About this experience
Set out from Dambulla on this private 11-hour day trip that takes you through three of the north-central dry plains' most compelling sites. Your English-speaking chauffeur guide collects you from your hotel and drives you in an air-conditioned vehicle to Ritigala, the highest mountain in the region, where ancient forest monastery ruins sit among dense wilderness. From there you head to Kala Wewa, a vast reservoir fed by the centuries-old Yoda Canal — one of the ancient world's most impressive feats of hydraulic engineering — with the Avukana Buddha Statue standing close by.
The day ends at Jathika Namal Uyana, Asia's largest ironwood forest, where a striking pink quartz mountain rises above a canopy of na trees. Each stop is included in the route; entrance tickets are not covered, so carry local currency for admission. Water bottles are provided, and hotel drop-off brings you back to Dambulla by evening. Minimum age for this private tour is 10 years.
