The 5 Best Dambulla Cave Temple Tours

1.Sigiriya Rock & Dambulla Cave Temple Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 785 reviews · 10 hours · from $29Our pick

Travel from Kandy by tuk-tuk, car, or van to Matale’s Hindu temple, Sigiriya or Pidurangala, Dambulla Cave Temple, and a spice garden. Guides such as Danushka, Wicky, Saman, Mahesh, and Banuka tailor the day, stop for photos, and help you make the most of a long route.

“If we could give Wicky more than 5 stars we would. He was incredibly kind, funny and knowledgeable. It was extremely apparent how passionate he was about Sri Lanka’s people and culture. He avoided busy roads and took us through the country side, so we could see the villages and animals. He made sure lots of photos were taken of us and told us lots of amazing facts. And he bought us beautiful fruit from the local markets. Most importantly, Wicky kept us safe with his amazing driving and communicated clearly everything that was happening so we were well informed. Thank you Wicky!!!!!”

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2.Kandy to Sigiriya Day Tour and Dambulla cave temple with private vehicle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 232 reviews · from $42Top rated

Travel from Kandy by air-conditioned private vehicle to Matale, a spice garden, Sigiriya Rock, and Dambulla Cave Temple. Drivers such as Laliy, Dinesh, Fazeel, and Shashi are praised for flexibility and safe service, but confirm whether a site guide is included before booking.

“We had a great day with Laliy to see Sigiriya. Laliy was a great driver that made us feel safe and comfortable on our trip and even stopped at a few additional places for us to get a feel (and great pictures) of Kandy. Some tips for other travellers: leave as early as possible from Kandy. If you leave at 8 you’ll only get to Sigiriya at 11 ish and it can be extremely hot by then. Bring a towel with you as there is limited shade on the hike and it is sweaty. The trip does not include guides at the sites so if you want that you will…”

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3.Sigiriya Rock and Dambulla Cave All Inclusive Private Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 80 reviews · from $55

Travel by private air-conditioned car to Sigiriya Rock and Dambulla Cave Temple with hotel pickup from Colombo, Negombo, Kandy, Kalutara, or Mount Lavinia. Expect a very long day, two steep climbs, included lunch, site guides, and plenty of road time.

“Definitely a work out! I nearly collapsed from the hike while my husband wanted more of a challenge. Not recommended for the elderly in my opinion. It was an extremely long drive and we both felt nauseous on the way especially after sweating out all of our water. There was a provided tour guide only for Sigiriya and not for Dambulla which is also another hike. Our driver did not stop for lunch and we had to buy our own snacks before heading back to the hotel despite its supposed inclusion in the tour. In retrospect, I would have probably skipped this tour. The experience is the hike and the…”

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4.Sigiriya Fortress & Cave Temple Full Day Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 29 reviews · 12 hours · from $75

Set out early from Kandy with an English-speaking driver and visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla Cave Temple, and a Matale spice garden. The $75 price includes transport, lunch, water, snacks, taxes, and a 10-minute herbal foot massage, but site tickets and some guiding may cost extra.

“Local driver would have been cheaper and more helpful. Our driver was not able to speak English nor give us any insights along the trip (we on purpose got this more expensive tour for the “local tour guide” part). Lunch was in an overly touristic place and drinks you had to buy yourself. Regrettably the description of the tour and reality was so far apart that I do not recommend this tour.”

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5.Rock Fortress and Dambulla Cave Temple Day Excursion from Kandy

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · from $43

Start at 6:00 am from Kandy in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with bottled water. Visit Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla Cave Temple, and Pidurangala, with guides such as Joanna Horoń and professional drivers available through LavinGo Travels. Entrance fees and lunch cost extra.

“The tour was super organized. The guide Joanna Horoń is super professional. She is very knowledgeable and can answer any question. She introduces a great atmosphere. Transportation superbly organized and driver Uchithia professional, punctual. He transported us safely in these not easy road conditions:)”

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