Polonnaruwa: what to see, sights, how to get there

Polonnaruwa is a historically significant place, a former capital of Sri Lanka. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa is famous for its historic architectural monuments — the ruins of palaces and temples — as well as its lavish gardens.

Polonnaruwa: what to see, the city's sights

To get access to the sights of Polonnaruwa, white tourists have to buy a ticket: back then it cost $25, and as of October 2026 it costs $30 (the same system applies in Anuradhapura, where we managed to see everything for free). Here, though, there are many times fewer entrances and exits, and all of them are constantly watched by guards. A couple of times we managed to ride into the paid area, but unfortunately we didn't get to see everything. There are several lakes in Polonnaruwa that you can swim in, and on the main embankment you can catch a wonderful sunset reflected in the still surface of the water.

You can drive a little way south out of Polonnaruwa: there is a picturesque river and a small dam there.

How to get to Polonnaruwa

• If you want to get to Polonnaruwa by scooter from Colombo or Negombo, it makes sense to split the trip into 2 days and plan the route through the city of Kandy.
• The bus from Colombo to Polonnaruwa takes 6–7 hours.
• The train takes 7 hours.

There is no point in giving the city more than 2 days — all the sights are within walking distance of the center and of each other. After Polonnaruwa we went to explore the beaches of Trincomalee.

Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa?

Since the status of capital passed to Polonnaruwa after the city of Anuradhapura was destroyed, the two cities share some similarity in architecture and in their overall feel. And if you don't have enough time to visit both, you may wonder which one to choose: Polonnaruwa or Anuradhapura? While both cities have a unique atmosphere and charm, we recommend Anuradhapura as the place richer in sights and more interesting historically.