Kandy, often called the cultural capital of Sri Lanka, is famous for its rich spiritual and cultural heritage. The city is best known for its Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, which houses a relic of the Buddha. But you’ll also find a huge man-made lake, a botanical garden and colorful dance shows that are famous all over the island. If you’re planning to take the blue train to Ella, chances are you’ll stop in Kandy, just like we did on our Sri Lanka road trip.
So, what is there to do in Kandy? How much time should you spend there? Which activities should you prioritize? We share all our tips in this article!
Things to do in Kandy
1. Visit the Temple of the Tooth
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, or Sri Dalada Maligawa in Sinhala, is Kandy’s most iconic site and plays a central role in the religious and cultural life of the city.
It houses the most important relic in the country, the Sacred Tooth of the Buddha, which makes it a major pilgrimage site for Sri Lankan Buddhists. After being kept in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, the relic was brought to Kandy when the city became the new capital of the country, and placed in this temple, whose construction began in 1592.
But don’t expect to see the tooth itself! It’s kept safe inside a lavish golden casket that you can only glimpse from a distance.
The temple complex is very large and there’s much more to it than the relic. You’ll also find a museum, a hall dedicated to Raja, the elephant who carried the relic on his back for years during the Perahera, and lots of smaller temples.
The temple is open all day until 8 p.m. and entry costs LKR 2,000 per adult (about $6.50). Clothing covering your legs and shoulders is required, but you can borrow a sarong at the entrance if you ask the guards nicely.
Good to know: three times a day (at 5:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.), prayer and offering ceremonies take place in the Temple of the Tooth. These ceremonies, called puja, draw huge numbers of worshippers for a ritual where offerings are made to the Buddha, all to the beat of drums. Tourists can still visit the temple and attend the ceremonies.
It’s up to you whether you’d rather witness this symbolic moment with a dense crowd, or visit the temple at a quieter time, outside ceremony hours.
2. Smell the orchids at Peradeniya Botanical Garden
Located a few miles west of Kandy (you’ll need a tuk-tuk to get there), this botanical garden is the largest and probably the most famous in Sri Lanka.
Its reputation comes mainly from its impressive orchid collection and its remarkable trees, including a gigantic Java fig tree and a cannonball tree (named after the shape of its fruit!). Spread over more than 145 acres (60 hectares), the garden is home to more than 4,000 plant species, as well as a few birds and butterflies.
The site was already a royal garden in the 14th century, long before it became a botanical garden. During World War II, it also served as the headquarters of the British-led South East Asia Command.
The garden is open every day from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and entry costs LKR 3,540 per person (about $12, 2026 price).
3. Stock up on spices at Kandy Market
Kandy Market is as beautiful as it is intense. Spread over two floors in a building with a lovely little garden in the middle, this food market is a feast for the eyes and the nose!
Spices, teas, all kinds of fruit and vegetables, meat: you’ll find the very best of Sri Lanka here. Put your bargaining skills to the test to walk away with a good deal. The market can get tiring quickly, as vendors call out to tourists a lot, but it’s well worth a stop.
4. Stroll around Kandy Lake
Kandy Lake is a large man-made lake. Right in the heart of the city and built in 1807, it’s surprisingly big! It offers a cool, quiet break away from the hustle and bustle of Kandy. As you walk around the lake, you can spot birds and big monitor lizards lazing at the water’s edge.
Stop by the old royal bathing pavilion, the square building standing on the water. It’s surprisingly empty, open to the public and makes a lovely photo spot today.
5. Watch a Kandyan dance show
You can’t miss them: these traditional dance shows are heavily advertised around town. Several shows are held for tourists every day, in the late afternoon. Your hotel will most likely be able to tell you about the day’s shows.
You’ll get to discover several Kandyan dances, performed in very colorful costumes to the music of a band playing traditional Sri Lankan instruments, including drums, wind instruments and cymbals.
6. Experience the Perahera
If you visit Kandy in July or August, you might be lucky enough to see the Esala Perahera, the religious procession held once a year to honor the Tooth Relic of the Buddha.
Expect dancers, musicians, torchbearers and above all decorated elephants, one of which carries the relic casket on its back, during night processions that last about ten days. It’s one of the oldest and most spectacular Buddhist festivals in Asia, and a truly unique spiritual and cultural experience.
7. Take the blue train to Ella
Kandy station is also the starting (or finishing) point for lots of tourists and locals heading to Ella or Nuwara Eliya on the famous blue train.
Kandy station itself is worth a look, with its well-preserved British colonial architecture and its bustling main hall.
This train journey is a Sri Lanka must, which is why we wrote a complete guide on how to take the blue train between Kandy and Ella.
Where to stay in Kandy
We stayed at Gruhaya Boutique Villa, a charming place close to Kandy Lake, in the quiet part of town.
Photos taken at Gruhaya Boutique Villa
If you’d like to be closer to the city center, we recommend Café Aroma Inn. And if you want to stay near the train station (and enjoy a big pool), go for Sevana City Hotel!
🛌 Book your room in Kandy ➜Where to eat in Kandy
We only spent a day and a night in Kandy, but here are the places we tried and can recommend.
- Balaji Dosai: we absolutely loved this place serving dosas, Indian crepes filled with cheese, mushrooms or masala. Cheap and filling!
- World Spice: if you need a break from local food, this food court might be for you. Located on the top floor of Kandy City Centre mall, it serves Chinese, Thai and even Italian food.
How to get to Kandy
From the Cultural Triangle
If you’re coming from the north of the country, the easiest option is the bus. A bus line runs regularly between Kandy and the town of Dambulla. The ride takes about 2.5 hours and cost us LKR 550 per person (about $1.70).
If you’re staying elsewhere in the Cultural Triangle, you’ll first need to take a bus from your town to Dambulla. For example, the ride from Sigiriya to Dambulla takes 50 minutes and costs LKR 500.
From Ella
Take the famous blue train, of course! The ride from Ella takes 6.5 hours and costs LKR 650 per person for second-class tickets. We explain everything about how to take this train (and make the most of the ride) in this article.
If you’re in Nuwara Eliya, you can catch the same train at nearby Nanu Oya station, for a much shorter ride.
From Colombo
The train is also the best way to get to Kandy from Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital. Plus, we’ve heard the Colombo–Kandy section is really worth it, with views of rice paddies and the Kandy valley.
Kandy, a city with a rich history
The Kandy area has been inhabited since ancient times, as its location in the mountains provided a natural defense. But Kandy only truly became the center of an independent and prosperous kingdom in the late 15th century. The kingdom grew, and Kandy became an important political and spiritual capital, largely thanks to the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha.
The city resisted Portuguese and Dutch invasions, but fell to the British in 1815, ending the last independent kingdom of Sri Lanka. Under colonial rule, power was concentrated in Colombo and Kandy lost its status as a capital. Sri Lanka only regained its independence in 1948.
Today, Kandy is still an important city for Sri Lankan culture and spirituality. A popular destination for its temples and gardens, Kandy is also a lively cultural center, with its festivals and traditional dances (like the famous Kandyan dance).
Our experience in Kandy
Kandy has its charm, with its peaceful man-made lake and its temples, but the city center is very hectic, and we didn’t fall in love with it.
Still, it’s an almost unavoidable stop for anyone who wants to take the train to Ella, which is why we think one day exploring the city before catching your train early the next morning is enough!
To go further, read the full story of our trip to Sri Lanka.
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