A dramatic rock fortress that briefly served as Sri Lanka's capital from 1273 to 1284 under King Bhuvanekabahu I, who moved the sacred Tooth Relic there for safekeeping during a period of regional instability. An ornate stone stairway climbs the rock to ruined palace terraces.
143 kmDistance from Colombo
~3 hrsTypical drive time
On a smaller scale than Sigiriya, Yapahuwa's carved stairway and gatehouse remain some of the finest surviving examples of 13th-century Sinhalese stone architecture.