Kandy
Kandy travel guide
The Tooth Relic temple, a royal lake and the gateway to the tea hills
Kandy is the hill capital of Sri Lanka's last kings and home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic. January to March is the driest, most comfortable time, and the Esala Perahera fills the city in July or August. Two days covers the temple, the lake and Peradeniya. Kandy is cheap, and the ETA is applied for online before travel.
Kandy lies in the hills of Sri Lanka's Central Province, built around a man-made lake and the gilded roofs of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth Relic. It was the last royal capital of the Sinhalese kings and held out against three colonial powers until 1815, and UNESCO listed the sacred city in 1988.
People come for the temple first. Pilgrims dressed in white carry lotus flowers to the evening puja while drummers beat out the hours. The casket said to hold the Buddha's tooth is shown to worshippers at dawn and dusk.
The second reason is the setting. At around 500 metres the air is a little softer than on the coast, forested ridges ring the town, and the Udawattakele reserve, protected since 1856, starts just behind the palace. Five kilometres west, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya spread over 59 hectares.
For most travellers Kandy is also a junction. The hill country railway runs from here towards Nuwara Eliya and Ella through tea estates, though damage from Cyclone Ditwah in late 2025 kept parts of it closed through 2026, and the road north leads to Dambulla and the cultural triangle. Give it two full days rather than a hurried stop.
In July or August the city fills for the Esala Perahera, when the relic casket is paraded through the streets on an elephant over ten nights.
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Top things to do in Kandy
A sacred temple complex, a lakeside walk, botanic gardens and hill forest, plus an evening of Kandyan dance.
Kandy
Bahirawakanda Buddha Statue
The Bahirawakanda Buddha is a white seated Buddha, 88 feet (26.83 m) tall, at the Sri Maha Bodhi Viharaya on Bahirawakanda hill, about 2 km from the centre of K...
Kandy
Kandy View Point
Kandy View Point is the roadside lookout on Rajapihilla Mawatha in Kandy, Sri Lanka, about 1.5 km from the centre, with a view over Kandy Lake and the city towa...
Kandy
Arthur's Seat Viewpoint
Arthur's Seat is a lookout on Rajapihilla Mawatha, on the slopes above the south-west side of Kandy Lake in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It gives the classic postcard view...
Kandy
International Buddhist Museum
The International Buddhist Museum in Kandy, Sri Lanka, sits inside the old royal palace complex next to the Temple of the Tooth and the National Museum of Kandy...
Kandy
Udawattakele Forest Reserve
Udawattakele Forest Reserve, or Udawatta Kele Sanctuary, is a protected hill forest of about 104 hectares on the ridge behind the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Rel...
Kandy
National Museum of Kandy
The National Museum of Kandy is in the centre of Kandy, Sri Lanka, next to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and within the old Royal Palace complex. It is r...
Kandy
Kandy Lake
Kandy Lake lies in the centre of Kandy, the hill city in Sri Lanka's Central Province, directly beside the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. It was created in 1...
Kandy
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, stands beside Kandy Lake in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, within the former royal palace comple...
Kandy
Royal Palace of Kandy
The Royal Palace of Kandy stands on the north shore of Kandy Lake in the centre of Kandy, Sri Lanka, next to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. It was the re...
Best time to visit Kandy
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Rainfall stays around 70-80 mm a month and days reach 27-30C, the best time for temple visits and walks.
Showers of about 110-130 mm a month, but this is when the Esala Perahera fills the streets and hotels.
October and November each bring around 260-300 mm of rain; afternoons are often washed out.
During the Esala Perahera in July or August, book rooms early and claim a roadside spot hours before the evening procession starts.
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Getting there
By road from Colombo while the railway is repaired
International flights land at Bandaranaike International near Colombo, and from there it is a long drive uphill by taxi or private car; many travellers break it with a night in Negombo or Colombo. In normal times the train is the better way in, but Cyclone Ditwah damaged the lines in November 2025, and through 2026 services between Colombo and Kandy and between Kandy and Nanu Oya were suspended or cut short while bridges and track were rebuilt. Check Sri Lanka Railways for the current position before planning around a train. Kandy railway station is about a kilometre south-west of the centre. Buses on route 1 from Colombo run very often but take over three hours; air-conditioned intercity coaches are more comfortable.
- Train from Colombo
- Line under repair after Cyclone Ditwah; check Sri Lanka Railways
- Hill country line
- Kandy to Nanu Oya section closed for repairs in 2026
- Bus route 1
- Colombo to Kandy, very frequent, about 3.25 hours
- Bandaranaike International (CMB)
- Road transfer by taxi or private car
- Once the Colombo trains run again, the observation saloon sells out; reserve as early as Sri Lanka Railways allows.
- Touts at the railway station tuk-tuk stand are pushy; walk a block away before booking an Uber or PickMe.
Staying safe
Station touts and temple courtesy
As checked in October 2026, neither the UK FCDO nor the US State Department (Level 2, exercise increased caution, for Sri Lanka as a whole) advises against travel to Kandy, though the FCDO warns of flooding and landslides in heavy rain. Day to day, the main nuisances are touts and pickpockets. The tuk-tuk stand at the railway station has a reputation for overcharging and for chasing away app drivers. Keep valuables close in the crowds at the Perahera and on the trains.
- Railway station
- Pushy tuk-tuk touts; walk away before booking a ride
- Perahera nights
- Dense crowds, watch bags and phones
- Solo women on buses are advised to sit beside another woman or near the conductor.
Where to stay
Lakeside guesthouses and hill hotels
Most travellers stay by the lake. Guesthouses to the south and east of it are a short walk from the temple, generally clean and run by families. Hotels on the ridges above town give views and quiet but mean a tuk-tuk every time you go in. The central streets around Dalada Vidiya are convenient but noisy.
- South and east of the lake
- Family guesthouses, walkable to the temple
- Hills above town
- Views and cooler nights, need tuk-tuks
- Town centre
- Near Dalada Vidiya, the station and buses, busy and noisy
- Peradeniya road
- Closer to the botanic gardens, far from evening sights
- Check whether your guesthouse is above a steep lane before you book with heavy luggage.
Getting around
Tuk-tuks, ride apps and a lakeside walk
The centre is small. The lake, the Temple of the Tooth, the Kandyan Arts Association and the main shopping streets are all within walking distance, though traffic fumes on the main roads are heavy at rush hour. For hill hotels, Peradeniya and the station, use three-wheelers. Uber and PickMe both work in Kandy and remove the need to haggle. Suburban buses cross the centre constantly and suit Peradeniya if you are confident with local buses.
- Tuk-tuks
- Run late into the night; agree the fare or use the meter
- PickMe and Uber
- App-booked tuk-tuks and cars at fixed fares
- Walking
- Lake loop and temple area, flat and easy
- A walk right round the lake takes under an hour and is best in the early morning.
Culture and etiquette
Visiting the Sri Dalada Maligawa
The Temple of the Tooth is an active shrine, not a museum, and dress is checked at the entrance.
- Cover shoulders and knees; white clothing is common among pilgrims
- Remove shoes and hats before entering the temple grounds
- Stand aside for worshippers during the puja
- Posing for photos with your back to a Buddha image
- Pointing your feet towards shrines when seated
- Buddha tattoos on display, which can cause serious trouble
Know before you go
What makes Kandy worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The evening puja at the Temple of the Tooth, when drums sound and the relic chamber opens.
- Peradeniya's royal botanic gardens, with over 4,000 plant species across 59 hectares.
- Udawattakele forest reserve, quiet trails directly above the palace.
- Kandyan dance performances at the cultural centre by the lake.
- The hill railway towards Ella through mist and tea gardens, once the cyclone repairs near Kandy are complete.
Good to know
- The tooth itself is never shown; worshippers see the casket during the ceremonies.
- October and November are the wettest months, with close to 300 mm of rain.
- Perahera dates move with the lunar calendar; check them before booking.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Kandy, month by month
Kandy's hill position keeps January nights near 18°C, and March peaks at 30°C. November is wettest, at about 296 mm.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Kandy (Weather2Travel'' for highs, lows and sunshine, ''Climate-Data.org'' for daily mean temperatures, via Wikipedia).
Puja drums, Peradeniya palms and a lakeside evening
Two days are enough for Kandy. Give the first to the Temple of the Tooth, the old royal forest of Udawattakele, a loop of the lake and an evening dance show. Spend the second at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Peradeniya, five kilometres west, then shop along Dalada Vidiya.
Day one, morning: be at the Sri Dalada Maligawa for the dawn ceremony, when the shrine is quietest and the drumming is at its most atmospheric. Afterwards walk through the complex to the Royal Palace, which now holds an archaeological museum, and the World Buddhist Museum, both covered by the temple ticket.
Afternoon: climb into Udawattakele, the old royal forest above the palace, for shade, birds and monkeys. Come down for a late lunch in town and a slow loop of Kandy Lake.
Evening: catch a Kandyan dance performance at the cultural centre near the lake, roughly an hour of drumming, acrobatics and fire-walking, then return to the temple for the evening ceremony.
Day two: take a tuk-tuk or bus five kilometres west to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya and allow the whole morning: the orchid house, the palm avenues and the giant fig on the great lawn. Spend the afternoon at the Buddhist Publication Society by the lake or browsing the shops of Dalada Vidiya, and finish with dinner on a terrace overlooking the water.
Hoppers, rotti and rice-and-curry off Dalada Vidiya
Kandy eats cheaply. The easy good meals are a lunchtime rice and curry, hoppers or kottu in the evening, and short eats from The Bakehouse or Devon, with a lakeside terrace for a slower dinner. The staple is rice and curry: a mound of rice with several small vegetable, dhal and meat or fish curries, best at lunchtime when it is freshly cooked.
In the evening look for hoppers, the bowl-shaped rice-flour pancakes, sometimes with an egg cooked into the base, and kottu rotti, chopped flatbread stir-fried with vegetables and egg on a hot plate. Green Leaf, on De Soyza Lane a block back from the main street, is a reliable local spot for rotti, rice and curry and evening hoppers.
The Bakehouse serves short eats and a Sri Lankan buffet upstairs with a view over the street; go early in the evening, as dishes run out. Devon is popular for snacks, with a restaurant above serving Sri Lankan and South Indian dishes. For a lake view with your meal, the restaurants along the waterfront are the pick, and The Pub on Dalada Vidiya is the standard place for a cold beer.
Esala Perahera nights and the monsoon calendar
Kandy's year peaks in July or August with the Kandy Esala Perahera, when the casket of the relic is carried on an elephant through the streets, accompanied by dancers, drummers and whip-crackers over successive nights. Dates follow the Esala full moon and change each year.
The climate is gentler than on the coast but wetter than many expect. January to March is the best stretch, with only 70-80 mm of rain a month and highs of 27-30C. April brings a jump to almost 190 mm, and the north-east monsoon makes October and November the wettest months at around 260-300 mm. Night-time lows stay around 18-20C all year.
Kandy also works as a hub. The railway east climbs to Ella through the tea country (its Kandy section was still under repair in 2026), a road trip north reaches the cave temples of Dambulla, and Colombo is a few hours away by road.
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How we research our Kandy travel guide
Kandy's temple and Perahera details are checked against the official Kandy website and Sri Lanka Tourism; entry rules come from the Sri Lanka ETA site.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Kandy.
Getting there
In normal service intercity trains take about two and a half to three hours, but Cyclone Ditwah damaged the line in November 2025 and services were suspended or cut short for much of 2026. Check Sri Lanka Railways before you plan around the train; buses and taxis cover the route meanwhile.
About five kilometres west of the centre, a short tuk-tuk ride or local bus trip.
Normally six and a half to eight and a half hours through the tea estates. After Cyclone Ditwah only the Nanu Oya to Badulla section via Ella had reopened by mid-2026, so check Sri Lanka Railways for when through trains from Kandy resume.
Yes, Bandaranaike International (CMB) near Colombo. Kandy has no airport of its own, so continue by road, or by train from Colombo once the cyclone-damaged line reopens.
International flights land at Bandaranaike International near Colombo, and from there it is a long drive uphill by taxi or private car; many travellers break it with a night in Negombo or Colombo. In normal times the train is the better way in, but Cyclone Ditwah damaged the lines in November 2025, and through 2026 services between Colombo and Kandy and between Kandy and Nanu Oya were suspended or cut short while bridges and track were rebuilt. Check Sri Lanka Railways for the current position before planning around a train.
Timing & weather
It is shown during the daily ceremonies, at dawn around 5.30am and in the evening around 6.30pm. The tooth itself is never displayed.
In July or August, timed to the Esala full moon, with processions over several nights. Check the year's dates before booking.
Yes. October and November are the wettest months, each with roughly 260-300 mm of rain. January to March is the driest period.
The best time to visit Kandy is Jan to Mar. The driest months, with under 80 mm of rain and highs near 28-30C.
- Dry and clear: January - March (Rainfall stays around 70-80 mm a month and days reach 27-30C, the best time for temple visits and walks)
- Perahera season: July - August (Showers of about 110-130 mm a month, but this is when the Esala Perahera fills the streets and hotels)
- Monsoon peak: October - December (October and November each bring around 260-300 mm of rain; afternoons are often washed out)
General
Clothes covering shoulders and knees; shoes and hats come off at the entrance. White is the usual choice of pilgrims.
Walk a short way from the station stand and book through Uber or PickMe, or agree a fare before getting in.
At venues including the Kandy Cultural Centre near the lake, with shows of about an hour in the early evening.
bookingMentor lists 9 things to do in Kandy, each with its category, rating and a short description. Open one for the full details, such as opening hours and how to get there.
Visa & documents
Most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before travel, applied for online. Citizens of a number of countries currently receive the tourist ETA free of charge for 30 days, extendable in Sri Lanka.
Health & safety
As checked in October 2026, neither the UK FCDO nor the US State Department (Level 2, exercise increased caution, for Sri Lanka as a whole) advises against travel to Kandy, though the FCDO warns of flooding and landslides in heavy rain. Day to day, the main nuisances are touts and pickpockets. The tuk-tuk stand at the railway station has a reputation for overcharging and for chasing away app drivers.
