Ancient City of Polonnaruwa

Good to know

Best time to go: November–March
Budget: $
Coordinates: Open in maps

When Anuradhapura fell in 993, power moved south to Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka's second great capital. The Chola conquerors left Brahmanic monuments; the Sinhalese kings who followed, above all Parakramabahu I in the 12th century, laid out a fabled garden city whose ruins remain monumental — among them the Gal Vihara's serene Buddhas cut from living granite. UNESCO inscribed the ancient city in 1982.

While you're there · North Central Province

Doors that open for you.

Tours, skip-the-line tickets, kitchens you'd never find alone — our partner GetYourGuide keeps the current list.North Central Province runs deeper with someone to unlock it — tours, skip-the-line tickets, kitchens you'd never find alone. Our partner GetYourGuide keeps the current list; we'd rather send you there than show you stale prices.

Browse experiences in North Central Province →Opens GetYourGuide

Partner link — Vonda may earn a small share. It keeps the atlas free.

Browse experiences in North Central Province →

Opens GetYourGuide · Partner link — Vonda may earn a small share. It keeps the atlas free.

Wanderers' notes