The best time
to visit Anuradhapura.

Best time: June to September.

Weather: Hot 27–34°C; very dry between May and September.

Anuradhapura was Sri Lanka's capital for over a thousand years and remains one of Buddhism's most important pilgrimage centres. The archaeological park is huge — vast white dagobas, sacred bodhi trees, monastic ruins — and rewards a slow, private visit with a Buddhist scholar at your side.

• · Dress modestly — knees and shoulders covered for the sacred precinct.
• · Visit at first light to avoid heat and pilgrims.
• · Pair with one night at Mihintale for the climb at sunset.