Badulla district, Sri Lanka

Places to visit near Badulla

Badulla is a town in Badulla district, Sri Lanka, home to about 47,587 people. Within 50 km by road there are 89 places to visit — 23 hill stations & viewpoints, 22 waterfalls, 14 buddhist sites and 9 wildlife, forests & gardens. The must-see places are Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya (1 km), Bogoda Wooden Bridge (9 km) and Nine Arch Bridge (14 km).

Updated · Distances are road estimates · Open Badulla on the map

Badulla, Sri Lanka
Badulla, Badulla district, Sri Lanka. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Badulla at a glance

Location
Badulla district, Sri Lanka
Population
about 47,587
Coordinates
6.9802° N, 81.0577° E
Places within 50 km
89 (40 must-see)
Best time to visit
October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; July to January, best August to November right after rains for waterfalls
Nearest city
Ella, 16 km
Airport
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), 97 km

Top places to visit near Badulla

Ranked by how worth the drive they are from Badulla: must-see places and the closest well-loved spots first. Open a place for photos, today’s visitor status, timings and directions.

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Things to see near Badulla, by type

Hill stations & viewpoints near Badulla

57 hill stations & viewpoints within 100 km of Badulla. The closest is Bogoda Wooden Bridge (9 km); the best-known is Ella Rock View Point (17 km). Best time: october to february for cool, clear air.

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Waterfalls near Badulla

51 waterfalls within 100 km of Badulla. The closest is Dunhinda Waterfall (6 km); the best-known is Ravana Waterfall (19 km). Best time: july to january, best august to november right after rains.

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Buddhist sites near Badulla

40 buddhist sites within 100 km of Badulla. The closest is Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya (1 km). Best time: october to march.

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Wildlife, forests & gardens near Badulla

36 wildlife, forests & gardens within 100 km of Badulla. The closest is Ella Organic Tea Garden (17 km). Best time: november to march for sightings.

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Lakes, dams & reservoirs near Badulla

29 lakes, dams & reservoirs within 100 km of Badulla. The closest is Alikota Ara Reservoir (30 km); the best-known is Lake Gregory (39 km). Best time: august to december when reservoirs are full and gates may open.

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Forts & heritage near Badulla

16 forts & heritage within 100 km of Badulla. The closest is Badulla Fort (2 km). Best time: october to february.

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A one-day trip from Badulla

5 of the best places within 60 km, in driving order so you don’t double back: about 40 km on the road.

  1. Start in Badulla
  2. 1 km Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya · Buddhist site, Badulla
  3. 17 km Little Adam's Peak View Point · peak, Badulla
  4. 2 km Ella Rock View Point · viewpoint, Badulla
  5. 1 km Ravana's Cave · cave, Badulla
  6. 4 km Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery · monastery, Badulla
  7. 15 km Back to Badulla

Plan a longer trip from Badulla — the planner adds a place to stay each night and keeps the route to one loop.

From travellers near Badulla

No traveller has reported from around Badulla yet. Been to one of these places recently? Open it and post what you found — is the waterfall flowing, how crowded was the temple, is the beach safe — so the next visitor knows before they drive.

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How to reach Badulla

  • By air: Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), Hambantota — about 97 km by road
  • By air: Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), Colombo — about 164 km by road
  • By road from Ella: about 16 km · directions
  • By road from Nuwara Eliya: about 37 km · directions
  • By road from Kandy: about 73 km · directions

All places near Badulla by distance

Within 15 km of Badulla

15–50 km — half-day trips

50–100 km — one-day trips

Count by type (within 100 km)

Places near Badulla by type
TypeWithin 50 kmWithin 100 kmNearest
Hill stations & viewpoints2357Bogoda Wooden Bridge (9 km)
Waterfalls2251Dunhinda Waterfall (6 km)
Buddhist sites1440Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya (1 km)
Wildlife, forests & gardens936Ella Organic Tea Garden (17 km)
Lakes, dams & reservoirs729Alikota Ara Reservoir (30 km)
Forts & heritage416Badulla Fort (2 km)
Museums010Canbuy Gem Museum (71 km)
Other attractions49Mini Worlds End (Madulsima) Pitamaruwa (23 km)
Temples17Seetha Amman Kovil (35 km)
Caves25Ravana's Cave (16 km)
Rivers, islands & mangroves03Island Cream (72 km)
Parks12Victoria Park (40 km)
Churches22St. Andrews Church (32 km)
Treks01Sri Padaya-Kuruwita Erathna Trail Start (89 km)

Badulla: questions travellers ask

What are the best places to visit near Badulla?

Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya (Buddhist site, about 1 km), Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery (monastery, about 15 km), Ravana's Cave (cave, about 16 km), Ella Rock View Point (viewpoint, about 17 km), Little Adam's Peak View Point (peak, about 16 km), Ella Organic Tea Garden (garden, about 17 km).

How many tourist places are there within 50 km of Badulla?

89 places on Spotwander: 23 hill stations & viewpoints, 22 waterfalls, 14 buddhist sites, 9 wildlife, forests & gardens, 7 lakes, dams & reservoirs.

Which is the nearest viewpoint to Badulla?

Bogoda Wooden Bridge, about 9 km by road; Diyanagala Viewpoint (9 km) is next.

Which is the nearest waterfall to Badulla?

Dunhinda Waterfall, about 6 km by road; Kuda Ravana Ella Waterfall (16 km) is next.

Which is the nearest Buddhist site to Badulla?

Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya, about 1 km by road; Badulla Alugolla Samadhi Buddha Statue (4 km) is next.

What is a good one-day trip from Badulla?

Start in Badulla, visit Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya, then Little Adam's Peak View Point, then Ella Rock View Point, then Ravana's Cave, then Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery, and drive back — about 40 km by road in all.

What is the best time to visit places near Badulla?

October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; July to January, best August to November right after rains for waterfalls.

How do I reach Badulla?

By air: Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (HRI), about 97 km by road. By road: 16 km from Ella.

Towns near Badulla

Nearest cities

Sources: places from OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata and GeoNames; Badulla’s location and population from GeoNames; see also Badulla on Wikipedia. Data sources & credits.