Colombo Trip Overview
This private day tour covers the main highlights of the Southern Coast of Sri Lanka. Built by the Portuguese on the coast of Sri Lanka in the 16th century and modified in the 17th century by the Dutch, Galle Fort is a historic testament to the significant European influence in South East Asia. Explore this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as the Dutch Fort, a fortified city shaped by Dutch-colonial style buildings and crumbling remnants of ancient, Portuguese and British times. The golden sandy beaches along the southern coast, and a number of luxurious retreats makes Sri Lanka’s south coast an ideal escape from frenetic everyday life. Visit a mask factory in the coastal town of Ambalangoda and experience a memorable boat ride on the Madu River of Balapitiya.
• Explore the UNESCO listed Galle Fort
• Discover and visit a mask museum in Ambalangoda
• Engage in a memorable boat safari in Madu river
• Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant
Additional Info
Duration: 11 to 12 hours
Starts: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Colombo Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka
This private day tour covers the main highlights of the Southern Coast of Sri Lanka. Built by the Portuguese on the coast of Sri Lanka in the 16th century and modified in the 17th century by the Dutch, Galle Fort is a historic testament to the significant European influence in South East Asia. Explore this magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as the Dutch Fort, a fortified city shaped by Dutch-colonial style buildings and crumbling remnants of ancient, Portuguese and British times. The golden sandy beaches along the southern coast, and a number of luxurious retreats makes Sri Lanka’s south coast an ideal escape from frenetic everyday life. Visit a mask factory in the coastal town of Ambalangoda and experience a memorable boat ride on the Madu River of Balapitiya.
• Explore the UNESCO listed Galle Fort
• Discover and visit a mask museum in Ambalangoda
• Engage in a memorable boat safari in Madu river
• Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Galle Fort, Church Street, Galle 80000 Sri Lanka
You will be picked up from your hotel in Colombo or Negombo and transferred to Galle Fort as your first itinerary for the day. Galle Fort is a magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a living monument, inhabited by a bustling community, within the great ramparts, massive bastions and pepper pot towers. Step back into the past and delve into Galle’s Maritime Museum. The Mosque, the Lighthouse, the Anglican and Dutch-reformed Churches are some of the other must-see sites within the Fort’s walls.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Ariyapala Mask Museum, 426 Main Street, Ambalangoda 80300 Sri Lanka
Your next stop will be the Ariyapala mask museum in Ambalangoda. The museum is a simple spot, unchanged over many decades which is all part of its charm. By visiting this museum you can learn about the traditional ceremonies and understand something about the masks’ meaning and cultural significance. On the first floor is a souvenir shop which offers high-quality masks that are individually hand painted rather than mass-produced.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Madu River, Nilwala River Safari, Bridge View, Custom Road, Balapitiya , Sri Lanka 941906362 Call And Contact, Balapitiya 80550 Sri Lanka
Then your final stop will be the Madu river in Balapitiya for a memorable boat safari experience. Board a boat into the mangrove marshes of the Madu River, traveling through shadowy caverns formed by the trees, and interspersed with bright open stretches of water. Learn more about mangroves while watching for crocodiles, water snakes, tree snakes, and wild boars in their natural habitat. It’s also common to see cormorants, storks, and other birds, which hunt for prey in the river current. As you pass shallower areas of the river, you’ll spot pots for catching prawn and shrimp, then visit an old Buddhist temple on one of the river’s many islands. On completion of this visit, you’ll be driven back to your hotel.
Duration: 2 hours
