Tourist Attractions & Monuments Sri Lanka

Timetable

Temples are generally open from dawn to dusk. Museums are mostly open between 9am and 4pm, with one or sometimes two closing days a week. Some places have extended opening hours at weekends and during school vacations. Full moon days (poya) are public holidays dedicated to respecting the teachings of Buddha, so temples will be much busier.

To be booked

It is not necessary to book your tickets in advance for visits to sites, museums...

Budget & Tips

Guided tours

Guided tours are compulsory in National Parks, where the presence of a guide is essential. Some museums and historic parks offer guided tours, usually in English. For the rest of the time, you can visit towns and sites as you please, but the explanations of a qualified guide will often help you to grasp the culture and subtleties of a particular place (temple, town, museum or monument).

Smokers

Smoking is strictly prohibited in religious buildings, museums and national parks.

Tourist traps

Many temples will ask you to pay an additional entrance fee to the main entrance, but these are actually "donations", so it's up to you to decide whether you want to make a contribution.

What's very local

Sri Lankans often visit Buddhist temples dressed entirely or partly in white. Although you don't have to follow this tradition, it's a good idea to avoid wearing dark colors when visiting Buddhist sites.