Morning light settles across low stone stupas and the broad leaves of sacred fig trees as a private vehicle pulls into the shadow of Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. Visitors step out into a city that still breathes the pace of ancient rulers: brick platforms, weathered moonstones and the steady chant from a distant shrine. This six-hour pilgrimage threads the Atamasthana — the eight sacred sites centered on the Bodhi tree, Thuparamaya and Abhayagiriya — with shorter stops at Isurumuniya, the twin ponds (Kuttam Pokuna), the Samadhi statue and the famous Sandakada pahana (moonstone).