# Sigiriya

*A palace on top of a rock, built by a king who was afraid*

Region: Cultural Triangle · https://srilankatour.travel/places/sigiriya

In the fifth century, King Kashyapa took the throne by walling his father up alive, and then spent eighteen years expecting his brother to come for him. He built his palace two hundred metres in the air, on top of a granite plug in the middle of the jungle, with gardens, frescoes and a hydraulic system that still works when it rains.

It is about 1,200 steps to the top. There is almost no shade. The view from the summit is of unbroken forest in every direction, and it is worth every one of them.

## Our verdict

Go at opening or in the last two hours of the day. In the middle of the day it is a very hot staircase with a queue on it, and the frescoes are the part people skip when they are exhausted.

## Highlights

- **Climb at first light.** The gate opens early. Being on the steps before the sun clears the trees is the difference between a memorable climb and an endurance event.
- **Do not skip the frescoes.** The painted women on the rock face are 1,500 years old and survive because they sit under an overhang. They are a short detour up a spiral staircase, and most tired people walk past them.
- **Pidurangala is the other option.** The rock opposite is a rougher scramble, far cheaper, and gives you the view of Sigiriya itself — which you cannot get while standing on it. Many people do Pidurangala at sunrise and Sigiriya later.
- **The gardens are the underrated part.** The water gardens at the base are among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. Fountains still run in the wet season, powered by nothing but gravity and fifth-century plumbing.

## Practical

- **Time needed:** 3 to 4 hours for the full site
- **Difficulty:** Steep, exposed, lots of steps. Not step-free.
- **Best time of day:** Opening, or late afternoon
- **Best months:** Any — the Cultural Triangle is drier than the coasts
- **Nearest airport:** Colombo (BIA), about 4 hours by road

## Nearby

- [Dambulla](https://srilankatour.travel/places/dambulla)
- [Polonnaruwa](https://srilankatour.travel/places/polonnaruwa)
- [Kandy](https://srilankatour.travel/places/kandy)
- [Minneriya](https://srilankatour.travel/places/minneriya)

## Frequently asked questions

**How many steps is Sigiriya?**

Roughly 1,200 from the base to the summit, in sections. The final stretch is metal staircases fixed to the rock face, which is the part people with a fear of heights find hardest.

**Is Sigiriya or Pidurangala better?**

They are different things. Sigiriya is the archaeological site — palace ruins, frescoes, gardens. Pidurangala is a rough climb up the neighbouring rock with the best view *of* Sigiriya. If you only do one and you came for history, do Sigiriya. If you came for the photograph, do Pidurangala.

**How long does it take to climb Sigiriya?**

Most reasonably fit people take about an hour to the top with stops, and 30 to 40 minutes down. Add an hour for the gardens and museum.

**Do I need a guide at Sigiriya?**

Not to climb it, but the site is much richer with one. Without a guide it is a rock with ruins on it; with one it is a story about a king who murdered his father and built a fortress out of guilt.


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Source: https://srilankatour.travel/places/sigiriya
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