Places worth the detour in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has 235 places worth going out of your way for on Detourmap, across 12 kinds — the biggest group is churches, temples, monasteries & shrines (111). The best known is Adam's Peak. 219 of them are hidden gems most guides skip. Every place below has a photo and a Wikipedia article — click any of them to fly the map there.
Churches, temples, monasteries & shrines in Sri Lanka 111
-
Dambulla cave temple
Sacred sites · Notable
UNESCO World Heritage Site in Matale District, Sri Lanka
-
Temple of the Tooth
Sacred sites · 16th century · Notable
Buddhist temple housing the relic of the tooth of Buddha
-
Abhayagiri vihāra
Sacred sites · Notable
Historical Buddhist monastery site in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Parks, canyons & rock formations in Sri Lanka 24
Waterfalls in Sri Lanka 20
Museums & galleries in Sri Lanka 19
-
Sri Lanka Air Force Museum
Museums & galleries · 20th century · Hidden gem
Aviation museum in Ratmalana, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
-
National Maritime Museum
Museums & galleries · 20th century · Hidden gem
Maritime Archaeology Museum, Galle, Sri Lanka
-
Colombo Port Maritime Museum
Museums & galleries · 21st century · Hidden gem
Maritime museum in Sri Lanka
-
Jaffna Archaeological Museum
Museums & galleries · 20th century · Hidden gem
-
Anuradhapura Museum
Museums & galleries · Hidden gem
Archaeological Museum, Historical Museum in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Towers & lighthouses in Sri Lanka 16
-
Lotus Tower
Towers & lighthouses · 21st century · Notable
Telecommunications tower in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Castles, palaces & forts in Sri Lanka 16
-
Batticaloa Fort
Castles & palaces · 17th century · Hidden gem
1628 fort in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
Parks, gardens & arboretums in Sri Lanka 8
-
Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya
Parks & gardens · 19th century · Notable
Botanical garden in Sri Lanka
-
Henarathgoda Botanical Garden
Parks & gardens · 19th century · Hidden gem
Sri Lankan public attraction in Gampaha
Bridges & aqueducts in Sri Lanka 7
Monuments & statues in Sri Lanka 5
-
Trincomalee War Cemetery
Monuments & statues · 20th century · Hidden gem
Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Sri Lanka
Theme parks, zoos & aquariums in Sri Lanka 4
-
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Fun & leisure · 20th century · Hidden gem
Elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka
-
Sri Lanka Planetarium
Fun & leisure · 20th century · Hidden gem
Public planetarium locsted in Colombo
