Temple and Pilgrimage 6-Day Tour

This is a journey through places that are still very much alive. In Kandy, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic holds the relic most revered by Sri Lankan Buddhists, and the daily pujas draw families with offerings of flowers and incense. The countryside to the west keeps three fourteenth-century shrines, Gadaladeniya, Lankatilaka and Embekke, each with its own architecture and carving.

Heading north, the road passes Aluvihare, where tradition holds that the Buddhist scriptures were first written down, and reaches the Dambulla cave temples, whose painted ceilings shelter more than 150 Buddha images. Anuradhapura is the spiritual centre of the journey: the Sri Maha Bodhi, traditionally said to have grown from a branch of the tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, and great stupas such as Ruwanwelisaya. The last day climbs the rock at Mihintale, traditionally associated with the arrival of Buddhism on the island.

Modest dress, ideally white, is appreciated at all of these sites, and shoes and hats are removed before entering.

Think of this as a draft: the route, pace and hotels are tailored around your dates and preferences, and no booking is made until you confirm.

Day 1 – Kandy: Settle in and attend the evening puja at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Day 2 – Kandy: Visit the Gadaladeniya, Lankatilaka and Embekke shrines in the hills west of the city.
Day 3 – Dambulla: Drive north via the Aluvihare rock temple in Matale to the Dambulla cave temples (about 2.5 hours).
Day 4 – Anuradhapura: Continue to Anuradhapura (about two hours) with a stop at the standing Aukana Buddha.
Day 5 – Anuradhapura: Walk the sacred city: Sri Maha Bodhi, Ruwanwelisaya, Jetavanaramaya, Abhayagiri and Isurumuniya.
Day 6 – Mihintale: Climb the stone stairway at Mihintale, about 13 km east, before returning to Anuradhapura where the tour ends.