Sigiriya: the 8th wonder of the world, Lion Rock in Sri Lanka

Sigiriya, or Lion Rock (Sigiriya), is one of the best-known sights of Sri Lanka. It is a rock plateau rising 180 meters above the ground, with the ruins of an ancient fortress capital on its summit.

Sigiriya, the 8th wonder of the world, is today the ruins of an ancient fortress city standing on a rock 180 meters high. To reach the top of Sigiriya, you have to climb a path up the mountain 1200 steps high. The whole climb takes half an hour to an hour.

The history of Sigiriya. The legend

At the end of the 5th century, the Sri Lankan king Kashyapa killed his father because his father had decided to pass the throne not to him but to his brother (straight out of the plot of the movie “Gladiator” :) After that, fearing revenge from his family, Kashyapa built a fortress on the summit of Sigiriya rock, surrounded it with water-filled moats around the perimeter, and declared Sigiriya the capital. The city on the rock grew, becoming luxurious and impregnable. This went on for a little over 10 years, after which King Kashyapa, confident that he was invincible, challenged his brother. They decided to fight the battle on the plain. Kashyapa lost the battle and was killed.

After the king was overthrown, his brother turned Sigiriya into a Buddhist monastery and moved the title of capital to Anuradhapura.

Sigiriya entrance fee, Sri Lanka. Ticket price

A ticket to Sigiriya for a white tourist cost a lot of money back then: 3200 rupees (for locals, 50 rupees, almost 70! times less), and as of October 2026 it costs $35. Sums like that did not fit our budget, so we started looking for alternatives. Getting onto Sigiriya for free was not possible: the only entrance was controlled. Seeing our displeasure, the locals advised us to climb the neighboring rock on the grounds of the Pidurangala forest temple. It is a place not yet open to mass tourism, a worthy alternative to the much-hyped Sigiriya. Entrance to the Pidurangala temple grounds costs 500 rupees (March 2015).

Pidurangala Rock

The Pidurangala temple complex is made up of several sights located on different levels. At the foot of the rock there are many caves and meditation rooms, and various Buddhist relics. A little way up the rock you can see ancient rock inscriptions and a statue of a reclining Buddha, as well as ancient monks' cells. After that you can climb to the summit of the rock and enjoy a breathtaking view of the surroundings and of Sigiriya itself. The climb to the summit of Pidurangala Rock is easy and takes no more than 30 minutes.

How to get to Sigiriya

Sigiriya is located at roughly the same distance (no more than 90 km) from such sights of Sri Lanka as Kandy, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee.

So it makes sense to put Sigiriya on your list of places to visit between these places. Also, 16 km from Sigiriya is the well-known Dambulla Golden Temple.

Sigiriya opening hours

Sigiriya is open to tourists every day, with no days off or holidays.

Sigiriya opening hours: from 7 a.m. to 17:00 (last entry). You have to come down by 18:30.

Sigiriya on the map of Sri Lanka

To give you a clearer idea of where Sigiriya mountain is located, we are attaching a map with the coordinates and the location:

Sigiriya on the map of Sri Lanka