# Things to see in Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka): 6 places and when to go > Anuradhapura is a city in Sri Lanka with around 118,000 inhabitants, and this site lists 6 places in and around it, mainly Temples (3), Museums and art (2), History (1). The best known are Anuradhapura, Abhayagiri Vihāra and Jetavanaramaya. The best time to come is January to March and July to August; also possible: April to June, September and December. There are about 12 h 29 of daylight all year round: this close to the equator the days barely change. Here is what there is, when to go, how to get there and what else is nearby. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/anuradhapura/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-08 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **Where:** Sri Lanka · 8.35, 80.3833 - **Population:** About 118,000 - **Places:** 6 places on this site, in the town and around it. - **What people come for:** [Temples](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/espiritual/) (3) · [Museums and art](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/museos/) (2) · [History](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/historia/) (1) - **Best time:** January to March and July to August. - **Also possible:** April to June, September and December. - **Nearest airport:** CMB Colombo, 141 km as the crow flies ## What to see in Anuradhapura The places in and around Anuradhapura, best known first, each with its own page: what it is, when to go and what is next to it. Distances are from the centre, as the crow flies. - [Anuradhapura](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/sacred-city-of-anuradhapura/): History · 1.8 km - [Abhayagiri Vihāra](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/abhayagiriya-dagoba/): Historical Buddhist monastery site in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka · 2.7 km - [Jetavanaramaya](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/jethavana-dagoba/): Temple in Sri Lanka · 2.2 km - [Ruwanwelisaya](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/ruwanwelisaya-dagoba/): Temple in Sri Lanka · 1.4 km - [Anuradhapura Museum](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/archaelogical-museum/): Archaeological Museum, Historical Museum in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka · 1.2 km - [Folk Museum](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/folk-museum/): Museum · 1.2 km ## When to go to Anuradhapura The best time to visit Anuradhapura is **January to March and July to August**; also possible: April to June, September and December. This comes from its own places: a month counts as the town's best time when it is the best time for half of what there is to see. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Best time | 11 h 34 | | February | Best time | 11 h 44 | | March | Best time | 11 h 57 | | April | Possible | 12 h 11 | | May | Possible | 12 h 23 | | June | Possible | 12 h 29 | | July | Best time | 12 h 27 | | August | Best time | 12 h 17 | | September | Possible | 12 h 03 | | October | Better not | 11 h 49 | | November | Better not | 11 h 37 | | December | Possible | 11 h 31 | There are about 12 h 29 of daylight all year round: this close to the equator the days barely change. In January, 6 of the 6 places are at their best. When to go to Sri Lanka in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/#cuando-ir). ## Getting to Anuradhapura The nearest main airport is Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB, Colombo), 141 km as the crow flies. How to get around Sri Lanka (train, car, bus) is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/#moverse), and what to sort out before you leave is in [its checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/#antes-de-salir). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=8.35%2C80.3833) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=8.35%2C80.3833) ## Other towns nearby - [Manampitiya](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/manampitiya/): 6 places · 92 km - [Trincomalee](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/trincomalee/): 8 places · 97 km - [Kandy](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/kandy/): 18 places · 123 km - [Jaffna](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/jaffna/): 9 places · 153 km - [Nuwara Eliya](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/nuwara-eliya/): 13 places · 160 km - [Colombo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/colombo/): 30 places · 168 km And all of Sri Lanka, in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is there to see in Anuradhapura? The best known: [Anuradhapura](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/sacred-city-of-anuradhapura/), [Abhayagiri Vihāra](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/abhayagiriya-dagoba/), [Jetavanaramaya](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/jethavana-dagoba/), [Ruwanwelisaya](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/ruwanwelisaya-dagoba/), [Anuradhapura Museum](https://kokai.app/en/paises/asia/sri-lanka/archaelogical-museum/). In all, 6 places in the town and around it, all on your trip map from day one. ### When is the best time to visit Anuradhapura? January to March and July to August; also possible: April to June, September and December. There are about 12 h 29 of daylight all year round: this close to the equator the days barely change. ### How do you get to Anuradhapura? The nearest main airport is Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB), 141 km away. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=8.35%2C80.3833) opens the route on the map. ### How do I add it to my trip? Create a trip with Anuradhapura as the destination and these 6 places are on your map, each with its category. The ones you like go into a day's plan with one tap, and Kokai reminds you when you pass nearby. Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright), licensed under the ODbL, from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0, cities from [Natural Earth](https://www.naturalearthdata.com/) and airports from [OurAirports](https://ourairports.com/data/). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).