Welcome to Rajarata ! (The Kingโs County or The Land of Kings) We will commence our day from Vessagiriya Forest Monastery, which is one of the two oldest Buddhist Monks living dwellings in the island. At Vessagiriya, the guests will start to deep dive into the Ancient Sinhalese Civilization nourished with Buddhism, Agriculture, Fine Arts, Architecture, Trades, International Relations, and Spellbinding Engineering Marvels and there you get an idea of how Anuradhapura looked like in its golden era from its very beginning.
The Sri Maha Bodhi Tree or The Sacred Bodhi Tree ( A Fig or Pipal Tree scientifically known as the Ficus Religiosa) is regarded as the first of the eight sacred places in Anuradhapura. This is recorded to be the right wing branch of the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya in India under which the Ascetic Siddhartha attained Enlightenment, and was sent by Emperor Ashoka through his beloved daughter, The Buddhist Nun Theri Sanghamitta, on request of Sinhalese King Devanampiyatissa in the 3rd century BCE. From this point onwards it came to be venerated by successive Kings, Monks, Nuns, and the Lay Buddhists since it is a living connection to the Gautama Buddha. Particularly, it is generally accepted that it would be the oldest human planted living tree in the world with the longest written records and at present nearly 2300 years old.
To the north or the Sacred Bodhi Tree, we can witness a huge collection of standing granite pillars which has been identified as the dilapidated building of the ancient Brazen palace which was once served as the administrative Center of the ancient Maha Vihara Monastery Complex constructed under the guidance of Great King Gamini Abhaya in 2nd Century BCE, a grand son of King Devanampiyatissa. It was a nine-storey building with 1000 different chambers. The name, Brazen Palce derives from the fact that its roof was thatched with copper tiles.
Ruwanveliseya stupa also known as the Ratnamali or as the Mahathupa ( Th Great Stupa) was constructed under the guidance of Great Kind Gamini Abhaya in the second century BC. The chronicles fantastically describes of the inauguration ceremony of this Stupa as great festival that was held in Anuradhapura with the participation of Invited Guests even from other countries as diplomats. However it was destroyed during Chola Invasion by 10th century AC and was restored the stupa to its original glory in the 12th century AC by King Parakkramabahu the greatest. Then anyhow what we see today is the most recent restored form which was completed by Ratnamali Stupa Development Society in 1940, what was firstly initiated by Ven. Naranvita Sumanasara Thero in 1873 as he wanted to restore it to its former glory.
This picturesque pair of Ponds built on the low ground are undoubtedly exquisite specimens of land scape architecture and of course a wonderful hydraulic system showing not only the talents but the aesthetic sense of these magnificent people.
This is really somthing like a modern steam bath, but this was not merely to enjoy steam bathing with warm water but of a well-developed sinhalese medication which performed in 4th century AC onwards. At there we can discuss how it was functioned and how Sick monks in Abhayagiriya University cured their skin deceases.
There we will again see a large granite trough in the shape of canoe stands with an amazing intaglio in the refectory premises of the Abhayagiriya Monastery. The Chinese monk Fa-hsien who was studying at the Abhayagiriya University in 5th Century AC recorded that there were 5000 Buddhist monks in the Monastery and this particular trough could hold sufficient rice for such a number.
This is one of the finest works of art in Sri Lanka dates back to about the 8th Century AC. And this masterpiece is preciously showcasing the aesthetic sense of the ancient craftsmen and how incredibly they have put their knowledge, ability, talents, feelings into practice.
This is popularly known as the Eth-Pokuna to the locals or the Elephant Pond in English, situated to south-west of the Refectory is perhaps the largest Man made pond in the Asia that was built in the 3rd century AC. It is said that this is three times bigger than a modern day Olympic swimming pool. The miracle here is not only its enormous size but the underground conduits which still functions and have been supplying water to the pond from nearby reservoirs and in the south west corner we can note a cistern sluice which suggests that water was distributed to other relatively smaller ponds in the vicinity depicting the superb hydraulic engineering skills of the ancient Sinhalese.
The moonstone is another most beautiful and breathtaking creation of the ancient sculptor. It serves as a doormat at the foot of a flight of steps to a Buddhist shrine, but the sculptor transforms it into a work of art far excellence.
We booked this experience through Airbnb and we had the most amazing experience. Lucky is such a knowledgeable guide and has such a unique outlook on life. We really loved every second of this tour, and would highly recommend to everyone to book!
Lucky is a really kind and passionate tour guide. His enthusiasm for Anuradhapura was evident with lots of tidbits of information and interesting stories. We would 100% recommend going on a tour with him, and will be rebooking in the future should we come back!!
If you're looking for a guide who can tell you all about history and Buddhism, Lucky is the perfect choice. We had a really great morning and highly recommend it to everyone!
Lucky was extremely knowledgeable on the history of Sri Lanka, Buddhism, the ancient area of Anuradhapura. He learnt a lot from his ancient history and tourism degree and was able to clearly explain everything to us. We saw some ancient caves from 3rd century BC which were less of a tourist attraction but it showed the incredible depth of history here. It was great to hear his views on the teachings of Budda vs the Buddhist religion. He is a brilliant guide and you can tailor the experience to hear about the sites you want to see. We hired a tuk tuk for the day but you could also use uber etc to get from place to place. We would recommend Lucky to a friend
We had a wonderful afternoon with Lucky. Lucky is very friendly, knowledgeable and fluent in English. He told us a lot about the history of Anuradhapura and Sri Lankan culture. He knows an incredible amount about Buddhism. We learned a lot from him!
I had the great pleasure of having Lucky as my guide, or rather interpreter, in Anuradhapura. Right from the start, he was extremely | welcoming, and even though I booked my tour only the day before, he arranged both the pickup from my hotel and the most wonderful tour around various sights. Lucky's in-depth understanding and insight into Sri Lanka's history and culture made this experience truly special - Lucky is a very unique person who genuinely embraces the Buddhist philosophy of life, and it was deeply inspiring to talk to him. I had the absolute best day, which exceeded all my expectations. And if that wasn't enough, he later sent me a detailed description of our day and all the sites we visited. A day with Lucky is not just a guided tour; it's a window into Sri Lanka's rich history and a genuine cultural exchange.
We had an amazing tour. Lucky had a lot of knowledge and explains everything with much passion.
Lucky it's not "just a guide", it's a knowledge transfer specialist, an interpreter. He truly believes and loves what he does, and he is able to make you feel it through his enthusiasm and positive attitude. Communication with him through the whole process, before, after and far beyond have been absolutely fluent and in timely manner. Lucky always made us part of the decision making process for the tour taking in count all our needs. Lucky is the type of person that is always happy to help and assist you with any of your needs, any time. Tours with him are not just a "pict & run" classic tour, they are a full Masterclass of knowledge transfer: history, architecture, science, art, religion, geo political implications on history, and so many others; our definition of tours? a time machine that brings you to imagine how things were back in the day. For all those reasons Lucky it's a person has become a memorable part of our journey through Sri Lanka.
Iโve travelled a lot and had many guides over the years, but Lucky was truly one of the best. Genuine, warm, insightful, incredibly knowledgeable, and deeply passionate and proud about Anuradhapura and its history. Lucky made the entire experience feel personal, meaningful, and unforgettable. Friendly, easy to spend the day with, and absolutely worth his weight in gold. We left feeling not only informed, but genuinely connected to the place because of him. Highly, highly recommended.
Lucky is a very pasionate guide who will tell you everything you want to know about budhism and Sri Lanka culture. It was a great experience, thank you again!!
Lucky took us through the most interesting monastries and ruรฏnes and told passionatly about budhism and itโs history. Lucky had been a guide since 12 years and knows a lot about Budhism. Overall is was a very fun experience and I learned a lot from Lucky!
We thoroughly enjoyed our guided tour of the old city of Anuradhapura with Lucky, he is s great guide with very deep knowledge of the area and its rich history. He provides extensive answers to any question, even outside the scope of the tour itself. He is very flexible, so will take into account any personal preferences
I had an outstanding guided tour in Anuradhapura and can highly recommend it. Our guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the history of the ancient city. His understanding of archaeology, architecture, and Buddhist philosophy was impressive, and he explained everything in a structured, engaging way. He didnโt just show us the sites, he made them come alive with context and insight. Thanks to him, the places we visited felt far more meaningful than just impressive ruins. Professional, intelligent, and deeply informed. Highly recommended.
I had a wonderful experience with Lucky in Anuradhapura. Over the course of the 7-hour tour, he provided a very detailed and engaging introduction to the ancient monasteries and sacred sites, explaining not only the historical background but also the cultural and spiritual significance behind them. If you are looking for a guide who truly understands Anuradhapuraโs heritage and can explain it with clarity and passion, I highly recommend him.
Lucky was an amazing guide. He has deep knowledge of Buddhism, history and archaeology and brought the stones and sights to life. His English is excellent and he tells lots of stories. The day started with an overview of the life of Buddha and his teachings- and, importantly, how they relate to Buddhism as practiced today. As we explored the amazing sights, Lucky would point out interesting details and relate them to the bigger picture that he was building. We also visited Mihinthale to finish the day which was a great add on. I highly recommend Lucky as a guide.
We had a great day with Lucky. He speaks really good English and know a lot about the history of buddisme and is happy to share. Nice to see he is really passionate about it. Its definitely not a standard story you get from him. He is an advanced guide (the highest level), which you can clearly notice. At the beginning of the tour, Lucky asks whether you want to learn a lot of a little less about the history. We were very interested, so he shared a great deal of information with us, and we would definitely recommend him. It was almost like a history class. The tour lasted from 8:15 (pickup at our hotel) till 15:00 because we had to travel in the afternoon
We had a great day with Lucky. He speaks really good English and know a lot about the history of buddisme and is happy to share. Nice to see he is really passionate about itm Its definitly not a standard story you get from him. He is an advanced guide (the highest level), which you can clearly notice. At the beginning of the tour, Lucky asks whether you want to learn a lot of a little less about the history. We were very interested, so he shared a great deal of information with us, and we would definitely recommend him. It was almost like a history class. Our tour lasted from 8:15 till 15:00 because we had to travel in the afternoon.
We were so very lucky to have Lucky as our guide when in Anuradhapuna. He picked us up from our guesthouse and right from the start, there was a click. I have never met such a knowledgable guide. His information went far beyond the basics and we could feel his love for history, archaeology and architecture. Lucky told and showed us much more than he was supposed to, but he did not rush. From now on we will look upon โrocks and cavesโ with totally different eyes. Lucky also gave us a lot to think about, regarding buddishm. It is a big asset too, that he speaks such good English.
We had a wonderful day with Lucky. After a number of disappointing tours, we asked him to avoid the retail experience and concentrate on the genuine historical aspects of the area. We were not disappointed. His knowledge was fantastic and rather than telling us things, we discussed aspects of both the history and the modern interpretation of Buddha. Thank you Lucky for a fabulous day. I would be happy to recommend him.
Wonderful day with Lucky, best tour in Sri Lanka. Lucky knows so much about Buddhist teachings, temples, monasteries and Anuradhapura history that the day was truly memorial and informative. Lucky tailored the day to our requirements which made it extra special. I will definitely use Lucky again and I would highly recommend using Lucky as your tour guide.
Very thorough, enthusiastic, friendly, compassionate, fun, brilliant, engaging, amusing, and informative. Highly recommended
Very detailed, thorough, intelligent, and enthusiastic guide. After the 5 hours, it felt like there was more to do - the ideal result
We explored Anuradhapura with Lucky as our guide, and it was truly exceptional. His knowledge spans from the time of the historical Buddha all the way through the origins and expansion of this ancient civilization. But what made it special was how he shared it. Lucky doesnโt just recite facts. He turns history into storytelling. Every detail felt alive, connected, and easy to follow, delivered in perfect English and with great sensitivity to what is fascinating to us. What impressed us most was how clearly he explained the astonishing architectural and engineering skills of the time. Making it tangible just how advanced this civilization already was centuries ago. The tour was informative yet light, deep yet never overwhelming. If you want to truly dive deeper into history while enjoying an engaging, accessible and inspiring experience, Lucky is the guide to choose. A clear recommendation for anyone visiting Anuradhapura and wanting to see more than ruins and understand the story behind them.
I had a great tour with Lucky. He was not only very knowledgeable about Anuradhapura but also Buddhism itself and I learned at lot about the history of Sri Lanka.
The tour with Lucky turned out to be very insightful and rich in local history, religion and culture, and is made pleasant by Lucky's storytelling skills. He's been easy to chat with and has been proactive in making the necessary arrangements for the day.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ Fantastic Tour with Lucky in Anuradhapura! We had such a great time exploring the ancient city with our guide, Lucky. He was incredibly knowledgeable and shared so many fascinating stories and background details about the history, culture, and hidden corners of Anuradhapura. He also told us a lot about the life of Buddha, which made the experience even more meaningful and insightful. His passion really brought the place to life! We learned a lot, laughed a lot, and left with a much deeper appreciation for this beautiful heritage site. Highly recommended!
We had an amazing day with Lucky in Anuradhapura. Weโve met many guides throughout our travels, but itโs rare to meet someone like him. Lucky is not only a highly professional and knowledgeable guide โ he has a remarkable ability to share stories in a way that inspires reflection and a deeper understanding of what youโre experiencing. He also has a warm and genuine personality, fully present in the moment and attentive to the people around him. If you have the chance to spend a day with Lucky, youโre truly fortunate. We highly recommend taking the opportunity โ not only to learn about the rich history of this fascinating place, but also to gain new insights into your own way of thinking and living.
Lucky is an excellent tour guide. He has an extensive knowledge of his country's history, Anuradhapura, and Buddhism. He always answered my questions; his passion for what he does is evident, and that makes it possible to fully enjoy the tour of the ancient city. He also gave me recommendations and helped me with transportation to visit other places of interest. I would definitely recommend this experience
Excellent English, almost as fluent as a native speaker. Very knowledgeable on his country as a whole and Anuradhapura in specific. We learned a lot of interesting facts about Buddhism and Anuradhapura. Would recommend.
Lucky is a professional tour guide. He is extremely dedicated and gave his all during his tour. He was very polite and always asked if we understood everything. We sat for an hour on a rock in the grounds of the Vessagiriya ruins and were explained the origins of Buddhism and the teachings of Buddha. It was interesting, but took up too much time for my liking, which ultimately left me with less time for other things. Anyone booking the tour should read the description carefully and be aware that you won't see important World Heritage sites, such as the Isurumuniya Temple. Furthermore, transportation is not included; this could be misunderstood if you read the short description, which states "pickup offered."
Just go with Lucky, you'll have an amazing time! He is knowledgeable, funny and shows many different perspectives of Sri Lankan history and culture.
We had a great time with Lucky. Good communication in advance via WhatsApp. Heโs a passionate guide who takes all the time to explain everything extensively. Lucky also arranged transport for the whole day for us.
Lucky knows a lot about the history of Buddhism and explains it in an engaging way. The information he shares is definitely not what you would expect. You could explore the city on your own, but it wouldnโt be as special without a tour guide like Lucky. Everything you see is explained, which makes the tour so much more interesting. We had a great day!
Lucky knows a lot about the real history. He is highly educated and knows all the aspects of the culture in Sri Lanka. Without him you wonโt be able to enjoy the temples and monasteries and will be bored really fast as you see stones and donโt know the story behind it! Pls book the tour with him! He also draws a lot on paper so that you can visualize stuff and easy to remember!
At first my travel companion and I weren't sure whether to book a guide or not. After all, we thought, history is clear to see right? Apparently not! Lucky was able to tell us the stories beyond the visble ruins: how the ancient Sinhalese people carved the 2600 year old monestaries and how Buddhism an colonialism affected their lives. I couldn't give more praise to Lucky's knowledge and passion. He was able to showcase everything there is to see beyond the touristic eye and what really happened and is currently happening inside the ruins. Would definitely recommend!
We had the most wonderful day with Lucky! If you really want to get to know the history of Buddhism and how the stupas were made you should really book this tour. Lucky is so kind, very enthusiastic and so nice to spend a whole day with! He speaks English very very well and knows a lot!! He consciously chooses to do private tours, to make the experience special and to give all the room for your questions! So in shortly, we would really recommend this tour!!
Lucky knew a lot about the culture and architectue. He gave us a lot of interesting information. We really enjoyed the tour!
The tour by Lucky was phenomenal, really showing a complete historical picture of the ancient city of Anuradhapura sharing stories not commonly known or paid attention to. Furthermore, he provided a critical and broad perspective on the Buddhist culture and Buddhism really intertwining the rich history to modern day Sri Lanka. Can highly recommend!
Lucky is a great tour guide! He knows a lot abd is very passionate about Sri Lanka. He communicated very well both before and after the tour. Everything was arranged perfectly and he taught us a lot about the Buddhism culture and rich history of Sri Lanka. We can really recommend this tour!
Luckyโs tour is a must when you visit Sri Lanka and especially the temple areas of Anuradhapura. Lucky is very passionate and knowledgeable and goes off the beaten track to show some very interesting and important archeological places related to the start of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. He always makes sure you understood and goes out of his way to make it a worthwhile experience. Definitely recommend! Thanks Lucky for the deep-dive into Anuradhapura!
Lucky is a very passionate guide that enthousiasticalky brings you lively historic information about the origin of Buddhism and the archeological sites that belong to those eras. He brings you , apart from two Stupas, to the not crowded, but super interesting and magnificent historic sites and gives beautiful explanation and examples about the development of the (massive and detailed) rockcarving and construction techniques of the lost times of Sri Lanka history. Extremely impressive, very much a mystery (how did they do it) and the sites are as great as a Macchu Picchu / Pyramids of Egypt, only less know . Anyways: book Lucky, 'cause you need his passionate explanations, he makes history and Buddhism come alive!
Had a lovely tour! Lucky was so patient, answered all of my questions and was very flexible! I learned a lot about the history of ancient buildings and buddhism thanks to Lucky.
We learned an incredible amount from Lucky. He knows so much about the history of Sri Lanka and about Buddhism. Because of this, we gained a completely different perspective. He speaks excellent English and is very interested in different ethnicities. We had an amazing time and definitely recommend him as a guide in Anuradhapura.
Lucky is the best tour guide one can ask for. Extremely knowledgeable and passionate, this tour exceeds expectations in all ways. He accommodated our very very late and last minute request. And he planned the trip in such a way that really helped us understand the Buddhism culture and rich history of Sri Lanka. He picked us up at our place with the transport arranged, communicated prices before we started the tour. And we walked away a lot more nourished and with a greater appreciation for the environment and built landscapes that we see around us. Highly recommended!
Lucky is easily one of the best guides I've had and I travel pretty often. He knows an incredible amount about the history and archaeology of every site we visited. He is so passionate and knowledgeable and he's clearly excited and interested in sharing this with us. I saw many people on guided tours stop at each site for a few seconds to tell a sentence or two about each thing but Lucky can talk in depth for probably hours about everything in the area and he had the answer to all of my questions and more. If you want a tour guide for the purpose of learning I strongly suggest this experience. Also as a girl traveling alone I felt extremely safe with Lucky. He helped me book a car to the next city, talked to the driver to make sure he was safe, got the license plate number and told me to let him know when I arrived, etc. Lucky is a kind and knowledgeable person and I encourage you to support his business!
We had a great time with Lucky! Heโs the best guide ever. He knew everything about the archeological sites, the monasteries and Buddhism. Lucky speaks good English, and our children, aged 16 and 11, could understand him perfectly. He told us so much, things we'd never even considered before. It truly enriched our trip to Sri Lanka. Thank you, dear Lucky! ๐ซถ๐ป
We had such a great day with Lucky on our private tour! From the very beginning, he made us feel welcome and comfortable. Every question we had, he answered with much insight and enthusiasm. What we loved most was that he didnโt just take us to the usual tourist spots, but also showed us some less crowded. It was super interesting and felt like a truly unique experience.
We booked this tour last month and really enjoyed it! The tour eventually took 7 hours, but the time passed quickly because Lucky explained everything in a very interesting way. Luckyโs English is very good which makes it easy to understand. We went to multiple locations, but we didnโt have our own transport. If needed, he can arrange a taxi or tuktuk. We chose for the tuktuk and everything went very smoothly. He knows a lot about the city, its history and about Buddishm. We really liked the tour and recommend it to everyone.
Lucky is an excellent and knowledgeable guide in Anuradhapura. You will visit amazing sites, both historical and current temples, and learn of the history of the area. Highly recommend!!
Amazing experience with Lucky. Learnt so much of the sinhalese civilization and Buddhism. Lucky arranged for a tuk tuk and took me to an amazing spot for lunch. Highly recommended tour.
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