienceGreat tour. Our tour guide, Pradeep, was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all questions I had for him; a rare occurrence in my experience. The company was also very accommodating and well-communicating when our boat didn't port where we had anticipated.Written May 1, 2024
- eastview020 contributionsA great transit tourIt is a great way to see the city while you are in transit. Of course Sri Lanka is a wonderful country and few hours would not do the justice but if you have limited amount of time, then this would the tour to have as you can see highlights in few hours.Written April 12, 2024
- Itay A0 contributionsGreat half day tour in Colombo Sri LankaGreat guide Flexible as you needs may be Nice site seeing All over Colombo Recommended for individuals and families RecommendedWritten April 10, 2024
- 292stefaniem0 contributionsPerfect Day in ColomboI only had 12 hours in Colombo, so the Tour by Car was the perfect way to experience most of it in a short time! Kamal picked me up from the airport and drove me to the best sight seeing spots - always making sure where I want to go. The highlight was a drive to the beach where I could watch the sunset and even had a little swim. I don’t regret booking this tour with Sri Lanka By Car!Written March 22, 2024
- Msshellag0 contributionsAmazing Tour in ColomboIt was my first time in Colombo and Ushan really did a great job touring me and my friend in a private aircon car. Learned a lot about history of Sri Lanka and visited beautiful places within half day tour. Felt so safe with him and I would highly recommend booking as he is a good photographer and videographer as well . Thanks so much 🫶🏻😍Written March 21, 2024
- MarcelvR10 contributionsPerfectly organized and very well executedThe first compliment goes out to Raj at Sri Lanka by Car. What a great organizer! Very quick responses, very thorough and even during the tour constantly checking if we were happy. The second compliment goes out to our driver Ruwan! Very skillful driver, knowledgeable and friendly. Only needed one word if we wanted to stop somewhere, very flexible and enthusiastic about everything and a nice sense of humor. We truly bonded with him in only 4 days and can only recommend him if you consider a Sri Lanka tour.Written March 16, 2024
- courtneyf2930 contributionsAmazing Tour Guides - Cannot Fault - John & HarshaWe had a week long journey with John and Harsha and they were fantastic. We travelled in a relatively large group and they handled us great. Super flexible for our changing plans, supported in all early morning and late evenings collections whenever we wished. Super insightful about Sri Lanka, its history, biodiversity and best ways to see each area. Very protective of us in warning us of local scams and areas to avoid. The bus itself was great, very clear, great AC, lot of space for luggage. They even ensure I had a lovely birthday while travelling. Organising a cake for me to have during out travels. Cannot fault.Written March 11, 2024
- 646nishanthaa0 contributionsExcellent tour with Tissa kumarahad an awesome time in Sri Lanka and Tissa made the trip unbelievable. He is extremely pleasant, very friendly and he knows every corner of Sri Lanka. We went from Colombo, Kandy, Ella, Galle,Habarana,sigiriya,Hambanthota,Matara, and back to Colombo during 9 days. Anything you want to explore in Sri Lanka; Tissa will tell you where the best places are. He gives recommendation on attractions, restaurants, beaches etc. - basically anything - he will tell you where to go and also what to stay away from. Tissa is local and his English is great and communication was easy with WhatApp. We felt very safe travelling around Sri Lanka with Tissa. The van was nice and clean throughout the entire journey and he did drive very safely. Anyone going to Sri Lanka should use Tissa. We will use him when we go back to Sri Lanka. We give him all the best and warmest recommendations. Unbelievable Country and Fantastic Tour Guide.👍Written March 11, 2024
- Tonterre0 contributionsExcellent tourWe were picked up on time from the cruise terminal and the guide and driver were very friendly and knowledgeable. They took us to all the main sights in Colombo and were more than happy to include any other sights that we might have suggested.Written March 9, 2024
- 262gille0 contributionsEducation in comfort.The tours was brilliant, our guide was Ushan and he was so knowledgeable, we learnt so much, we just hope we can remember it all. The Gangaramaya Temple was definitely the highlight. A private tour was a great option, if you book this tour ask for Ushan.Written February 23, 2024
- sahila6090 contributionsBang for your buckVery informative driver, nice AC car and amazing views! You pretty much get what you pay for and the driver was very spontaneous and accommodatingWritten February 22, 2024
- Tracy-Richx0 contributionsAnother perfect day spent in Sri Lanka.Our guide Kenneth arrived as stated and picked us up earlier at our request from outside our hotel the Granbell in Columbo as we wanted to miss the rush hour traffic and mid morning sun, right from the start he was very friendly, polite, knowledgeable and informative about the places/towns we were driving through. We arrived at Sigiriya in good time and were shown by Kenneth where to get our tickets, it was $36 for an adult ticket which I feel is rather expensive, they didn't take cards just cash, rupees or dollars, the steps up are quite steep at the beginning and by the time I got to the paws i and many others were already out of breath, the climb is not as hard as I thought it would be but it is quite scary in places as most of the 1,200+ steps are metal and see though with gaps in between, the handrail is thin and the staircase narrow, people are walking both up and down the stairs but were very patient and polite, I did start feeling unwell and dizzy but after a rest at the top, water and lots of photos we were ready to come down, we were back in the car in less than 2 hours. The tombs at Dambulla were interesting but there were a lot of people around and photographs had to be taken quickly, after walking up the steps in Sigiriya the 350+ steps were definitely not leg friendly in places, before going home we went to the Cemetery, it was $3 to get in and quite honestly there was not much to see there, it took less than 10 minutes to walk round but it was clean and tidy and the staff there were friendly. If you choose to go on this tour we highly recommend asking if Kenneth can take you, lots of happy memories, very tired legs but anther perfect day spent in Sri Lanka.Written February 11, 2024
- troysN1760YE0 contributionsAmazing experience!I had a long layover in Columbo and decided to book a day tour. I’m very glad I did- Ushan was an excellent host who made me feel very welcome in Sri Lanka and gave me a fabulous tour. I would fully recommend this, and this short layover has convinced me that next time I come to Sri Lanka, I’ll need to spend more time in such a fabulous place!Written February 3, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
23 reviews
Excellent
21
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0
M L
4 contributions
Feb 2023 • Friends
We had a really nice day trip to Dambulla and Sigiriya with Diyath. He's a great tour guide, very caring and speaks good English. We had a -lunch village experience-, which I highly recommend to people who wanna see and taste something realistic of Sri Lanka. The whole Day was very interesting, funny and with a lot of WoW-Moments.
Written February 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marta K
United Kingdom1 contribution
Dec 2021
An excellent day trip! Our driver went above and beyond to show us around and make sure we were comfortable. The car was clean and large enough to fit our bags. The driver stopped on the way to get us fresh local fruit. He also took us to a very nice place for lunch. Couldn't recommend this trip enough!
Written January 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Olga
5 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
We went on a full day tour to Sigiriya from Kandy with Kit. We are a family of 4 with 2 kids, 6 and 2 years old. We were hesitant to Sigiriya rock at first minding our young children but Kit reassured us that we will be fine. It was truly a great decisions as the views were totally worth it.
What I particularly liked was that with a private tour we could adjust our trip as it was convenient for us. Thus we also visited a safari and got to the hotel just in time for dinner. Kit was very pleasant, and shared a lot of interesting information on Sri Lanka. He is a great driver with a very comfortable car. Thank you very much for this experience!
What I particularly liked was that with a private tour we could adjust our trip as it was convenient for us. Thus we also visited a safari and got to the hotel just in time for dinner. Kit was very pleasant, and shared a lot of interesting information on Sri Lanka. He is a great driver with a very comfortable car. Thank you very much for this experience!
Written November 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful experience with Kit on your full-day tour to Sigiriya from Kandy. We are thrilled to hear that you and your family, including your young children, had an enjoyable and memorable adventure.
It's heartwarming to know that Kit's reassurance and adaptability made you feel comfortable taking on the Sigiriya rock climb and that you were rewarded with breathtaking views. The flexibility of a private tour truly allows you to tailor the itinerary to your preferences and pace, making it an ideal choice for families with young children.
We are delighted that you appreciated Kit's pleasant demeanor, extensive knowledge of Sri Lanka, and safe driving skills. Your kind words and positive feedback are greatly valued. Thank you for choosing us to be a part of your memorable Sri Lankan experience.
Written December 3, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hillary F
10 contributions
Feb 2022
Sigiriya was stunning - enjoyable climb with great views and interesting history, and we really enjoyed the Dambulla cave temples as well. In between we stopped a delicious buffet lunch with lots of options including local dishes that we really enjoyed. Our guide, Dayath, was excellent - very knowledgable about history for Sri Lanka and of Buddhism as well, we felt like we learned a lot.
Written February 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kara B
10 contributions
Mar 2022 • Solo
A fun filled, action packed day. Diyath was an awesome tour guide. A great driver, knowledgeable, super nice guy, he even carried my bag for me, & made sure I had enough water. I would highly recommend.
Written March 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda H
8 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
The hole trip was amazing, and our guide Ruwan made it all worth it. He was a excellent driver and guide. The review only gets 5 stars because he made it a 5 star trip. He thought of everything, he even brought embrellas for us.
Written January 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alexpy94
Düsseldorf, Germany2 contributions
We had Diyath as a guide and it was amazing. He showed us all the things that we had to see and told us everything about the culture. We could ask him anything and we had lots of fun. Thank you and we would recommend it with Diyath for sure. He was really open minded and you felt like you were part of family and not on a tour.
Written April 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear valued guest,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful experience with us! It is truly heartwarming to hear that you had an amazing time with Diyath, one of our excellent tour guides. We are grateful for the high recommendation and pleased to know that he was able to provide insightful and engaging cultural information during your tour.
At our company, we strive to provide our guests with personalized and fun experiences, and we are thrilled to know that Diyath was able to provide that for you. Rest assured that we will be sure to pass on your compliments to Diyath and the rest of our team.
Thanks again for choosing us for your tour, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon!
Written May 22, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Teresa A
3 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
Isuru was an excelent driver and guide!!! He is very dedicated and pays attention to the client's needs and preferences :)
He knows a lot about the history and culture of the country and he gave me some tips for my solo travel. We even drank a tea and he showed me another town besides the tour plan. It was an amazing day and I recommend 100% to have a tour with him :)
He knows a lot about the history and culture of the country and he gave me some tips for my solo travel. We even drank a tea and he showed me another town besides the tour plan. It was an amazing day and I recommend 100% to have a tour with him :)
Written November 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Your enthusiastic review of Isuru has truly brightened our day! It's incredible to hear that he exceeded your expectations as both a driver and a guide, ensuring your solo travel experience was seamless and enriched with his cultural insights and personal touches. His dedication to catering to your needs and preferences speaks volumes about his professionalism and genuine care for his clients. We're thrilled that you took away valuable tips for your solo adventures and that he went above and beyond to surprise you with an off-the-beaten-path excursion. Thank you for recommending Isuru so highly – we couldn't agree more that he's an exceptional guide who deserves recognition for his outstanding service.
Written December 3, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Miklos
6 contributions
We climbed the Lion Rock and visited Dambullah with Diyath. He was punctual with a comfortable car and a good guide with lot of information. The view and the historic places are a must see in Sri Lanka.
Written May 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BlogOnTheBlock
London, UK31 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
Although we loved Sigirya Rock and the Dambulla Caves (they are a must see if you're visiting Sri Lanka), we were disappointed with our tour guide and his approach to showing us these sights. Having experienced tours from all over the world through different tour providers, we were quite unhappy with this experience booked through viator.com.
We were picked up on time from our hotel but despite saying we had no extra requests on top of the existing itinerary our guide decided to take us to additional places; some of which we had no interest in but felt like we had no choice but to stop off. The additional stop offs felt like a waste of time when all we wanted was the Sigiriya & Dambulla tour from Kandy as booked.
It was a really frustrating experience which we were very disappointed about. I just felt like the whole day consisted of the guide calling up his mates, taking us to their shops and trying to make money out of us. If we didn't buy anything we were made to feel guilty, whereas we were well within our right to not buy things, we hadn't even asked to be taken there in the first place! At the end of the day if we are parting with our money it should be because we want to.
I won't list absolutely everything but a few frustrating incidents included being hounded by a local who was trying to sell us some wooden boxes he had made. As we decided not to buy from him in the end he actually swore under his breath, which our guide laughed at; very unprofessional! Surely his job would be to step in and look after us? We were made to feel like easy targets with the locals. Having booked a guide, surely part of his job is to ensure that this is not the case?
Another frustrating incident was when we were taken for lunch in a village. Although the food was some of the best we ate during our 2 weeks in Sri Lanka, we were told lots of sob stories of how the lady who had cooked for us struggled to make cash to bring up her children which couldn't have been further from the truth. She had what appeared to me a nice place to invite guests in for lunch and her husband was also a rickshaw driver (which we discovered after we had paid her - and given her extra money!) so they couldn't have been that tight for cash!
On the drive back to our hotel we were asked if we wanted to stop off somewhere for a coffee to which i replied no, but the driver and guide still decided to stop so that they could get themselves a coffee. Why ask if they were going to stop anyway?
Instead of getting back to our hotel at 5pm (as was mentioned when we booked the tour) we didn't get back until 8pm which ruined our evening plans as we were meant to meet friends for dinner.
We decided to tip both the guide and the driver when we were finally dropped off to our hotel, but the guide didn't look very impressed with how much money we gave him. Truthfully, if he hadn't taken us to all of these places that we had not requested he probably would have got more money! But as we felt obliged to tip people throughout the day, there was only so much money we had left to give him.
Sigiriya Rock itself is incredible though. It's quite a long climb but there are lots of sections where you can stop, catch your breath and take in the view. Part of the climb includes very steep steps at the edge of the rock, which are slightly daunting but well worth the experience! We would definitely recommend it, despite the steep entry fee of 30 USD, it's well worth it.
The Dambulla Caves are also a must see. There are endless amounts of monkeys during your walk up so keep an eye on your belongings - be prepared for the many steps you need to climb to get there. You must leave your shoes at reception and there's a small fee of 25 rupees for this.
We were picked up on time from our hotel but despite saying we had no extra requests on top of the existing itinerary our guide decided to take us to additional places; some of which we had no interest in but felt like we had no choice but to stop off. The additional stop offs felt like a waste of time when all we wanted was the Sigiriya & Dambulla tour from Kandy as booked.
It was a really frustrating experience which we were very disappointed about. I just felt like the whole day consisted of the guide calling up his mates, taking us to their shops and trying to make money out of us. If we didn't buy anything we were made to feel guilty, whereas we were well within our right to not buy things, we hadn't even asked to be taken there in the first place! At the end of the day if we are parting with our money it should be because we want to.
I won't list absolutely everything but a few frustrating incidents included being hounded by a local who was trying to sell us some wooden boxes he had made. As we decided not to buy from him in the end he actually swore under his breath, which our guide laughed at; very unprofessional! Surely his job would be to step in and look after us? We were made to feel like easy targets with the locals. Having booked a guide, surely part of his job is to ensure that this is not the case?
Another frustrating incident was when we were taken for lunch in a village. Although the food was some of the best we ate during our 2 weeks in Sri Lanka, we were told lots of sob stories of how the lady who had cooked for us struggled to make cash to bring up her children which couldn't have been further from the truth. She had what appeared to me a nice place to invite guests in for lunch and her husband was also a rickshaw driver (which we discovered after we had paid her - and given her extra money!) so they couldn't have been that tight for cash!
On the drive back to our hotel we were asked if we wanted to stop off somewhere for a coffee to which i replied no, but the driver and guide still decided to stop so that they could get themselves a coffee. Why ask if they were going to stop anyway?
Instead of getting back to our hotel at 5pm (as was mentioned when we booked the tour) we didn't get back until 8pm which ruined our evening plans as we were meant to meet friends for dinner.
We decided to tip both the guide and the driver when we were finally dropped off to our hotel, but the guide didn't look very impressed with how much money we gave him. Truthfully, if he hadn't taken us to all of these places that we had not requested he probably would have got more money! But as we felt obliged to tip people throughout the day, there was only so much money we had left to give him.
Sigiriya Rock itself is incredible though. It's quite a long climb but there are lots of sections where you can stop, catch your breath and take in the view. Part of the climb includes very steep steps at the edge of the rock, which are slightly daunting but well worth the experience! We would definitely recommend it, despite the steep entry fee of 30 USD, it's well worth it.
The Dambulla Caves are also a must see. There are endless amounts of monkeys during your walk up so keep an eye on your belongings - be prepared for the many steps you need to climb to get there. You must leave your shoes at reception and there's a small fee of 25 rupees for this.
Written April 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, I have a question: The daytour is offered for the time of 5 hours from Kandy to Sigiriya (lion rock) and Dambulla (caves) and back to Kandy, but I read in the experience-reports that this daytour is offered to 9 hours (from 8:00 am to 17:00 pm.) I think 9 hours is the right notice, am I right? (otherwise the time would be too short for this daytour, right?). I have also a second question: Is it possible to book this tour just to visit the two big Sightseeing-Points (the lion rock in Sigiriya and the Caves in Dambulla) and no Shopping offers/ village visiting etc.in additional? Thank you for an answer and any information! :-) Kind regards
Written April 5, 2019
We do not do shopping or spice gardens unless on request. So, we will cover only the major attractions as listed in the tour details page.
This is a full day tour and it takes some 8+ hours.
Written April 8, 2019
Hi, looking to book this tour for end of October/ early November - just wondering what provision there is for poor weather? cheers.
Written October 8, 2018
I am sorry, I was not notified of this questions hence missed it. As for the poor weather, it's just luck by chance.
Written November 17, 2018
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