Sri Lanka’s most visited tourist attraction, the Lion Rock Fortress, is the rock star attraction in Sigiriya. Furthermore, located two kilometers to the north of the Rock Fortress is its lessor known sister, Pidurangala Rock. Watching the early morning sunrise from Pidurangala is a must for those seeking unique travel experiences.

Mineriya and Kaudulla National parks are located in close proximity to Sigiriya. Both these two parks act as elephant migration corridors, and during the dry season large herds of elephants congregate to these ancient tanks. Therefore, if you are interesting in seeing large herds of elephants in the wild, then an evening safari in one of these parks is highly recommended.

As for other historical places to visit in Sigiriya, you can visit the Dambulla Cave Temple and Polonnaruwa Ancient city. Additionally, a day excursion to Anuradhapura Sacred City, which was Sri Lanka’s capital for more than a 1,000 years, is also feasible. The above three sites are world heritage sites and highly recommended places of interest, if you’re into history and culture.

The livelihood of the people living in Sigiriya are based on agriculture, so walking in these villages will allow you to see vegetable fields, rice fields and various crops farmed by villages. For a unique village experience, we would also recommend a village trail, which includes a bullock cart ride, catamaran ride, visit to the fields and ending with a meal in a village setting.