Twenty-one days of ancient kingdoms

A large Catholic church known for the painted ceiling inside, at the centre of the town.

The ruins of a capital of Sri Lanka in the mid 13th century, on the Kurunegala to Negombo road.

A temple from the reign of Dutthagamani, near Ridigama, said to mark where the silver ore for the Ruwanwelisaya stupa was found.

A 13th-century citadel built around a granite rock rising about a hundred metres from the plain. A steep stone staircase climbs to the ruins of the temple built for the Sacred Tooth Relic.

A granite rock rising 316 metres over Kurunegala, shaped like a crouching elephant, with a short climb to a viewpoint over the town.

The ruins of two vast monastery complexes, with the huge brick domes of Abhayagiri and Jetavanaramaya, guardstones, moonstones and bathing ponds such as the Twin Ponds.

The sacred fig tree grown from a cutting brought from India in the 3rd century BC, among the oldest documented trees in the world, surrounded by terraces and offerings.

A great white stupa built by King Dutugamunu in the 2nd century BC and ringed by a wall of carved elephants. Beautiful in the late afternoon light.

At 122 metres, the world's tallest stupa when it was built and still the tallest in Sri Lanka, standing in the ruins of the Jetavana monastery. One of the eight sacred places of Anuradhapura.

The earliest documented Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, dating to the arrival of Mahinda Thera. A small bell-shaped stupa stands among the stone pillars of a later relic house. One of the eight sacred places of Anuradhapura.

A half-day or full-day jeep safari through forest and villus, looking for leopards, sloth bears, elephants, deer, crocodiles and water birds.

The palace-fortress on the rock, with water gardens, frescoes, the Mirror Wall and the lion staircase. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A circular relic house with carved stone steps and guardstones, in the old Quadrangle. It was built either by Parakramabahu I for the tooth relic, or by Nissanka Malla for the alms bowl.

A rock temple made in the 12th century by King Parakramabahu I, with a seated, a standing and a reclining Buddha cut from one granite face. The reclining figure is the largest.

The 11th to 13th-century royal capital, best explored by bicycle or car, ending at the rock-cut Buddhas of Gal Vihara.

A well-preserved 12th-century stupa, the "Milk Stupa", in the Alahana Pirivena monastery near the Lankatilaka image house.

Five painted caves under one rock overhang, with Buddha statues and ceiling murals spanning many centuries. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A shrine to the god Kataragama built by King Vikramabahu III in the Gampola period (1357 to 1374), known for its carved wooden pillars.

A flat 3.4 km loop around the lake in the centre of town, best early in the morning or before the evening service.

Sri Lanka's largest botanic garden, on a bend of the Mahaweli river, known for its avenues of royal palms, orchid house and giant Javan fig tree.

The shrine of the Buddha's tooth relic, with drumming during the daily services and several museums included in the ticket.

An old Buddhist temple in the Pilimathalawa area west of Kandy, close to Lankatilaka and Embekke.

A hillside garden on the road to Ella, first planted in the 1860s for cinchona trials, now known for roses and cloud-forest views.

A working tea factory a few minutes from town, with a short tour of the processing floor and tea tasting with views over the estate.

A reservoir from the British period at the edge of town, with a lakeside path and boats for hire.

A steeper half-day hike to a cliff top above the valley. Go early with a guide or good offline map, as the paths split.

An easy, well-trodden walk of about 45 minutes each way through a tea estate to a grassy summit with views across Ella Gap.

The stone railway viaduct at Demodara, in a valley of tea and forest. Check the timetable if you want to see a train cross.

A tall waterfall beside the main road below Ella, at its best after rain.

A half-day jeep safari (about 06:00 to 10:00, or 14:30 to 18:00) from the Palatupana gate, looking for leopards, elephants, sloth bears and birds across scrub, lagoons and rocky outcrops.

A walk along the 17th-century ramparts and bastions, from the clock tower past the lighthouse to Flag Rock.