Anuradhapura Day Tour

The Sri Maha Bodhi is the most sacred site in all of Anuradhapura and arguably the most sacred tree on Earth. Grown from a cutting of the original Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, India — under which the Buddha attained enlightenment — and brought to Sri Lanka in 288 BC by Sangamitta Theri, this is the oldest human-planted tree with a documented, unbroken history anywhere in the world.

Sri Lankan Buddhist pilgrims visit from across the island to pray, make offerings of flowers and oil lamps, and sit in meditation beneath its branches. The atmosphere — particularly in the early morning — is one of profound calm and active devotion. Shoes must be removed, and respectful behaviour is essential.

The Ruwanwelisaya — also known as the Great Stupa or Mahathupa — is the crowning achievement of King Dutugamunu, built in the 2nd century BC to house relics of the Buddha. Its brilliant white dome, 103 metres high, is visible from miles across the flat plains. The perimeter wall is decorated with a continuous frieze of 344 elephant heads, and the entire structure is encircled by devotees making their clockwise circumambulation.

The story of Ruwanwelisaya's construction is one of the great narratives of Sri Lankan history — Dutugamunu knew he was dying before its completion and was brought on a palanquin to see it, with monks holding golden screens to create the illusion that the unfinished dome was complete. The dagoba was finally completed by his brother Saddhatissa.

The Jetavanaramaya was the largest brick structure in the ancient world, and when completed in the 3rd century AD was the third tallest structure on Earth after the two great pyramids of Giza. Its original height was approximately 122 metres, and it required an estimated 93.3 million bricks to construct. Today it stands at around 70 metres — still an imposing presence on the horizon.

The adjacent Jetavanaramaya Museum displays extraordinarily preserved artefacts from excavations including jewellery, inscribed gold and silver sheets, and detailed architectural components. The museum is one of the finest in the Sri Lankan archaeological network.

A midday break for lunch. With the All-Inclusive Package, a traditional Sri Lankan rice and curry meal is arranged at a local village restaurant — a generous spread of curries, dhal, sambol and fresh coconut. Standard Package guests are taken to a recommended local restaurant where lunch is at their own expense. Your driver knows the best local spots.

The Thuparama Dagoba is the oldest stupa in Sri Lanka, constructed in the 3rd century BC by King Devanampiyatissa to enshrine the collarbone relic of the Buddha. Its distinctive bell shape — the vatadage type — influenced a thousand years of Sri Lankan Buddhist architecture.

Nearby, the vast Abhayagiri Monastery complex was one of the largest monastic institutions in the ancient world, housing over 5,000 monks at its peak. Its 75-metre stupa — the Abhayagiri Dagoba — still dominates the northern skyline. The extensive ruins of meditation halls, refectories and bathing pools give a remarkable picture of the scale of monastic life at its height.

Isurumuniya is a rock temple carved into a large granite outcrop at the edge of the Tissawewa tank, one of Anuradhapura's great ancient reservoirs. The temple has been in continuous use since the 3rd century BC and retains an active community of monks today.

Its small museum houses the extraordinary Isurumuniya Lovers — a 5th-century stone carving regarded as one of the finest examples of ancient Sri Lankan sculpture, depicting a seated male figure and female companion with a technical refinement and emotional tenderness that is remarkable for its age. Also in the collection: the Man and Horse panel and the equally celebrated Isurumuniya Elephant Group.

Your driver returns you to your hotel in the late afternoon. The drive south through the Cultural Triangle landscape is a relaxing end to an extraordinary day — many guests find the journey home is the perfect time to reflect on what they have seen. You should expect to arrive at your hotel in good time for dinner.