Sigiriya
The rock fortress in the Cultural Triangle. Stay nearby and climb before the heat.
Sigiriya is a climb and a palace on top of a rock, not a view you collect from the car park. The stairs and the water gardens need a morning, and the rest of that day is better spent at the village or at Pidurangala than on another two-hour drive.
On our classic circuit it sits with Dambulla and Polonnaruwa, with the night close enough that a dawn start does not mean leaving Kandy in the dark. The guide is there for the frescoes and the layout, and also to say when the rock is too crowded to enjoy.