A 5th-century palace built on a 200m volcanic rock, with ancient water gardens, cliff frescoes, and a summit view across the forest plain.

One of the ancient world's great capitals, home to the sacred Bodhi tree (288 BCE) and three of antiquity's largest brick structures. Best by bicycle at dawn.

Sri Lanka's medieval capital at its artistic peak. The Gal Vihara rock sculptures - carved from a single granite face - are the finest Buddhist art on the island.

Sri Lanka's cultural heart: built around a sacred lake, defined by the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and the highlands surrounding it.

Five cave chambers with 153 Buddha statues and 2,100m2 of murals spanning 2,000 years. The ceiling paintings alone justify the climb.