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About Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa was the island's capital in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and it is the best-preserved of Sri Lanka's ancient cities. Everything sits within a compact, shaded archaeological park, which makes it the most rewarding of the Cultural Triangle sites to explore — ideally by bicycle.
The masterpiece is Gal Vihara: four colossal Buddha figures carved directly from a single granite face, including a 14-metre reclining Buddha whose stonework is among the finest in South Asia.
Things to see & do
- Gal Vihara's four rock-carved Buddha figures
- The Vatadage, a circular relic house of exceptional stonework
- The Royal Palace and Council Chamber ruins
- Rankot Vihara, the largest stupa in the ancient city
- Parakrama Samudra, a twelfth-century irrigation reservoir
- Cycling between the monuments under shade trees
Polonnaruwa in pictures
Good to know
DistrictPolonnaruwa
Best time to visitMay to September is driest. Go early in the morning — the site is open and there is little shade by midday.
Getting thereAround 4.5 hours from Colombo and 1.5 hours from Sigiriya. Usually visited alongside Sigiriya and Anuradhapura.