Read this blog: The one where we walk in the footsteps of Duran Duran
Saturday 7th March 2026
Our chauffeur/guide, Dilanka, had recommended that we get to the fortified citadel at Sigiriya for sunrise as this would allow us to climb the rock in the comparative cool of the early morning and avoid the crowds. We dutifully set an alarm for 04:45 so that we could leave the hotel at 05:30 and set off in darkness. The day gradually dawned and by the time we reached this historic site the sun was rising.
We had not realised that the fortifications would include a moat.
Once past the moat, the citadel is approached through the Royal Gardens which comprise a water, boulder and terrace gardens.
Perhaps to lull visitors into a false sense of ease, the rock formations over the first steps conceal the extent of the challenge awaiting. The rock is 1,144 feet [349 metres] above sea level and about 600 feet [180 metres] above the surrounding plain.
King Kashyapa [CE 477–495], though not the legitimate heir, seized the throne from his father and chose this for the site of his new capital.
Many sources state there are 1,200 steps to the summit, others quote 1,236 but once on the top there are more steps between the various terraces so it seems impossible to quantify accurately. An app on Robert’s iPhone calculated he had climbed 51 flights of stairs [allowing 16 steps per flight]. Matilda started her exercise app at the start of the steps and it took just over 20 minutes for us to reach the summit.
King Kashyapa built this palace on the summit of this rock and it must have been quite impregnable. It is said to be one of the best examples of ancient urban planning.
On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock the king built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion’s mouth, similar to the one we had seen at the Golden Temple Buddhist Museum, Dambulla the day before. Hence the name Sinhagiri, the Lion Rock.
All that now survives are the lions paws just visible either side of the steps in the photo above.
Matilda had been secretly worrying about whether she would be fit enough to make the climb in the Sri Lankan heat. Starting early certainly helped and once on the summit it was definitely worth it.
Both Robert and Matilda agreed that it was easier than they had feared.
The view over the central plains from the summit of Sigiriya is one of the best to be experienced in Sri Lanka and this iconic landmark was included in Duran Duran’s video for their song Say a Pray for me which you can view at the end of this post.
A large, ancient, rock-cut water reservoir on the summit is often referred to as the Royal Bathing Pool. A recreational resource but also, presumably, a source of water in case of a siege.
From the summit the path through the Royal Gardens is clear to see – this is aligned with the centre of the rock.
The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king’s death and it was then used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.
Dilanka also said that climbing Pidurangala Rock gives the best views of Sigiriya but he did not recommend doing this on the same day as the Lion Rock. Instead we admired our view of Pidurangala Rock.
Matilda felt that the surviving lion’s paws looked more like dragon’s talons but they were nevertheless impressive.
We found the descent more challenging than the climb as neither of us like to look down that distance.
As well as building his palace on top of a rock King Kashyapa had some of the rock sides decorated with colourful frescoes.
On the walk down you can choose to go up a spiral metal staircase encased in wire mesh to view the surviving frescoes. We declined this opportunity so Matilda was pleased to see that there was a reconstruction in the museum we visited at the end of the tour.
On the way out as you pass back through the Boulder Garden is the Audience Hall where a 5-meter-long stone throne, carved directly out of the stone, faces a flat, levelled area that once served as an assembly point.
Having woken at 04:45 and climbed Sigiriya to take photos in the warm glow of the sunrise we were still able to return to our hotel in time for breakfast and to pack.
On the drive to Polonnuwara we were lucky enough to see an elephant by the side of the road [see also Video of the day].
Back at the hotel we were once again among the very few guests who had arrived. However this meant that Robert was able to watch some of the Six Nation’s rugby on his iPad in the bar without disturbing anyone [See Dish of the day].
Unusually on this day, we were awake for both sunrise and sunset and were definitely ready for bed after we had eaten.
Video of the day:
Selfie of the day:
Dish of the day:
Route Map:
Discover more from TravellingHerd
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
