Discover Sigiriya Rock

Can you climb Sigiriya Rock with kids?

YES!

Many claim otherwise, but in my opinion, it’s doable—though it definitely requires patience, as the climb is long, steep, and crowded.

Let’s break down the climb, step by step.

• The first ramps of stairs aren’t overly challenging. The main difficulty is the heat and the limited space to move freely, as these areas are busy with people going in both directions. After passing a wooded area that blocks the view of the rock’s walls, the first vertical cliffs of the mountain suddenly appear. Looking up, you can catch a glimpse of a strange, colorful stone structure that looks like a wall through the trees.
• At some point, the climbing crowd inevitably starts to slow down—this is where the metal stairs begin. From here, you’ll need to be extra careful and hold your kids’ hands. Every step seems suspended in the air, so it’s best to avoid looking down. At the end of this stretch, the path finally levels out. A long paved walkway leads into what initially looked like a red stone wall. In reality, it’s an artificial corridor where, according to legend, the king’s concubines strolled under the blazing sun, shielded from prying eyes.

  The walls are so smooth that they almost seem like mirrors, and many have tried to demonstrate how it’s possible, by looking at them, to see reflections of the external landscape… something I have to admit I personally couldn’t manage to see!

• Now comes the trickiest part if you’re afraid of heights: the spiral staircase. Did the metal walkways seem unstable and rickety? Know that nothing can be more nerve-wracking than the spiral staircase running along the mirror wall. As seen in the image, there are two distinct columns, one for those descending and one for those climbing. You proceed in strict single file, being careful where you place your feet and trying to ignore the ominous creaking the structure makes under the weight of people. More than the void below, it’s this constant groaning of the metal that sends shivers down your spine!

• After tackling the spiral staircase, a long, gently sloping path begins, quite manageable, which wraps around the rock and leads to one last critical moment: a metal structure, no more than a few dozen meters long, that finally leads to the site’s original stairs—or at least to what remains of them, which have been appropriately restored. It’s just a few steps, true, but the platform creaks and wobbles alarmingly, creating a rather comical phenomenon: almost everyone, eager to get off quickly, tends to speed up, which only amplifies the vibrations and wobbling of the walkway!

• Once you reach the original stairs, the first phase of the ascent concludes. The reward is a large terrace, conveniently equipped with stalls and kiosks, where most tourists pause to catch their breath. From this flat area, you can take a look at the magnificent panorama around us and, even more intriguingly, at the final section to climb to reach the top. The image gives an idea of what you see from below: the path is now entrusted to sturdy metal stairs with handrails that zigzag their way up the last remaining buttress before the summit. Many people lose hope and confidence in their abilities at this point, but in my opinion, having come this far, it’s unthinkable to choose not to go on.

• And here we are on the infamous metal walkway leading to the summit. It doesn’t wobble excessively and is wide enough to allow you to hold on to the railing. At this point, the only discomfort is vertigo. Even for those who think they don’t suffer from it, the sensation of being suspended in the void can be unsettling, I assure you.

• Once you reach the last turn, you look down at the terrace below, small and far away. The people left down there are barely distinguishable, giving you an idea of how much (uphill) ground you’ve covered to gain this view.

• Reaching the top, the first overwhelming emotion comes from the surrounding panorama. Words can’t describe it; it’s simply stunning and breathtakingly majestic. I even had the luxury of earning applause from guides and tourists when they saw me arrive with Giulia on my shoulders… I think I’ll never forget that view, nor the feeling I experienced. The dry forest stretches endlessly in every direction, dense and compact like a green carpet. Only in the distance can you spot a few buildings and a giant white Buddha rising above the trees. The hills and artificial lakes are barely visible through the haze enveloping the farthest elements.

• Instantly, you forget the effort it took to get up here, the breathlessness, the sweat-soaked clothes, and the thirst that’s been nagging at you for a while (no matter how much water you bring, it’s never enough). Everything you see before you is priceless, I assure you, and it’s one of the most rewarding parts of the entire trip to Sri Lanka.

What makes the climb truly satisfying is the awareness of having accomplished a memorable feat, especially when done with children. And this awareness is only offered by this view: the sight of the road leading to the fortress’s entrance.