Central Province · Cultural Triangle
Home to Buddhism's most venerated relic and the last capital to fall to colonial rule, Kandy sits around a still lake, framed by hills, forever central to Sri Lankan identity.
The story
Kandy was the final capital of the Sinhalese kings, holding out against Portuguese and Dutch colonisers for two centuries before falling to the British in 1815. At its heart sits the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, said to hold a tooth of the Buddha himself, and one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Buddhist world.
Each August, the city erupts for the Esala Perahera, ten nights of torch-lit processions, drummers, dancers and caparisoned elephants parading around the lake. Outside festival season, Kandy moves at a gentler pace, its lake walk and botanical gardens making it one of the most livable cities on the island.
What to see
Plan your visit
Where we’d stay
The lake, the temple, and a ring of hills with the better hotels on them. These are the ones where the view justifies the climb back up.
A small luxury reserve above the town where every guest is assigned a butler, and the artwork on the walls is the reason for the name. Read more
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The former home of Sir Cudah Ratwatte on Nittawela Road, now seven rooms with an infinity pool looking straight across at the Bahirawakanda Buddha. Read more
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A long-established riverside hotel on the Mahaweli at Katugastota, and the most consistently recommended full-service option in Kandy at the price. Read more
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A hillside resort at Heerassagala with Kandyan-influenced architecture, a big pool and a view down over the valley that the town hotels cannot match. Read more
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A large resort in gardens at Tennekumbura, east of the town, with the best set of facilities in Kandy for anyone travelling with children. Read more
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A hundred and sixty years of colonial hotel standing directly opposite the Temple of the Tooth, at a rate no other position in Kandy comes close to. Read more
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Good to Know
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Indicative low-season rate. We may earn a commission on bookings made through these links.
While you are here
In Kandy, and within reach of it
Temple of the Tooth, evening puja
The relic itself is never shown, but the drums begin at six and the queue moves through a building that has held it since 1595.
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Kandyan drumming
A private session with master drummers and dancers inside a walauwa, rather than a hotel show with a buffet.
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The Pekoe Trail
Three hundred kilometres of tea country in twenty-two stages, opened in 2023. Walk one, or string several together.
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Knuckles cloud forest trek
A UNESCO range most visitors drive straight past, with cloud forest, cold rivers and villages that are still a walk from the nearest road.
Read moreReady for Kandy?
Combine Kandy with Sigiriya, Nuwara Eliya or Ella. Our concierge team can put together a complete route, priced and ready to book.
