Kandy in a Day (or Two): Lakeside Calm & Temple Bells
The quiet heart of Sri Lanka — tea-scented air, the Temple of the Tooth, and a hill country jump-off.
By Gerald Sathiyasiva · Published · Updated · 7 min read
Kandy was the last independent kingdom on the island, holding out against the Portuguese and Dutch and only falling to the British in 1815. That history still shapes the place. It is the seat of Sri Lankan Buddhism, the home of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, and the practical gateway between the lowlands and the hill country. Sitting at about 500 metres, it is noticeably cooler and greener than Colombo, and it makes a natural second stop on almost any itinerary.
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Sri Dalada Maligawa houses a tooth relic of the Buddha, historically the object that legitimised whoever ruled the island. It is an active place of worship, not a museum. Three daily ceremonies — puja — take place in the early morning, at midday and in the evening, and these are the times when the inner chamber is opened and drummers play. Evening puja, usually around 6.30pm, is the most atmospheric and the most crowded.
Dress code is enforced: shoulders and knees covered for everyone, shoes and hats removed at the entrance, and a small fee for shoe storage. Foreign visitors pay an entrance fee. Allow at least an hour, more if you want to see the temple museums and the surrounding royal palace complex. Security screening is thorough; leave large bags at the hotel.
The lake, the city and the market
Kandy Lake was built in 1807 by the last king, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, and the walk around it takes about an hour. It is flat, shaded in parts and pleasant early or late. The Kandy Municipal Market near the clock tower is the best place in the city to see what actually grows here — jackfruit, rambutan, mangosteen, dozens of chillies and spice varieties — and the surrounding streets sell handloom textiles and brass.
For a view over the whole valley, walk or ride up to the Big Buddha at Bahirawakanda, or take the Udawattakele Forest Reserve trails directly behind the temple, a genuine patch of rainforest inside the city with monkeys, monitor lizards and birdlife.
Culture that is worth your time
Kandyan dance performances run nightly at several halls near the lake, usually around 5pm, ending with a fire-walking finale. They are staged for visitors and unapologetically so, but the drumming and the costumes are the real tradition and it is an hour well spent on a first visit.
If your dates fall in July or August, the Esala Perahera is one of Asia's great processions — nights of caparisoned elephants, whip crackers, torch bearers, dancers and drummers over roughly ten days, timed to the lunar calendar. Accommodation prices multiply and the city fills; book far ahead or plan around it deliberately.
Just outside the city
- Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens — 6km west, about 60 hectares of avenues, an orchid house and a famous giant Javan fig. Half a morning.
- Ambuluwawa Tower — near Gampola, a strange multi-religious spire with a genuinely vertigo-inducing spiral staircase and a 360-degree view.
- Tea factories towards Hantana and Gampola — mid-country tea, easier to reach than the Nuwara Eliya estates.
- Elephant orphanages — several operate in the area. Standards of animal welfare vary widely; read recent independent reviews before booking anything that offers riding or bathing.
Getting there and onwards
The train from Colombo Fort to Kandy takes roughly three to three and a half hours and is comfortable in reserved second or first class; book a few days ahead in season. Buses are faster in light traffic but less pleasant. By car it is about three hours via the Kandy road or the newer expressway sections.
The onward leg is the famous one: Kandy to Nanu Oya (for Nuwara Eliya) and on to Ella, climbing through tea estates. It runs roughly six to seven hours to Ella. Reserved seats sell out weeks ahead in peak season; unreserved carriages are always available if you are willing to stand for the first hour. Sit on the right-hand side heading south from Kandy for the better views.
How long to stay
One night is enough to see the temple at evening puja and walk the lake the next morning. Two nights let you add the botanical gardens, Udawattakele and a tea factory without rushing, and make the hill-country train departure much less stressful. Kandy also works well as a base for day trips into the cultural triangle, though Sigiriya and Dambulla are long days from here.
Practical notes
Kandy is cooler than the coast, and evenings can be genuinely cool in December and January — bring a light layer. Rain is possible year-round; the heaviest falls come with the northeast monsoon from roughly October to January. Modest dress is expected around the temple precinct, and photographing yourself with your back to a Buddha image is treated as a serious offence in Sri Lanka, not a minor faux pas.
More Sri Lanka travel articles · Sri Lanka travel guide · Ask Colomboh anything about this trip