Ancient City of Polonnaruwa

Polonnaruwa became Sri Lanka’s second capital after Anuradhapura fell in 993. The archaeological zone combines Chola-era Brahmanic monuments with the garden city created under Parakramabahu I in the 12th century. See the Royal Palace, Quadrangle and Vatadage, Gal Vihara and ancient irrigation works. The ruins cover a large area: allow a full day, plan transport or a bicycle, and bring water and sun protection.

CCF lists daily opening hours as 07:00–17:00; admission is single-entry. The Polonnaruwa Museum (08:00–17:00) is included. CCF’s table updated 24 September 2026 lists USD 30 for foreign adults and USD 15 for children aged 6–12 (then LKR 10,020 / 5,010). Prices are quoted in USD and paid in LKR at the current rate; CCF states a 50% discount for SAARC citizens. Online orders are valid 90 days; present the receipt at the site counter to collect the ticket. Respect local rules at sacred monuments and recheck current prices before visiting.

Sources: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/201 | https://ccf.gov.lk/is/index.php | https://ccf.gov.lk/vsl/tickets

Cover: “Vatadage Polonnaruwa.jpg”, Cwij66, photographed 1 May 2020; Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vatadage_Polonnaruwa.jpg. Optimized for web display.