The Dambulla Cave Temple is the finest Buddhist cave complex in Sri Lanka and one of the most extraordinary religious sites in Asia. Five caves have been carved from the granite outcrop and filled over two millennia with murals and statues: 153 Buddha figures, 3 statues of Sri Lankan kings, and 4 of gods, spread across 2,100 square metres of painted ceiling and walls. The colours, despite their age, remain vivid.
To reach the caves you climb a steep rocky path up the 160-metre outcrop, a 20-minute ascent that gives you views across the flat dry-zone landscape. Remove shoes at the entrance. The caves vary in size — Cave 2, the Temple of the Great King, is the largest, with a 14-metre reclining Buddha and a domed chamber entirely covered in paintings. Cave 1, the Cave of the Divine King, holds a single massive reclining Buddha carved from the living rock. Allow two hours for a proper visit. The site is busiest in the early afternoon; go at opening time (7am) or late afternoon for a quieter experience.
The entrance fee includes the museum at the base of the rock, which provides context for the paintings. The Golden Temple at the base — a modern building topped by a giant golden Buddha — is not a historic site; it is the visitor centre and souvenir complex that surrounds the ticket office.