Things to do in Kandy
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Kandy
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Most reliable window, drier with clearer mornings and best trekking and viewpoint conditions.
Sinhala and Tamil New Year, rising heat and afternoon storms, gardens in bloom.
South-west monsoon influence, heavy rain and leeches, lush green hills. July often improves.
Esala Perahera weeks, worth timing for despite rain risk and full crowds.
Shoulder gamble, often drier than neighbouring months with hills washed green.
Wettest and least reliable months, the worst window for trekking and viewpoints.
What's on
- Esala Perahera July or August, ten nights ending on a full moon; check dates
Ten nights of processions from the temple with dancers, drummers and decorated elephants. Confirm dates on the temple official site.
- Sinhala and Tamil New Year mid-April
Island-wide renewal festival with traditional games and special foods, while the city turns to family time.
- Vesak May full moon
Lanterns, pandals and free food stalls, with the temple city illuminated and alcohol free.
- Poson June
A smaller echo of Vesak, observed at temples across the city.
Best things to do in Kandy
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist temple, best experienced at a puja with drumming and offerings.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya
Vast riverside gardens with palm avenues, an orchid house and lawns for a slow half day.
Kandy Red Cross Hall
The scrappier, more intimate Kandyan dance show, with drumming and a fire finale.
Kandy Lake Club - Cultural Dance Show
The larger, slicker Kandyan dance production, ending with fire dance and fire walking.
Kandy Lake
A shaded 3.5 km lake circuit that orients the whole city and is best at dawn or dusk.
Udawattakele Forest Reserve
A royal forest ridge behind the temple with trails, hermitages and serious birding.
Bahirawakanda Vihara
The giant white Buddha above the city, with a full panorama from the stairs behind it.
Arthur's Seat
The classic postcard viewpoint across the lake to the Temple of the Tooth.
Where to stay in Kandy
Kandy Lake and Temple of the Tooth shore
first trip, all-round base
Walk to the temple, dance shows, old town and lake circuit, with the widest hotel choice.
Hanthana and the southern hills
couples, quiet and views
Boutique hotels and guesthouses in green hillside above the lake, a short tuk-tuk from dinner.
Mahaweli River side and Peradeniya Road
families, space and a resort feel in town
Larger riverside hotels with pools and gardens, calmer nights and easier parking.
Peradeniya
garden-first stays and longer visits
Guesthouses near the gardens and university with a village suburb feel, 6 km from temple evenings.
East Kandy, Amunugama and Kundasale
boutique and full-service stays outside the centre
Manor house and resort hotels east of town, deliberately out of the centre bustle.
Digana and Victoria Reservoir
golf, wellness and a countryside add-on night
Stay to play Victoria or decompress, not as a daily sightseeing base for Kandy.
Think twice about
- Clock Tower, main bus stand and Colombo Street to Dalada Veediya junction
Buses and tuk-tuks idling from before dawn, fumes and the most persistent touting. The worst nights in Kandy.
- Railway station forecourt
Noisy early, thin food options after dark and no advantage over the lake area a short walk away.
- Far hillside lanes above Ampitiya and Bahirawakanda with unchecked access roads
Steep, narrow, poorly lit lanes punish the walk back after dinner, especially in rain.
Best restaurants in Kandy
Muslim Hotel
A no frills local legend for beef curry, parathas and biryani, best at lunch.
Theva Cuisine
Kandy's special occasion table, European technique over Sri Lankan ingredients above the valley.
Balaji Dosai
A busy pure vegetarian dosa house, the best breakfast or light lunch in the centre.
The Empire Café
A restored colonial cafe by the temple for rice and curry, thali and homemade ice cream.
Slightly Chilled Lounge Bar & Restaurant
The sunset terrace over the lake, with devilled prawns, Chinese staples and a proper bar.
Helga's Folly
Sri Lankan set dinners by candlelight in a surreal, mural covered mansion above the lake.
The Kandy House
Verandah dining over gardens with a creative Sri Lankan and European menu, deeply romantic.
Royal Bar & Hotel
The historic colonial bar by the temple for arrack with ginger beer and devilled chicken.
Outdoor things to do in Kandy
Knuckles Mountain Range
UNESCO cloud forest trekking with waterfalls and plateaus, the best walking near Kandy.
Victoria Golf Resort
A scenic 18 hole championship course between Victoria Reservoir and the Knuckles foothills.
Ambuluwawa Tower
A spiral hilltop tower with 360 degree views, best early on a clear weekday.
Hanthana Mountain Range
Kandy's backyard ridge hike, with estate trails to viewpoints over the city and valley.
Kandy to Ella Train
The hill country railway through tea estates and viaducts, one of the great scenic rides.
Riverston
A scenic drive day of viewpoints, Mini World's End and waterfalls on the eastern Knuckles edge.
Best hotels in Kandy
The Kandy House
A restored manor house hotel in gardens above paddy fields, Kandy's boutique benchmark.
Santani Wellness Kandy
A minimalist forest wellness retreat with Ayurvedic programmes, yoga and a thermal pool.
Earl's Regency
A large full service five star with pool, spa and river and hill views east of the centre.
Cinnamon Citadel Kandy
A dependable riverside four star with gardens, a pool and rooms with river terraces.
Theva Residency
A small hillside boutique above town with big valley panoramas, a pool and sauna.
Hotel Suisse
A colonial grande dame on the lake shore, walkable to everywhere and full of old Kandy air.
Slightly Chilled Guest House
A family guesthouse in the hillside belt above the lake, with home cooked breakfasts.
Skyloft Kandy
A budget guesthouse in the lanes climbing from the lake, rated for its hosts.
Is Kandy expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | LKR 12,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | LKR 27,000 a person |
| Splurge | LKR 80,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Kandyan cooking class: a few days ahead
- Knuckles Mountain Range: a few days ahead
- Victoria Golf Resort: a few days ahead
- Kandy to Ella Train: weeks ahead
- The Kandy House: weeks ahead
- Santani Wellness Kandy: weeks ahead
- Theva Cuisine: a few days ahead
- Helga's Folly: a few days ahead
- Perahera seats and hotels need months, reserved Kandy to Ella train seats about a month.
- The Kandy House and Santani need booking well ahead year-round.
- Knuckles guides and reputable cooking classes need a few days in dry season.
Is Kandy safe?
- Traffic is the biggest hazard. Cross at crossings and assume horns, not brakes.
- Petty theft concentrates at the bus stand, market crowds and Perahera crushes. Keep valuables front and zipped.
- Monkeys at the lake and reserves take visible food. Do not feed them and keep bags zipped.
- Drink bottled or filtered water. Cover shoulders and knees at the temple and remove shoes.
Kandy travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Spice garden commission stops on the Colombo to Kandy road are sales funnels with high pressure shops.
- Gem touting by the lake funnels visitors to workshops. Never buy a significant stone without independent certification.
- Buy Perahera seats and temple tickets only through official, temple, municipal or hotel channels.
Getting around Kandy: public transport and more
- Walk the centre and tuk-tuk the hills. Use PickMe or Uber for metered fares, or agree the fare first.
- Colombo to Kandy is 3 to 4 hours by road or about 2.5 to 3.5 hours by train from Colombo Fort.
- Avoid centre drives at school closing, evening rush and puja times near the temple.
Who Kandy suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Kandy your trip
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