Colombo Day Tour

Colombo is the bustling capital city of Sri Lanka and is a hub for visiting beaches in the south of the island. Its history involves successive rulings by the Portuguese, Dutch and British, and it was a major port on the east-west trade routes during that era. This ancient heritage reflects on the city today in terms of its architecture consisting of colonial buildings as well as high-rise skyscrapers and shopping malls. The cosmopolitan side of Colombo includes stylish theatres, cinemas, restaurants, cafes, museums and galleries. Modern-day Colombo is emerging rapidly and a Colombo city tour is a worthy item on your agenda either at the start or finish to your Sri Lankan tour.

• Gangaramaya Temple

Gangaramaya is a Buddhist temple with a fusion of modern architecture and a touch of culture. Being a popular landmark of the city, this complex is built on a lake and consists of a temple, a conference hall for Buddhist monks and a vocational training institute.

• Old Parliament Building

This building houses the presidential secretariat and is a remain of British colonial architecture. It is situated in the Colombo Fort, close to the house of the President and has an amazing view of the sea

• Manning Market

An old and popular public market for fruits and vegetable market located in the heart of Colombo. It was once a colonial structure but today, it consists of over 1000 stalls and more than 60 open booths for sales

• Pettah Fort

Pettah Fort is an ideal example of amazing colonial architecture in the midst of rampant commerce. Being the financial district of Colombo, here you will find the World Trade Center in which the Colombo Stock Exchange operates. Also located here is the Colombo port, the largest and busiest port in the country and dates back to the 14th Century.

• Galle Face Green

This is a massive ocean-side urban park, stretching for 500m along the coastline and is located in the heart of the financial district of Colombo. It is perfect for a relaxing evening while watching the sunset. Kite flying is also a popular activity here.