The flat area immediately surrounding Kandy Lake is the historic heart of the city. The Temple of the Tooth, the Kandy National Museum, the Kandyan Arts Association, the colonial-era Queen's Hotel, and the main shopping streets are all within walking distance of the lake's edge. This is where visitors spend most of their time and where the best-preserved colonial and Kandyan buildings are concentrated.
The lakeside promenade is best in the early morning and at dusk. The cloud wall — the whitewashed ornamental parapet along the north shore — is photogenic at any time of day. Tuk-tuks gather at the northeast corner near the main bus stand.