With lush greens, and beautiful blooms in brilliant colours, the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens are truly a magical place to visit. These are Sri Lanka’s largest landscaped gardens that span over 60 hectares. Located just outside the city of Peradeniya, the botanical gardens, which were once a private garden for royalty, were established in 1824 and even served as headquarters for the British during the Second World War.
The Peradeniya Botanical Gardens are steeped in historical stories and legends your guide will impart. With beautifully manicured with many walkways, shaded avenues, and plenty of spaces to stop for a picnic, you can walk through these grounds at your own pace and enjoy the serenity.
Housing a rare and unique collection of exotic tropical and indigenous flora, including the well-known Orchid House, the gardens are surrounded on three sides by the Mahaweli River. With origins dating back as far as 1371, these botanical gardens were founded in 1821 and are still home to one of world’s largest collections of plants and trees. Giant Ficus trees, palms, an orchid house and a vast array of trees such as ebony, teak, satinwood, mahogany and tamarind can be seen here. The garden was once reserved only for royalty and also served as headquarters for Lord Louis Mountbatten, the supreme commander of the allied forces in the South Asia, during the Second World War. In 1957 The gardens were used as a location in the film The Bridge on the River Kwai.
This experience is fun for the whole family with your guide giving you insightfully information and interesting stories and some historical anecdotes throughout your stroll in the gardens.
Even if you’re not into botany or not much of a nature lover, the tour guide will surely make your experience interesting with their stories and insightful descriptions about history and legends.
Highlights
Beautiful and tranquil setting!
The vast, l grounds make for the most beautiful photos and a lovely picnic.
A diverse array of interesting fauna and flora
Includes
Water entrance fees and your guide
Kid Friendly
Yes. Recommended for kids of all ages.
Difficulty and accessibility
Easy. Although the grounds are vast, the climate is soothing and there’s so much to see. The gardens are wheelchair accessible.
Timings
It takes approximately 1.5 hours to 2 hours.
Things to keep in mind
Wear light clothing and walking shoes. Most of your journey will be on foot \ outdoors, So make sure you’re comfortable.
Sunscreen and a hat or umbrella will always come in handy.
Opt for a wearable baby carrier if you’re travelling with small children. That way you have your hands free to take photos!
Any of our experiences can be included in your travel itinerary when planning your trip with our travel specialists as we help you plan the best way to include Sri Lankas destinations and experiences into your trip.
To add this or any other experience to your itinerary please get in touch with our travel specialists.