Complete Guide to Watching the Sunrise in Sigiriya

Who wants to wake up before the sun even thinks about rising, especially when you are on vacation? But some things in life are worth the sacrifice. So, if you can stomach the thought of being up while everyone else sleeps comfortably, here’s an idea. **Watch the sunrise in Sigiriya! Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. You may seek your bed again once you descend back, but hey, no judgments!

The Sigiriya Rock Fortress is already an iconic destination in Sri Lanka. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sigiriya draws in lots of visitors. Sigiriya Rock Fortress or the Sigiriya Lion Rock is open from 6.30 am to 5.30 pm every day.

So why visit Sigiriya?

Really, why would you visit Sigiriya when you can get basically the same experience and view over at Pindurangala? Well, no offence to Pindurangala (really, if you have the chance, do visit, it’s a great climb), but it’s Sigiriya Lite, in a way. The hike is adventurous (without the threat of getting stung by wasps, a grave concern at Sigiriya a few years back). But Sigiriya has more to offer. From the moment you reach the premises, you have plenty of options to explore.

For one, there are a variety of different gardens that are incredible. As you explore them, you can separate them into three distinct categories – water, rock and terraced.
Then, at the foot of the massive rock, you find a brick staircase between two gigantic lion paws (of stone make, don’t worry). According to some, there used to be a lion’s head, but now only the feet remain.
Once you begin the steep climb, you can look forward to reaching the Sigiriya Frescoes. These frescoes of beguiling ladies have inspired visitors to poetry. You can read some of these poetry etched on the Mirror Wall. These scribbles of older visitors can date from a few decades to hundreds of years back!

At the summit

It isn’t easy to climb Sigiriya. If you are fit, you can manage it in about 30 minutes… If there are little to no climbers that day, it is nothing short of a miracle.
Sigiriya being so famous has one setback – it attracts crowds. So, if you are unlucky, you can be stuck in a ridiculous queue halfway up the rock for several minutes at a time. It gets worse if you have a late start and begin the climb closer to noon.

For all that unpleasantness, reaching the summit is more than worth the trouble. You get spectacular views of the landscape from the summit. Because Sigiriya is one of the very few “high” points in the area, the whole land seems to stretch out below you. But, before your attention can turn to the landscape, it naturally goes to the ruins of the citadel on the summit. These are all that’s left of the palace of King Kashyapa – who turned the rock into a fortress. The ruins spread out in terraces, suggesting that the palace must have looked pretty amazing back in the day. Imagine hauling all that construction material from the ground nearly 200 metres to the summit! However, as amazing as it looks, there is very little shade up there. So once again, it’s better to time your climb so you avoid noon and early afternoon.

Time it so you can watch the sunrise

Of course, to watch the sunrise in Sigiriya, you have to begin the climb when it’s still dark out. So you have to be there before the official ‘opening hours’.
Don’t worry you aren’t doing anything illegal. This is a new programme that the Central Cultural Fund is promoting. It started in 2019 when the World Heritage Site first welcomed visitors at 5.00 am on World Tourism Day (September 27).

Unfortunately, you will miss most of the attractions that Sigiriya is famous for as you begin the climb. No stopping at the lion’s paws for the required Insta photo. No admiring the Sigiriya Frescoes or trying to decipher the graffiti. Instead, your entire focus will be on making it to the top of the summit before sunrise. These days that’s a challenge because this activity is already gaining popularity with visitors. If you do get there in time, you will be swept off your feet! Not literally, of course. While the wind can be strong, it’s not that strong. The sunrise is so impressive on a clear day that this is truly the best time to climb Sigiriya! And don’t worry, you have all the time you want to admire all the things you missed out on while you make your way down to the ground.

If you can't make the climb...

If, for whatever reason, maybe because there are too many people, you can’t get to Sigirya, try Pindurangala.
The hike might be more difficult in the predawn hours. At Sigiriya, a narrow metal staircase hugs the side of the rock. You access the summit using this metal staircase. At Pindurangala, it’s a combination of climbing flights of stairs, scrambling over boulders and rocks and even squeezing through a narrow crevice to reach the top!
Regardless, it too, offers a great place to observe the sunrise. One thing it has got that makes this worth it is the perfect view it has of Sigiriya.

Ready to Experience Sigiriya?

Join us on the Cultural Triangle Luxury Tour. With BSL Tours, you’ll climb Sigiriya, explore Dambulla, and walk through Polonnaruwa — with every step guided, every story told, and every detail taken care of.