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Planning to visit Sri Lanka and want to see the country’s top historical attraction?
You’re in the right place, because this guide gives you everything you need to visit Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka’s ancient capital.
If you had to pick the best historical site in Sri Lanka, and there are many to choose from, but the ancient city of Pollonaruwa might be the winner.
This sprawling historical site was once the capital of a great kingdom during its Sri Lanka’s golden age, over 1000 years ago.
With its size and scale, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is often compared to Cambodia’s Angkor Wat and has some of the most well preserved ancient ruins in on the island.
With towering palaces, royal baths, gigantic rock carvings and massive stupas, this ancient city has a lot to offer. If you like history and you’re visiting Sri Lanka, you must visit Polonnaruwa.
However, Polonnaruwa is a big site, and it’s a little out of the way. This can make it difficult to visit.
That’s why I’m here. I’ve visited this ancient city multiple times, exploring every nook and cranny, and I’ve put everything I’ve learned into this detailed Polonnaruwa guide to help you do the same.
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Contents
Brief History of Polonnaruwa
The history of Polonnaruwa begins with another ancient city, Sri Lanka’s oldest: Anuradhapura. For over 1500 years the city of Anuradhapura served as the capital of various major Sri Lankan kingdoms.
This was until the year 993 CE, when the Chola Kingdom from Southern India invaded, burning Anuradhapura to the ground and conquering most of the island.
With Anuradhapura in ruins, the Chola’s needed a new site for their capital in Sri Lanka, and chose the former military outpost of Polonnaruwa. Over the next few decades they developed the settlement into one worthy of a capital.
That was until a local prince unified the subjugated Sri Lankan people and revolted against the Cholas. In 1070, after 17 years of fighting, the prince took the capital of Polonnaruwa and drove the Chola’s completely from the island, triggering a new golden age for Sri Lanka.
The new rulers put great effort into developing the city. They declared that no drop of water be wasted, and the irrigation system that they developed would make Polonnaruwa one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world, at least in terms of agriculture.
At its peak, Polonnaruwa was renowned for its wealth and glamour, and was known as the ‘Granary of the East’, due to the massive amounts of food it could produce,. Some even referred to it as Sri Lanka’s ‘Garden of Babylon’.
It was during this golden age that they constructed many impressive buildings, which you can still see today, and even built the lake next to Polonnaruwa (Parakrama Samudra). The irrigation system built during this time still supports the surrounding rice fields to this day.
After Polonnaruwa, the centre of power on the island bounced around a lot, with many kingdoms vying for control, leaving Sri Lanka vulnerable to European powers in the 1500s. Sri Lanka wouldn’t be unified and self-governed again until its independence from Britain in the 20th century.
Polonnaruwa was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 and remains one of the most well preserved historical sites in the country.
Best time to visit Polonnaruwa
Sri Lanka has a tropical climate, and that means you need to be mindful of the monsoon seasons.
And I mean ‘seasons’ – as in plural. Because Sri Lanka experiences 2 different monsoon seasons depending on what part of the island you’re in.
The 2 rainy seasons in Sri Lanka are:
- October to January – the monsoon season in the North and East of the island.
- May to August – the monsoon season in the South and West of the island.
Polonnaruwa falls into the former, experiencing its monsoon season between October and January.
Overall the best time to visit Polonnaruwa is between June and August. While it’s not the coolest time of year, the weather is most pleasant with the least liklihood of rain.
A visit to Polonnaruwa at this time of the year is best combined with travel along Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern areas, which experience their tourist on-season.
Polonnaruwa Opening Hours
The Polonnaruwa opening hours are 7am to 6:30pm.
While I endeavour to keep this guide up to date, keep in mind the Polonnaruwa opening hours are open to change.
Unfortunately, there’s no reliable government website where you can check for updates. The above times are up to date as of my recent visit and are not known to change often.
How to get to Polonnaruwa
The Polonnaruwa historical site is located in a town that is also called Polonarruwa. The modern-day town is sometimes referred to as Newtown, with the ancient city ruins being the ‘old town’.
It is located in the North Central Province of Sri lanka, about 50km from Sigiriya, another popular site of the Cultural Triangle, and about 220km from Colombo, the capital.
How you get there will of course depend on where you’re staying.
While you can stay in Polonnaruwua town, which puts you right near the ancient city itself, many travellers choose to stay in Sigiriya, and visit Polonnaruwa as a day trip.
I wouldn’t recommend trying to visit the ruins whilst staying anywhere further away than Sigiriya, given that you’d spend the majority of your day travelling to and from, leaving too little time to explore the sprawling ancient city.
From Polonnaruwa Town
If you’re staying in the town of Polonnaruwa, then getting to the ancient city is easy. There may be public buses you could get, but for less than $2 USD you could get a tuk tuk or rideshare (uber/lyft).
Bus from Sigiriya
There are no buses running directly from Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa, but there are from the nearby town of Inamaluwa, about 10km away. If you want to get the bus, I’d recommend hiring a tuk tuk to drive you to Inamaluwa junction, then asking the bus drivers if they’re headed to Polonnaruwa. This journey will take around 2 hours.
Cost // A tuk tuk from Sigiriya to Inamaluwa should cost around 500 LKR ($1.60 USD). A one way bus ticket from Inamaluwa to Polonnaruwa should be around 100 LKR ($0.30 USD). Total = 600 LKR ($1.90 USD).
Tuk tuk from Sigiriya
Speak with any local tuk tuk driver and you shouldn’t have any trouble arranging transport from Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa. For an additional fee, they may also drive you around the complex itself, or wait around for you to finish and drive you back to Sigiriya.
Cost | The exact cost depends on the above-mentioned things, as well as your haggling skills, but a one way tuk tuk trip from Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa will likely set you back around 1500 and 2000 LKR ($4.80 and $6.40 USD).
Scooter from Sigiriya
A popular way to get from Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa is to rent a scooter and make your own way there.
Renting a scooter for a day not only allows you the freedom to stop wherever and whenever you like, but also covers your transport within the ancient city itself, and your transport back to Sigiriya.
In a tourist hotspot like Sigiriya, finding a scooter to rent is not hard. If your hotel doesn’t have any available, go for a walk and look out for signs, or just ask some of the locals where you can rent one.
The ride from Sigiriya should take you around 2 hours at a leisurely pace. You can stop and see the sights as you please, and may even see some wild elephants on the road.
Cost // The cost of a full day rental should cost you no more than 2000 LKR ($6.40 USD). The cost of a full tank of petrol, which should cover you for the whole day, is roughly 1200 LKR ($3.80), depending on the type of scooter.
Total = 3200 LKR ($10.20 USD).
Where to Buy Your Ticket to Polonnaruwa
If you attempt to go straight to the entrance to Polonnaruwa just off the main road, you’ll be turned away, because to buy your entry ticket you first need to visit the Archeological Museum.
If you’re arriving by bus or hired driver, you’ll likely be dropped off at the museum anyway, but if you’re making your own way there then it can be confusing to find.
To reach the museum, you’ll need to turn off the highway onto Bund Rd. Take the first right and you’ll find the museum, and main entrance, right in front of you.
At the time of writing, the Polonnaruwa entrance fee is 4500 LKR ($25 USD).
This may sound a little steep compared to other historical attractions in Sri Lanka, but the site is huge and has a lot to see, so its worth every cent.
Getting around Polonnaruwa
The Polonnaruwa complex is a massive and sprawling historical site. After all, it was once an entire city. From the entrance of the complex to the far end is almost 4km, and the ruins are scattered throughout, with some distance in between.
To get around this ancient city, you have a few different options.
Walk
If you’ve got the time and the energy, there’s nothing stopping you from walking around Polonnaruwa. However, this isn’t advisable. You’ll be on your feet all day, and the intense tropical heat doesn’t make it any easier.
But hey, if those things don’t bother you, go for it. There’s plenty of places to rest in the shade when you need it, and no shortage of stalls selling cold bottled water. Just make sure you allow yourself about 8 hours if you’d like to see everything Polonnaruwa has to offer.
Rent a Bike
One of the most popular ways to get around Polonnaruwa is by renting a bicycle. It’s much faster than walking and cheaper than a scooter.
With paved roads throughout, cycling around the ruins of this ancient city at your own leisurely place makes for a great time, and should take you roughly 4 to 5 hours to see everything.
You can rent a bike at the entrance to the complex. If you’re arriving on foot, someone will likely offer you one. If not, just ask one of the employees where the bike rental is.
Cost // At the time of writing, the cost of renting a pushbike for the full day is 500 LKR ($1.60USD).
Rent a Scooter
If you feel comfortable riding a scooter (as in a motor scooter), then this is certainly the most convenient way to get around Polonnaruwa. With your own scooter, you can zoom around the complex at your own pace.
There are many places to rent a scooter; they’re everywhere in Sri Lanka. Your best bet is to ask at your hotel, they may rent their own or know someone who does. Otherwise, walk around any tourist hotspot and you’ll likely find scooters for rent.
Cost // The cost of renting for a full day depends on the type of scooter and the owner, but you should expect between 1000 to 2000 LKR ($3.20 to $6.40 USD).
Hire a Tuk Tuk
Another option for getting around Polonnaruwa is hiring a tuk tuk driver. For a reasonable price, your driver will take you around the whole complex, stopping at each site for as long as you like.
You may be able to hire a tuk tuk from wherever you’re staying, which also covers your transport to and from Polonnaruwa.
Your accommodation staff may be able to arrange a driver for you, otherwise speak to any local tuk tuk driver and negotiate a price.
I you reach the site by other means (e.g. bus), you’ll likely be able to hire a tuk tuk driver from the front entrance to Polonnaruwa.
Cost // The cost of hiring a tuk tuk depends on a few things, such as whether it’s for a full day or half day, whether they are also driving you to and from your hotel, and of course how good your haggling skills are. But if you were to hire one to drive you around the complex only, you can expect somewhere between 1500 and 2000 LKR ($4.80 and $6.40 USD).
Where to stay
If you want to stay closest to the ancient city, you’ll want to book accommodation in Polonnaruwa town. This is a convenient option if you want to arrive at the site as soon as it opens, beating the crowds.
However, many travellers prefer to stay at the popular tourist hotspot of Sigiriya, and then visit Polonnaruwa on a day trip. I definitely recommend this because Sigiriya is a much more interesting place to stay than Polonnaruwua town, and has other incredible historical sites, such as Lion Rock.
Personally, I stayed at the One More Night Hostel in Sigiriya and rented a scooter to visit Polonnaruwa. This hostel is great if you’re on a budget and looking to meet other travellers.
If you’re looking for budget accommodation and want to meet other travellers, then you have to stay at Roy’s Villa Hostel. Roy’s hostel is somewhat famous among Sri Lanka’s backpackers circuit, known for its sociable atmosphere.
It’s so popular that it’s usually fully booked out days or sometimes weeks in advance during high season, so be sure to secure your spot.
If you’re looking for something a little fancier and more private than a hostel, then I’d recommend Sigiriya Rockside Homestay.
Places to see in Polonnaruwa
Museum
The Archeological Museum is where you’ll buy your ticket to Polonnaruwa, making it your first stop.
You will get so much more from your exploration around this ancient city if you take the time to visit this museum and learn about the history of Polonnaruwa.
This small museum has an impressive collection of ancient artefacts from the area, but perhaps the most valuable displays are those providing information, and the miniatures depicting what the city looked like during its heyday.
Palace Complex Of King Nissanka
After buying your ticket and visiting the museum, you’ll find one of the entrances to Polonnaruwa just down street.
The first thing you’ll come across is the Palace of King Nissanka. Nissanka was the 3rd ruler of Polonnaruwa after the Sri Lankans retook it from the Cholas, and he ruled from 1197 to 1196 CE.
This palace complex consists of a number of impressive ruins, including the central audience hall, the royal baths and various other smaller structures like a mausoleum, and a royal ‘summer house’ on the water’s edge.
The Citadel
After seeing the Palace of King Nissanka, you’ll make your way across the main and into the main area of Polonnaruwa. After passing the main gate, take a right and you’ll come across the next highlight that this ancient city has to offer.
Here, at the Citadel, you’ll find the remains of 2 of the most important structures at Polonnaruwa.
On your left, which unfortunately is little more than just the foundations, are the remains of the Palace of King Vijayabahu the Great. This guy was one of Sri Lanka’s greatest rulers, the first Sri Lankan ruler of Polonnaruwa, the man who took the city from the Cholas.
To the right is the real highlight: the remains of the Palace of King Parakramabahu. The successor to Vijayabahu the Great, this guy is right up there as one of Polonnaruwa’s most important kings, with the city thriving under his rule.
His palace clearly matched his reputation, with the massive stone pillars giving a sense of the scale of this structure. At 7 stories, it was said to be the tallest building in the city and supposedly housed a thousand bed chambers.
The other structure you’ll see at the Citadel is the audience hall. What remains today are the elevated stone foundations and the pillars, but 1000 years ago this building also had a wooden roof and was used by the king to receive guests.
The Sacred Quadrangle
After the Citadel, you’ll follow the road north, pass by gate you entered through, and find the next highlight on your left.
The Sacred Quadrangle has some of the most impressive and well preserved structures in Polonnaruwa. If you’ve ever seen a picture of Polonnaruwa, it was probably of one of these buildings. This site was once the religious centre of the city and housed 10 impressive buildings used for worship.
The first structure you’ll see to your left is the Vatadage, a large circular structure which was said to hold the Relic of the Tooth of the Buddha, an important religious artefact which is now held in Kandy.
Opposite this is the Hatadage, another impressive temple. It once stood 2 stories tall, and though little remains it still houses some beautiful statues.
Another highlight of the Sacred Quadrangle is the Thuparamaya, found behind the Vatadage. This structure is unique in that, while most buildings in Polonnaruwa had wooden roofs, this one is entirely made of stone, meaning it still remains in a similar condition to what it was 1000 years ago, albeit with a bit of wear-and-tear.
Keep in mind, when visiting the Sacred Quadrangle, you’ll be expected to remove your shoes before entering each of the ruined structures. Even though these are 1000 years old, their religious significance in Buddhism is still recognised, so temple etiquette applies.
Rankoth Vihara
As you make your way north through the ancient city, you can’t miss this massive structure towering above the tree-line.
Rankoth Vihara is one of the largest stupas in Sri Lanka, which is saying something because Sri Lanka has a lot of stupas.
It was built during the reign of King Nissanka (1187 to 1196), and is one of the best preserved structures in Polonnaruwa.
The Rankoth Vihara is one site you don’t want to miss on your visit.
Lankatilaka Vihara Complex
Just north of the Rankoth Vihara you’ll come across another massive temple complex.
The first thing you’ll see here is the Kiri Vihara, another stupa. It’s slightly smaller than the Rankoth Vihara, but every bit as magnificent.
Next to this is Lankatilaka Temple. This is without a doubt one of the most impressive structures in Polonnaruwa, and the height of the ruined walls give you a sense of how massive it was 900 years ago.
Built during the reign of King Parakramabahu (1153 to 1186), this temple once housed a statue of Buddha standing 13m tall, some of which still remains today.
Lankatilaka is without a doubt one the best things to see in Polonnaruwa.
Gal Vihara
Opposite to Lankatilaka Vihara, down a path by the pond, you’ll find the Gal Vihara, which houses some of the most impressive rock carvings in all of Sri Lanka.
During the reign of King Parakramabahu (1153 to 1186), these massive reliefs were carved into the side of a granite rock, depicting the Buddha in various positions. The tallest sculpture, the standing Buddha, is 7m tall while the reclining Buddha is almost 15m long.
The religious significance of Gal Vihara is still recognised today. In fact, during my visit, there were crowds of people visiting the site to pray.
Even if you’ve seen a thousand rock-carved Buddhas all over Asia, you won’t be disappointed by Gal Vihara.
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