Hill Country
Kandy
The last royal capital
Overview
A green lakeside city in the hills, home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the starting point for the scenic railway.
Kandy was the seat of the last Sinhalese kings and remains the cultural heart of the island. At its centre lies a lake surrounded by forested hills, with the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic on its shore.
The city is a good stop between the Cultural Triangle and the tea country, with botanical gardens, markets and traditional dance performances.
Highlights
- The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, ideally during an evening ceremony
- The Royal Botanic Gardens in Peradeniya
- A walk around Kandy Lake and views from the surrounding hills
- A performance of Kandyan dance and drumming
Practical travel notes
- The town centre can be congested. Allow extra time for road travel in and out of Kandy.
- Temple dress code: covered shoulders and knees, shoes removed. Security checks are normal.
- In July or August, the Esala Perahera festival fills the city. It is spectacular, but hotels book up early and prices rise.
Season
Pleasant much of the year and cooler than the coast. October and November are usually the wettest months.
Content reviewed 21 October 2026. Practical details change — we confirm them when planning your trip.
Sample itineraries that include Kandy
7 days
Culture & tea country in 7 days
Ancient rock fortresses, the Temple of the Tooth and the train through the tea hills — a compact first taste of Sri Lanka.
Route: Sigiriya → Kandy → Nuwara Eliya & tea country → Ella
Price: Quotation required
10 days
Classic Sri Lanka in 10 days
The full classic loop: the Cultural Triangle, Kandy, the hill-country train, a leopard safari in Yala and the beaches of the south coast.
Route: Sigiriya → Kandy → Nuwara Eliya & tea country → Ella → Yala → Mirissa
Price: Quotation required
14 days
The grand tour in 14 days
Time to go deeper: both ancient capitals, the hill country with Horton Plains, two national parks and several unhurried days on the south coast.
Route: Anuradhapura → Sigiriya → Kandy → Nuwara Eliya & tea country → Ella → Udawalawe → Mirissa → Galle Fort
Price: Quotation required
10 days
Summer & the east coast in 10 days
Planned for the Swedish summer holidays: culture and elephants inland, then clear water and calm beaches on the east coast while the south-west has its monsoon.
Route: Kandy → Sigiriya → Trincomalee → Pasikuda
Price: Quotation required
Nearby destinations
Cultural TriangleDambulla
Painted caves in the rock
A cave temple complex filled with Buddha statues and painted ceilings, used as a place of worship for over two thousand years.
Day visit – 1 night
Hill CountryNuwara Eliya & tea country
Cool air and endless green
A highland town among tea estates, waterfalls and misty hills, with colonial-era bungalows and fresh mountain air.
1–2 nights
Cultural TriangleSigiriya
The lion rock above the forest
A fifth-century royal citadel on top of a 200-metre rock, with water gardens below and wide views from the summit.
2–3 nights
Colombo & West CoastColombo
The lively capital by the sea
Sri Lanka's commercial capital, with colonial architecture, busy markets, a seafront promenade and an exciting food scene.
Day visit – 1 night