Hill capital

Kandy

The last kingdom, a lake, and the temple that holds the Buddha's tooth.

Kandy held out against European powers until 1815 and still feels like the cultural centre of the island. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic sits on the lake, and the evening puja — drums, offerings, the queue past the reliquary — is worth planning your day around. Beyond the temple there are the Peradeniya botanical gardens, gem and woodcarving workshops, and the road that starts climbing into tea country.

Things to do

Experiences in Kandy

Slow travel

Tea country and trains

The Kandy–Ella line, estate walks and a factory that still runs on 1930s machinery.

Culture

Food and village life

Rice and curry cooked in a village kitchen, short eats at a roadside stall.

Active

Hiking and peaks

Adam's Peak at night, Ella at dawn, Horton Plains before the cloud.

Culture

Ancient cities and temples

Two thousand years of capitals, in the dry zone triangle.

Journeys

Trips that include Kandy

14 days / 13 nightsCulture

Classical Sri Lanka

The five UNESCO sites, properly paced

12 days / 11 nightsClassic

The Essential Sri Lanka

Negombo to Colombo, the long way round

11 days / 10 nightsClassic

Experience the Magic of Sri Lanka

Eleven days from the Cultural Triangle to the south coast

14 days / 13 nightsClassic

Grand Tour of Sri Lanka

Coast, culture, highlands and safari in one loop

7 days / 6 nightsShort

Sri Lanka in One Week

The short trip that still feels like a trip

14 days / 13 nightsWildlife

Sri Lanka in Two Weeks — Summer

Wildlife and nature, timed for the summer months

14 days / 13 nightsClassic

Sri Lanka in Two Weeks — Winter

The full island, timed for the northern winter

10 days / 9 nightsHighlands & culture

Ceylon Slow

Kandy to Galle, mostly uphill and then down to the sea