Discover Ritigala

Discover Ritigala

Highlights & Features

  • Discover this ancient abandoned forest monastery with your expert guide
  • Venture along shady rock hewn paths, discovering hidden structures and stories
  • A lesser visited mountain reserve, home to wildlife resembling that of the Himalayas
  • Includes: Host, refreshments
  • Times: All day, 1.5 hours
  • Children: Suitable for over 8s
  • Wear/bring: Shoes for walking, camera
The Full Experience

Explore Ritigala’s jungle enshrouded paths on this guided walk and hear the secrets of the forest dwelling Buddhist monks who were once its inhabitants.

As you begin the gradual ascent through ancient jungle over tumbling, untouched steps, it is hard not to feel like you are discovering Ritigala for the first time. There are 700 acres of monastic areas in this region, however, the reserve here is home to flora and fauna found only in Ritigala in the dry zone. There are many tales of how this came to be, your guide will share some of these as you traverse seemingly endless paths and flights of carved stairs in dappled sun-lit jungle. This was once a place of meditation, congregation, teaching and general life for a monastic community who devoted their lives to living simply in the forest.

Hosted by Buddhist

With an education rooted in Buddhism and tourism development, your host has worked and studied in Sri Lanka and abroad, developing an infectious interest in Buddhism across Asia. Having lived in Anuradhapura most of his life, his local experiences are thoughtfully developed in an eco-sensitive way, avoiding well-trodden tourist trails for a deeper understanding of Sri Lanka’s ancient kingdoms.

Inquire About This experience

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