✦ Central Province
Kandy
The hill capital of the last Sinhala kings, home of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Photo: Niranjan Ramamurthy / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Destination guide
About Kandy
Kandy was the capital of the last independent Sri Lankan kingdom until 1815. Its centrepiece, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), stands beside Kandy Lake and is one of the most important places of worship in the Buddhist world. The city was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Sacred City of Kandy) in 1988.
Each year around July–August the Esala Perahera procession fills the streets with drummers, dancers and caparisoned elephants. The Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya and the Knuckles mountain range are close by.
Why visit
- Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
- UNESCO World Heritage Site (Sacred City of Kandy)
- Esala Perahera festival (usually July–August)
- Gateway to the hill country
Things to do in Kandy
- Evening puja at the Temple of the Tooth
- Walk around Kandy Lake
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya
- Kandyan dance performance
- Hike in the Knuckles range
Tours that include Kandy
Culture
Anuradhapura–Polonnaruwa–Sigiriya–Kandy
Ancient Kingdoms 8-Day Heritage Tour
Kings ruled from Anuradhapura for more than a thousand years before power shifted to Polonnaruwa and, much later, to Kandy. Trace that…
- 8 days / 7 nights
- Anuradhapura → Kandy
Photography
Kandy–Nuwara Eliya–Ella
Central Highlands Photography 5-Day Tour
For photographers, the hill country is all about timing. Reach World's End before the mist rises, catch tea pickers at work on…
- 5 days / 4 nights
- Kandy → Ella
★ Featured
Cultural
Colombo–Kandy–Sigiriya–Galle
Classic Sri Lanka 7-Day Private Journey
Seven days is enough to fall for Sri Lanka, provided the route is right. This one runs from the sea breeze of…
- 7 days / 6 nights
- Colombo → Galle
Eco
Sinharaja–Udawalawe–Gal Oya–Knuckles
Eco Sri Lanka 7-Day Journey
Rainforest, grassland, reservoir and cloud forest sit within a few hours' drive of each other in Sri Lanka. This week-long journey walks…
- 7 days / 6 nights
- Colombo → Kandy
Family
Negombo–Sigiriya–Kandy–Ella–Bentota
Family Sri Lanka 8-Day Journey
Bullock-cart rides between paddy fields, a climb past giant lion's paws at Sigiriya and a slow train winding through tea estates make…
- 8 days / 7 nights
- Negombo → Bentota
Culture
Colombo–Kandy–Matale–Galle
Food and Spice Heritage 5-Day Tour
Cardamom, clove and cinnamon bark scent the air in Matale's spice gardens long before you see the plants. From Colombo's Pettah markets…
- 5 days / 4 nights
- Colombo → Galle
Where to stay near Kandy
Luxury
Kandy
Earl’s Regency
Large hillside hotel overlooking the Mahaweli River near Kandy.
Boutique
Kandy
Theva Residency
Hilltop boutique stay with views across Kandy and the surrounding mountains.
Kandy
Adigar’s Manor
The Amunugama Walawwa, a manor house commissioned in 1804 by the last Chief Minister of the Kandyan Kingdom, restored as a nine-room…
Kandy
Kings Pavilion
A modern boutique hotel on Galkanda Road in Aniwatta, in the hills above Kandy, with rooms named after the Kandyan regions.
Kandy District
Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge
Eco-lodge experience in the Knuckles foothills and tea country.
Kandy
Mahaweli Reach
Riverside hotel set beside the Mahaweli River in Kandy.
Experiences in and around Kandy
Culture
Kandy or your hotel
Hela Sound Healing Session
A sound bath with a Sri Lankan heartbeat: traditional drums played softly and slowly, followed by guided breathing and quiet rest.
- 1–1.5 hours
- Year-round
Culture
Kandy
Kandy Cultural Performance
Drummers pound the double-headed geta bera as dancers in silver-beaded headdresses spin across the stage, before performers stride barefoot over glowing coals.…
- 1–2 hours
- Year-round
Scenic
Kandy–Ella
Kandy to Ella Scenic Train Journey
For around seven hours the train sways through tea estates, tunnels and highland villages, with cloud often drifting below the line. Reserved…
- 6–8 hours
- Year-round
★ Featured
Adventure
Knuckles
Knuckles Mountain Hike
Clouds rip apart over jagged ridges, revealing grassy slopes, terraced paddy and forest dripping with moss. Spend a full day hiking in…
- Full day
- January–September
Wellness
Kandy
Meditation Session in Kandy
Temple bells drift across Kandy Lake and a trace of incense hangs in the air as you settle onto a cushion. A…
- 1–2 hours
- Year-round
Heritage near Kandy
Culture
Kandy District
Degaldoruwa Cave Temple
Degaldoruwa Cave Temple is a real Sri Lankan heritage site or cultural landmark in Kandy District. It is presented as a travel…
- 18th century
Culture
Kandy District
Embekke Devalaya
Embekke Devalaya is a real Sri Lankan heritage site or cultural landmark in Kandy District. It is presented as a travel and…
- 14th century tradition
Culture
Kandy District
Gadaladeniya Vihara
Gadaladeniya Vihara is a real Sri Lankan heritage site or cultural landmark in Kandy District. It is presented as a travel and…
- 14th century
Culture
Kandy District
Lankatilaka Vihara
Lankatilaka Vihara is a real Sri Lankan heritage site or cultural landmark in Kandy District. It is presented as a travel and…
- 14th century
★ Featured
Culture
UNESCO
Kandy
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a real Sri Lankan heritage site or cultural landmark in Kandy. It is presented as…
- Kandyan period and earlier traditions
🍛 Local flavours
Food to try in Kandy
- Kiribath (milk rice) with lunu miris
- Hoppers (appa) and string hoppers (indiappa)
- Rice and curry
- Kavum and kokistraditional sweets
- Ceylon tea from the hill country
Best time to visit Kandy
- JanUsually the best months
- FebUsually the best months
- MarUsually the best months
- AprUsually the best months
- MayPossible, with more rain or heat
- JunPossible, with more rain or heat
- JulUsually the best months
- AugUsually the best months
- SepPossible, with more rain or heat
- OctPossible, with more rain or heat
- NovPossible, with more rain or heat
- DecPossible, with more rain or heat
January–April; the Esala Perahera is usually in July–August
Sri Lanka has two monsoons, so when one coast is rainy the other is usually dry — weather varies from year to year.
🎉 Events
Festivals & events in Kandy
Kandy on the map
Destinations near Kandy
References / Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Sacred City of Kandy: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/450
- Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau: https://www.srilanka.travel
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