Day 1 – Arrival at Dambulla caves and Sigiriya
First stop today: the golden cave temples of Dambulla. These five caves are full of gold-clad Buddha statues (157 in total) and some of the murals here are more than 2,000 years old. Whilst you’re likely to find it quite impressive, the kids will probably be more impressed by all the monkeys that you’ll encounter!
When you’ve finished exploring the statue-field caves, your driver will take you onto your hotel. You’ll spend the next two nights in a comfortable, family-friendly hotel with a swimming pool, in a peaceful location surrounded by nature, near the famous ‘Lion Rock’. There aren’t many places to eat nearby, so we recommend grabbing dinner at your hotel.
Day 2 – Climbing Lion Rock
Sri Lanka doesn’t have lions, but it does have Lion Rock. It owes its name to the two huge stone claws at the foot of the rock. Your driver will get you and your family there for the end of the afternoon which we think is the best time to climb it. By this point, the sun won’t be as bright, and most of the hoards of tourists will have gone home. There’s sure to be a bit of huffing and puffing from the kids, but once you’ve made it up, you’ll be glad you put in the effort as the view that greets you from the top is truly incredible! Once you’ve enjoyed the view and taken some great family snaps, it’s time to head back to your hotel. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to relax and take it easy.
Young kids may find the Sigiriya climb a challenge.
Day 3 – Departure from Sigiriya
From Sigiriya you can follow the pilgrim route and visit the Temple of the Tooth and whip up a storm in the kitchen in Kandy. Otherwise, if you haven’t yet had your fill of culture, then head on to Polonnaruwa, where you can hop on a bike and explore the temple ruins.
If you want to take it easy for a couple of days, then we suggest travelling to the white sandy beaches of the East Coast. Here, you and your family can go on a snorkelling trip around Pigeon Island National Park, and just spend some quality family time together.
Accommodation
For this bite-sized trip we offer the following options
Rock Up to the Lion Fortress - In Style accommodation
For this bite-sized trip we have an alternative option available for your accommodation. Our In-Style hotel is a comfortable, family-friendly resort, surrounded by nature, with impressive views of Sigiriya Rock. There’s plenty of space for kids to play, a large swimming pool, a games room and bicycles that you can hire. The restaurants serve a wide choice of cuisine. If you would like to upgrade your accommodation for this bite-size trip select our In Style option below.