Sacred City of Anuradhapura from Kalpitiya
(SKU: LK60180100) Unless you hire a car, visiting Sri Lanka’s UNESCO-listed ruined capital of Anuradhapura from Kalpitiya in a day is impossible. This private tour delivers: with return air-conditioned transport and a driver-guide to show you around. Roam the temples, ponds, and shrines, including the Jetavanarama stupa; and hear tales of this ancient and sacred city you’d otherwise miss.
Highlights
- Visit the ruins of Anuradhapura in one day on a private tour from Colombo.
- Travel easily to the UNESCO-listed site by private air-conditioned car.
- Be sure to see and hear about the highlights with a guide.
Includes
- Transport throughout the tour with an air-conditioned vehicle.
- Service of an English-speaking chauffeur.
- 1 liter of bottled mineral water per person.
- Hotel pick-up & drop-off.
- All taxes & service charges.
Excludes
- Food and drinks.
- Entrance fees to all sites.
- Gratuities (optional).
- Expenses of personal nature.
What to Expect
Join this 10-hour day tour to Anuradhapura from Kalpitiya and make your visit to Sri Lanka a splendid one! Your guide will pick you up from your Kalpitiya hotel and take you to explore the most cultural sites in Anuradhapura. Head to lunch before your guide takes you to Mihintale, a central mountain peak that is thought of by some, to be the symbol of Buddhism.
You will be picked up from your hotel in Kalpitiya at 7:00 am. You can bring a packed breakfast to eat along the way; as it will take up till 10:00 am to reach your destination, Anuradhapura.
Anuradhapura was first settled by Anuradha, a follower of Prince Vijaya the founder of the Sinhala race. Later, it was made the capital by king Pandukabhaya at about 380 B.C. according to the Mahavansa, the epic of Sinhala History, King Pandukabhaya’s city was a model of planning. Precincts were set aside for huntsmen, scavengers, and heretics as well as for foreigners. There were hostels and hospitals, at least one Jain chapel, and cemeteries for high and low castes. A water supply was assured by the construction of tanks, artificial reservoirs, of which the one named after the king itself exists to this day under the altered name of Basawakkulam. Visit important landmarks such as Jetavanarama, which was one of the tallest buildings in the ancient world, the Sri Maha Bodhi, and the ruins of the huge Abhayagiri Monastery.
After visiting Anuradhapura, take a 1-hour break for lunch at a local restaurant (at your own expense). After lunch, make a 30-minute drive to Mihintale, one of the most significant sites in the cultural triangle. Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. It is believed by Sri Lankans to be the site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa which inaugurated the presence of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Here, your guide will take the lead and give you the historical background about this background.
Once the tour is finished you will be transferred back to your Kalpitiya hotel.
Additional Note
Comfortable walking shoes and hats recommended for this tour. Drive time may change due to unpredictable road traffic. Photography stops on the way can be arranged but within locations with reasonable parking areas.
