Kandy
Kandy is a major city located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.
It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau. Kandy is the administrative capital of the Central Province, and considered as the cultural capital of Sri Lanka, due to its architectural heritage. Kandy is the home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, one of the most important places of the Buddhist world. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. Historically the local Buddhist rulers resisted Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial expansion and occupation.
Getting to Kandy
From Colombo - Intercity express trains are hassle-free and scenic, 2½-3 hours, 10 trains per day. There is a great observation saloon (first class) on one of these trains, but this often books out. Other trains are usually crowded and depart late. Tickets from Colombo are Rs 7,000 first class, Rs 500 in second class, Rs 240 in third class (2023).
- 01Kandy
- 02Long-distance
Large bus stop from where depart long-distance buses, including the ones bound to Dambulla.
Worth seeing
- 01Temple of the Tooth
- 02Royal Palace of Kandy
Entrance fee included into Temple of the Tooth ticket.
- 03World Buddhist Museum
World's first International Buddhist Museum.
- 04Raja Museum
Entrance fee included into Temple of the Tooth ticket.
- 05St. Paul Church.
- 06National Museum of Kandy
Things to do
Kandyan dancing — traditional form of dancing, which can be seen at multiple venues including that the "Kandy Cultural Centre" near the Kandy lake. As of 2024, expect prices to range from 2000 to 3500 per ticket for about 1 hour performances, not including intermission time.
- 01Buddhist Publication Society
You can participate in discussions about Buddhism, meditation or you can buy some introductory materials about Buddhism.
- 02Nilambe Meditation Centre
Galaha (take a Galaha bus passing Peradeniya.
- 03Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium
Where to eat
Green Leaf Hotel and Bakers, De Soyza Lane (near corner of Yatinuwara Lane). Great local eatery just one block back from the main street. Full range of rottis, rice and curry and hoppers (evening only). Good service and very affordable prices. Bakehouse. For snacks or traditional Sri Lankan meals.
Getting around Kandy the local way
- Get inThe train line goes further to Badulla, passing on its way Nuwara Eliya (Nanu Oya station from where one needs to take a short bus or tuk-tuk ride to Nuwara Eliya proper), Haputale and Ella.
- Get inIf you are in Negombo you will have to take some bus, taxi or tuk-tuk to some of the cities where the Main Line train goes to Kandy: Ragama, Gampaha or Veyangoda, on the trip you will see the Bible Rock, which resembles the more famous Sigiriya citadel.
- Get inWhen you arrive, watch out for the tuk-tuk mafia at the railway station.
- Get inIt is better catch a tuk-tuk some distance from the station, or even better use Uber, PickMe or the like (again, some distance from the railway station tuk-tuk stand, as otherwise the tuk-tuk mafia there will threaten and chase your driver away).
- Get inWalk or take a tuktuk to the bus terminal, where the friendly locals will direct you to the bus to Kandy, 3½ hr, Rs 150 (as of Jan 2013).
- Get aroundThe local "Three-Wheelers" (Tuk-Tuk) are an amazingly cheap (if you know how to haggle!
- Get aroundHowever, beware of the Tuk-Tuk mafia at the Kandy railway station – they are likely to rip you off (and they threaten Uber or PickMe drivers when they collect passengers near their stand).
- Go nextDambulla - 72 km north of Kandy, minibus ("A/C bus") No.
From Wikivoyage: Kandy, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Charith Gunarathna from Kandy, Sri Lanka (CC BY 2.0), Wikimedia Commons.
