Things to do in Colombo

Activities in Sri Lanka’s capital city

To discover Colombo is to fall in love with one of the most genial and easily-explored cities in Asia where many of the best places to see are within easy reach.

Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital, might not quite match up to the grandeur of Kuala Lumpur or the frenetic pace of Hong Kong, but it will be no time at all before you feel at home in a compact and easily-explored coastal city with a relaxed atmosphere all of its own.

For the tourist in Colombo, the hub of the capital remains the Fort area where old colonial buildings remain among an increasingly vibrant skyline.

You can experience our Hidden History City Walking Tour which samples many of the Fort’s most famous sites before finishing amid the hustle and bustle of Pettah market where small traders congregate to sell their wares. If you prefer, we can even offer you a Colombo City Tour by Tuk Tuk.

The old Dutch Hospital is now a site for some of the swankiest restaurants and bars in town, although many still throng to old favourites – a sundowner perhaps at Galle Face Hotel or experience a spot of lunch and some souvenir buying at Barefoot further down the Galle Road.

Cricket tourists will find much pleasure in the timeless cricket grounds with atmospheric bars that stud the capital, such as Colombo Cricket Club, or if golf is your favourite activity have a round at the historic Royal Colombo Golf Club.

While some roads can be slightly chaotic at times, Colombo is also blessed by tree-lined avenues and you can also get active in the magnificent Viharamahadevi Park.

The National Museum, established by a British governor in the 19C, showcases the crown and throne of former Kandyan monarchs as well as paintings and other artefacts that tell the story of Sri Lanka. It also includes a fascinating, if much more run down, natural history section.

Pride of the Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya temple, on the way south to Mount Lavinia, is a sacred Bo Tree, which according to ancient texts is one of the 32 saplings that sprang from the most sacred Bo tree of all at Anuradhapura. This ancient Buddhist temple houses statues and frescoes depicting the life of the Buddha. The Gangaramaya (Vihara) Temple is also worth a look.