The Lion Rock in Sri Lanka

In the middle of Sri Lanka’s verdant jungle towers a majestic rock.

The famous Lion Rock, Sigiriya.

The unique rock is a wonderful experience that will take your breath away – in more ways than one.

What is the Lion Rock?

Situated close to Dambulla is Sri Lanka’s landmark – the 200-metre-high Lion Rock, also called Sigiriya. Due to the sheer beauty of the place, the Lion Rock is referred to as “one of the eight wonders of the world” by the locals.

Lion Rock is named after the two huge lion feet carved in stone at the entrance to the royal palace on the way up to the top. The name Sigiriya comes from the word Sihagri, which means lion rock.

Originally, there was a whole lion carved in stone, with entry via the lion’s mouth to get to the steps leading to the top of the Lion Rock. Today, only the lion paws remain.

A whopping 1,200 steps form the staircase. But magnificent experiences await you all the way from the bottom to the top of the Lion Rock.

At the foot of the Lion Rock

At the foot of the Lion Rock, you will discover Asia’s oldest gardens, which were landscaped by King Kashyapa more than 1,500 years ago with streams and complex water systems.

The first garden you come to is the Water Garden, which consists of geometric gardens with running water, fountains, dams, water pumps and ponds, where aquatic flowers grow. The incredible water system is surrounded by beautiful tropical trees and flowers. And it still works to this day!

After the Water Garden, you will explore Boulder Gardens, which are a stark contrast to the symmetry of the Water Garden due to the huge boulders scattered randomly across the garden.

Paths have been laid in Boulder Gardens that take you past the massive boulders and ruins dating back to the monks’ time at the Lion Rock.

After exploring the beautiful gardens, you come to the entrance of the Lion Rock with its two enormous lion paws, and the only way is up from there!

On the way to the top

A whole host of fascinating experiences await you on the way to the top of the Lion Rock.

Halfway up the Lion Rock, you pass 18 colourful and well-preserved frescoes painted on the western side of the rock. The paintings depict mysterious, smiling, half-naked women wearing flowers. The frescoes are believed to depict the king’s wives and concubines.

There were originally around 500 frescos all the way around the Lion Rock, but most of them have sadly faded away or been destroyed.

Close to the frescoes is the Mirror Wall, which was once polished to such a shine that the king could see his reflection in the wall.

Unfortunately, you cannot see your own reflection in the red wall today, but you can see around 1,800 different comments, poems, swear words and much more besides that visitors scribbled on the wall between 600 and 1400 AD.

Today, the graffiti provides important insight into Sri Lankan society back then.

At the top of Lion Rock

After a 45-minute climb, you reach the rock’s upper plateau.

At the top of the Lion Rock, you get to explore the historic ruins of the ancient fort built more than 1,500 years ago, as well as stunning gardens, terraces and water pools built in several levels during the reign of King Kashyapa.

As you explore the area, you enjoy a fantastic panoramic view of Sri Lanka’s verdant jungle and mountains surrounding the rock. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Dambulla, about 19 kilometres away.

The Lion Rock is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the fort ruins and surrounding gardens are some of the oldest and best-preserved examples of urban planning in Asia.

Sri Lanka is an incredibly exciting country with lots of amazing attractions.

The Lion Rock is a must-see on your tour to Sri Lanka.

If you have any questions about Sigirya or our tours to Sri Lanka, please feel free to contact our travel consultants who are on hand to help you.

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller