Please Wait..!

A visit to UNESCO Dambulla Cave Temple

Back Back

The Dambulla Cave Temples are the largest and best-preserved rock cave temple complex in Sri Lanka, towering 160 m over the surrounding plains with more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. The site is of particular interest for anyone that loves historic art, as five of the caves contain ancient statues and paintings related to and depicting Lord Buddha and his life.

Experience Overview

The climb from the base is not strenuous – and can be done at a leisurely pace. It takes approximately 30 minutes. Your guide will buy your entrance fee and climb with you. There are approximately 200 steps. The best time to climb is in the early morning or the late afternoon to avoid the heat. You will need to cover your knees and shoulders – and access the inner chambers barefoot or with socks. You will find socks in the basket inside the vehicle and a sarong in case you need one. The entire visit takes approximately 1.5 hours.

Includes:  - Experience - Sri Lanka In Style
Includes:

We provide a guide, water, socks, shawl and vehicle.

Duration:  - Experience - Sri Lanka In Style
Duration:

Approx. 30 minutes

Difficulty:  - Experience - Sri Lanka In Style
Difficulty:

Easy

Suitable for children:  - Experience - Sri Lanka In Style
Suitable for children:

Children over the ages of 7

Meeting time:  - Experience - Sri Lanka In Style
Meeting time:

The best time to climb is in the early morning or the late afternoon to avoid the heat.

What to wear or bring along:  - Experience - Sri Lanka In Style
What to wear or bring along:

Light, cool clothing. You will need to cover your knees and shoulders – and access the inner chambers barefoot or with socks.

In the know:  - Experience - Sri Lanka In Style
In the know:

Remember you are not allowed to take pictures with your back to lord Buda. Be careful with the monkeys as well, they are not very Buddhist!

Private or not?  - Experience - Sri Lanka In Style
Private or not?

The visit is private, guided by your chauffeur guide, national guide or site guide. That said, there may be other people around at the site.

Gallery

 
 

Videos

Managing Expectations

It is important to remember that, whilst they are experts in their field, the people who run or host our experiences are not necessarily used to working in the tourism industry and may not offer the level of service you would find at a five-star hotel. For example, instead of a formal lecture, you may get a relaxed conversation where open discussion is encouraged. All of our hosts are, however, extremely engaging, knowledgeable and passionate about educating visitors about their chosen subject and we have worked with them to ensure that they deliver worthwhile, fulfilling experiences. We welcome feedback, so please let us know what you thought and if you think any improvements could be made to the experiences we offer.

Enquire Now

Get in touch with one of our knowledgeable travel experts to plan your Sri Lanka journey.