Jaffna: See
1 Nallur Kandaswamy temple. 07:30-18:15 daily, closed between 12:00-15:00. Beautiful and famous Hindu temple. Come at sunset when the orange coloured temple building is at its most vibrant. Free. (updated Apr 2015)
2 Thondaimanaru Selva Sannithi Temple (Selvach Sannithi Murugan Kovil). (updated Apr 2015)
3 Nagapoosani Temple (On Nainatheevu island). (updated Apr 2015)
4 Nagadeepa Purana Viharaya (On Nainatheevu island). (updated Apr 2015)
5 Sri Nagavihara International Buddhist Centre. (updated Apr 2015)
6 Palaly Raja Rajeswari Amman Kovil, Palaly East (near the airport). (updated Nov 2019)
7 Jaffna Library (யாழ் பொது நூலகம்), ☏ +94 212226028. 8:30-18:00 daily, closed Mondays & holidays. This magnificent library, built in 1933, once housed the largest collection in Asia, with over 97,000 books and rare documents. It was burnt in 1981 by Sinhalese police and paramilitaries during a pogrom against the minority Tamil population. As a precursor to the Sri Lankan Civil War, the burning of Jaffna Library remains a controversial and traumatic issue among many in Jaffna. Restored and reopened, it now houses a much smaller collection. It is airconditioned so is a great place to hide from the heat, though much of the library is off limits to visitors. (updated Sep 2025)
8 Kankesanthurai (KKS, Port Kankesan). A beachside suburb of Jaffna reachable by train or tuk-tuk. It has the port with the ferry to India, Sri Lanka's northernmost railway station, the Keerimalai springs and several temples. (updated Apr 2025)
9 Jaffna Fort. The Portuguese built this fort in the 17th century and it has been substantially modified since. Much of the fort is visible outside of the ticketed areas. At sunset, locals like to hang out here, enjoy the sunset, eat ice cream and relax. There is not a whole lot to see inside the ticketed area so nobody would blame you if you don't want to pay the price to go in when you can wander through some of the tunnels and structures of the fort on the other side of the moat and outside the ticketed area. 1570Rs. (updated Sep 2025)
10 Kachcheri Ruins (பழைய பூங்கா), Old Park. An interesting old ruin partly engulfed by trees. This British Governor's residence ("Kachcheri") from the 19th century was left in a state of ruin after the civil war, having been used by both Tamil Tiger and government forces. (updated Aug 2025)
11 Fish Market, Reclamation Rd, Guru Nagar. 06:00-10:00. A bustling market for locally-caught seafood (updated Nov 2025)
12 Jaffna Archaeological Museum. A small, easy-to-miss museum with a small collection of interesting local history. Free. (updated Jun 2026)