Fox Kandy
A hillside retreat in Heerasgala, above Kandy, known for misty mornings, sweeping views and warm service.
- Upscale
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Sri Lanka’s most sacred Buddhist temple, home of the relic of the Buddha’s tooth, beside Kandy Lake.
- Budget
- Experience
Esala Perahera
Kandy’s spectacular annual procession of dancers, drummers and decorated elephants, held over ten nights in July or August.
- Budget
- Experience
Queen’s Hotel Kandy
Kandy’s grand colonial-era hotel, more than 160 years old, right by Kandy Lake and the Temple of the Tooth.
- Mid-range
Department of Coffee
A calm coffee shop on Colombo Street with an extensive coffee menu and a glass wall looking out over the street.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Pour-over
- Cold brew
- Single origin
Ceyloni Panorama Resort
A hillside hotel above Kandy where every room has a balcony with mountain views. Quieter than the centre, with a restaurant, bar and garden.
- Budget
Funk Bunks by the Lake
A friendly hostel near Kandy Lake, popular with solo travellers and young backpackers.
- Budget
The Trees Kandy
A 27-room hotel on Rajapihilla Mawatha with a rooftop pool and lake views, a short walk from Kandy Lake and Wales Park.
- Upscale
Cinnamon Citadel Kandy
A 115-room resort hotel on a bend of the Mahaweli River just outside Kandy, with a large riverside pool and several restaurants.
- Upscale
The Empire Café
A café in a restored colonial building next to the Temple of the Tooth, serving rice and curry, sandwiches, juices and good coffee.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Rice and curry
- Fresh juices
- Coffee
Devon Restaurant
A two-storey Kandy classic on Dalada Veediya, serving Sri Lankan and Chinese dishes, bakery treats and milk tea since 1960.
- Budget
- Restaurant
- Rice and curry
- Bakery
- Milk tea
The Golden Crown Hotel
A large five-star hotel in Ampitiya, about two kilometres from central Kandy, with an infinity pool, spa, and several restaurants and bars.
- Upscale
Jetwing Kandy Gallery
A 26-suite luxury hotel on the Mahaweli River in Gurudeniya, with butler service, an infinity pool, a spa and river views.
- Luxury
Hideout Lounge
A budget-friendly lounge and hostel by Kandy Lake, with dorms, a generous breakfast and cocktails.
- Budget
Ceyloni City Hotel
A practical, central hotel on Cross Street, about a 10-minute walk to the Temple of the Tooth and 7 minutes to Kandy Lake.
- Budget
Café Divine Street
A café in a colonial-era bungalow on Colombo Street, known for smoothie bowls and its Divine Burger.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Smoothie bowls
- Brunch
- Burgers
Vito Wood Fired Pizza
Wood-fired pizza with views over Kandy Lake, one of the city’s best-loved spots for a casual dinner.
- Mid-range
- Restaurant
- Wood-fired pizza
- Lake views
Grand Serendib Hotel
A newer hillside hotel a five-minute walk from Kandy Lake, with lake and mountain views, a pool, a rooftop bar and a Balinese spa.
- Upscale
Natural Coffee
One of Kandy’s first proper coffee shops, near the Temple of the Tooth, serving Sri Lankan fair-trade coffee, waffles and ice cream.
- Budget
- Café
- Sri Lankan coffee
- Fair-trade coffee
- Espresso
Kandyan Cultural Dance Show
An hour of traditional Kandyan dance, drumming and fire walking, held every evening in central Kandy.
- Mid-range
- Experience
Hotel Suisse Kandy
A historic lakeside hotel dating back to 1890, with large rooms, a pool and a peaceful setting on the quieter side of Kandy Lake.
- Mid-range
IRIS Kandy
A hilltop hotel close to the centre with large rooms and private decks looking out over Kandy.
- Mid-range
Viyana Boutique Hotel
A small boutique hotel by Kandy Lake, with lake and city-view rooms, a garden terrace and its own restaurant, minutes from the town centre.
- Budget
The Soya Centre
A long-running vegetarian spot in central Kandy, serving soya-based street food, buns, roti rolls and soy soft-serve.
- Budget
- Restaurant
- Vegetarian
- Soy ice cream
- Short eats
The Grand Kandyan
A five-star hotel on the hill above Kandy, with a rooftop pool, four restaurants and views across the city and the Kandyan hills.
- Luxury
Slightly Chilled Lounge
A relaxed hillside lounge and restaurant with views over the lake and temple, serving Chinese and Western dishes and cocktails.
- Mid-range
- Restaurant
- Cocktails
- Lake views
- Chinese
Kings Pavilion
A nine-room luxury hotel in leafy Aniwatte, about ten minutes from Kandy, with an infinity pool, spa and big suites with valley views.
- Luxury
Café Koi
A small café a short walk from the Temple of the Tooth and Kandy Lake, known for homemade cakes and good coffee.
- Budget
- Café
- Homemade cakes
- Coffee
Café Secret Alley
A hidden café at the end of an alley near Kandy City Centre, serving smoothie bowls, healthy lunches and its signature iced latte.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Cortado
- Sri Lankan coffee
- Iced latte
Siri Ramya
A busy, no-frills Kandy eatery and bakery for rice and curry, kottu, vadai and short eats at local prices.
- Budget
- Restaurant
- Rice and curry
- Kottu
- Vadai
2in1 Kandy Hostel
A good-value hostel above Kandy with some of the best views in the city, a sunrise balcony and help planning onward travel.
- Budget
Balaji Dosai
A busy, no-frills South Indian vegetarian spot in central Kandy, famous for its crisp dosas and vadai at very low prices.
- Budget
- Restaurant
- Dosa
- Masala dosa
- Vadai
Heritage Boutique by Seven Angels
A small boutique hotel on Deva Veediya, right by the Temple of the Tooth’s gates, with its own café.
- Mid-range
Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya
Sri Lanka’s finest botanic gardens, just outside Kandy, with an orchid house, giant Java fig and avenues of royal palms.
- Mid-range
- Experience
The Radh Hotel
A stylish boutique hotel on Colombo Street, steps from the Temple of the Tooth, with garden suites that have their own plunge pools.
- Upscale
The Summit Kandy
A well-reviewed hillside hotel with garden and mountain-view rooms, balconies, a family restaurant and a shuttle into town.
- Mid-range
Kandy View Point
The classic view over Kandy Lake, the Temple of the Tooth and the city, a short walk up from the lake.
- Budget
- Experience
Kandy Myst by Cinnamon
Kandy’s newest big hotel, with 215 rooms, a heated rooftop infinity pool, a sky bar and views of the Knuckles and Hanthana hills.
- Upscale
Castle Hill Bungalow by Seven Angels
A boutique bungalow on Rajapihilla Mawatha above Kandy Lake, with a pool, garden and mountain-view rooms, walking distance from town.
- Upscale
Kandy Muslim Hotel
A no-frills halal eatery in central Kandy for kottu, naan, curries and samosas, popular with locals at all hours.
- Budget
- Restaurant
- Kottu
- Naan
- Biryani
The Elephant Stables
A restored colonial-era hilltop bungalow in Nittawela, with a handful of rooms, a luxury tent, an infinity pool and views to the Knuckles range.
- Luxury
Hela Bojun Hala
A government-run food hall where local women cook traditional Sri Lankan dishes, from hoppers and pittu to fresh juices, at very low prices.
- Budget
- Restaurant
- Hoppers
- String hoppers
- Pittu
Earl’s Regency
A long-established five-star hotel just outside Kandy in Tennekumbura, with spacious rooms, a pool and views over the Mahaweli valley.
- Upscale
The Garage Café
A fun, garage-themed café on Peradeniya Road with graffiti walls, tyre seating, kottu, burgers, shakes and waffles at budget prices.
- Budget
- Café
- Kottu
- Burgers
- Milkshakes
Banana Bunks
A Bali-style poshtel outside central Kandy, with a swimming pool, tropical garden, dorms and private rooms.
- Mid-range
- Pool
- Private rooms
- Garden
Ceyloni Lake Residency
Lake-view rooms on Rajapihilla Mawatha, a two-minute walk from Kandy Lake and the Kandy viewpoint, with breakfast included.
- Mid-range
Buono
A first-floor coffee bar in central Kandy, known for excellent espresso, avocado toast and fresh lemonades.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Espresso
- Avocado toast
- Lemonade
Soul Food
A relaxed, healthy café near Kandy Lake for wraps, bowls, fresh juices and vegan-friendly dishes.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Smoothies
- Fresh juices
- Wraps
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Kandy at a glance
Kandy was the last royal capital of Sri Lanka’s kings and is now a UNESCO World Heritage city. It sits in the hills of the Central Province, around a man-made lake, with the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa) on its shore. It is cooler than Colombo, easy to explore on foot, and the natural gateway to the hill country.
Where to stay in Kandy
- Around the lake and Rajapihilla Mawatha: the road that climbs above the lake towards the Kandy viewpoint. Walkable, with the best views.
- Town centre: streets like Cross Street and Dalada Veediya, close to the railway station and the temple. Busy, practical and good value.
- The hills outside town: quieter, greener and often with big views, but you will rely on tuk-tuks.
Don’t miss
The Temple of the Tooth (dress modestly: shoulders and knees covered), a walk around Kandy Lake, the view from Rajapihilla Mawatha, and the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, a short ride out of town. If you are visiting in July or August, check the dates of the Esala Perahera, one of Asia’s great festivals, and book well ahead.
Good to know
Where is the best area to stay in Kandy?
Around Kandy Lake or on Rajapihilla Mawatha if you want views and to walk everywhere. The town centre is cheaper and close to the railway station. The hills outside town are quieter but you will need tuk-tuks.
How many days do you need in Kandy?
Two nights covers the Temple of the Tooth, the lake, the viewpoint and the botanical gardens at a relaxed pace. Add a night or two if you want day trips into the hill country.
How do you get from Colombo to Kandy?
By train from Colombo Fort, a popular and scenic ride of around three hours, or by road, which usually takes three to four hours depending on traffic. Book reserved train seats ahead in busy seasons.
When is the Kandy Esala Perahera?
It usually takes place in July or August, with dates set by the lunar calendar. Kandy fills up fast during the festival, so book accommodation early.
What should I wear to the Temple of the Tooth?
Cover your shoulders and knees, and be ready to take your shoes off at the entrance. White or light clothing is traditional but not required.