Anuradhapura is guarded behind a steep entrance fee. To be honest, we aren’t quite sure which parts are required to have the ticket and which parts aren’t as we didn’t end up paying until halfway through our tour.
There is the option of cycling around the different sites or renting a car/tuk tuk. We originally had our hearts set on renting bicycles but the heavy rain the night before ensured us that it wouldn’t be pleasant, so we opted for the tuk tuk. This ended up being a good decision as our driver spoke great English and gave us a good amount of background on each site we visited.
Hiring a driver with knowledge of the ruins makes for a good alternative if you don’t want to splash out for a guide. However, local guides are available.
Touring the ruins by bicycle will take up to 8 hours, whilst via Tuk Tuk could could take 4 – 5 hours depending on how long you spend at each location.
Entrance Cost: 25USD (The cost is dependant on the exchange rate at that time)
Bicycle Rental: 500 rupees
Tuk Tuk Tour: 2500 – 3000 rupees