Twenty-one days of pilgrimage

A Buddhist temple 11 km north-east of Colombo, traditionally linked to a visit by the Buddha and one of Sri Lanka's best-known temples.

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.

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.

A small rock temple beside a pond, known for its carvings of elephants bathing and the famous stone figures of the Isurumuniya Lovers in the museum.

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.

A large stupa that King Dutugamunu built after defeating King Elara, beside the Tissa Wewa tank. 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.

An ancient Buddhist temple on the island of Nainativu, counted among the sixteen holiest Buddhist shrines (Solosmasthana). It is reached by a short ferry from Kurikadduwan jetty.

A star-shaped fort, first built by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the Dutch in the 17th century, with a moat and ramparts over the lagoon.

The great golden-towered Hindu temple of Jaffna, dedicated to Murugan. Visit for one of the daily pujas, with drums and the ringing of bells.

The white library, burned in 1981 with tens of thousands of books and rebuilt in its original style, a powerful symbol for the city.

A boat trip to Nainativu, home to the Nagapooshani Amman temple and the Buddhist shrine of Nagadeepa. The ferry leaves from Kurikadduwan jetty, about an hour's drive from the city.

A long, shallow beach shaded by casuarina trees on Karainagar island, reached by causeway. Calm water for wading in the dry season.

A fort first built by the Portuguese in 1623 and later held by the Dutch and British, still in military use; spotted deer graze inside the gates.

A Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva on a cliff above the sea, reached through Fort Frederick.

An ancient Buddhist temple in the Trincomalee district, recognised as the ninth of the sixteen sacred places (Solosmasthana).

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

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

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

An ancient Buddhist temple in Tissamaharama, one of the four major monasteries founded after Mahinda Thera arrived in Sri Lanka.

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