Sri Lanka’s first royal capital explored by bicycle – the Sri Maha Bodhi (planted 288 BC), the Ruwanwelisaya Dagoba (55 metres of ancient white stupa), the Jetavanaramaya, the Isurumuniya rock temple. Cycling gives this site the right pace: distances between monuments are manageable, the light through the trees is beautiful in the early morning, and moving through a 2,500-year-old city on two wheels is an experience that no vehicle tour can replicate. A specialist archaeology guide provides the narrative that transforms ruins into the story of a civilisation. Wagon Inns offers our own accommodation within the city for those spending a night here.