Golden Temple of Dambulla

Golden Temple of Dambulla

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4.4/5
(5.9K) · Museum in Dambulla, Sri Lanka
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A sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, this cave monastery, with its five sanctuaries, is the largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in …

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4.4/5 · 5,876 reviews
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Jul 16, 2025
An absolute must do when in Sri Lanka, full of historical remains on this site, well preserved and the trip was more than well worth itFull review by George V
Jun 16, 2025
I visited Dambulla Golden Temple during my trip to Sri Lanka and although I arrived a bit late and missed the opportunity to explore the famous cave temple, the experience was still unforgettable. T…Full review by Cutiepie-SabrinaG
Mar 18, 2025
Not the best temple we visited on our trip, the area round the temple was a bit grubby, when we were there the main temple building was under repair and covered in scaffolding. Would not go out of my…Full review by Colin L
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Questions & answers

Q:
Hi I will be visiting the Temple Caves in mid March, with my 80 yr old mother who is a wheelchair user (limited mobility), …
Q:
Hi I will be visiting the Temple Caves in mid March, with my 80 yr old mother who is a wheelchair user (limited mobility), and was wondering if there was an adequate nice shaded area inside the grounds of the temple for her to wait whilst I go up to see the temples? Or would it be better for her to find a coffee/cafe place nearby to wait for me? I know it will it will take at least an hour and half to see around so would like her to be comfortable waiting for me. Thanks
A:
To be honest, I’m not sure how your Mother is going to be able to access Dambulla Temple let alone look around it. I base this on the fact we had to climb 100-200 steep steps the reach …
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To be honest, I’m not sure how your Mother is going to be able to access Dambulla Temple let alone look around it. I base this on the fact we had to climb 100-200 steep steps the reach the entrance way and you are likely to encounter number of monkeys en route. There is, however, a cafe in the main parking area which would be suitable for your mother to wait for you as it would be a great shame to exclude this most interesting attraction from your itinerary. Enjoy!!
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Q:
Do you need to show passports before entering? Some of the reviews say you do? I’m from the UK, thanks.
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I visited the temple a few years ago and passports were not required then. This may have changed since then. I expect you will have them close by as we did. We were on a guided …
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I visited the temple a few years ago and passports were not required then. This may have changed since then. I expect you will have them close by as we did. We were on a guided tour and our guide gave us all the information that we might require the next day. Sri Lankans are quite devout Buddhist, so when visiting any religious site, always wear shirts with sleeves that cover the shoulders and upper arms and pants or skirts that cover the knees. We always carry wrap around sarongs for emergencies. I had to use mine at Kandy visiting the Sacred Tooth Relic Temple. Hope this is helpful.
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Q:
Can you take small bags in with you and keep your shoes in those?
A:
Yes, we had small backpack and we put our shoes in it:) There was no problem with it, we didn't leave our shoes at the entrance.
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Q:
I am afraid of heights...is it a steep climb with sheer sides?
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No the climb is gradual & no sheer sides.
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Q:
Hi, my husband and I are 72yrs young, I hear so many different accounts on the climb to this temple. Some people say it’s …
Q:
Hi, my husband and I are 72yrs young, I hear so many different accounts on the climb to this temple. Some people say it’s easier or tough. Do we go by the winding path or the stairs? Can you use a car to go to level 2? Any tips would be helpful
A:
If I was you I’d take the stairs, I found it hard, but I took my time going up.
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