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Mihintale
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Overview
Mihintale is where Buddhism arrived in Sri Lanka. In 247 BC the monk Mahinda met King Devanampiya Tissa on this hillside and converted him, and the mountain has been a place of pilgrimage ever since. A stairway of 1,840 shallow granite steps climbs past monastery ruins and dagobas to a summit with sweeping views over the plains around Anuradhapura.
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Ready to Visit Mihintale?
Mihintale, the Cradle of Sri Lankan Buddhism
The climb is gradual and shaded in its lower reaches, passing the monks’ refectory, the assembly hall and the Kantaka Chetiya dagoba before reaching the white Ambasthala and Maha Seya stupas near the top. The final scramble to the Aradhana Gala rock rewards you with one of the best sunset views in the Cultural Triangle.
Mihintale sits just 12 kilometres from Anuradhapura and is almost always combined with it. As a sacred site it requires modest dress and bare feet on the upper terraces.
Things to Do in Mihintale
- 1,840-step pilgrim stairway
- Ambasthala & Maha Seya dagobas
- Aradhana Gala sunset viewpoint
- Ancient monastery ruins & refectory
Good to Know
- Entrance fee: about USD 8 per foreign adult (2026)
- Best time: late afternoon for sunset
- Getting there: 12 km from Anuradhapura
- Pair it with: Anuradhapura sacred city
Mihintale is a natural companion to Anuradhapura and appears on our Buddhist Heritage Pilgrimage tour. A private Anuradhapura & Mihintale day tour combines the two from Sigiriya, Habarana or Dambulla, timed so you reach the Mihintale summit for the late-afternoon light.
Mihintale highlights: 1,840-step pilgrim stairway, Ambasthala & Maha Seya dagobas, Aradhana Gala sunset viewpoint, Ancient monastery ruins & refectory.
Best time to visit: late afternoon for sunset. getting there: 12 km from Anuradhapura. Lanka Itinerary can include Mihintale in a private, fully customisable Sri Lanka tour with a local chauffeur-guide. Contact us to plan your trip.
Key Tour packages based on Mihintale
Key Activities
There are 1,840 granite steps, but they are shallow and shaded for much of the way, so the climb is gentler than the number suggests. Allow about an hour up and down at a relaxed pace, with rests at the terraces.
Around USD 8 per foreign adult in 2026 — one of the cheaper Cultural Triangle sites. It is included on our tours.
It is the birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhism. In 247 BC the missionary monk Mahinda, son of the Indian emperor Ashoka, met King Devanampiya Tissa here and converted him, beginning more than two thousand years of Buddhist tradition on the island.
Late afternoon, so you reach the summit rocks for sunset over the plains. Early morning is a cooler and quieter alternative. Avoid the middle of the day, when the terraces are very hot underfoot.
Yes, and it is the usual way to visit. The two are only 12 kilometres apart, so most tours take Anuradhapura's sacred city in the morning and Mihintale in the late afternoon for the sunset.