Travel Guide of Dambulla in Sri Lanka by Influencers and Travelers

Dambulla is a town situated in the north of Matale District, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is the second largest populated and urbanised centre after Matale in the Matale District.

The Best Things to Do and Visit in Dambulla

TRAVELERS TOP 10 :

1 - Dambulla Cave Temple

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2 - Dambulla cave temple

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3 - Safaris in Sigiriya

   14 km away

• Morning (5.30am) or afternoon (2pm) - arrange with guide after booking. • Hotel Pickup+and drop free of charge Habarana hotels and city area.. if go to kaudulla 10 dollars extra charges • 3 hour tour of Minneriya National Park • Comfortable Jeep • Maximum 5 people • English speaking guide • Water bottle included

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4 - Sigiriya

   14 km away

Sigiriya Airport is an air force base and domestic airport located in central Sri Lanka. Located near the city of Dambulla, the airport is also known as SLAF Sigiriya.

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5 - Ancient City of Sigiriya

   15 km away
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6 - Archaeology Tours in Sigiriya

   14 km away

Anuradhapura (Sinhala: අනුරාධපුරය, romanized: Anurādhapuraya; Tamil: அனுராதபுரம், romanized: Aṉurātapuram) is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province, Sri Lanka and the capital of Anuradhapura District. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of an ancient Sinhala civilization. It was the third capital of the kingdom of Rajarata, following the kingdoms of Tambapanni and Upatissa Nuwara.

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7 - Pidurangala Rock

   16 km away
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8 - Minneriya National Park

   26 km away

Minneriya National Park is a national park in North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was designated as a national park on 12 August 1997, having been originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938.

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9 - Bird Watching in Sigiriya

   14 km away

• Explore village life in Sigiriya • Cycle tour guided by a local expert who is also a tour guide • Experience Sigiriya as the villagers do • Cycle along village roads, paddy fields, farms and walking paths • See the beauty of the rural village life in Sigiriya • Perfect for Nature Lovers • Discover local life as it is lived in rural Sri Lanka - simple & beautiful • Enjoy a home-made local village lunch.

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10 - Minneriya

   34 km away

Minneriya is a small town in Sri Lanka that is famous for two things — the great Minneriya lake built by King Mahasen and Minneriya National Park which is a hot spot for safari lovers because of its abundance of elephants.

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11 - Kaudulla National Park

   38 km away

Kaudulla National Park is a national park on the island of Sri Lanka located 197 kilometres away from the largest city, Colombo. It was designated a national park on April 1, 2002 becoming the 15th such area on the island.

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12 - Wildlife Watching in Sigiriya

   14 km away

Enjoy getting an unforgettable experience by looking at the elephants of Minneriya national park, Kaudulla national park or Hurulu eco-park for around 5 hrs game drive. get a chance to enter inside of the wilderness to see the real habitat of wildlife that most famous for the largest elephant gathering of Asian elephants on the earth. This is the best opportunity to observe how elephants drink, feed and congregate with their herds and you will be able to see numerous species of birds, langurs, crocodiles wild boars. reserve your seats to feel the natural habitat of wildlife by thrilling in this game drive.

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13 - ගල් විහාරය - Gal Viharaya

   40 km away
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14 - Hot Air Balloon Rides in Sigiriya

   14 km away

(SKU: LK62210100) Get this amazing opportunity to go on a Hot Air Balloon Ride in Sri Lanka. Sail in the tranquil skies and enjoy the beautiful views of Kandalama and Dambulla. The tour is dependent on weather conditions. If you are staying at a hotel in a nearby city (Habarana, Kandalama, Sigiriya or Dambulla) you also receive a complimentary pickup from your hotel to the starting point.

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Disover the best Instagram Spots around Dambulla here

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Pictures and Stories of Dambulla from Influencers

8 pictures of Dambulla from Agnieszka Kowalczyk, Brian Kyed, and other travelers

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Why should you visit Dambulla ?

Travel to Dambulla if you like:

  🏰 Temple     🐾 Wildlife  

Learn More about Dambulla

Located 72km from Kandy, Dambulla is a fairly large town, which is considered as a "head market" specializing in distributing vegetables and agricultural products throughout the country. But that's not what makes this place a landmark. On the tourist map of Sri Lanka, the name Dambulla is almost associated with Cave Temple or Golden Temple - Cultural heritage recognized by Unesco in 1991.

A temple built inside large caves with countless large and small Buddha statues with meticulous and sophisticated drawings and sculptures on the walls and ceiling of the cave. It can be counted that there are a total of 5 caves with 153 Buddha statues, 03 statues of the kings of Sri Lanka, 04 statues of gods and goddesses. These caves are also known as shrine rooms and were built in different time periods, of which the fifth cave is considered to have the least historical value because it was built last. To fully understand the meaning and historical value of this attraction, visitors can hire an on-site guide to follow the explanations. Hang Pagoda used to sell entrance tickets for visitors, about $15, but recently this regulation has been abolished. Visitors to the temple do not have to pay any fees.

To get to Cave Temple, just go to the bus station (there are many bus stops in Kandy, so please specify where to go so the driver can take you to the right stop), find a car with a sign to go to Dambulla and then climb up. , the price is about 100 rupees/person/turn. The pagoda is located right off the road, opposite a green park. The road from Kandy to here is very beautiful, there are passages like in a fairy tale, when the ancient trees on both sides of the road fall head-to-head into a green arch and turn the road into a sunlit tunnel.

Frequently Asked Questions by Travelers planning a trip to Dambulla

What are the best hotel in Dambulla ?

You can stay at Liyya Water Villas, New Peacock resort, Sevonrich Holiday resort or Tropical Life resort
https://www.booking.com/hotel/lk/liyya-water-villas-dabulla.html
https://www.booking.com/hotel/lk/new-peacock-resort.html
https://www.booking.com/hotel/lk/sevonrich-holiday-resort.html
https://www.booking.com/hotel/lk/tropical-life-resort-and-spa.html

What time does the Cave Temple, Dambulla open ?

From 7am to 5pm, I recommend to visit at 7am to avoid the crowds

What are the best restaurants in Dambulla ?

The best restaurants in Dambulla are Golden Palace restaurant, Rithu restaurant and Athula restaurant.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g304133-d16733115-Reviews-Golden_Palace_Restaurant-Dambulla_Central_Province.html
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g304133-d9694624-Reviews-Rithu_Restaurant-Dambulla_Central_Province.html
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g304133-d3742717-Reviews-Athula_Restaurant-Dambulla_Central_Province.html

   Where to Stay in Dambulla

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Discover more travel spots to explore around Dambulla

  🏰 Temple spots     🐾 Wildlife spots  

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