Discover the neighborhoods of Polonnaruwa
Best hotels & accommodations in Polonnaruwa

I stayed here with my friend as we were back packing around sri lanka, we found a late deal on agoda that saved us a lot of money! The room was fantastic, with a view over the lake. The lake had water buffalo grazing around it and other cows! The swimming pool was lovely and you could sit out next to it after a long day of sight seeing. The hotel staff were very helpfu...

Polonnaruwa is just far enough away and is on such a scale that one should actually stay in the area to take in the glories of Polonnaruwa as opposed to day tripping it. Sudu Araliya was recommended to me by a friend so I took her advice and booked there. To my pleasant surprize it is very proximate to the ruins (literally a 5 minute drive if that) and seems to be rel...

We had two very pleasant days and nights here when we visited Polonnaruwa. It is a small hotel that has very nicely appointed rooms and is in a lovely setting next to the lakefront with views across to the National Park on the other side of the lake. Elephants were grazing on the shores opposite each day we were there. The museum and ruins of the second kingdom are a...

Convenient for the sights of Polonnaruwa, but down a narrow bumpy 1km unpaved road. Scenic location in pleasant gardens with excellent pool (very clean). Open air dining area with thatched roof and concrete/ wooden outdoor furniture in garden. Excellent drinks. Rooms basic, but very clean, modern bathroom with screened off shower, very clean. Very friendly staff. Room...

On the day we were visit to spend our meaningful holidays. We were welcomed warmly with the the staff. The staffs are great and very friendlier with a big smile on their face. Room was very clean with a teapot and a fridge. Fridge was very reasonable price. Variety of breakfast was amazing. Last minutes my goodness i had a Carlsberg missed on my bag to treat the servic...

Watching monkeys playing around the pool showcased Sri Lanka at its best! A perfect place to travel to the national park-treated to 60 plus elephants roaming freely and happily within meters of our truck will remain a treasured highlight. Don't forget to hire bikes to tour the ruins - the only prerequisite is a lonely planet guide in your basket!

The hospitality at Living Inn is some of the best we have encountered. Ever. This is an absolutely stunning location: you feel as though you've escaped into the jungle. The food is unbelievable - be sure to have the hoppers at breakfast! The location was perfect for our bike tour around the ancient city, and the loaner bikes from the guesthouse were an added bonus! We ...

There are three rooms in this sweet little quiet courtyard. I had a new bathroom, and a nicely appointed and a spacious bedroom. The couple is also in the process of building a new suite with a kitchen. They are located a very easy stroll from the bus stop and a short walk from the lake. They offer to rent bikes for FAR less than your tuk tuk driver will charge you...

friendly owner and a nice guy who helps out around the place made for a nice stay. good rice and curry in the evening and sri lankan breakfast the next morning. bikes available to rent to see the sights, which are very close by. we stayed for one night and we were happy with the room and pleasant grounds. the room had a small covered outside area to sit and there was ...

does a great job managing his guesthouse!When we will go back to Polonnaruwa we will defenitely stay at his guesthouse again.We enjoyed the best breakfast we had in Sri lanka,our simple but very clean room and the excellent wifi.But the best thing was our wonderful host,who always offered his help,rent us his bikes for free and arranged everything for us.Thanks again,y...

Very friendly and helpful family, cheap and delicious homemade dinner (no need to eat out), large Sri Lankan breakfast, clean room with veranda to rest. While we were sightseeing Polonnaruwa somebody took our bikes and the owner was very cool with it and solved the problem. There was however no hot water (like in many other places in Sri Lanka), wifi did not work.

We stayed there for a single night after visiting archeological site. We were the only guests in three-bedroom villa. The building is brand new, very clean, with good spacious bathroom, well-equipped living room with TV, the kitchen was under construction. We had great dinner: rotti and avocado salad were delicious. Breakfast was very good and well served - one of th...

Really nice place to stay if you are visiting Polonnaruwa ancient city. Very helpful family run business! Clean rooms and lovely local breakfast. They also organise tours and transfers for you if you ask them. The view from the room was stunning, overlooking rice fields. Also you could spot monkeys, parrots, squirrels and different birds.

Situated very close to Polonnaruwa ancient city. walking distance to Gal Wiharaya. location covered with woods. Friendly staff and all the facilities are there. Worth for money. Actually they can increase the price. Delicious food served on our request. I can recommend the place for anybody and will definitely select the place again.

The place is actually in the town next to Polonnaruwa, a 7-minute drive away. However, the hotel is on the bus line, so there are plenty of buses to take you to the city or the entrance of the ancient city. Also, I was able to catch the bus to my next destination in front of the hotel. Breakfast is great and filling; the wifi works well, and there was drinking water. ...

My friends and I stayed at Sanctuary Cove after a touring Dambulla, Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa all in one day. The location of the guesthouse was near the ruins. You can hire a tuktuk or a van for convenience. The rooms are very well-kept and have home-y vibes. We had a room with an AC and another one with fan only. Both were spacious enough and had their own toilet/sh...

Binara home stay was great. Definitely book the Double Room with balcony, because it was lovely! Very nice ambiance in the room, clean, with nice green view. Binara is very helpful, we rented bikes from him to explore Polonnaruwa and when we missed dinner one of the nights he made up for it with the most AMAZING breakfast the next morning. As for food in the area, ther...

We had a great stay at Canal Park. It is not too far from Polonnaruwa town and site. You could walk it but we usually walked down the small road and onto the main road where we picked up a tuk tuk (100-150LKR one way). Chandika helped us to arrange a safari tour to see the elephants which was amazing. The food at the hotel was good and the home Sri Lankan cooking espec...

It was a great joy to stay at Hotel Royal Nest. The staffs are super attentive. Before we arrived, we sent a request for two single beds in one room as the two guys in our travel group wanted to have separate beds. This request was responded quickly by email from the hotel, and they did got a room with two single beds. The yard is beautiful. Breakfast nice. Staff extre...

a real home-stay. the owner really took us in as family and we had the best sri lanka food for dinner. for european visitors - take the use of moskito net serious and learn to use it correctly - we didn't know so we were eaten up during the night. situation close to the old town and sights were great. we highly recommend the place

Best place to stay to sightsee Polonnaruwa. We have arrived in the evening, stayed for two nights to have a full day to discover Polonnaruwa. We recommemend to rent bicycles arranged by guest house owners for a very reasonable price to discover all nearby places of interest. Also a home-made curry cooked by the lady of the house is a MUST! Absolutely lovely and delicio...

This is a quaint place, really had a nice time staying in this place. The place gave you the vibe of sri Lankan culture. The staff were accommodating. The food was superb. This is the only place where I tasted fresh boiled vegetable, very basic yet so appetizing. Good for couples and families.
Cheapest hotels in Polonnaruwa

Binara home stay was great. Definitely book the Double Room with balcony, because it was lovely! Very nice ambiance in the room, clean, with nice green view. Binara is very helpful, we rented bikes from him to explore Polonnaruwa and when we missed dinner one of the nights he made up for it with the most AMAZING breakfast the next morning. As for food in the area, ther...

Since I've been there I recommended this place to anyone planning to go Polonnaruwa. It is not in the busy city centre, but anyone who travels around Asia and Sri Lanka knows there is nothing better then nature and a bit of silence around. And Ruins Villa ensures that to you. Plus the owner and his wife are just lovely people, so it's shame not to meet them. We initial...

The place is actually in the town next to Polonnaruwa, a 7-minute drive away. However, the hotel is on the bus line, so there are plenty of buses to take you to the city or the entrance of the ancient city. Also, I was able to catch the bus to my next destination in front of the hotel. Breakfast is great and filling; the wifi works well, and there was drinking water. ...

The hospitality at Living Inn is some of the best we have encountered. Ever. This is an absolutely stunning location: you feel as though you've escaped into the jungle. The food is unbelievable - be sure to have the hoppers at breakfast! The location was perfect for our bike tour around the ancient city, and the loaner bikes from the guesthouse were an added bonus! We ...

Ok let's deal with the cons its on a busy road leading into town centre but you are way back from the road good sleep The pros it has hot water. big rooms. balcony. great dinning area in garden. the breakfast is the best I have ever had in Sri Lanka all home cooking everyday there was a different meal for just over 200rp you got so much I could never manage to eat it a...

Not far from town and this is a small town, this is a relaxed family run place and they make u feel comfortable and the food was very nice and some dishes I hadn’t had before. They are one of the few offering AC and it was a big help. You don’t need all the time. A friendly stay

Nice clean comfortable rooms. Location is out of town and address not accurate on google maps so maybe ring the owner to get the correct directions. The owners are very nice and food in restaurant was adequate. Preferrably have your own transport, however it is located on main road.

Very friendly and helpful family, cheap and delicious homemade dinner (no need to eat out), large Sri Lankan breakfast, clean room with veranda to rest. While we were sightseeing Polonnaruwa somebody took our bikes and the owner was very cool with it and solved the problem. There was however no hot water (like in many other places in Sri Lanka), wifi did not work.

does a great job managing his guesthouse!When we will go back to Polonnaruwa we will defenitely stay at his guesthouse again.We enjoyed the best breakfast we had in Sri lanka,our simple but very clean room and the excellent wifi.But the best thing was our wonderful host,who always offered his help,rent us his bikes for free and arranged everything for us.Thanks again,y...

I arrived at the place in the early morning around 2 AM where as I entered the estimated arrival time at booking the same. This was closed. Then I had to make phone calls to the numbers displayed. One answered then he asked some person nearby to open. It took me more than 15 minutes to enter to the place. Then when I entered the room there were cockroaches in the room ...
Small guesthouse but fully satisfied. I got a conner room on the 2nd fl. with a small but nice terrace equipped with table and chairs where breakfast was provided. The room and bathroom was very well cleaned. Furnitures were not new but all usable. No A/C only a ceiling fan but was good enough for me (in October) Good hot water. Amenities provided was a small soap a...

We had a wonderful stay from the minute we arrived. We were greeted and ask to sit on a table overlooking the garden and offered a hot or cold drink while our room was prepared. This meant lights and aircon being put on and allowing the room to cool before we entered. After we had finished our drinks our bags were taken upstairs and we were shown to our room. Our room ...

Wi-Fi worked. Good fan, room cool. Room was clean, bright and new, bathroom too with everything working well. Outside seating area. Had dinner there, due to language barrier other guests got givien part of our order (which they ate) and it took a while to explain in the morning when playing the bill, we'd thought it had been clear the night before that we didn't mind n...

It was a little bit uncomfortable. There was no blind in the window of toilet. Also when I pay, the manager tried to charge tax on the room. But when I reserve the room through agoda there was no tax. So I had to ask to correct the bill. I had a great experience in Polonnaruwa but one thing I want to point out is I should have to choose better guesthouse.

My friends and I stayed at Sanctuary Cove after a touring Dambulla, Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa all in one day. The location of the guesthouse was near the ruins. You can hire a tuktuk or a van for convenience. The rooms are very well-kept and have home-y vibes. We had a room with an AC and another one with fan only. Both were spacious enough and had their own toilet/sh...

It was a great joy to stay at Hotel Royal Nest. The staffs are super attentive. Before we arrived, we sent a request for two single beds in one room as the two guys in our travel group wanted to have separate beds. This request was responded quickly by email from the hotel, and they did got a room with two single beds. The yard is beautiful. Breakfast nice. Staff extre...

Comfy bed and the room & toilet are clean, all you need for a good night rest after exploring Polonnaruwa ruins nearby. While the building facade is incomplete at the moment, I enjoyed my stay, staff were helpful and gave good tips. Had to start my journey early the next morning but the staff prepared breakfast for us to take away :)

Best place to stay to sightsee Polonnaruwa. We have arrived in the evening, stayed for two nights to have a full day to discover Polonnaruwa. We recommemend to rent bicycles arranged by guest house owners for a very reasonable price to discover all nearby places of interest. Also a home-made curry cooked by the lady of the house is a MUST! Absolutely lovely and delicio...

a real home-stay. the owner really took us in as family and we had the best sri lanka food for dinner. for european visitors - take the use of moskito net serious and learn to use it correctly - we didn't know so we were eaten up during the night. situation close to the old town and sights were great. we highly recommend the place
4-star hotels in Polonnaruwa

I stayed here with my friend as we were back packing around sri lanka, we found a late deal on agoda that saved us a lot of money! The room was fantastic, with a view over the lake. The lake had water buffalo grazing around it and other cows! The swimming pool was lovely and you could sit out next to it after a long day of sight seeing. The hotel staff were very helpfu...

Polonnaruwa is just far enough away and is on such a scale that one should actually stay in the area to take in the glories of Polonnaruwa as opposed to day tripping it. Sudu Araliya was recommended to me by a friend so I took her advice and booked there. To my pleasant surprize it is very proximate to the ruins (literally a 5 minute drive if that) and seems to be rel...

On the day we were visit to spend our meaningful holidays. We were welcomed warmly with the the staff. The staffs are great and very friendlier with a big smile on their face. Room was very clean with a teapot and a fridge. Fridge was very reasonable price. Variety of breakfast was amazing. Last minutes my goodness i had a Carlsberg missed on my bag to treat the servic...
5-star hotels in Polonnaruwa

We had two very pleasant days and nights here when we visited Polonnaruwa. It is a small hotel that has very nicely appointed rooms and is in a lovely setting next to the lakefront with views across to the National Park on the other side of the lake. Elephants were grazing on the shores opposite each day we were there. The museum and ruins of the second kingdom are a...
Traveler impressions of Polonnaruwa
Well, it's basically quite a good place but if you're not a big fans of culture & history then you can just cut out Polonnaruwa from your itinerary.
Great historical and religious site. Also famous for very interesting wildlife just outside the ancient city, at national parks like Minneriya and Kaudulla.
Spend once day there visiting the ancient ruins with a bike and try to survive the high temperatures!
It is a tourist trap it is very expensive, but if you want to make a model portfolio, then the area is awesome.
There isn't much in Polonnaruwa except for the ancient city. Make sure that before you head to the ancient city site, you have been to the museum and bought your ticket for 25$.
not meant for shopping but can pick up bargains in the not too tidy town.be very care ful of roads if you are driving as jaywalkers are aplenty.
The cultural aspects are why you should visit this region as part of the cultural triangle it is a must see.
Polonnaruwa's best hotels with breakfast

Polonnaruwa is just far enough away and is on such a scale that one should actually stay in the area to take in the glories of Polonnaruwa as opposed to day tripping it. Sudu Araliya was recommended to me by a friend so I took her advice and booked there. To my pleasant surprize it is very proximate to the ruins (literally a 5 minute drive if that) and seems to be rel...

On the day we were visit to spend our meaningful holidays. We were welcomed warmly with the the staff. The staffs are great and very friendlier with a big smile on their face. Room was very clean with a teapot and a fridge. Fridge was very reasonable price. Variety of breakfast was amazing. Last minutes my goodness i had a Carlsberg missed on my bag to treat the servic...

We had two very pleasant days and nights here when we visited Polonnaruwa. It is a small hotel that has very nicely appointed rooms and is in a lovely setting next to the lakefront with views across to the National Park on the other side of the lake. Elephants were grazing on the shores opposite each day we were there. The museum and ruins of the second kingdom are a...

The hospitality at Living Inn is some of the best we have encountered. Ever. This is an absolutely stunning location: you feel as though you've escaped into the jungle. The food is unbelievable - be sure to have the hoppers at breakfast! The location was perfect for our bike tour around the ancient city, and the loaner bikes from the guesthouse were an added bonus! We ...

Convenient for the sights of Polonnaruwa, but down a narrow bumpy 1km unpaved road. Scenic location in pleasant gardens with excellent pool (very clean). Open air dining area with thatched roof and concrete/ wooden outdoor furniture in garden. Excellent drinks. Rooms basic, but very clean, modern bathroom with screened off shower, very clean. Very friendly staff. Room...

Watching monkeys playing around the pool showcased Sri Lanka at its best! A perfect place to travel to the national park-treated to 60 plus elephants roaming freely and happily within meters of our truck will remain a treasured highlight. Don't forget to hire bikes to tour the ruins - the only prerequisite is a lonely planet guide in your basket!

does a great job managing his guesthouse!When we will go back to Polonnaruwa we will defenitely stay at his guesthouse again.We enjoyed the best breakfast we had in Sri lanka,our simple but very clean room and the excellent wifi.But the best thing was our wonderful host,who always offered his help,rent us his bikes for free and arranged everything for us.Thanks again,y...

Since I've been there I recommended this place to anyone planning to go Polonnaruwa. It is not in the busy city centre, but anyone who travels around Asia and Sri Lanka knows there is nothing better then nature and a bit of silence around. And Ruins Villa ensures that to you. Plus the owner and his wife are just lovely people, so it's shame not to meet them. We initial...
Small guesthouse but fully satisfied. I got a conner room on the 2nd fl. with a small but nice terrace equipped with table and chairs where breakfast was provided. The room and bathroom was very well cleaned. Furnitures were not new but all usable. No A/C only a ceiling fan but was good enough for me (in October) Good hot water. Amenities provided was a small soap a...

I stayed here with my friend as we were back packing around sri lanka, we found a late deal on agoda that saved us a lot of money! The room was fantastic, with a view over the lake. The lake had water buffalo grazing around it and other cows! The swimming pool was lovely and you could sit out next to it after a long day of sight seeing. The hotel staff were very helpfu...

This is a quaint place, really had a nice time staying in this place. The place gave you the vibe of sri Lankan culture. The staff were accommodating. The food was superb. This is the only place where I tasted fresh boiled vegetable, very basic yet so appetizing. Good for couples and families.

It was a great joy to stay at Hotel Royal Nest. The staffs are super attentive. Before we arrived, we sent a request for two single beds in one room as the two guys in our travel group wanted to have separate beds. This request was responded quickly by email from the hotel, and they did got a room with two single beds. The yard is beautiful. Breakfast nice. Staff extre...

Though we only stayed one night, so far this was the best hotel we had so far during one week in Sri Lanka. It is about 3 km's from Pollonuwara. Large restaurant and new rooms that were made just some 4 months ago. So all facilities were in excellent shape.

Really nice place to stay if you are visiting Polonnaruwa ancient city. Very helpful family run business! Clean rooms and lovely local breakfast. They also organise tours and transfers for you if you ask them. The view from the room was stunning, overlooking rice fields. Also you could spot monkeys, parrots, squirrels and different birds.

Comfy bed and the room & toilet are clean, all you need for a good night rest after exploring Polonnaruwa ruins nearby. While the building facade is incomplete at the moment, I enjoyed my stay, staff were helpful and gave good tips. Had to start my journey early the next morning but the staff prepared breakfast for us to take away :)

Not far from town and this is a small town, this is a relaxed family run place and they make u feel comfortable and the food was very nice and some dishes I hadn’t had before. They are one of the few offering AC and it was a big help. You don’t need all the time. A friendly stay
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Other popular destinations in Sri Lanka
The ancient ruins of the city are conveniently concentrated in the same area, commonly known as the Polonnaruwa Ancient City. This is where travelers can see landmarks such as the Gal Vihara Rock Temple, and most of the other important temples as well.
Travelers looking to learn more about the history of this area should not miss a visit to the Archaeological Museum, where artifacts and sculptures tell stories of this city’s ancient history.
There’s a lot more to see and do in Polonnaruwa, and the best way to discover what else this city has to offer in terms of attractions, landmarks, and hotels is by exploring the interactive map on this page.