Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya
Central Province
About Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya, just outside Kandy, are widely ranked among the best in Asia - 147 acres of lawns, avenues, and living collections cradled in a loop of the Mahaweli, Sri Lanka's longest river. Begun as a royal pleasure garden in the 14th century and formalised by the British in 1821, the gardens unfold in set pieces: the stately Avenue of Royal Palms, a cannonball-tree walk, a great lawn commanded by a giant Javan fig whose canopy shades 2,500 square metres, and an orchid house holding hundreds of species in permanent bloom. Fruit bats hang in noisy thousands from the tall trees, and the wobbly suspension bridge over the river adds a small adventure. Give it a half day; plant lovers could lose a whole one.
Top Activities
- ✓Orchid house visit
- ✓Avenue of Royal Palms walk
- ✓The giant Javan fig lawn
- ✓Suspension bridge over the Mahaweli
- ✓Picnics and fruit-bat watching
Nearby Attractions
Travel Tips
Enter at opening (7.30am) for cool air and empty avenues.
The orchid house is the highlight - don't skip it.
Allow at least three hours; the grounds are vast.
Quick Info
Best Time
Year-round; December to April is driest
Weather
Warm with regular showers; mornings are most pleasant.
Estimated Daily Budget
7.2686°N, 80.5967°E
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