Climbing Pidurangala Rock In Sigiriya (The Best View In Sri Lanka)

Last Updated: March 1 2021

Sri Lanka is a country full of wonder, incredible wildlife and the most beautiful of landscapes. From beautiful beaches to lush forest, this country truly has it all. When it comes to the landscape here, two of the most popular Sri Lanka attractions are Pidurangala Rock and Sigiriya Rock.

The UNESCO world heritage site of Sigiriya Rock (also known as Lion Rock) is the most popular of the two. The views are incredible, and it is a very popular site with both locals and tourists alike. Sigiriya Rock is one of the top Sri Lanka tourist spots and does get incredibly busy!

Although Sigiriya Rock is more popular we believe the views from Pidurangala Rock are unparalleled and is the better choice.

In this blog post, we will go through why we believe Pidurangala Rock is a better option than Sigiriya Rock for a backpacker. We will also go through the best time to visit, the information you need to know and where to stay in Sigiriya.

Pidurangala Rock vs Sigiriya rock

Both Sigiriya Rock and Pidurangala Rock are two of the top places to visit in Sigiriya. However, we believe Pidurangala rock offers the best views and experience.

Sigiriya Rock

Sigiriya Rock is an ancient rock fortress located in Sigiriya itself. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its historical and archaeological importance, and is also known as ‘Lion Rock’.

There was an ancient palace built for the king at the top of Sigiriya Rock, but today only ruins are left behind. At the top of Sigiriya Fortress, you will find large gardens, the ruins of the palace and a Buddhist monastery.

This site is recognised as one of the worlds best examples of ancient urban planning. However, the main reason Sigiriya attracts so many tourists is because of the views. You can see for miles across the Sri Lankan countryside which is probably why it is the most visited location in the country.

After buying your entrance ticket, you will have to walk up the winding staircase around the rock until you get to the top.

Pidurangala Rock 

Pidurangala Rock is found just across from Sigiriya and is quite similar, however, it is less well known than Sigiriya Rock.

The main difference is that Pidurangala doesn’t have any ruins or ancient buildings, and is completely natural. We think that is what we liked most about it!

At the bottom of Pidurangala Rock, you will find Pidurangala temple. Here you will find a Buddhist temple and a reclining Buddha statue.

The Pidurangala hike is very different from Sigiriya as it doesn’t include any stairs. You walk to the top along a rocky path, with the odd boulder to climb around. At the top, there is a steep part of the rock where you have to use a rope to pull yourself up, but we didn’t find it difficult.

We started climbing Pidurangala Rock at around 5 am with a torch so we could see. The hike took about 25 minutes and we had the most amazing sunrise up there.

The views from the top of Pidurangala are incredible, and you can see for miles. You can see over the densely forested land of Sigiriya and right across to Sigiriya Rock. The views of Sigiriya Rock from here are something else, and we were amazed. Honestly, one of the best sights to see and a must for any Sri Lanka itinerary!

So, Why Pidurangala Rock?

Both are quite similar, apart from the fact that Sigiriya has the ruins to explore and is much larger. You might wonder why we think Pidurangala is the better choice and we will go through this now.

One of the biggest reasons we chose Pidurangala Rock is because it is completely natural. This is a personal preference because we prefer exploring much more natural places. Pidurangala is very rugged, whilst Sigiriya is a very popular tourist attraction so of course is more developed.

Booking.com

The cost

Another reason to choose Pidurangala is the difference in price. We were travelling through Asia on a budget and by the time we got to Sri Lanka, we were getting quite low on money!

The Pidurangala entrance fee costs 900 LKR (about $5) which is incredibly cheap compared to Sigiriya. Sigiriya Rock costs 5,600 LKR (about $30) which we think is very steep. You are paying to see the ruins as well, but we still think it is expensive.

Sigiriya is much more popular and a UNESCO World Heritage Site so the price is bumped up a lot! Considering we thought the views from Pidurangala were so much better, the price difference is obscene.

The view 

This is the most important reason that we think Pidurangala Rock is the better choice. Whilst standing at the top you can see for miles and the views of the surrounding area and of Sigiriya Rock are just so much better!

Sigiriya Rock from this perspective truly is something else and you won’t get this view anywhere else. For this reason, we believe that Pidurangala Rock is one of the most beautiful places in Sri Lanka.

Other travellers, we have met agreed that the views from Pidurangala were just so much nicer than Sigiriya. Some even stated they wished they had only visited Pidurangala as Sigiriya was so busy, and chaotic.

You need to head to Pidurangala rock for the sunrise because it is the best way to see it. The colours are magical and it is lovely to see the colours come to life! Pidurangala opens at 5 am for sunrise, whilst Sigiriya only opens at 7 am meaning you can only see the sunrise from Pidurangala.

Our visit to Pidurangala Rock

Hiking Pidurangala Rock is one of the best things to do in Sigiriya, and we had an amazing time!

How to get to Sigiriya

First of all, we got the famous train journey from Ella to Kandy. We then travelled from Kandy to Sigiriya and had a changeover in Dambulla. We could have stayed in Kandy or Dambulla to split the time up but we had a pretty tight-packed itinerary so we headed straight there.

The train journey to Kandy took seven hours and is one of the most beautiful journeys we have been on. After that, we got a bus from Kandy to Dambulla. Tell the driver you are heading to Sigiriya and they will drop you off at Dambulla bus station so you can catch the bus onward from there.

The bus journey takes about 2 hr 20 minutes and costs around 120-160 LKR ($1).

Where to stay in Sigiriya 

There are plenty of Sigiriya accommodation options, but you will want to stay close to Pidurangala and Sigiriya Rock. In our opinion, you only need one night in Sigiriya before moving on, as you can climb Pidurangala Rock or Sigiriya in the morning and then check out afterwards.

If you are choosing to stay longer, there are other things to do in Sigiriya. You can book a safari to Minneriya National Park which isn’t far away or take a day trip to Dambulla or Polonnaruwa.

We stayed in Pidurangala View Home Stay and it was incredible. It was right around the corner from Pidurangala (hence the name haha) so an ideal location.

We had a banquet cooked for us upon arrival at the accommodation and breakfast in the morning after we came back from hiking Pidurangala rock. The food was beautiful, and the hosts are lovely.

We paid £16 for a large double room with air conditioning and private bathroom. In the morning the owner even gave us a ride in his tuk-tuk to the Pidurangala rock entrance because it was so dark at 5 am. He also lent us a torch so we could easily see the walk.

To get to this accommodation you will need to get a tuk-tuk once you get off the bus in Sigiriya! To book Pidurangala View Home Stay click here!

The beautiful sunrise view at Pidurangala, Sri Lanka 

At the bottom of the rock, we bought our ticket from the booth before making our way up Pidurangala with a friend we had met the night before.

The walk is fairly easy, and although the last bit of the walk looks a bit daunting it is fine so don’t worry! There is a rope to help pull yourself up a rock, as the last bit is steep.

Once you reach the top, there are so many places to sit and watch the sunrise. We recommend sitting in a spot which will let you see the sunrise over Sigiriya Rock. The colours in the sky are phenomenal and as the sun rose we could see the lush green forest for miles.

After you have watched the sunrise, have a good walk around the rock and take in all the amazing views! We got some lovely photos here, and it was one of our favourite spots in Sri Lanka.

Once back at the accommodation, the owner of the homestay drove us directly to the bus stop, so we could get the bus to Trincomalee.

Onward travel from Sigiriya

We headed onward to Trincomalee from Sigiriya, and the journey took about 2 hours. This is where we had the opportunity to swim with blacktip reef sharks and it was an incredible experience!

You could also head to Kandy, Dambulla, and Colombo among others from Sigiriya. There are plenty of bus services available.

Hopefully, this post has given you an insight into why Pidurangala Rock is where you can find the best views in Sri Lanka.

Don’t get us wrong Sigiriya Rock is also amazing but in terms of the best views and overall experience for us, Pidurangala Rock wins every time. You must add this hike to your Sri Lanka route!

Have you visited Pidurangala Rock or the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya? Which one did you prefer? Let us know in the comments!

P.S If you want more of our travel tips, you can find our Pinterest here.

Thanks for reading,
Jack & Abbie

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