Colombo Trip Overview
Get the best out of the city by visiting the most popular attractions in Colombo; each with its own significant story. Admire the Independence Memorial Hall, stroll through the National Museum or shop till you drop at the historic Dutch Hospital. Amidst the hustle and bustle, there are a plethora of things to do in Colombo for an avid traveler; from admiring the beauty of the Red Mosque to visiting the Gangaramaya Temple. Colombo’s main attractions are sure to leave a lasting impression on this budding city!
• Hassle free pick up and drop off
• Explore the Capital of Sri Lanka
• Local lunch included to taste the traditional taste of Sri Lankans
Additional Info
Duration: 6 to 8 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
Get the best out of the city by visiting the most popular attractions in Colombo; each with its own significant story. Admire the Independence Memorial Hall, stroll through the National Museum or shop till you drop at the historic Dutch Hospital. Amidst the hustle and bustle, there are a plethora of things to do in Colombo for an avid traveler; from admiring the beauty of the Red Mosque to visiting the Gangaramaya Temple. Colombo’s main attractions are sure to leave a lasting impression on this budding city!
• Hassle free pick up and drop off
• Explore the Capital of Sri Lanka
• Local lunch included to taste the traditional taste of Sri Lankans
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Gangaramaya (Vihara) Buddhist Temple, 61 Sri Jinaratana Road, Colombo Sri Lanka
In the heart of Colombo, situated near the shore of Beira Lake, the Gangaramaya Temple is one of the oldest and most culturally significant temples of the city. Founded in the late 19th century by a famous scholarly monk named Hakkaduwe Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera, the temple functions today not only as a site of worship, but also as an institute for learning and as a cultural centre. The architecture of the Gangaramaya Temple showcases a diverse mix of Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian and Chinese design, and the building also accommodates a museum, library, residential hall and an educational hall.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Independence Square, Independence Avenue, Colombo 00700 Sri Lanka
On the 4th of February 1948, in Torrington Square, Sri Lanka’s first elected parliament – that was independent of British rule – was officially opened in a formal ceremony, restoring the country’s full autonomy to its people. The Independence Memorial Hall (also known as the Independence Commemoration Hall) was subsequently built as a national monument that would commemorate the country gaining its freedom from the British, in the very location where the historic event occurred. The area around the Hall was renamed Independence Square, and today is a popular attraction for locals.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Colombo National Museum, Albert Crescent, Colombo Sri Lanka
In the heart of Colombo, a mere stone’s throw away from the beautifully manicured lawns of Viharamahadevi Park, lies the Colombo National Museum. Home to over 100,000 exhibits within its Italian-styled walls, this iconic institution is currently the largest museum that can be found in Sri Lanka. It was founded in the late 1800s by Sir William Henry Gregory (who was the British Governor of Ceylon at the time), and hosts a diverse collection of art ranging from intricate carvings to antique masks, as well as featuring ancient statues and impressive paintings that portray the island’s rich history. The museum also contains a trove of significant treasures such as swords, guns and other weaponry from the Sri Lanka’s colonial past, as well as valuable collections that hark back to the time of the country’s ancient Kandyan kings.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct, Hospital Street Galle Fort, Colombo 00001 Sri Lanka
The Old Dutch Hospital is one of the oldest buildings in the Colombo Fort area, having been built somewhere in the late 17th century by the Dutch. It was constructed in order to manage the health and welfare of staff serving under the Dutch East India Company, and its location close to the sea was considered to be ideal for catering to Dutch sailors. Paintings depicting the hospital in the past show that a canal once ran alongside the building (what is now known as Canal Row Lane), but it was covered up and filled in by the British. The Urban Development Authority renovated the hospital in 2011 and it became the vibrant place that we know today. Now, the Old Dutch Hospital is an attractive shopping precinct that also houses several enticing dining establishments within its historic walls, including the Ministry of Crab, Colombo Fort Café and Spa Ceylon.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, Second Cross Street, Colombo 01100 Sri Lanka
In the heart of the busy streets of Pettah, rising proudly out of the bustling crowds of Colombo, the red and white structure of the Jami-ul-Alfar Mosque (colloquially known to locals as the Red Mosque) stands as one of the most popular tourist attractions of the city, as well as being one of the oldest mosques in Colombo. Its clock tower and candy-cane-striped minarets, towering over its surroundings, are visible for miles around and were once used as a landmark by sailors approaching Colombo’s ports. Commissioned to be built in the early 1900s by the local Muslim community, who were in need of a central location for their daily prayers, the construction of the mosque was completed and open to devotees by 1909.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Galle Face Green, Galle Road, Colombo Sri Lanka
Galle Face Green is a ribbon of land that stretches for half a kilometre along the coast of the Indian Ocean in central Colombo, measuring up to an area of five hectares. It was originally developed by the Dutch as a strategic line of cannon fire against the invading Portuguese, and stretched over a much larger area than what it is today. Over the years, since the initial creation of this urban park, Galle Face Green has seen a variety of sports played on its grounds, including horse racing, golf, cricket, polo, football, tennis and rugby. Today, enclosed between the Indian Ocean on its western coast and Galle Road to its east, the area is the largest open space in Colombo. It is known to locals and visitors for hosting an array of street-food vendors that sell fresh cooked crabs and prawns, as well as spiced slices of mango.
Duration: 1 hour
