Sri Lanka · Hill Country
Kandy
Sri Lanka's last royal capital, keeper of the Buddha's tooth and the hinge between the ancient north and the tea hills.
Kandy was the last capital of Sri Lanka's kings, a city wrapped around a lake in forested hills at around 500 metres. At its heart is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the island's holiest Buddhist shrine, where drums sound for the daily offerings and the great Esala Perahera procession sets out each year. Around it sit colonial streets, the palm avenues of Peradeniya's botanic gardens and the tea-covered Hanthana hills, and the town is the natural hinge between the Cultural Triangle to the north and the high tea country to the south.
Suggested stay
2–3 days
Language
Sinhala, Tamil
Currency
LKR
Timezone
UTC+5:30
Why you'll love Kandy
The Temple of the Tooth white-clad pilgrims carry lotus flowers past the octagonal tower while drummers beat out the offerings that have marked the relic's days for centuries
A royal lake an easy loop of the last king's lake, under hills dotted with guesthouses and a white Buddha on the ridge above
Green edges royal palms and orchids at Peradeniya, monkeys in the old royal forest and tea estates a short ride out of town
The crossroads the Cultural Triangle's rock fortresses lie to the north and the scenic hill-country railway runs south to the tea country
Best time to visit
Feb-Mar, Aug
29-32° days
7.293° N, 80.635° E
UTC+5:30 · Asia/Colombo
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Weather & when to go to Kandy
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Feb-Mar, Aug
Hiking prime Feb-Mar, Aug
Activity seasons none fair good prime
Watch for Oct-Nov monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Kandy
October and November are the wettest months, with heavy afternoon downpours that can wash out plans for the hills around town. The Esala Perahera, usually in July or August on a lunar date, is the reason many come, but the town packs out and rooms book up long ahead; the drier stretches around February, March and August are the easiest for everything else.
Top things to do in Kandy
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Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic - Sri Dalada Maligawa
culture arts history 👍 PopularThe royal temple beside the lake houses a tooth said to be the Buddha's, kept inside nested golden caskets in an upper shrine room. Come for a puja, when drums and horns sound and the shrine door opens to crowds of pilgrims; mornings and evenings are the busiest. Cover shoulders and knees and leave shoes at the gate.
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Esala Perahera - Kandy's great procession
culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedOver about ten nights, usually in July or August, processions of caparisoned elephants, Kandyan dancers, drummers, whip crackers and torch bearers parade the relic casket through the streets, building to the final full-moon night. It is one of Asia's great festivals; seats along the route and rooms in town go early.
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Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya - palms, orchids and a giant fig
nature wildlife ⭐ Highly recommendedA few kilometres west of town in a loop of the Mahaweli River, Sri Lanka's finest gardens spread across lawns, an avenue of royal palms, a busy orchid house, spice beds and a vast Javan fig whose canopy covers a whole lawn. Thousands of fruit bats hang in the tall trees. Give it a half day.
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Kandy Lake - a lap of the last king's lake
scenic history 👍 PopularThe lake at the centre of town was created by Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last king of Kandy, in the early 1800s. A path circles it under shade trees in about an hour, passing the temple, and a climb up Rajapihilla Mawatha to the viewpoint known as Arthur's Seat gives the classic view of lake, temple and town.
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Kandyan dance - an evening performance by the lake
culture arts 👍 PopularSeveral halls near the lake stage an hour of Kandyan dance each evening: drummers, dancers in beaded silver costumes, acrobatic masked pieces and a closing walk across hot coals. It is packaged for visitors but draws on the dance tradition of the Kandyan court and the Perahera.
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Udawattakele Forest Reserve - the royal forest above the temple
nature wildlife hikingThe wooded ridge behind the Temple of the Tooth was once the kings' private forest and is now a quiet reserve of old trees, forest paths, a small pond and hermitages. Toque macaques and birds are the usual sightings, a short walk from the busy town centre.
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Bahirawakanda Buddha - the white statue over the city
scenic culture artsA large seated white Buddha on the hilltop west of the centre looks down over Kandy and is visible from most of the town. Walk or ride a tuk-tuk up for the view across the lake and hills, best late in the afternoon.
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Ceylon Tea Museum - tea history in the Hanthana hills
history foodAn old tea factory in the Hanthana hills south of town now tells the story of Ceylon tea, from the planters who replaced coffee with tea in the 19th century to the rolling and drying machinery that still fills its floors. Finish with a cup and the view over the estates.
Best areas to stay in Kandy
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Town centre and lakeside
First-time visitors $$Busy streets around the temple and lake
Explore hotels in Town centre and lakeside →
Rajapihilla Mawatha and the lake hills
Views on a budget $Guesthouses on the slopes above the lake
Explore hotels in Rajapihilla Mawatha and the lake hills →
Katugastota and the Mahaweli riverside
Comfort and calm $$$Resort hotels along the river
Explore hotels in Katugastota and the Mahaweli riverside →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Kandy
Getting to & around Kandy
Getting there
Fly into Colombo's Bandaranaike International, then about 3-3.5 hr by road up into the hills, or head into Colombo for the train
Flight
Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB)
Bandaranaike International at Katunayake, north of Colombo, is roughly 100 km from Kandy. Most visitors take a pre-booked car or taxi, about 3-3.5 hours through the foothills; the alternative is heading into Colombo and taking the train.
Train
Kandy railway station
Trains from Colombo Fort climb into the hills in about 2.5-3 hours, the best part being the steep section around Kadugannawa; intercity services carry reserved seats
Train
Kandy railway station
The hill-country line links Kandy with Nanu Oya (for Nuwara Eliya) and Ella through tea estates, one of the most scenic train rides in Asia; reserved seats sell out early
Coach
Goods Shed bus stand
Buses and air-conditioned intercity coaches run from Colombo and from Dambulla and the Cultural Triangle towns
Getting around
Tuk-tuk
The usual way around town and up the hills; use a metered one or a ride-hailing app such as PickMe, or agree the fare first
TBC
Walking
The centre, lake and temple are compact and walkable, though pavements are narrow and the traffic heavy
Free
Local bus
Crowded buses from the central bus stands reach Peradeniya, Katugastota and the outlying temples; pay the conductor in cash
TBC
Car and driver
Hired by the day through a hotel, the easiest way to cover the temples loop, Pinnawala or the Cultural Triangle
TBC
Day trips from Kandy
Sigiriya and Dambulla
Full dayRock fortress and cave temples
Dambulla's painted cave temples, crowded with Buddha statues, sit on the road north to Sigiriya, the 5th-century rock fortress with its frescoes, lion-paw gate and summit palace ruins. A long day, but many do it; starting early beats the heat and the crowds on the climb.
Getting there
car | tour | bus
About 2-3 hr north by car, tour or bus
Knuckles Mountain Range
Full dayCloud forest hiking
The knuckle-shaped peaks northeast of Kandy form part of the Central Highlands World Heritage Site: cloud forest, grassland ridges, waterfalls and remote villages. Guided day hikes run from Kandy, and longer treks stay in the villages.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1.5-2 hr northeast by car or tour
Three temples loop
Half dayKandyan-era temples
Gadaladeniya, Lankatilaka and Embekke are three 14th-century temples in the countryside southwest of Kandy. Lankatilaka stands on a rock outcrop with wide views, and Embekke's wooden hall is known for its intricately carved pillars.
Getting there
car | tour
Under 1 hr southwest by tuk-tuk, car or tour
Nuwara Eliya
Full dayTea country hill station
The winding climb south passes waterfalls and tea factories on the way to the cool colonial hill station at close to 1,900 metres. A factory tour and a walk through the estates make the day, though most people stay the night or continue on to Ella.
Getting there
car | tour | train
About 2.5-3 hr south by car or tour, or by train to Nanu Oya
A little history of Kandy
Kandy, known in Sinhala as Senkadagala or simply Maha Nuwara, the great city, grew into a royal seat in the 15th century and became the capital of the last independent Sinhalese kingdom. Protected by its mountains and forests, it held out for more than two centuries against the Portuguese and then the Dutch, who controlled the coasts. The Buddha's tooth relic, long the symbol of the right to rule, was kept here in a temple beside the palace.
The kingdom fell to the British in 1815, when Kandyan chiefs turned against the last king, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, and signed the Kandyan Convention. The British built roads, a railway and coffee and then tea estates into the hills, and planted the gardens at Peradeniya. Kandy remains the island's spiritual and cultural capital, and the Sacred City was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1988.
Senkadagala, the future Kandy, becomes a royal seat in the central hills
Vimaladharmasuriya I rules from Kandy and brings the tooth relic to the city
Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last king of Kandy, begins creating the lake
The British take Kandy and the Kandyan Convention ends the last Sinhalese kingdom
The British establish the Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya
The railway from Colombo reaches Kandy
The Sacred City of Kandy is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Knuckles Range is included in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka World Heritage Site
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type G
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+94
Monsoon flooding risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
FAQs about Kandy
▸ When is the best time to visit Kandy?
February, March and August are the most comfortable months, drier and pleasantly warm at around 500 metres. October and November are the wettest, with heavy afternoon rain. The Esala Perahera, usually in July or August, is the town's biggest event: spectacular, crowded and worth planning around if you want to see it.
▸ How do you get from Colombo airport to Kandy?
Bandaranaike International Airport is about 100 km from Kandy. The simplest option is a pre-booked car or taxi, about 3-3.5 hours depending on traffic. Otherwise head into Colombo and take the train from Colombo Fort, around 2.5-3 hours, or a bus or intercity coach.
▸ What should I wear to the Temple of the Tooth?
Cover your shoulders and knees; many pilgrims wear white, and a sarong or long skirt is a safe choice. Shoes come off at the entrance, so socks help on stone floors warmed by the sun. Do not pose for photos with your back to Buddha images, and keep your voice low in the shrine rooms.
▸ Can you take the train from Kandy to Ella?
Yes, and it is one of the reasons people come. The hill-country line runs from Kandy through tea estates to Nanu Oya, for Nuwara Eliya, and on to Ella, a long and slow but spectacular day. Reserved seats sell out well ahead in busy periods; unreserved carriages can be very crowded.
▸ Is Kandy safe?
Kandy is generally safe and relaxed for visitors. The common annoyance is touts and some tuk-tuk drivers steering you towards gem shops, spice gardens or a festival that is supposedly on today; a polite refusal is enough. Take care crossing the busy roads in the centre.
▸ How many days do you need in Kandy?
Two days covers the Temple of the Tooth, the lake, a dance performance and the botanic gardens at Peradeniya. A third day allows a Knuckles hike or the three temples loop. Many travellers use Kandy as a base for Sigiriya and Dambulla before taking the train south to the tea country.
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