Colombo Travelers Recommend

Colombo’s long list of sights and activities make it important to plan any 2-day stay in advance. From touring the city’s diverse landmarks to sampling its spicy street food and visiting surrounding highlights, here are our suggestions for 48 hours in the Sri Lankan capital.

Day 1: Get to Know Colombo

Morning: From temple-studded Lake Beira to Independence Square, Colombo’s sights are fairly widely dispersed. Rather than negotiating the traffic yourself, cover as many landmarks as possible with a half- or full-day excursion by car, tuk-tuk, or pushbike. Alternatively, clamber into a World War II jeep for a city tour before driving on to the Attidiya Bird Sanctuary to spot wildlife.

Afternoon: Use this afternoon to continue your guided sightseeing. Many tours dedicate the afternoon to shopping, with visits to top malls to browse for spices, gemstones, and other island specialities. No visit to Colombo is complete without savoring Sri Lanka’s homegrown teas, so consider tours that finish with a scrumptious, British-inspired high tea at a luxe hotel.

Evening: Colombo locals love street snacks, so cap your day with a grazing-style food tour. Ride a tuk-tuk to the hottest entertainment spots and taste everything from ‘hopper’ pancakes to vadai patties, or embark on a guided walk that combines sightseeing with delicious snack stops.

Day 2: Dive into Day Trips

Morning: Some of Sri Lanka’s star attractions are within day-trip distance of Colombo. Take a private tour to Kandy, the rain forest–cocooned hill capital; watch for wild elephants on safari at Udawalawe National Park; or explore the island’s colonial period on a trip to Galle fort.

Afternoon: Enjoy the remainder of any full-day tours this afternoon. Watch tea being plucked and processed at a tea factory, visit neighboring Negombo’s Dutch relics and fishing communities, or up the adventure with a white-water river-rafting expedition in Kitulgala.

Evening: Unwind on your last evening with a nightlife tour and experience the animated atmosphere of Colombo’s clubs and café districts with a guide. Or, hop on a bike to tour Colombo’s illuminated sights—a memorable farewell to the city.

Colombo serves up temples, British colonial monuments, and great shopping, plus a friendly and colorful vibe all its own. Sri Lanka’s capital is also a base for day trips to experience the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kandy, wildlife safaris, and more. Here’s how to get the most from three days in the city.

Day 1: See the City Sights

Use today to get acquainted with Colombo’s sights, such as the Fort Clock Tower and bustling Pettah district, on a private tour, or hop on a pushbike, tuk-tuk, or World War II jeep and experience the city’s commotion full on. Alternatively, take a combined sightseeing and shopping trip, sample Sri Lanka’s fragrant teas at a tea factory, or choose a city tour that finishes with high tea—a throwback to British colonial times—at a luxury hotel. Later, explore Colombo’s vibrant food scene on foot or by tuk-tuk. Try specialities such as prawn-topped patties with roti (flatbread) and vegetable stir fries as you dip into markets, cafés, and food stands.

Day 2: Kandy, Galle, and Ancient Cities

Devote your second day to wider Sri Lanka. History buffs will love the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Anuradhapura, home to the remains of Sri Lanka’s earliest capital, and Polonnaruwa, whose temples map out a later royal city. Another option is Kandy, the island’s beautiful hill capital, which is home to a UNESCO-protected temple said to hold a tooth relic of Buddha. Alternatively, 2-day options include Kandy and the 5th-century summit ruins atop Sigiriya rock—another UNESCO gem—or Galle with its Portuguese-Dutch fort combined with Udawalawe National Park to look for wild elephants, leopards, deer, and buffalo.

Day 3: Wildlife and Other Wonders

Sri Lanka’s beaches and countryside are rich in wildlife, so devote your final day to experiencing their natural wonders. Journey to coastal Bentota to visit a turtle hatchery and spot exotic creatures on a mangrove boat trip, or head for Wilpattu, Sri Lanka’s biggest national park, for a game drive around its lakes to watch for leopards, sloth bears, elephants, and more. Otherwise, book a trip to Belilena: a huge cavern with evidence of human inhabitants from 16,000 years ago, or explore the caves at UNESCO-listed Dambulla—a 1st-century cave monastery crammed with Buddha statues and murals. An adventurous option is a white-water-rafting excursion on the River Kelani. Return to Colombo for a quiet final night out with dinner at a local restaurant.

When time is of the essence, stick to Colombo’s highlights—seeing the sights, shopping for colorful crafts, and sampling the island’s delicate homegrown teas and cuisine. Check out our ideas for an engaging and enjoyable 24 hours in Sri Lanka’s capital.

Morning: Essential Colombo

Navigating Colombo’s busy streets can be challenging, so orient yourself on a guided tour. Most trips are private and let you view the landmarks with ease, courtesy of air-conditioned transport. Choose a half-day circuit around attractions such as the midlake Seema Malakaya temple and Old Parliament, or select a full-day foray that extends to Galle Face Green and time to shop. Otherwise, choose a tuk-tuk tour or take advantage of Colombo’s level roads on a bike tour: pedaling around the landmarks and enjoying an up-close-and-personal perspective on the city.

Afternoon: Widen Your Horizons

If you haven’t already taken a Colombo tour, take a tour with a twist this afternoon. Climb into a chauffeured World War II jeep for a panoramic city drive before visiting the nearby Attidiya Bird Sanctuary. Rumble around the wetlands to watch for heron, pelicans, and other wildlife, and perhaps take the wheel yourself for added fun. Alternatively, choose a Colombo tour that leaves at midday and includes a classic high tea. Sri Lanka was a British crown colony from 1801 to 1948, and many hotels still honor this quintessential English tradition. After seeing the sights, head for a plush hotel lounge to savor dainty cakes and sandwiches alongside a choice of the island’s teas.

Evening: Street Foods and Night Lights

Conclude your stay in Colombo by exploring its culinary repertoire. There are several tours to choose from: sampling the city’s lively entertainment and street-food spots by tuk-tuk or on a slower sightseeing walk that includes stops to sample snacks such as ‘hoppers’ (pancakes) and murukku (fried savory bites). If you’re more up for exploring than eating, however, don a helmet and set off on a breezy nighttime bike tour, admiring Colombo’s floodlit landmarks from two wheels.

Just a few hours’ drive from Colombo, the hill town of Kandy is a must-visit for travelers eager to experience Sri Lanka’s heartland. Framing a lake and surrounded by rainforest-clad hills, the Unesco World Heritage Site warrants an outing. Here’s what to expect from a Kandy day trip.

Highlights

• Visit the Temple of the Tooth, Kandy’s 17th-century Buddhist shrine and royal palace to see its sacred tooth—said to have belonged to Buddha himself.
• Chart Kandy’s history as Sri Lanka’s hill capital and its time as an independent kingdom until 1815.
• Admire Kandy Lake, a beautiful artificial lake in the city center, framed by rainforested mountains.
• Stroll the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens to see exotic plants, towering palms, and trees hung with fruit bats.
• Watch a Kandy cultural show featuring Sri Lanka’s traditional dances, ceremonial drumming, and fire-walking.
• See Kandy’s woodcarvers at work and perhaps buy some Sri Lankan gemstones at the city’s gem galleries.

Things to Know

• Kandy lies 78 miles (126 kilometers) northeast of Colombo, a 3.5- to 4-hour drive.
• Day trips are typically private and include round-trip air-conditioned transport, a driver-guide, and, occasionally, a buffet lunch.
• Kandy’s attractions are quite dispersed, so you need transport around the city to explore them in a day.
• Excursions usually take about 12 hours, including travel time; and 14 hours if they visit other attractions en route.
• Tours often include stops at the nearby Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, as well as tea factories and spice gardens.

Sri Lanka’s food—and more precisely Colombo’s—has its own distinct identity. Native produce such as crabs, prawns, and spices take center stage alongside curry and rice combos, while the influences of colonial occupiers such as the Dutch and Portuguese have shaped some dishes. Here are the foods and experiences not to miss in Colombo.

Must-Try Dishes

Topping the list are Sri Lanka’s curry and rice dishes: fragrant, colorful concoctions that pack a punch spice-wise. Many center on soft and sweet-tasting mud crabs, shrimp, and fish, and they usually come smothered in coconut-milk broths.

Other favorites are hoppers —rice flour pancakes. Egg hoppers —bowl-shaped affairs with a fried egg cradled in each—are a breakfast classic; while steamed, vermicelli-like string hoppers are an evening staple served with curry sauces. Dutch influences have also resulted in lamprais, an oven-baked curry-rice-and-plantain combination cooked in a banana leaf.

Colombo locals love street foods, and some of the tastiest eats can be found this way—follow best travel practices and order from clean, busy stalls that cook food thoroughly. Dig into kottu : a carb-rich mash of chopped roti bread, meat, vegetables, and spices. Or, for on-the-go snacks, opt for vadai —tasty lentil patties—or spiral-shaped, neon orange-colored murukku. Drinks-wise, cool off with cold ginger beer or falooda —rose-syrup and vanilla milkshakes with bobbing ice cream floats.

Must-Do Experiences

• Book a private cooking class at a local’s home to learn how to make classic Sri Lankan crab curry.
• Take an evening food walking tour to discover some of Colombo’s top street eats.
• Buy fresh produce at a market and prep a classic lunch with guidance from a local chef.
• Sip on fresh coconut juice and sample ice cream and sweets on a bike ride around Colombo’s food stalls.
• Follow a guide to Nanas, a clutch of open-air stalls on Galle Face Green, to savor the city’s tastiest kottu and vadai patties.