Sigiriya Rock, near the town of Dambulla is one of Sri Lanka’s must visit attraction. With over 1,200 plus steps to reach the top of this “eight wonder of the word”, it may seem daunting to climb especially for families traveling with children.
You don’t have to be super fit to climb Sigiriya rock. The average adult tourist can reach the top in just over 30 minutes. During our visit there were even many senior tourists who made the climb. We recommend starting your climb either late in the afternoon or first thing in the morning to avoid the crowd (and the harsh sun). Traveling with our 3 year old son, we chose to go early when he is fresh.
Here is how we did our Sigiriya Rock climb:
Arrive early
Sigiriya Rock ticket booths officially open at 7:00am. We arrived at 7.30am and… there was no line! So we managed to avoid the tour groups and long queues.
The stairs going up are a combination of original uneven steps and updated modern steps. The climb will take you along narrow scaffolded paths, vertical spiral staircase and narrow stairs. By going early you will not be stuck behind slow walkers or sandwiched between people taking a rest. This is great when travelling with children as you can control how slow or fast you want to go up.
We noticed later in the morning, once the big tour groups arrived, most tourists took much longer to reach the top.
Go straight past the gardens at the base of Sigiriya Rock
Quickly past this section on the way up. You can come back and explore this area after you have done the climb.
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
There are no tourist dress restrictions here, but do wear something respectful. In mid January during our visit, it was rather cool in the morning and only started to warm up after 10am.
Don’t carry your children right from the start
Up to the mirror wall and spiral staircase, our 3 year old toddler managed to climb most of the stairs himself! He thought it was lots of fun. He can climbing most of the newer steps, while with some the original steps he needed our help as they are uneven. Alfred only started carrying him using the Macpac carrier once we past the famous Lion’s gate.
Take breaks
On the way up there are plenty of areas where you can move to the side and recharge. This is handy to let faster climbers past you or even if it’s just for a few seconds to catch your breath. We took a few breaks to enjoy the views and take photos of the beautiful panorama. As we went quite early, we were able to stop whenever and wherever without feeling guilty of blocking the people behind us.
Stay hydrated
No one sells bottled water up here – only on the way out. So make sure you bring some water in your backpack.
Bring a child carrier of your choice
Our son loves to run, so we knew that sometime during the climb, for his own safety he needed to be carried using the backpack carrier. As our previous trip to Nepal, we again chose to use the MacPac carrier.
The final climb after the Lion’s claw gate is steep and narrow. Although there are modern handrails and side guards, using a carrier will make it easier and safer. This part is the toughest!
Once you reach the top
You did it! Give yourself a pat at the back. Relax at the summit and enjoy amazing views. Originally a fortress, Sigiriya Rock has among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world!
Going back down
This part is much easier, just watch out for the uneven steps and the cheeky monkeys! By the time we came down around 10.30am, it was definitely much more crowded.
The busy crowd and heat would have made it a much harder climb for families traveling with children.
Take it easy for the rest of the day
After our trip to Sigiriya rock in the morning, we went back to our amazing Aliya Resort & Spa Hotel to swim and laze around the beautiful pool. The best thing is, we can still see enjoy views of Sigiriya Rock from our hotel!
