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Is Ambuluwawa Tower safe for kids? The stairs look terrifying on TikTok.

Asked 10 months agoSeen by 1,382 travellers

Brian•10 rep•2

My kids (ages 8 and 10) want to climb the Ambuluwawa Tower because they saw it online. I know it’s narrow, but is it structurally safe?

Also, we are visiting on a Saturday. Will we be stuck in a queue on the spiral staircase? I'm worried about panic attacks if we can't move.

kandy safety ambuluwawa kids crowds

Ambuluwawa Tower

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Ambuluwawa Trigonometrical Station, Ambuluwaawa ICC Road, Gampola, Sri Lanka

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asked 10 months ago

Brian•10 rep•2

1 Answer from travellers

Verified Local Expert

Ambuluwawa is thrilling, but it is not for the faint-hearted.

The Safety: The tower is concrete and structurally sound, but the railings are low in some sections, and the spiral gets extremely narrow at the top.

The "Crowd Danger": On a Saturday, the queue can be 1 hour long. The real danger isn't the tower falling, but the human traffic jam. People trying to go up squeeze past people coming down on a 2-foot wide staircase with a 100ft drop. It can trigger severe claustrophobia and vertigo.

Advice for Kids: Do not take children to the very top (the skinny spiral) on a weekend. Stop at the first or second viewing platform where it is wide and safe.

Timing: If you want to reach the top safely, you must be at the gate at 8:00 AM sharp. By 10:00 AM, it is a gridlock.

answered 10 months ago

Viraj PereraVerified Local Expert•353 rep•2

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