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Voykit pocket guide · Sri Lanka
Anuradhapura
අනුරාධපුරය
Give Anuradhapura two nights: one full day for the sacred zone by tuk-tuk or bicycle, one for Mihintale. Skip it if you only have three days in Sri Lanka.
Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka's first great capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site, a flat archaeological zone of stupas, monasteries and tanks that spreads over several square kilometres northwest of the modern New Town. It is a working pilgrimage city rather than a tour-bus stop, so most visitors you pass are white-clad Sri Lankans. Two nights is the useful minimum: one day for the sacred zone, one for Mihintale.
- Country
- Sri Lanka
- Local name
- අනුරාධපුරය
- Best months
- Jan–Apr, and again Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Oct–Dec (northeast monsoon rains)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- LKR
- Money
- LKR in small notes for tuk-tuks, buses, tea and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget Rs 6,000–10,000 excl. bed · Mid Rs 12,000–20,000 excl. bed · High Rs 25,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Dialog, Mobitel (SLT-Mobitel) and Hutch sell tourist SIMs at the airport; passport required.
- Emergency
- Police 119 · Ambulance 1990 · Fire 110
- Plugs
- Types D, G, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Old three-round-pin (D and M) and UK three-flat-pin (G) sockets both appear; bring a universal adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Nothing extra if 10% service is on the bill; otherwise 10%.; Driver: Rs 2,000–3,000 a day at the end.; Safari jeep driver and tracker: Rs 1,500–3,000.; Guide: Rs 1,000–2,000 for a site visit.; Hotel staff: Rs 200–500; many hotels have a tip box.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water everywhere; many hotels provide filtered water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants, with a hose; squat toilets in bus stations. Carry tissue.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Rice and curry at a New Town hotel | Rs 400–900 |
| Lunch packet (11:00–14:00)Lunch packet (11:00 AM–2:00 PM) | Rs 250–500 |
| Tea or soft drink | Rs 100–250 |
| Beer at a guesthouse bar | Rs 500–900 |
| Tuk-tuk across the New Town | Rs 300–600 |
| Sacred zone day ticket for foreign visitors | check at the ticket office |
| Isurumuniya temple | Rs 500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ACJ · Anuradhapura Airport
- No scheduled flights as of 2025; charter only. Most travellers arrive by train or bus from Colombo.
- CMB · Bandaranaike International (Colombo)
- About 4 h by road, or 4.5 h by train from Colombo Fort.
Typical fares
- Colombo Fort → Anuradhapura, train
- about 4.5 h; 1st class Rs 2,000–2,400, 2nd class about Rs 1,200 (check)
- Colombo → Anuradhapura, luxury bus
- 4–5.5 h, Rs 1,600–2,800 (check)
- Tuk-tuk tour of the old city
- Rs 3,500–4,500 per tour (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The New Town is small enough to walk. The sacred zone is not: hire a tuk-tuk for a half or full-day tour (agree the price and the stops first), or rent a bicycle or scooter from many guesthouses. PickMe works here for tuk-tuks, motorbikes and taxis. The old city closes to visitors around 17:00; several temples stay open later, and much later on poya (full-moon) days.The New Town is small enough to walk. The sacred zone is not: hire a tuk-tuk for a half or full-day tour (agree the price and the stops first), or rent a bicycle or scooter from many guesthouses. PickMe works here for tuk-tuks, motorbikes and taxis. The old city closes to visitors around 5:00 PM; several temples stay open later, and much later on poya (full-moon) days.
See and do
Known for
- Sri Maha Bodhiya (the sacred Bodhi tree)
- Ruwanwelisaya and Jetavanaramaya stupas
- Abhayagiri monastery ruins
- Mihintale
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mihintale | Bus from the public bus stand, about 30 min, then walk to the foot of the rock | About 1 h each way |
| Ritigala | About 40 km (25 mi) southeast on the Habarana road; tuk-tuk or carAbout 25 mi (40 km) southeast on the Habarana road; tuk-tuk or car | 1–1.5 h each way |
| Polonnaruwa | Bus or car east, about 2 h | About 2 h |
| Wilpattu National Park | Car west, about 1 h to the park gate | About 1 h |
Sleep
- New Town
- Buses, trains, shops, guesthouses and most restaurants. Walkable end to end in about 30 min; the practical base.
- Around Tissa Wewa
- Lakeside guesthouses and homestays, quieter, 10–20 min by tuk-tuk from the New Town.
- Near the sacred zone
- A few hotels close to the ruins; best if you want to start at the Bodhi tree at opening.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | ආයුබෝවන්ayubowan |
| Thank you | ස්තූතියිstutiyi |
| How much is it? | කීයද?keeyada |
| No, thank you | එපා, ස්තූතියිepa, stutiyi |
| Where is the toilet? | වැසිකිළිය කොහෙද?wesikiliya koheda |
| Please take me to this address | මේ ලිපිනයට යන්නme lipinayata yanna |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Ayubowan' (Sinhala) or 'Vanakkam' (Tamil) with palms together; avoid: Kissing on the cheek
- Temples: White clothes, shoes off, walk clockwise; avoid: Posing with your back to the Buddha; pointing feet at statues
- Hands: Right hand to give and eat; avoid: Left hand for food or money
- Head wobble: A side-to-side nod means yes or OK; avoid: Taking it as no
- Dress: Swimwear only on the beach; shoulders and knees covered in towns; avoid: Topless bathing
- Buses: Leave front seats for monks, the elderly and pregnant women; avoid: Sitting next to a monk (women)
Scams and watch-outs
- Macaques and other monkeys grab bags, food and sunglasses: keep nothing loose, and do not feed them.
- Shoes and hats come off at every sacred site; carry a bag for them and expect hot stone underfoot.
- Vendors may offer 'ancient' artefacts. Buying or exporting anything over 100 years old is illegal and can mean prison.
- Alcohol is not drunk in public; bars are few and discreet.
- Do not drink tap water.
- The old city is exposed and shadeless: start early, carry water.
Anuradhapura is calm and low-crime; the real annoyances are monkeys, heat and pushy souvenir sellers. Solo women report few problems here compared with the coast.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Anuradhapura yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sri Maha Bodhiya (the sacred Bodhi tree)
- Ruwanwelisaya and Jetavanaramaya stupas
- Abhayagiri monastery ruins
- Mihintale
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Sri Lanka Tourism — Anuradhapura: www.srilanka.travel/anuradhapura
- Sri Lanka Railways: www.railway.gov.lk/
- Wikivoyage: Anuradhapura, revision 5323531 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5323531
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Anuradhapuraඅනුරාධපුරය
මේ ලිපිනයට යන්න
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Anuradhapura; most are in Colombo. For consular help, contact your Colombo embassy or the tourist police.
Shoes off at every sacred site; carry a bag. Cover shoulders and knees.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/anuradhapura). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.