Tours/Kandy/Day tour to Polonnaruwa From Kandy by Aaliya Tours
Viator · Private tour

Day tour to Polonnaruwa From Kandy by Aaliya Tours

4.8(13)Kandy1 hour
VIATOR5.0(1)TRIPADVISOR4.8(12)

Description

Explore the Ancient Wonders of Polonnaruwa with Aaliya Tours! Join Aaliya Tours on a captivating day trip to Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka’s UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy the comfort of an air-conditioned vehicle and an expert driver, knowledgeable in both local history and safe travel. Visit iconic landmarks such as Gala Vihara, Lankatilaka Temple, Polonnaruwa Ruins, and the Archaeological Museum, where you'll discover the ancient splendor of this once-mighty kingdom. After a delicious lunch at a local restaurant, continue exploring Rankot Vihara, Tivanka Image House, and Thuparama Gedige. This affordable, personalized tour offers a rich cultural experience, bringing history to life without compromising comfort or safety. Book now for a day full of adventure and discovery in Sri Lanka’s ancient heartland!

Tour Options

Private Day Tour
  • Exploring Polonnaruwa Ancient : Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Polonnaruwa, including royal palaces, temples, statues, and the famous Gal Vihara Bud Duration: 10 hours Air-conditioned Car/Van/Buss: Air-conditioned Car/Van (depending on group size) English-speaking chauffeur : English-speaking driver/guide, entrance fees not included unless specified Pickup included

Itinerary

Admission not included300 min

Step back in time as you explore the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with grand palaces, stone temples, and centuries-old statues. Visit the Polonnaruwa Museum to understand the rich history before walking among the Royal Palace, Gal Vihara’s iconic Buddha statues, and the impressive Parakrama Samudra reservoir. A must-visit for culture seekers, history lovers, and photographers alike!

Highlights

Bottled water
Driver/guide
Day tour as per itinerary
Transport by private vehicle
Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)

What's included

Included
Bottled water
Driver/guide
Day tour as per itinerary
Transport by private vehicle
Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
Not included
Entrance Ticket - 30 USD
Heritage sites guide(optional) - 25 USD

Pickup Locations & Times

Free pickup within 5 km of Kandy city; extra charge applies beyond. Drop-off at your hotel in Kandy.

Traveller Ratings

4.8
13 reviews
5
11
4
2
3
0
2
0
1
0

Important Information

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Dress code when you entered to the all temple, the nee and shoulder should be covered

Reviews(13)

T
Trip67202943528
August 1, 2026
Amazing day!

It was a fantastic day! Our guide was Irfan, and he was very attentive and careful with us and the children. We visited Dambulla, Sigiriya, and Polonnaruwa. He taught us many new things about the country and the places we visited. It was a long day, but the car was comfortable and the drive was smooth! I highly recommend it!

6
617athenad
June 15, 2026
Unforgettable experience!

What an amazing way to spend a day seeing three world heritage sites from Kandy! My guide Ifran was genuinely amazing — he made the whole tour and journey as comfortable as can be (his driving was top tier!), and was super friendly and kind. From Kandy we visited the biggest Hindu temple in Sri Lanka in Matale, had yummy veggie pastries, Dambulla (an amazing cave with Buddhist statues made from stone and wood), stopped for a quick snack at a fruit hut and had the sweetest mango with chili and salt, hiked up the massive Sirgirya and saw breathtaking views of Kandy’s rolling hills (I learned that Kandy is an evolution of the Tamil word for ‘mountain’), then had the most delicious curry and rice I’ve ever had in my life (the tilapia and eggplant with extra spice was amazing) and walked amongst Hindu ruins at Polonnaruwa (where I saw loads of monkeys playing around and jumping in one of the old ruin’s pools). Ifran was so knowledgable about each site and shared with us the amazing history of his country. The tour itself was about 15 hours long but totally worth it. Be sure to bring a water bottle, hat and/or sunscreen though — that Sigirya hike was no joke!

Operator response

Thank you so much for sharing such a detailed and wonderful review! We are delighted that you enjoyed this unforgettable journey through Matale, Dambulla, Sigiriya, and Polonnaruwa. It is wonderful to hear that the temple visits, local snacks, fresh mango, Sri Lankan curry, historical sites, wildlife, and breathtaking views made the long day completely worthwhile. Your kind words about Irfan’s friendliness, knowledge, and passion for Sri Lankan history mean a great deal to us, and we will proudly share your appreciation with him. Thank you for choosing Aaliya Tours and for sharing helpful advice with future travellers. We hope to welcome you back for another memorable Sri Lankan adventure. Best regards, **Halideen**

R
Relax44102107802
May 24, 2026
Nice long day trip to three world heritage sites

The driver and guide shamin was very good organizer and the trip went very smoothly. It was a long and busy trip and thank you for this long day

S
Sightsee608100
May 18, 2026
Couples tour

Mr Fazeel took great care of us. The tour was great, he was able to spot elephants, peacocks and monkeys on our way to the visiting sites. Highly recommend the tour!

思航 吴
May 5, 2026
Nice with some space for improvement

The service level is beyond imagination, additional to the mentioned itinerary, the guide, Irfan, stoped at some pass by points along the road, like the spice garden and a local fruit shop, he even kindly offer some snacks and water for us. Of course he has the professional and abundant knowledge. However, the pace of the itinerary should be sped up, like we start at 7:00 am, finished the last point at 18:30, and back to the hotel at almost 22:00. Actually some spots we can speed up if needed. Hope the schedule can be better arranged, like tell us in advance how long it takes, to help the visitors get better control of the time schedule. 服务水平极佳,会给我们沿途停留很多行程外的点、请我们吃小零食,且具备专业丰富的知识。 但是,行程有些拖后,很多沿途参观的香料店等可以更少时间。 希望之后提前告知游客时间节奏,能够更好管理行程

M
MJPitchford
April 16, 2026
Three great sights in one day.

This is a great tour of three world heritage sites, Dambulla, Sigiriya, and Polonnaruwa. It is a very long day, leaving at 06:00 and we got back around 19:00. If you are based in Kandy, it is worth making the effort, as all three sites are spectacular, and once you're deep in the cultural triangle you might as well see them all. Leaving early also means you get to Dambulla before the crowds. We had a guide and a driver, and our guide pointed out many other interesting aspects of life in Sri Lanka, past and present along the way. When we got to the sites, he explained them from outside but did not accompany us inside, so if you are expecting a detailed tour of the finer aspects of the sites, you don't get that. You can hire guides at an extra cost in all the sites. It will get pretty hot at Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa, so bring plenty of water. At Sigiriya there is a drinking water refill station midway up the climb, so you don't have to bring large bottles. Our instructions told us to bring water and snacks, so we did, but the driver stopped along the way to get some extra drinks and bannanas. It's a bit of a nitpick, but since we were well organized we didn't need it, and it just took up an extra 15 minutes. On such a long day I would have appreciated that time back.

A
AdrianG2007
March 19, 2026
Candy tour

Great tour from start to finish Mohamed Irfan our tour guide/ Driver for the day picked us up at 06:00 was fantastic from the start. Gave lots of information about his country’s history and all the things we were seeing. Even managed to find some elephants walking down the road. All in all a long but beautiful day. A++++++

B
bingyo
March 14, 2026
Best experiences in Sigiriya, Dambulla and Polonnaruwa

A trip to Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa with Mr. Irfan was truly unforgettable. His driving skills were excellent, he knew everything about the area and never got bored going or going back. I would love to ask him to drive and guide me when I come to Kandy again.

V
virginie_m
February 20, 2026
Top

Superb site to visit on polonnoruwa!! The driver was top and professional Thank you I recommend

L
L124ndr4
January 19, 2026
Above and beyond expectations

We had an absolutely amazing day with Mr Shamin! He went over and above expectations and arranged a lovely customised day for me and my mother. He shared knowledge about the local areas we visited and was very kind and accommodating. If we already hadn’t pre-booked our other tours, we would have preferred to go with Mr Shamin.

You might also like...