How do you get around Badulla?

Tuk-tuks in town; a car or tuk-tuk for Dunhinda Falls and Bogoda.

Hill country

Badulla

The old capital of the Uva hills, home to the Muthiyangana temple in the middle of town and to Dunhinda Falls, a 64 metre waterfall a short way outside.

Plan a trip with Badulla

Time to spend: 1 night
Best months: February to September. The north-east monsoon brings heavy rain from October to December.
Getting around: Tuk-tuks in town; a car or tuk-tuk for Dunhinda Falls and Bogoda.
Good to know: The path to Dunhinda Falls is wet and slippery. Wear shoes with grip. Dress modestly at Muthiyangana.

Badulla lies in a bowl of hills at the eastern end of the hill-country railway. Muthiyangana Raja Maha Vihara, an ancient Buddhist temple, stands in the middle of the town, and it is counted among the sixteen sacred places of Sri Lankan Buddhists.

Dunhinda Falls is about 5 kilometres away. Fed by the Badulu Oya, a river that runs through the town, the fall is 64 metres high and its spray hangs in the valley.

Further out are the Bogoda wooden bridge, said to be the oldest surviving wooden bridge in Sri Lanka, and the Dhowa rock temple near Bandarawela. Badulla is the natural place to break the journey between Ella and the east, or to end the train ride from Kandy.

What to see and do

Dunhinda Falls
Directions Open in Maps
A 64 metre waterfall on the Badulu Oya, about 5 km from Badulla, reached on foot from the road. The spray gives it its name.
1 hr 30 min · MorningFee chargedto confirmDetails
A small entrance fee may be charged. Confirm at the entrance.

Also consider

Worth the trip if you have time. The planner leaves these out unless you add them.

Muthiyangana Raja Maha Vihara
An ancient Buddhist temple in the middle of Badulla town, counted among the sixteen sacred places (Solosmasthana).
40 minFree entryCover shoulders and kneesDetails Add to a tripDirections Open in Maps
Free to enter; donations are welcome.
Bogoda wooden bridge
Said to be the oldest surviving wooden bridge in Sri Lanka, dating from the Dambadeniya era in the 16th century.
30 minFree entryDetails Add to a tripDirections Open in Maps
Free to enter; donations are welcome.

Nearby places to stay

EllaAbout 45 min by carPlan with both
HaputaleAbout 1 hr 15 min by carPlan with both
MahiyanganaAbout 1 hr 45 min by carPlan with both
Nuwara EliyaAbout 2 hr by carPlan with both

Badulla: quick answers

When is the best time to visit Badulla?: February to September. The north-east monsoon brings heavy rain from October to December. Badulla gets most of its rain from the north-east monsoon, from October to December. The south-west monsoon months, June to September, are comparatively dry on this side of the hills.
How long should you spend in Badulla?: Plan on 1 night.
How do you get around Badulla?: Tuk-tuks in town; a car or tuk-tuk for Dunhinda Falls and Bogoda.
What are the main things to see in Badulla?: Dunhinda Falls.

Photos

Water pouring down the cliff at Dunhinda Falls

The white stupa of Muthiyangana Raja Maha Vihara in Badulla

When to go

January: Good
February: Best
March: Best
April: Good
May: Good
June: Best
July: Best
August: Best
September: Best
October: Poor
November: Poor
December: Good

BestGoodPoor

Badulla gets most of its rain from the north-east monsoon, from October to December. The south-west monsoon months, June to September, are comparatively dry on this side of the hills.

Where it is

Driving times from here

Ella	45 min (allow 1 hr)
Haputale	1 hr 15 min (allow 1 hr 30 min)
Mahiyangana	1 hr 45 min (allow 2 hr 15 min)
Nuwara Eliya	2 hr (allow 2 hr 30 min)
Tissamaharama	3 hr (allow 3 hr 45 min)
Arugam Bay	3 hr 15 min (allow 4 hr)
Ratnapura	3 hr 15 min (allow 4 hr)
Kitulgala	3 hr 30 min (allow 4 hr 30 min)
Udawalawe	3 hr 30 min (allow 4 hr 30 min)
Kandy	3 hr 45 min (allow 5 hr)
Tangalle	4 hr (allow 5 hr)
Sri Pada (Adam's Peak)	4 hr 15 min (allow 5 hr 30 min)
Dambulla	4 hr 15 min (allow 5 hr 15 min)
Hiriketiya	4 hr 15 min (allow 5 hr 15 min)
Polonnaruwa	4 hr 15 min (allow 5 hr 15 min)
Kurunegala	4 hr 15 min (allow 5 hr 15 min)
Pasikudah	4 hr 30 min (allow 5 hr 30 min)
Weligama	4 hr 30 min (allow 5 hr 30 min)
Ahangama	4 hr 45 min (allow 6 hr)
Knuckles Range	4 hr 45 min (allow 6 hr 15 min)
Mirissa	4 hr 45 min (allow 6 hr)
Sinharaja	4 hr 45 min (allow 6 hr)
Galle	5 hr (allow 6 hr 15 min)
Sigiriya	5 hr (allow 6 hr 15 min)
Thalpe	5 hr (allow 6 hr 15 min)
Unawatuna	5 hr (allow 6 hr 15 min)
Colombo	5 hr 30 min (allow 7 hr)
Hikkaduwa	5 hr 30 min (allow 7 hr)
Bentota	5 hr 45 min (allow 7 hr 15 min)
Airport (CMB)	6 hr (allow 7 hr 30 min)
Negombo	6 hr (allow 7 hr 30 min)
Anuradhapura	6 hr 15 min (allow 7 hr 45 min)
Wilpattu	6 hr 45 min (allow 8 hr 30 min)

Car times from OpenStreetMap routing, adjusted for road conditions.

Ready-made trips that include Badulla

Use one as it is or open it in the planner and make it yours.

21days
Twenty-one days of pilgrimage
Colombo → Sri Pada (Adam's Peak) → Kandy → Kurunegala → Anuradhapura → and 8 more
Best Jan to Apr
60days
Two months of nature and adventure
Negombo → Kitulgala → Sri Pada (Adam's Peak) → Knuckles Range → Kandy → and 18 more
Best Jan to Apr
60days
Two months on the pilgrim's road
Negombo → Colombo → Ratnapura → Sri Pada (Adam's Peak) → Kandy → and 15 more
Best Jan to Apr
90days
Ninety days: the whole island
Negombo → Kalpitiya → Wilpattu → Anuradhapura → Jaffna → and 31 more
Best Feb to Apr