Sri Maha Bodhi Tree

Grown from a cutting of the original Bodhi tree and tended without interruption since 288 BCE, this is the oldest documented human-planted tree on earth and one of Buddhism’s most sacred objects. The daily procession of pilgrims making offerings fills the surrounding courtyard with sound, colour, and the smell of incense throughout the day.

Great Stupas

The Ruwanwelisaya and Jetavanaramaya stupas were among the largest brick structures in the ancient world when they were built, and their scale remains staggering at ground level. Cycling between them gives you a physical sense of how vast and ambitious Anuradhapura was at its peak.

Mihintale

Six kilometres east of the city, 1,840 stone steps lead to the hilltop where the monk Mahinda introduced Buddhism to the Anuradhapura king in 247 BCE. The climb passes ancient monastic terraces and arrives at a summit with views across the full extent of the ancient city in the plain below.