Ratnagiri, about 5 km from Udayagiri along the same road, is the better-known and more extensively excavated of the Buddhist triangle sites in Odisha. Its setting on a hilltop with views across the green countryside is dramatic, and the site museum holds an excellent collection of sculptures including a large Parinirvana Buddha and intricately carved doorjambs from the monastery entrance.
Most visitors combine Udayagiri and Ratnagiri in a single day trip, often adding Lalitgiri (10 km further) to complete the Ratna-Udaya-Lalita triangle. A hired car from Bhubaneswar or Cuttack is the practical way to do this, as public transport connections between the three sites are infrequent.