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Anuradhapura Ancient City Tour

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The sacred heart of Sri Lanka, still beating after two thousand years.

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Anuradhapura was the first great capital of Sri Lanka and remains one of the most sacred Buddhist cities in the world – a place where the Sri Maha Bodhi tree has been tended without interruption for over two thousand years and where dagobas of near-Egyptian scale rise above the dry zone forest. This full-day tour moves through the city’s UNESCO-listed sacred precinct with a historian guide, covering the monumental stupas, royal pools, moonstone carvings and the extraordinary tree that defines the spiritual identity of the island.

Experiences Include

  1. Guided visit to the Sri Maha Bodhi sacred tree
  2. Exploration of Ruwanwelisaya, Jetavanaramaya and Thuparamaya stupas
  3. Visit to the Isurumuniya rock temple and its ancient carvings
  4. Walk through the royal pleasure gardens and bathing pools

Tour Highlights

Sri Maha Bodhi

A sacred fig tree grown from a cutting of the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, planted here in the 3rd century BC. It is the oldest historically documented tree in the world and one of the most intensely venerated objects in Buddhism.

Ruwanwelisaya Dagoba

Built by King Dutugemunu in the 2nd century BC, this great white dome rises 55 metres above the plain and remains in active ceremonial use – draped in white cloth and circled by pilgrims on full moon nights.

Moonstone Carvings

The carved limestone guardstones and moonstones at Anuradhapura’s temple entrances represent some of the finest decorative stonework in all of Asian art – intricate concentric bands of symbolic animal and floral imagery of exceptional refinement.

Inclusions

  1. Professional guide for the full day
  2. Entrance fees to all included sites
  3. Bottled water during the tour

Exclusions

  1. Meals and personal refreshments
  2. Travel insurance and guide tips
  3. Souvenirs or optional purchases