Many people find it hard to choose: Climb Pidurangala Rock or Lion Rock in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka? We have climbed both Lion Rock and Pidurangala Rock several times in recent years and list the pros and cons of both rocks below. That way, you can decide which rock you want to climb (or maybe both?).
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You’ll find them both in the eponymous village of Sigiriya, near Dambulla. Sigiriya is a super nice town, where there is enough to spend 3 days and do activities. Besides climbing the Pidurangala Rock or the Lion Rock, you can also do a cooking workshop, an elephant safari and a woodworking workshop. Read the extensive article on what to do in Sigiriya, the 9 best activities for all the tips!
From almost every accommodation in Sigiriya, you can walk to the entrance of the Lion Rock. The Pidurangala Rock is a little further away. If you feel like a good hike you can definitely hike to this as well.
Lion Rock
The Lion rock is the more famous of the two and has a rich history. Between 477 and 495 AD, the palace of King Kassapa stood on top of this rock. On the way up, you will find beautiful murals and ruins of this. These murals, called Frescoes, depict many naked women, reinforcing the suspicion that the king had many adventures with different women.
The Lion rock, is a large complex surrounded by several beautiful rocks, trees and nature. You will also find a moat and a city wall, which used to protect the king from his enemies.
If you are planning to visit the Lion Rock, you should keep in mind many tourists have the same idea. No matter when you come here, it is always crowded with dozens of tourists. The best time to climb the rock is early in the morning or in the afternoon when the sun is about to set. In any case, it is definitely not recommended to climb it in the middle of the day because it is simply far too hot then. The complex is open from 7 am to 5 pm.
After paying $35 entrance fee at the ticket office, you may begin the climb up the steps. You may choose to take a guide – which are all around the Lion Rock. The guide will enthusiastically talk about the history of the Lion Rock, King Kassapa and everything that happened here in the past. You don’t need the guide to point out the route to the top, you can easily find this on your own.
The climb up takes an average of an hour. Along the way, you do take the occasional time to take some pictures and stop to take in the beautiful views. When you arrive at the top, there is a large, flat rock with a number of ruins (remnants of pools) from which you have a beautiful view of the surrounding villages and forests. Here you also begin to understand why this rock has been named Lion Rock, for here you will find the famous and photogenic lion’s paws, which is the entrance to the final staircase to the top. Keep in mind that near this last staircase there are nests of hornets or bees in the distance. They have cordoned off this area fairly well, but if you have an allergy it is therefore advisable to bring an epipen.
Pidurangala Rock
Unlike Lion Rock, neighbor Pidurangala does not have a rich history. The only thing you will encounter on your way up is a large reclining Buddha, which of course is typical of all of Sri Lanka. The similarity here, too, is that it is wise to start early in the day, or late in the afternoon. It gets very hot to climb otherwise quickly.
The entrance fee to Pidurangala is 1,000 LKR (€3). What you do need to keep in mind is that you need to cover yourself at the entrance here (shoulders and knees so you can easily wrap a sarong). After this you begin the climb up through the forest and over rocks. You don’t need a guide here to lead the way, this is clearly marked. There is also only one path you can follow so then it is not at all difficult 😉
When you pass by the reclining Buddha, you are immediately at a beautiful vantage point. From here you walk around the rock for a bit, through dense bushes, and then it’s some real adventure climbing. You see a batch of rocks here, which you have to stand on and jump from one to another. After this, you can roll to the top of Pidurangala Rock. A challenging but very fun way to really climb a rock.
The view from here of Lion Rock is stunning. You can sit back and enjoy the peace and quiet. You can also have a perfect breakfast here, or grab some snacks. Just watch out for the monkeys and dogs that know their way to the top of the Pidurangala Rock, because they will snatch it right out of your hand!
Lion Rock VS Pidurangala Rock
Climb Pidurangala Rock or Lion Rock? As you have read, there are upsides and downsides to both rocks. Below we list them again, so you can make a good choice which one you want to climb the most. Of course, if you have the time and inclination, you can also choose to climb them both, which is definitely recommended! Finally, it is important to know that both rocks attract about the same number of visitors these days. Until 2024, the Lion Rock was much better known and everyone went here, but since tourists heard about the Pidurangala Rock (and the low entrance fee), everyone visits the Pidurangala too. So for the amount of tourists, it doesn’t matter much which rock you climb.
Lion Rock benefits:
1 History of the rock
2 Beautiful frescoes and ruins to admire
3 Easy walkability due to stairs
Lion Rock cons:
1 High entrance fee ($35)
Pidurangala Rock benefits:
1 Low entrance fee (1,000 LKR)
2 View of the Lion Rock where you can sit quietly
Pidurangala Rock disadvantages:
1 Difficult to walk for some people due to climbing at the end
2 No interesting history to admire
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