//
Dambulla is a city in Central province of Sri Lanka. Tourists come here to view the cave temples.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Golden Temple
The main if not the only attraction of the town, also inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The temple is composed of five caves which are accessible after a 10-minute stone stairs climb. These caves contain well conserved statues and paintings. If you come from the big golden Buddha side, you will have to go over to the other side of the hill to get a ticket, so it is better to enter from the side road where the parking is.
Sankassapura Temple
A quirky little hillside temple, follow the steps up a hill lined with statues of monks, passing various vignettes from Buddha's history (such as Devadatta attempting to crush him with a rock from on high) and make your way up to the top for a pretty decent sunset view
A nice food court in a central location. Travellers recommend the A/C coffee shop upstairs called Island Tea Co & Ceylon Coffee Club. Outside seems to be a major drop off / pick up point for northbound buses.
A beautiful, small cafe/restaurant run by owner and chef Sugath, catering mostly for tourists with Sri Lankan food
Attempting its best to be a Starbucks clone, this place has air conditioning, excellent seating and a decent coffee menu.
Basic rooms with fan and private bathroom. Ideally situated between the bus station and the Dambulla Cave Temple, on the main road but not noisy.
In a quiet little side street, yet close to plenty of food and amenities, this place offers good dorm beds with power, mosquito netting and your own personal fan. The owners and family are very nice and helpful and provide breakfast in the busy season.
120 rooms.
Beautiful 5-star hotel with great views from the rooms and the pool.
31 rooms with a veranda that opens to a mini garden, all of which have air-conditioning, satellite TV and mini-bar.
Buses from Colombo (148 km west), Kandy (72 km south, 2-3 hours), Anuradhapura (2-3 hours), Sigiriya and other places arrive regularly at the Dambulla bus station on Kandy road.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Trincomalee · Regional · TRR
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Dambulla and Sri Lanka.
Travel tipsThe full 2026 list of visa-free and visa-on-arrival countries for Sri Lankan passport holders, with digital arrival cards and border rules.
7 min read
InspirationThe best places to visit in January for winter sun, deep powder snow and wildlife, comparing Niseko, Sri Lanka, Tromsø and New Zealand.
7 min read
Travel tipsPlan your trip on the Kandy to Ella train in Sri Lanka. Timetables, seat booking tips, carriage classes, and ticket prices for the scenic highland ride.
9 min read
InspirationPlan your trip with the best places to visit in Sri Lanka, from Sigiriya Lion Rock and Kandy temples to Ella tea hills, Yala leopards, and Galle Fort.
6 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.