Taxi in Sigiriya, private transfers & fixed prices

We collect from the hotels around Sigiriya and Kimbissa, from the larger resorts on the Habarana road, and from the eco-lodges out towards the tank. Some of those access roads are unpaved and unlit, which is one reason we do not rush the last few kilometres after dark, the other being that elephants genuinely do cross this stretch at dusk.

The village is small and the rock is walkable from most hotels, but the cultural triangle is spread out: Dambulla is twenty minutes south, Polonnaruwa an hour east, Anuradhapura an hour and a half west, and Minneriya for elephants is half an hour away. Tuk-tuks cover the village. For the sites, keeping a car and driver for a day costs less than three separate transfers and removes the negotiation at every stop.

The cultural triangle is the hottest part of Sri Lanka and there is no shade on the rock. Climb early, carry water, and do not plan Sigiriya for the afternoon of the day you land. The north-east monsoon brings heavy rain in November and December, which makes the steps slippery and occasionally closes the upper section. Two nights lets you do the rock, Pidurangala and Dambulla without rushing.

Sigiriya rock opens at 07:00 and that is when to be there: the climb is 1,200 steps with no shade, and by ten it is both hot and crowded. Pidurangala, the rock opposite, is a cheaper and rougher climb with the better view, of Sigiriya itself. Dambulla cave temple is twenty minutes away and takes an hour. Minneriya and Kaudulla national parks have the elephant gathering, which peaks between July and September.