During our Seven-day Ramayana Trail through Sri Lanka, we visited some of Sri Lanka’s popular heritage sites along the way. While this post focuses on the heritage, history and cultural significance of these places, our separate post, [Sri Lanka Ramayana Trail – Following the Footsteps of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita & Hanuman], covers the Ramayana connections and our experiences at the various sites.

1. Sigiriya Rock Fortress

We visited the spectacular Sigiriya Rock Fortress, the famous 5th-century citadel of King Kashyapa and one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic heritage sites. We climbed partway up the rock and reached the area of the ancient frescoes (paintings), but did not continue to the summit. At USD 35 per foreign visitor, we felt the entrance fee was quite high, although the fee is considerably lower for visitors holding an Indian passport.

2. Dambulla Cave Temple & Golden Temple

The Dambulla Cave Temple is a fascinating complex of five caves filled with numerous Buddha statues and beautiful wall and ceiling paintings. All five caves are worth visiting, each offering something different. The adjoining Golden Temple, with its enormous golden Buddha statue, makes this an impressive cultural and religious site.

3. Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a huge Buddhist temple complex and one of the most important religious sites in Sri Lanka. It houses what Buddhists believe to be a relic of the Buddha’s tooth. The temple complex is particularly impressive for its scale, architecture and the number of devotees and visitors.

4. Devathura Ella Falls & Ramboda Falls

We also visited two beautiful waterfalls during our journey through the hill country—Devathura Ella Falls and Ramboda Falls. Surrounded by lush green mountains and forests, these waterfalls provided a welcome break during our drive through the scenic central highlands.

5. Seema Malakaya, Colombo

In Colombo, we visited Seema Malakaya, a Buddhist temple located on Beira Lake. We only viewed the temple from outside and did not enter, but its distinctive setting on the lake makes it an interesting landmark in Colombo.

We also visited Yala National Park during our journey, and we have shared our safari experience in a separate blog post: [Yala National Park – Our Safari Experience].