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Kandy
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Overview
Kandy is Sri Lanka’s cultural capital and the gateway to the hill country. Cradled in misty hills around a lake, this UNESCO World Heritage city is home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the most important Buddhist shrine in the country, and to the living traditions of Kandyan dance, drumming and the spectacular Esala Perahera procession.
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Kandy and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
The Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) enshrines a tooth of the Buddha and holds three daily pujas, the evening ceremony being the most atmospheric. Around it, the old royal capital offers the lake circuit, the bustling central market, a nightly Kandyan cultural show and the serene Udawattakele forest reserve. Just outside town, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya are among the finest in Asia.
Kandy is also the starting point of the famous hill-country train to Ella and a natural base for day trips to the tea estates of Nuwara Eliya. In late July or August the Esala Perahera fills the streets with caparisoned elephants, dancers and torchbearers over ten nights.
Things to Do in Kandy
- Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
- Kandyan dance & drumming show
- Kandy Lake & central market
- Esala Perahera (Jul–Aug)
Good to Know
- Temple of the Tooth: about LKR 2,000 (2026)
- Best time: all year; Perahera in Jul–Aug
- Getting there: about 3 hrs from Colombo
- Pair it with: Peradeniya gardens & the Ella train
Kandy is a fixture on almost every Sri Lanka round tour, and the start of the scenic train to Ella. A private Kandy city day tour covers the Temple of the Tooth, Peradeniya gardens and a Kandyan dance show, and our Kandy–Ella train experience puts you in a reserved seat on the most famous railway journey in Asia.
Kandy highlights: Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandyan dance & drumming show, Kandy Lake & central market, Esala Perahera (Jul–Aug).
Best time to visit: all year; Perahera in Jul–Aug. getting there: about 3 hrs from Colombo. Lanka Itinerary can include Kandy in a private, fully customisable Sri Lanka tour with a local chauffeur-guide. Contact us to plan your trip.
Key Tour packages based on Kandy
Key Activities
About LKR 2,000 per foreign adult in 2026, with a reduced SAARC rate. On our Kandy tours the fee is included, and your guide arranges seating for the evening puja.
Time your visit to one of the three daily pujas — dawn, mid-morning or evening — when the relic chamber is opened to the sound of drums. The evening puja around 6:30 pm is the most atmospheric. Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered.
The Esala Perahera runs for ten nights in late July or early August, culminating on the Nikini full-moon poya. It is one of Asia's grandest processions, with caparisoned elephants, dancers, drummers and torchbearers. Book well ahead, as the city fills quickly.
The Kandy to Ella train is one of the most scenic journeys in the world, climbing through tea country in six to seven hours. Reserved seats open exactly 30 days before departure and first-class observation seats sell out fast, so book early. We reserve your seat and have your guide meet the train with your luggage.
About three hours by road, or a scenic train ride. Kandy is the gateway to the hill country and central to almost every round tour, so it is easily reached on a private chauffeur-guided itinerary.