SRI LANKA · CITY

Polonnaruwa

Sri Lanka's second ancient capital — royal ruins and the serene rock-carved Buddhas of the Gal Vihara.

City
December – March (west coast), April – September (east coast)

▸ Discover

About Polonnaruwa

The medieval capital of Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa is a compact, well-preserved archaeological city of palaces, temples and vast irrigation tanks, best explored by bicycle. Its masterpiece is the Gal Vihara, a group of colossal Buddha images carved from a single granite face — including a magnificent 14-metre reclining Buddha — among the finest sculptures in Asia.

Highlights

The Gal Vihara rock-carved Buddhas
The circular Vatadage shrine
The royal palace ruins
The Rankoth Vehera stupa
Cycling among the monuments
The Parakrama Samudra tank

▸ Where you'll stay

Where you'll stay in Polonnaruwa

Live map of hotels and villas around Polonnaruwa — powered by Stay22. Pan, zoom and compare live prices to pick your base.

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Hotels & rentals around Polonnaruwa

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▸ What you'll do

Explore

Explore the area

Local attractions & tours

Skip-the-line tickets and small-group tours in Polonnaruwa — compare across our partners.

We're still curating hand-picked tickets and tours for Polonnaruwa. In the meantime, the map above and the nearby cities are a great place to start.

▸ When you'll go

When to visit Polonnaruwa

December – March (west coast), April – September (east coast)

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▸ Trip extras

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More trip extras

Parking, holiday extras, and more — coming soon.

Coming soon

We're lining up parking, holiday extras and activities you'll be able to add to any trip from here.