Peradeniya Botanical Gardens | AmazingLanka.com

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Peradeniya Botanical Gardens – The Fig Tree

The Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya, is Sri Lanka’s largest and most storied garden, spanning 147 acres. Originally a 14th-century royal pleasure ground, it now houses over 4,000 species, including a world-renowned orchid collection, a massive Javan fig tree, and the iconic Avenue of Royal Palms.

Key Visitor Information and Travel Tips

Ticket Prices / Entrance Fees: LKR 3,540 for foreigners. See below for details
Opening Hours: 7.30 am to 6 pm all 365 days of the year.
Best Times to Visit: Morning or evening (when the sun is not the brightest).
Photography: Allowed
Dress Code: suitable for a walk in the tropical weather.
Accessibility: Paths suitable for wheelchairs. Electric buggies/golf carts are also available for hiring. (see ticketing below).
Time to Spend: The total lenth of the walking path is about 4.5 km and will take about 3-4 hours to cover all of it. However, the key highlights can be covered in about 1-1.5 hours, which covers Palm Avenue, Orchard Garden, Great Lawn & Giant Javan Fig Tree.

Map of Peradeniya Botanical Gardens

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Nestled within a bend of the Mahaweli River, about 6 kilometers west of Kandy, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, occupies land that once formed part of an important royal settlement. Between 1357 and 1374, the area served as a seat of power during the reign of Vikramabahu III, although no visible remains of that early period survive today.

In the 18th century, the site gained renewed prominence under Kirti Sri Rajasinha (1747–1780), who transformed the grounds into a Royal Pleasure Garden and even established his residence there. These landscaped grounds later formed the foundation of the botanical garden that exists today.

Transformation Under British Rule

In 1815 the Kandyan Convention brought the Kingdom of Kandy under British control, and the last monarch, Sri Wickrama Rajasinha (1798-1815), was captured and imprisoned. A few years later, in 1821, the former royal park was formally converted into a botanical garden, eventually becoming the largest of Sri Lanka’s three principal botanical gardens.

Under British administration, the gardens served as an experimental station for economically valuable crops introduced from abroad. Plants such as coffee, tea, nutmeg, rubber, and cinchona—the source of quinine—were tested here before spreading across the island and profoundly influencing the colonial plantation economy.

A Living Collection of Plants

Today the gardens cover approximately 59.5 hectares (147 acres) of landscaped grounds filled with lawns, flowering shrubs, and towering trees. One of its most impressive features is a vast 20-hectare arboretum containing more than 10,000 individual trees representing over 4,000 species from around the world.

Among the most striking sights is the grand palm avenue planted in 1905. Another highlight is the enormous Java fig, a tree introduced from the East Indies whose immense canopy now spreads across roughly 1,600 square meters of lawn.

Botanical Highlights

The gardens present a rich sensory experience. Visitors encounter expansive lawns, a well-known Orchid House displaying a remarkable collection of orchids, an octagon conservatory, and a lush fernery. Towering clumps of Burmese giant bamboo form dramatic green walls, while colorful flower beds showcase plants such as cannas, hibiscus, chrysanthemums, croton, and cascading bougainvillea.

A central tank displays aquatic plants, including giant water lilies and papyrus reeds. Throughout the gardens stand remarkable specimens such as palms of many varieties—palmyra, talipot, royal, and cabbage palms—along with the impressive Indian rubber tree (Ficus elastica), notable for its massive buttress roots. The avenues themselves are memorable, particularly the distinctive rows of leaning Cook’s pines and other venerable trees that serve as living witnesses to the garden’s long history.

The Lake and the Gardner Memorial

At the heart of the garden lies an artificial lake ingeniously designed in the outline of the island of Sri Lanka. Nearby stands a graceful white-domed rotunda commemorating George Gardner, who served as superintendent of the gardens in the mid-19th century and played a key role in their early development.

Opening Hours

Open Days	all 365 days
Opening Hours	7.30 AM – 6.00 PM
Ticketing Hours	7.30 AM – 5.00 PM

Peradeniya Botanical Gardens Entrance Fees

Description	LKR
Local Adults	200
Local Children below 12 years and School Children	30
Local Adults over 60 (NIC proof needed)	50
Foreign Adults	3,540
Foreign School and University Students ((Must have satisfactory proof)	2,360
Foreign Children (5 to 12 years)	1,770
Electric Cars (4-seater) – per hour	1,000
Electric Cars (8-seater) – per hour	2,000
Vehicle Parking	charged

(2026 prices)

Electric Cars and other facilities are available only in certain locations and prices may be increased regularly.

Also See

Traveling Directions to Peradeniya Botanical Gardens

Route from Colombo to Peradeniya Botanical Gardens	Route from Kandy to Peradeniya Botanical Gardens
Through : Kandy Road – Peradeniya Distance : 115 km Travel time : 3.5-4 hours Driving directions : see on Google Maps.	Through : Peradeniya Distance : 5 km Travel time : 10 minutes Driving directions : see on Google Maps.