Things to do in Polonnaruwa
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Polonnaruwa
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Easiest ruins weather, drier with cooler mornings early in the year, building to the hottest month in April.
Driest stretch and Gathering season builds, peaking in August and September at Minneriya. Midday ruins are harsh, start at 7am.
Maha north east monsoon rains, heaviest in October and November. Tanks fill, ruins are green and quiet, Kaudulla is the better safari bet.
What's on
- The Gathering, Minneriya Peak August to September, season July to October
Large herds gather on the dry Minneriya tank bed to graze and drink.
- Vesak Full moon in May
Pilgrims in white fill the shrines at the ancient cities.
- Poson Poya Full moon in June
A major pilgrimage full moon for the Cultural Triangle, busy and devotional at Gal Vihara.
Best things to do in Polonnaruwa
Archaeological Museum Polonnaruwa
Do this first for the scale models and bronzes, because the scattered ruins make far more sense with the plan in your head.
Royal Palace of King Parakramabahu I
Huge brick walls from a seven storey palace, plus the carved Audience Hall, and best seen early before the Citadel fills up.
Polonnaruwa Vatadage
The circular relic house in the Sacred Quadrangle, with four seated Buddhas and the finest guardstones of the period.
Rankoth Vehera
The largest stupa in Polonnaruwa at about 55 metres, a vast brick dome that anchors the monastery quarter around it.
Lankatilaka Image House
A towering brick image house with a colossal headless standing Buddha, and the clearest sense of scale in the city.
Gal Vihara
Four Buddha images cut from one granite face, including a 14 metre reclining figure, and the finest sculpture here.
Where to stay in Polonnaruwa
Lake edge, near the museum
splurge stay and an early start
On the reservoir shore a short walk from the museum and the Ancient City entrance.
New Town
most visitors, all budgets
Polonnaruwa's small modern town, minutes by bicycle from the ruins, with the mid range hotel and budget guesthouses.
Think twice about
- Giritale road strip
Pleasant lakeside resorts, but a drive from the museum entrance in both directions, so you cannot cycle to the ruins or keep the early start.
Best restaurants in Polonnaruwa
Priyamali Gedara
A family run rice and curry buffet of dozens of wood fired curries, eaten looking over paddy fields at local value.
Ariyasinhala Hotel
A small town eatery on New Town Road for rice and curry, kottu roti and egg hoppers at prices local drivers pay.
Outdoor things to do in Polonnaruwa
Minneriya National Park
Home of the Gathering, when the dry tank bed draws herds of 100 or more elephants together on an afternoon safari.
Kaudulla National Park
The better safari bet from about October, when herds shift here as the rains return and the wetlands fill with birds.
Wasgamuwa National Park
The quiet safari alternative south east of town, with dry forest, river pools and a fraction of the Minneriya jeeps.
Medirigiriya Vatadage
A circular relic house on pillars on a low rock outcrop north of town, far emptier than the Polonnaruwa version.
Parakrama Samudra
Walk or cycle the bund of this vast ancient reservoir at sunset for egrets, fishermen and the best light in town.
Best hotels in Polonnaruwa
EKHO Lake House Polonnaruwa
A small 1954 lake house on the reservoir shore by the museum, with a pool, a terrace and sunset over the water.
Hotel Sudu Araliya
The solid mid range default in New Town, with a pool, a spa and a restaurant that matter after a hot cycling morning.
Manel Guest House
A simple family guesthouse in New Town with low rates, home cooking on request and bicycles, which is what matters here.
Is Polonnaruwa expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | LKR 12,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | LKR 25,000 a person |
| Splurge | LKR 60,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Minneriya National Park: a few days ahead
- Kaudulla National Park: a few days ahead
- Wasgamuwa National Park: a few days ahead
- EKHO Lake House Polonnaruwa: a few days ahead
- Priyamali Gedara: a few days ahead
- Book safari jeeps a day ahead through your hotel and let the driver pick Minneriya or Kaudulla on the day.
- Phone Priyamali Gedara ahead for dinner, because lunch is its main service.
Is Polonnaruwa safe?
- Toque macaques in the ruins steal food, drinks and sunglasses and raid parked bicycles. Zip everything away and never feed them.
- Avoid demonstrations and follow local advice. Landmine risk concerns marked areas in the north and east, not the Ancient City.
- Use repellent from late afternoon for dengue risk after rain, and carry at least a litre of water per person for the ruins.
Polonnaruwa travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Commission lunch buffets and unasked spice garden stops on safari transfers.
- Tuk-tuk circuit prices quoted per person instead of per vehicle. Ask if the price is total.
Getting around Polonnaruwa: public transport and more
- Cycle the Ancient City on a rented bicycle for about LKR 500 to LKR 1,000 a day, or hire a tuk-tuk for the circuit for about LKR 2,500 to LKR 4,000 agreed in advance.
- Polonnaruwa is about 1.5 to 2 hours from Sigiriya and 5 to 6 hours by road from Colombo.
Who Polonnaruwa suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Polonnaruwa your trip
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