Two awesome rocks to visit; one place!!
Anyone who knows me will know that I am certainly not a morning person and even more so when travelling, so I have to admit waking up at the crack of dawn and hiking both rocks before midday was a bit of a challenge, but it was so worth it!
Both rocks offer different experience and views.. oh and are very different prices, but you’re only here once.
So if you have the time, why not climb both?
Here is some information about both rocks and my guide on how to climb both in one day 😊
Contents
Sigiriya rock ‘Lions Rock’
Sigiriya rock, more commonly known as ‘Lions rock’ is a UNESCO world heritage site and is one of the most visited attractions in Sri Lanka attracting tourists from all over the world.
This ancient fortress is situated on a 200m high rock plateau formed from the magma of an extinct volcano. Since the 3rd century Sigiriya was a monastery. Between 477 and 495 A.C, King Kasyapa constructed his royal palace here. After his death, Sigiriya turned back into a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century when it became abandoned.
The beautiful fortress remains are still able to be viewed at Sigiriya, including the paintings on the ‘mirror wall’ on the ascend to the top of the rock and the impressive gardens surrounding the site.
The main entrance to Sigriyia was designed as a huge stone lion. The upper body was destroyed but the feet have survived. This is where the rock got its name- ‘Lions rock’.
Pidurangala rock
Pidurangala rock is less well-known and significantly smaller, however is it a fraction of the price and offers fantastic 360 degrees views of the landscape and Sigiriya rock.
Pidurangala rock is home to the Pidurangala Sigiri Rajamaha Viharaya, which is a white temple. The entrance begins through the temple so you must have your shoulders and knees covered. You can loan a sarong if you forget to bring one. Not far from the top, you will see a huge reclining Buddha.
Cost:
The costs to climb the rocks vary significantly.
Due to its popularity and historical heritage Sigiriya is $30USD entrance fee (£24.00). If you like to be organised you can buy tickets online at https://www.sigiriya.info/online-ticket/ or if not, purchase them at the entrance.
Pindurangala is super cheap at less than $5 per person (£3). You pass through the temple and pay the donation.
Are they difficult hikes? How long do they take?
Sigiriya
The climb to the top of the rock took just over 1 hour due to the crowds of people. I wouldn’t really call it a hike; it is more a series of stairs and walkways and therefore could easily be done in sandals/flip flops.
Pidurangala
The hike only takes around 30 minutes and is relatively easy, although it is more ‘off road’ hiking over rocks and some climbing up boulders near to the top. I saw plenty of children doing it, but it may be difficult for those with mobility issues. Be aware if you are hiking at sunrise there are no lights, remember to bring a headlight or a phone torch. I would recommend wearing proper trainers or shoes for this one due to the climbing element.
How to get to each one?
We stayed in Sigiriya (Green House resort Sigiriya) and so it was only a 10minute tuk-tuk drive from our accommodation. It is approximately a 30-minute journey from Dambulla. If you are planning on climbing either rocks during the day you could easily walk or bike from your accommodation.
From one rock to the other it is a 10-minute tuk-tuk drive. There are plenty of tuk-tuk drivers waiting to transport people between each rock so no need to book a driver in advance.
Which has the best views?
Both views are awesome. Sigirya is much higher and therefore has a clearer view which stretches for miles however it is much more crowded due to its popularity. I personally preferred the view from Pidurangala due to the fact you could see Sigirya rock and it was less crowded.
My guide to climbing both in a day
Which to climb first?
If you don’t have much time, you can easily complete both rocks in one day. You can decide which rock to see first but I would personally recommend the Pidurangala rock for sunrise. If you decide to do it the other way round, you could climb Sigiriya rock on the morning and then head over to Pidurangala to watch the sunset.
How we did it?
We set an early morning alarm in order to take a tuk-tuk to Pidurangala rock. You should leave yourself plenty of time to climb to the rock (30-40 minutes). The sun usually rises around 6.00am so it would be great to arrive around 5.15 to find a good spot and be ready to watch the sky light up. You should organise transportation the evening before as it is unlikely you will find a tuk-tuk at this time of morning. I would not recommend walking or biking at this time due to the fact there are elephants roaming the streets and you may unexpectedly encounter one on your journey.
At this time of morning, it was pretty fresh so I would recommend bringing a jumper or jacket to wear. (I was not prepared as you can see!)
We spent around 1 hour and 30 minutes at Pindurangala rock, watching the sunset, enjoying the views and taking pictures.
Hiking down is much easier and will take around 15-20 minutes.
Where to next?
We arranged for a tuk-tuk driver to take us to a restaurant where we could get breakfast before climbing the next rock. The driver kindly waited for us outside the restaurant and then drove us to Sigiriya rock. This was a very short drive approximately 10 minutes. There are cash points next to the entrance if you need to take out money to purchase the entrance ticket.
As we were too busy thinking about our stomachs, we ended up arriving at Sigiriya rock at approximately 8.30am ready to climb to the top. By this point it was very crowded with lots of tourists, monks and many school trip visits. The ques to climb the stairs were very long and therefore it took over 1 hour to reach the top. If you want to beat the crowds and the heat of the day, take some snacks with you and aim to arrive here as early as possible.
There is a lot more to see at Sigiriya rock so you will be able to spend a couple of hours enjoying the palace ruins, gardens and cave temples. Make sure to check out the mirror wall, the frescoes and the lions feet. We spent approximately 3 hours at Sigiriya rock including the climb up and down and felt we had seen everything, but if you have time you may want to spend longer.
Two climbs completed all before midday and it was one of the most memorable days in Sri Lanka.