SEPTEMBER 2026
OVERVIEW
Please read our Sri Lanka Tour post to get the overview of what we are doing, general information, tips, tricks, and traps.
We have already done:
Kalkudah Beach / Pasikuda Beach
Polonnaruwa (Archaeological Park)
It is time to move on to Anuradhapura.
ANURADHAPURA (‘ANURAD’)
GETTING THERE
Anurad is about 120kms west of Nilaveli Beach.
PICKME offered a Tuk Tuk for 11,200r. UBER offered a Small Inter-city car for 14,950r. My hotel offered to match the PICKME price. I chose the latter. His brother picked me up at 11:15am and I was in my Anurad hotel room by 2pm.
ABOUT
The Sacred City is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Anurad was Sri Lanka’s first great capital, continuously occupied for well over a thousand years starting around the 4th century BCE … the Old Town is an expanse of dagobas, monasteries, reservoirs, and bathing ponds … several of which rank among the largest brick structures ever built anywhere in the ancient world.
Many of these Sacred City sites are inter-mingled with the modern town even though some of these main attractions are kms apart.
WEATHER
ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
You can get around by Tuk Tuk or scooter or bicycle.
TOURIST TICKET SITES
You can rent a bicycle from one of the shops / guest houses and ride around the Sacred City in a day. You should be able to rent for 500r-1,000r per day.
A ‘Cultural Heritage Ticket’ (Tourist Ticket) will give you admission to the main sites for 1 day only. It costs 10,050r (US$30) for foreigners. E-tickets can be pre-purchased online. Alternatively, tickets can be purchased at the kiosk near the Folk Museum.
Your ticket covers entry into the, following, major sites:
Sri Maha Bodhi tree: a sacred tree originating from Bodh Gaya, India. Commonly cited as the oldest tree in the world;
Ruwanwelisaya: one of the largest stupas in Sri Lanka;
Jetavanaramaya: The tallest stupa in the ancient world and, in its time, the third-tallest structure on the planet after the two great pyramids of Giza;
- Abhayagiri Dagoba and monastery complex: An enormous stupa complex that used to house 1,000s of monks;
Kuttam Pokuna (Twin Ponds): One of the most photogenic single stops on the circuit;
Thuparamaya: Said to be the first dagoba built in Sri Lanka;
Samadhi Buddha statue: Regarded as one of the finest examples of ancient Sri Lankan granite sculpture
The Citadel.
There are many other free sites to see scattered within the Tourist Ticket zone.
OTHER & FREE SITES
Not all sites are covered by this Tourist Ticket. Some constitute the most significant sights in Anurad.
Other sites worth visiting include:
Isurumuniya Rock Temple (entry 500r): A rock temple built into a granite outcrop;
The Archaeology Museum;
Moonstones: Found throughout Anurad at the entrances to monasteries;
- Lovamahapaya: These 1,600 stone pillars were once a 9-storey monastery;
The Cave Monastery / Bodhigharaya;
Sandahiru Seya;
Royal Park;
The Western Monasteries;
Nellikulama Temple.
SUMMARY
If you want to get the best out of the Archaeological Park … I suggest that you buy a Tourist Ticket.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
WILPATTU NATIONAL PARK SAFARI
You can book a shared Big 5 Tour starting at 27,500r per person.
This price covers:
- Free pickup and dropoff from town centre (for remote pickup, add 1,000r);
- Park Fees;
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks;
- 1 litre bottled water;
- Guide.
The Safari is about 10 hours duration (or longer until a Leopard is sited).
Pick up is between 5:15am and 6:15am. It is a 45 minute drive to the Park. You should be in the Park by 7:00am.
You exit the Park between 4:00pm and 5:00pm (depending on Leopards). You should be back in your hotel between 5:00pm and 6:00pm. 7:00pm at the latest.
SCOOTER / BICYCLE RENTAL
My hotel wanted 4,000r per day for a scooter. It had over 34,000 kms on the clock! I got them down to 2,750r per day for 3 days. It arrived empty. It cost me 1,600r to fill it up. I did 140 kms and returned it empty.
SUGGESTION: Anurad is so spread out, you need transportation.
EAT & DRINK
FOOD
Expect typical prices. In Tourist restaurants, something like a Veg Rice & Curry (5 veg dishes) costs 1,800r. Add 750r-1,000r if you want meat.
However, Anurad is a big town so you can find local ‘Family Restaurants’ offering cheaper prices. At the Rio Restaurant and Takeaway a Set Menu meal costs 700r. It was so big that I got 2 meals out of it.
ALCOHOL
Expect typical prices in restaurants (e.g. 1,000r for a 500ml can of Lion Beer). There are plenty of Government priced Beer Shops in town if you want to take drinks back to your hotel.
GROCERIES
There are many mid-sized supermarkets in town.
ACCOMMODATION
WHERE TO STAY
You should have no problem finding a hotel within our GRANDPAcker price range.
I suggest the following:
Avoid the red shaded area bounded by the A12 to the north-west and Kunbichchan Kulama Wewa to the south-east. I would also suggest that you avoid anything along the A12 further west of this zone.
Look for a hotel in the green shaded area. Surprisingly, you can find accommodation within the archaeological park zone. The area immediately south-east of the red shaded area also offers decent accommodation in a decent location.
If you have your own transport (e.g. your own rental tuk tuk) and you don’t mind being more remote, you can look in the yellow shaded area (but, keep away from the main roads). Don’t go too far east.
If you plan to cycle around the Sacred City sites, location is important … you want to be close to the archaeological complex.
I planned to tour on a scooter … this gave me a wider choice of hotels and locations.
MY ACCOMMODATION
I used AGODA to book 4 nights in a Deluxe Double at the Montana Rest Apartments. I paid a last-minute discounted price of 5,250r per night excluding breakfast. Their restaurant provided meals at ‘average’ prices. It is located just south-east of Kunbichchan Kulama Wewa.
The room was good. Good wifi. Hot water shower. Mosquito net over the bed. TV. Refridgerator.
GETTING AWAY
I go to Jaffna next. I decided to go by train. Online ticketing opens 1 month before the travel date. For some reason, I was unable to use the official site to book a ticket.
I got onto 12GO and booked a 1st Class ticket through them instead. The price was 2,900r (you pay a small premium to book through 12GO but at least it works!). 12GO emailed me a ‘voucher’. I went to Anurad Railway Station on my rental scooter and converted that voucher into an e-Ticket. It took less than 5 minutes.
This is a Colombo to Jaffna train. It is scheduled stop in Anurad at 10:40am and arrive in Jaffna at 2:00pm.
CONCLUSION
3 nights in Anurad will be enough for most people.
Spend 1 day doing the (Tourist Ticket) Sacred City and the other main Archaeological sites around town.
Spend another day on Safari. The Safari is relatively expensive compared to other places in Sri Lanka (e.g. you can do a 1/2 day one in Arugam Bay for 12,000r per person) … but, if this is your only chance to do one, take it.
TTFN
