16 Top Tourist Attractions in Sri Lanka

The South Asian island nation of Sri Lanka offers visitors a dizzying array of things to see and do. You can experience tourist attractions like the towering new Lotus Tower in the capital city of Colombo, or see elephants living their best life in the forest at Minneriya National Park. There are also outdoor attractions like doing a leopard-watching safari at Yala National Park or hiking a pilgrimage trail at night to see the sunrise on the summit of Adam's Peak.

All these exciting things to do are joined with some of the world's most beautiful natural landscapes offering varied environments, from tropical beaches to mountains to rainforests. Add in thousands of years of culture, interesting foreign colonial influence, very friendly people, beautiful beach resorts and you get one of the world's great vacation destinations.

Plan your sightseeing in this captivating country with our list of the top tourist attractions in Sri Lanka.

Yala National Park

This is where you can do a safari experience Sri Lankan style. The huge national park borders the Indian Ocean and has a wide range of different ecosystems. From the marine environment of the coastline to grasslands to tropical rainforests inland.

People come to see the park's elephants, leopards, and crocodiles. Leopards are the easiest animal to see, as Yala has the highest "leopard density" in the world. There are many elephants, too, and you're likely to encounter them on the roads within the park, as they use them to get around, too! There are also over 200 bird species that make their home in the park area, including several endemic to Sri Lanka.

Aside from the fauna and flora, the park is home to two historic and very popular religious pilgrimage sites. The temples of Situlpahuwa and Magul Vihara draw four times as many visitors to the park as the animals do.

Yala National Park is on the southeast coast of the island near the city of Hambantota. Buttala is the nearby town, and you can stay there if you want to explore the park over multiple days. A stay there is also a cool way to experience real, rural life in Sri Lanka.

Read More: Best Places to Visit in Sri Lanka

Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic

Also in the city of Kandy (right next to the National Museum of Kandy), this temple, and the relic it houses, is one of the most sacred places on Earth for those of the Buddhist faith.

The relic, believed to be a tooth of the Buddha, also has an influence on the politics of Sri Lanka, as whoever possesses the tooth is supposed to be the rightful ruler of the country. The Temple of the Tooth is part of the royal palace complex.

There are rituals performed at the temple three times a day, with a special ritual bathing of the relic on Wednesdays. The holy water that results from the bathing is believed to have healing powers.

Udawalawe National Park

This smaller national park is mainly a popular tourist attraction for seeing elephants. Its small size, less than 120 square miles, and its large population of more than 250 elephants mean it's guaranteed you will see them.

Located about 100 miles from Columbo in the south-central part of the island, Udawalawe National Park is also a very important sanctuary for waterfowl and is a great place to visit for bird-watching.

Getting there is easy, and most people visit on an organized tour from Columbo or from one of the Hambantota resorts. Driving time is less than three hours from Columbo and about an hour from the beach resorts.

The drawback to Udawalawe is the park can be crowded and everyone wants to see the elephants. Safari jeep drivers work on tips and can be very competitive and aggressive about finding animals for their clients.

Colombo Lotus Tower

One of the best tourist attractions in Sri Lanka is also one of the country's newest and the tallest. The Colombo Lotus Tower opened in 2019 as South Asia's tallest, free-standing structure.

Although it's a popular tourist attraction, the tower was built for a much more utilitarian reason: it's the hub of the country's radio, TV, and mobile phone networks and their antennas. The lotus bulb-inspired tower, which overlooks the entire city and the Indian Ocean, is 1,168 feet (368 meters) tall and is a great place to snap some Instagram-worthy shots.

There's a shopping mall in the base of the tower. From here, you can take super-fast elevators up to both indoor and outdoor observation areas. There's also a revolving restaurant at the top, which is a very popular spot for romantic dinners.

Skip the fancy restaurant, and try your luck at the food court in the mall. You'll find a delicious array of stalls offering Sri Lankan street food. The exterior of the Lotus Tower is covered with LED lighting, and they do light shows each evening and on special holidays.

Sigiriya the Ancient Rock Fortress

This ancient rock fortress was once the mountaintop palace of the island's king. Believed to have been constructed during the 4^th and 5^th centuries CE, the palace ruins are at the top of a 660-foot (220-meter) rock formation.

The sides of the mountain had giant frescoes painted on them, and halfway up the mountain, there's a giant gateway carved in the shape of a lion. The structure's name means lion rock in ancient Sanskrit.

The palace above and the city complex below are one of the world's most important examples of urban planning in the first millennium. The ruins are near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province of the country.

Adam's Peak

This large, sacred mountain (7,359 feet/2,243 meters), is topped with a rock formation that has significance to many religions.

At the summit, there is a large boulder with an imprint that looks like a footprint. To Buddhists, it's the footprint of Buddha; to Muslims and Christians, it's the footprint of Adam (thus the site's Western name); and to Hindus, it was created by the deity Shiva.

Whatever your belief, Adam's Peak is a beautiful natural site to visit, and it's a cool adventure to climb the mountain. The pilgrimage path is mainly steps and stairs, and it takes at least a few hours each way.

The mountain is accessed from routes beginning in the village of Nallathanniya in central Sri Lanka. The best times to climb it are between December and May. Most people start the climb at night, so they reach the summit at sunrise.

There are six trails leading to the summit, with varying journey times and varying degrees of difficulty. The paths are lighted at night, and the activity is great for families, as children can easily do it, too. There are rest stops and food vendors along the way.

Golden Temple of Dambulla

Throughout Sri Lanka there are natural caves that have been enlarged and excavated to be turned into cave temples. Like other temples, they honor Buddha and other deities (and a few kings) with large statues and relics.

The Dambulla cave temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's the largest cave temple complex in the country and the best preserved. Of particular interest are the beautiful, now-preserved and conserved colorful wall murals that decorate the cave walls.

Aside from the cave temples, there is a large, golden Buddha statue at the base of the mountain, giving the site its other name, the Golden Temple of Dambulla. Dambulla is about two hours outside Colombo.

Galle Dutch Fort

This 16^th-century Dutch fortress and walled town has been turned into a large tourist attraction. Originally built by the Portuguese in the 16^th century, most of the structures date to the Dutch colonial period in the 17^th century. More than a fort, it's a small fortified village, with homes, churches, a mosque, and lots of shops all within the fortress walls.

You can visit the fort and the lighthouse, and there are several museums on the site along with big shopping areas. The Fort, on the southwest coast Sri Lanka, about two hours south of Colombo, is a popular tourist destination with a lot of boutique hotels, some located within the fort's walls.

Nine Arches Bridge

One of the iconic images of Sri Lanka, this relic of the British colonial era is a strikingly beautiful example of the beauty of practical, industrial design. Built by local workers in consultation with British engineers, the viaduct bridge has nine arches over its 300-foot span. It rises 80 feet above the river and remains in use today, over 100 years after its construction.

You can visit the bridge two ways: by traveling to it by tuk-tuk from Ella or by taking a train that traverses it. The Nine Arches Bridge is located between the Ella and Demodara stations on the main train line. Train journeys (usually from Kandy to Ella) that cross the bridge are considered one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka and one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world.

When visiting from Ella, it's possible to (carefully) walk across the bridge, and this is one of the most popular Instagram spots in the country because of the dramatic views.

Minneriya National Park

The best place to see elephants in Sri Lanka isn't at a so-called sanctuary or orphanage, it's in their natural habitat in Minneriya National Park. Some of the commercial parks have been known to exploit the animals, including chaining them in the river to create better photo opportunities.

The lush park is important as it's a dry season (July through October) feeding area for the elephants who live in the surrounding forest areas, drawing more than 500 animals at one time.

The park is also home to a few species of monkeys, different types of deer, leopards, and sloth bears. It's a popular place to visit for photo safaris. Minneriya is in the north-central area of Sri Lanka, about three hours from Colombo. It's a popular day-trip tourist destination and many tour operators and hotels in Columbo offer day trips.

Ridiyagama Safari Park

While Sri Lanka's national parks showcase the country's native flora and fauna, the Ridiyagama Safari Park near Hambantota has animals from all over the world. This safari park tourist attraction allows visitors to get an African safari experience, complete with lions, zebras, giraffes, cape buffaloes, and other animals indigenous to Africa.

The drive-through safari park covers over 500 acres and has three zones. There's an African Lion Zone, the Sri Lankan Elephant Zone, and a World Zone. The park is near the Hambantota resort area and is a fun family day trip if you're staying at one of the area's resorts.

Many local tour providers and the major resorts offer a park visit experience, picking you up at your hotel, taking you through the safari park in their vehicle, then returning you to your hotel. It's a great thing to do in Sri Lanka for kids and families.

Sri Lanka National Museum

This large museum, formerly called the National Museum of Colombo, tells the fascinating story of the Sri Lankan people and their culture. The Sri Lanka National Museum collection includes various kinds of things, from artifacts to artwork along with jewelry, coins, money, arms, and crafts.

The museum has multiple levels and showcases both cultural and natural exhibits. Everything is shown chronologically, starting with the island's prehistoric history.

You'll find the museum in central Colombo, near Viharamahadevi Park. It's housed in a Victorian colonial building that was purpose-built for the museum and opened in 1877.

National Museum of Natural History

After you've visited the Sri Lanka National Museum and learned about Sri Lanka's cultural history, head to the nearby National Museum of Natural History to trace its physical, wildlife, and natural history.

This museum shows the country's incredible indigenous natural history, with examples of animals, plants, and minerals that are endemic to the South Asian island. The island's ancient and prehistoric history is also on display, with some cool fossils and skeletons including those of dinosaurs.

It's across from Viharamahadevi Park in central Colombo.

Gangaramaya Temple

Located in Central Colombo near Beira Lake, this 19^th-century Buddhist temple complex interestingly includes a vintage car museum. There's a cool 1930s Mercedes and a very rare Rolls-Royce Ghost from the 1920s. The temple is also a religious museum with examples of religious coins, jewelry, and sculpture.

The temple was created around a sacred tree to house a sacred relic, a lock of the Buddha's hair. Each year during the Poya or full moon ceremony in February, there's a festival and procession around the area led by the temple's resident elephant.

Red Mosque

A visit to the striking red and white brick Red Mosque (called "Jami Ul-Alfar Masjid") will yield some insight into the local practice of Islam, as well as some awesome Instagram pics.

Inside, the mosque showcases typical religious artwork and design, but it's the outside that really makes it extra special. The exterior red and white bricks are arranged in sometimes eye-fooling designs of spirals, swirls, and alternating patterns. The impact has also made the mosque a visual landmark, easy to spot from arriving ships (it's visible from Colombo Harbor).

The minarets of the mosque are topped with onion-shaped domes, reminiscent of Red Square. The style is called "Indo-Saracenic," and it was a popular architectural style in Asia in the early 19^th century when this mosque was built.

National Museum of Kandy

Kandy is a city in the central part of Sri Lanka and is important, as it was the kingdom's last capital city before the colonial era. The beautiful city and its unique history can be explored at the National Museum of Kandy.

The main part of the museum is housed in what was the home of the king's harem; additional exhibits are inside the former palace. The museum is filled with artifacts that tell the story of the Kandian era, the time between the 15^th and 18^th centuries, when the area maintained its independence despite colonization of other parts of the island.

Aside from historic objects and artifacts, the museum has an incredible collection of Sri Lankan art, as it's an official repository for native artwork.

Map of Tourist Attractions in Sri Lanka

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