- Region
- Hill Country
- Best months
- January, February, March, April…
- Good for
- Culture and temples, First-time visitors, Hill-country train trips
About Kandy
Kandy is Sri Lanka's cultural capital - the last royal city, home of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, ringed by misty hills around a calm central lake. It's where the island's traditions live loudest, and where the famous train to the tea country begins.
When the coasts fell to colonial powers, the Kandyan kingdom held out in these hills for three more centuries - and the city still carries itself like a capital. At its heart, beside the palm-lined lake, stands the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the holiest Buddhist shrine on the island, where drummers and golden doors mark three daily pujas.
Kandy rewards wandering: the bustling market hall piled with spices and jaggery, the old streets of arcaded shops, viewpoints above the lake where the whole bowl of the city glitters at dusk, and evening performances of Kandyan dance - all spinning silver, drums and fire.
Just out of town, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya rank among the finest in Asia: 60 hectares of giant bamboo, orchid houses and a colossal Javan fig that shades half a lawn. And from the railway station, the most beautiful leg of the hill-country line climbs away toward Nuwara Eliya and Ella. Every August, the city erupts for the Esala Perahera - one of Asia's greatest festivals, ten nights of drummers, dancers and lantern-lit elephants.
What to do
Things to do in Kandy
Our local shortlist - every one of these can be arranged as part of your tailor-made route.
01
Temple of the Sacred Tooth
Join the evening puja as drums echo through the golden-roofed shrine of the Buddha's tooth relic.
02
Peradeniya Botanic Gardens
Stroll palm avenues, orchid houses and the great lawns of Asia's loveliest botanic gardens.
03
Kandyan dance & drums
An hour of whirling acrobatics, stilt dancers and a fire-walking finale - touristy, and genuinely thrilling.
04
Walk the lake at dusk
A gentle circuit past the temple reflections, fruit bats overhead and herons in the shallows.
05
Bahirawakanda Buddha viewpoint
Climb (or drive) to the giant white Buddha for the classic panorama over the city bowl.
06
Board the famous train
Kandy is mile zero of the world's most beautiful rail ride, climbing through tea country to Ella.
07
Royal city backstreets
Market halls, antique shops and colonial arcades - Kandy is best discovered on foot with a good guide.
Want the full picture? Our directory lists 116 well-reviewed sights and activity operators around Kandy - including small local outfits with no website of their own.
Browse every thing to do in KandyNearby
Where to stay in Kandy
Kandy's finest addresses sit above the lake and in the hills around it - 5-star hotels with plunge pools facing the temple roofs, grand colonial-era properties, and serene boutique bungalows in the tea slopes just outside town. We usually plan one to two nights before the train into the high country.
Good to know
Kandy questions
How long should I spend in Kandy?
One full day covers the temple, gardens and a dance show comfortably; two lets you slow down and add the viewpoints and markets before catching the train.
When is the Kandy Esala Perahera?
Over ten nights around the July/August full moon. It's one of Asia's great festivals - book months ahead, and we'll arrange reserved seating for the processions.
Plan with a local
Plan a trip around Kandy
Tell us your dates and we'll build Kandy into a smooth, tailor-made route - around the right season.
- A real local planner replies within 24 hours
- No pressure, no obligation - just honest advice
- 5-star stays and a private driver, tailored to you
Let's plan your Sri Lanka
Ready to start planning your journey?
Tell us your dates and travel style. We'll reply within 24 hours with honest, local advice and a first-draft itinerary - no pressure, no obligation.