Colombo Trip Overview
We offer several city tours of Colombo daily. Traveling via a tuk tuk by experienced and expert tour guides/drivers gives you the opportunity to sit back, soak in the culture of this exciting bustling city. Our company offers some of the cheapest rates! We want our customers to get the best experience for a reasonable cost. Book today and make beautiful memories you will never forget.
( We offer airport drops and pickups. The budget taxi service is promoted for cheap and comfortable .Island-wide transportation facilities from Colombo International Airport to your desired location at the best rates you will find. )
Additional Info
Duration: 4 hours 30 minutes
Starts: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Trip Category: Shore Excursions >> Ports of Call Tours
Explore Colombo Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka
We offer several city tours of Colombo daily. Traveling via a tuk tuk by experienced and expert tour guides/drivers gives you the opportunity to sit back, soak in the culture of this exciting bustling city. Our company offers some of the cheapest rates! We want our customers to get the best experience for a reasonable cost. Book today and make beautiful memories you will never forget.
( We offer airport drops and pickups. The budget taxi service is promoted for cheap and comfortable .Island-wide transportation facilities from Colombo International Airport to your desired location at the best rates you will find. )
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Temple of Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil, Colombo District Hindu Temple No.11/15, Kovil Street, Captain’s Garden, Maradana, Colombo-10, Colombo 01000 Sri Lanka
Built during the latter part of the 1700s, the Kovils at Captain’s Garden, Maradana are believed to be the oldest in Colombo. The area had been an island with the waters of the Beira Lake surrounding it. Devotees had travelled by boat to reach the temples to worship and make vows. During the Dutch period Captain’s Garden was known as ‘Cilamagoda’ and was an area of great economic activity since the warehouses for cinnamon, pepper, coconut, oil and coir were located in this vicinity.
Today, the Beira Lake no longer surrounds the Kovils, but the railway tracks that are constantly busy with trains. Yet, the environs of the Kovils are peaceful and only the sounds of the poojas can be heard. The elaborately decorated Gopurams reflect the main deities of the respective abodes, Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesh. The interior is beautiful and spiritual, with sculptures and motifs depicting Hinduism and culture. The two premises are connected by a central courtyard where you can worship both.
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, Second Cross Street, Colombo 01100 Sri Lanka
The Jami – Alfar Mosque on 2 nd Cross Street is painted with red and white stripes, similar to an old –fashioned, candy-striped barber’s shop. Its col – our scheme makes its very hard to miss amongst all the other rather shabby Pettah buildings. Over a 100 years old , the mosque was constructed in 1908. Just inside the entrance , the inscription reads the architect was H.L.Saib Lebbe. A friendly security guard may allow you inside ( even if you are a women ) to view the washing ponds and the rear view of the mosque’s clock tower . Women’s are not permitted to go inside the prayer halls . The mosque is soon to undergo expansion to make it into a four – storey complex catering foe between 7,000 – 8,000 worshippers at one time . However , the façade will retain its current character . Avoid visiting on Fridays when it is at busiest.
Pass By: Pettah, Colombo Sri Lanka
Pettah is a neighborhood in Colombo, Sri Lanka located east of the City centre Fort. The Pettah neighborhood is famous for the Pettah Market, a series of open air bazaars and markets. It is one of Sri Lanka’s busiest commercial areas, where a huge number of wholesale and retail shops, buildings, commercial institutions and other organizations are located.
The main market segment is designed like a gigantic crossword puzzle, where one may traverse through the entire markets from dawn till dusk, but not completely cover every part of it.
Pettah is derived from Tamil: Pettai, an Anglo-Indian word used to indicate a suburb outside a fort. Today, the Sinhala phrase, pita-kotuwa (outside the fort) conveniently describes the same place.
Stop At: Old Town Hall, Fort, Colombo Sri Lanka
The building is right smack in the middle of all the little shops and street stalls of Pettah. It’s all arches, needle point columns, crumbly yellow walls and creaky staircases – it’s got the making of a haunted mansion so it might be a fun visit with friends later in the day rather than sooner. There is no entrance ticket, you just walk inside and ask somebody near the main staircase if you can check out the building. There’s a random little museum of cool old stuff next to the building that you can check out too.Sugath is the caretaker these days and will take you up some creaky wooden steps to a musty floor upstairs. Next to the door to this ‘museum’ are some ordinary well-kept rooms with many chairs and wooden tables that look like they are still used today – Sugath says these spaces are sometimes used for official meetings.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Independence Memorial Hall, Independence Square, Colombo 00700 Sri Lanka
The foundation stone of the independence hall was laid by the first prime minister of srilanka, D.S .Senanayake on the 4th February, 1949, for the first anniversary of the independence. It was designed by Tom Neville Wynne-Jones, the then architect of the public works department. It is entirely made out of reinforced concrete, even the roof, which were at that time an advanced tech technology and an unusual practice. No wood was used in its construction.
The style is inspired from the ancient audience hall in Kandy.
Special ceremonies and important national events are held in this building symbolizing the freedom, the hopes and pride of a nation.
Duration: 15 minutes
Pass By: Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo Sri Lanka
Formerly called Victoria Park, this expanse of vegetation in the heart of the city used to stretch uninterrupted from the town hall to Alfred Crescent .the Ceylon Agricultural Society held shows there in the area to the rear of the museum (now Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha). Today the park is multifunctional. At the western end is the War Memorial (where the November 11th Armistice Day parade happens).
Further to the south is the Colombo Public Library building (accessible from outside the park on Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha).Along the southern perimeter (across from the Art Gallery and former Garden Club building), one or two elephants can often be seen either bathing in a small pool or munching branches and leaves. It is from here the elephants that feature in the GanagaramayaPeraheradepart. Elephants are brought to Colombo from all over the island specifically for the perahera (procession) help in February each year.
Pass By: Cargills Department Store, No. 40 York Street, Colombo Sri Lanka
In 1844 British businessman William Milne started ‘Milne & Company’ , general warehousemen, importers of oilman stores etc, with branches in Kandy and Galle. In 1850 Milne was joined by his friend, David Sime Cargill, and the firm became ‘Milne, Cargill & Co’.In 1860 Milne retired from business in Ceylon and moved back to England to form a company in Glasgow to look after the business of Cargill & Co. in the UK. Cargill became sole partner until he was joined by David MacKenzie and the name was changed to ‘Cargill & Co’. The company had a Colombo office at the intersection of Price and York Streets in Colombo Fort, a Kandy office at Upper Lake Road and an office in Galle Fortat 22 Pedlar Street. The Galle office was closed down in 1863.
Pass By: Galle Face Green, Galle Road, Colombo Sri Lanka
Galle face green has always played a special part in the lives of Colombo-dwellers, although it is the British who are credited with making it a place of social interaction, as it remains today.
In colonial times, the British embraced Galle face green as a leisure ground especially in the evening when elite ladies were said to promenade the length of the green. Active pursuits of cricket, football, polo and the famed horse races also took place on Galle face green. Horse-racing become popular in the 1840s and the Ceylon turf club was founded here sometime between the and 1860, although official records were not kept until 1866. The formal structure of the walk along the seaside was built during the period of governor ward in 1859. A plaque recognizes his achievement in providing a place where residents of Colombo could gather and socialize.
Stop At: Colombo Lighthouse, Chaithya Rd, Colombo 00100, Sri Lanka
The current 29-metre-high (95 ft) lighthouse was built in 1952 after the Old Colombo Lighthouse was deactivated when its light became obscured by nearby buildings as part of the Colombo Harbor Expansion project. It was opened by Rt Hon D.S. Senanayake, the first prime minister of Ceylon. Built on a concrete base which is 12 m (39 ft) high, it has four statues of lions at its base.
Due to the panoramic view of the Indian Ocean it offered, it became a city landmark. With the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War, public access to the site was restricted. This was due to its placement in a high-security zone as it is across the street from the Naval Headquarters and close proximity of the Port of Colombo.
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Lighthouse Clock Tower, Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo 00100, Sri Lanka
The tower was constructed as a clock tower in 1856-57 and completed on the 25 February 1857.The tower was designed by Emily Elizabeth Ward, the wife of Governor Sir Henry George Ward (1797 – 1860).The construction was undertaken by the Public Works Department, under the supervision of Mr John Flemming Churchill (Director General of Public Works). The 29-metre-high (95 ft) tower was the tallest structure in Colombo at that time.The original clock was commissioned for £1,200 in 1814 by the then Governor Sir Robert Brownrigg (1759 – 1833) but was kept in a warehouse, due to economic reasons, until 1857 when it was finally installed.
The lighthouse was deactivated after its light became obscured by nearby buildings and was decommissioned on 12 July 1952.The modern Galle Buck Lighthouse was erected on Marine Drive as its replacement.
Pass By: President’s House, Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka
President’s House is the official residence and workplace of the President of Sri Lanka, located at Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Since 1804 it has been the residence of British governors and governors-general and Sri Lankan presidents, having been known as the “King’s House” or the “Queen’s House” until Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972.
There have been 29 governors who resided here, and also six presidents who resided or used it in an official capacity. Currently it is used by Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the President of Sri Lanka for state functions. The Presidential Secretariat functions as the office of the president, with much of the presidential staff based there.
Stop At: Gangaramaya (Vihara) Buddhist Temple, 61 Sri Jinaratana Road, Colombo Sri Lanka
Gangaramaya Temple is one of the most important temples in Colombo, Sri Lanka, being a mix of modern architecture and cultural essence. Located on the Beira Lake, it was completed in the late 19th century.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe Prison Cell, Bank of Ceylon Mawatha Colombo 1, Colombo Sri Lanka
Sri Wickrama Rajasinhe, the king of Kandyan Kindgdom was captured by the British on the 18th February 1815 at Medamahanuwara after his own officials including Eheylapola Maha Adhikaram ( who was one of the main conspirators who helped the British to take over Kandy ) joined the British to help take hold of Kandy.
On 6th March 1815 the king, his family and relatives were brought to Colombo by the British. Its is said that that king was kept at a location close to the Galle Face Green until 24th January 1816, almost a year before being deported to Vellore India.
The cell identified as the holding cell of Sri Wickrama Rajasinhe lies on the intersection of Bank of Ceylon Mawatha and the Janadhipathi Mawatha within the Ceylinco Building car park area but visible to the road. Painted in bright yellow and orange, this is a roughly 8×5′ building with a 2 feet thick wall. The roof is designed with a fish scale design.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: St Peter’s Church, Colombo Sri Lanka
During the Portuguese occupation of the country a Dominican monastery and a charity hall, the Chapel of Misericordia (House of Mercy) were constructed on the site (c.1627),where the church is now located.Nearby was an early Gothic church, St. Dominico, of which only an inscribed stone set over its arches remains. In approximately 1666, ten years after the capture of Colombo by the Dutch they converted the building into the official residence for the Governor,with an elegant two storey facade facing the waterfront. The mansion had a flat roof, a large arched portico of cubicle form, and several large windows that let in light and air. The building was used for council meetings, and a reception/banquet hall, where ambassadors from the Kingdom of Kandy were entertained.
The British firstly used the structure as the residence of Lieutenant general Hay MacDowall (General Officer Commanding, Ceylon), though by this time the building was in a state of disrepair with the roof leaking badly.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Manning Market, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Just east of Fort train station, Manning Market is ripe with everything grown in Sri Lanka. It’s the city’s wholesale fruit and veg centre and is a monkey’s dream of bananas.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Kayman’s Gate Belltower, Main Street Pettah, Colombo Sri Lanka
Kayman’s Gate was an entrance to the former Colombo Fort located at the foot of the Wolvendaal Hill in the Pettah district of Colombo, Sri Lanka. A historic free-standing bell tower still stands at the site, now at the intersection of Main and 4th Cross Streets.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Colombo Art Gallery, No 08 Stratford Avenue, Colombo 00600 Sri Lanka
Green Path turns into an avenue for street artists and craftsmen to display their work. As such many abstract paintings, multi frame wall art, oil paintings and many such pieces of art brighten up the entire place. Woodworking and metal working craftsmen, with a number of other handcrafted item sellers, hawk their wares to passers by. Considering that the products here are original pieces.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Sambodhi Chaithya, Colombo 01, Colombo Sri Lanka
Sambodhi Chaithya (also sometimes called Buddha Jayanthi Chaithya) is a stupa, a Buddhist shrine, built with reinforced concrete. The stupa is located in Colombo Harbour, Sri Lanka.
It was designed by renowned Sri Lankan engineer A. N. S. Kulasinghe and construction began in 1956 to commemorate the Sambuddhatva jayanthi by the Colombo Port Commission and completed by the Colombo Port Authority. Built on a platform supported by two interlocking arches, the stupa is place above the Marine Drive at the entrance of the Colombo Harbour. This main road leading to the harbour has since been renamed Chaithya Road after the stupa . The walkway has 123 steps.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Colombo Fort, Galle Buck, Colombo Sri Lanka
The skyline of Colombo’s Fort has changed through the centuries but vestiges of Colonial and local rule are still visible. Some of the largest, oldest and newest buildings are located here. The Clock Tower was a lighthouse over 150 years ago. The sprawling President’s House carries the boulder engraved with the Portuguese Court of Arms in 1505. Most of the buildings, though refurbished by the British, have retained the aesthetic and architectural features inherited from the Dutch and Portuguese.
Duration: 15 minutes
