Sri Lanka
Colombo
Sri Lanka's port capital, where colonial Fort, Pettah bazaars and the island's best eating meet the sea.
Colombo is Sri Lanka's biggest city and commercial capital, a busy port on the west coast shaped by Portuguese, Dutch and British rule. Colonial buildings in the Fort, the crowded bazaars of Pettah, Buddhist temples, mosques and Hindu kovils sit within a few kilometres of each other. Most travellers pass through on the way to the hill country or the southern beaches, but a day or two buys some of the island's best eating, from hoppers and kottu to Jaffna crab, and sunset on Galle Face Green.
Suggested stay
1–3 days
Language
Sinhala, Tamil
Currency
LKR
Timezone
UTC+5:30
Why you'll love Colombo
Food string hoppers, egg hoppers, kottu clattering on the griddle, Burgher lamprais and lagoon crab, from street carts to smart dining rooms
Layers of empire Dutch churches, British colonial offices and warehouses in the Fort, all a short walk from the bazaar
Galle Face Green the seafront promenade where the whole city comes out at sunset for kites, snacks and the sea breeze
Faiths side by side Buddhist temples, Hindu kovils, mosques and churches crowd the same few streets
Best time to visit
Dec-Mar
Dry & sunny · 31-32° days
6.939° N, 79.854° E
UTC+5:30 · Asia/Colombo
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Weather & when to go to Colombo
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Dec-Mar
Conditions Jan Dry & sunny · Feb Driest period · Mar Warm & dry · Apr Pre-monsoon · May SW monsoon · Jun-Jul Monsoon · Aug Rains easing · Sep Heavy rain · Oct Inter-monsoon · Nov Rains easing · Dec Dry returns
Watch for Apr-Jun, Oct-Dec cyclones & hurricanes risk · May, Sep-Nov monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Colombo
May to July and September to October are the wettest stretches on the west coast, with heavy monsoon downpours, rough seas and humid, grey days. December to March is the driest and most comfortable time. When the west is wet, the east coast is usually in season.
Top things to do in Colombo
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Pettah - the old bazaar district
shopping culture arts 👍 PopularJust east of the Fort, Pettah's narrow streets are each given over to one trade, from spices and dried fish to fabrics, electronics and hardware. It is loud, packed and endlessly watchable, and it holds the red-and-white striped Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque and the Dutch Period Museum in an old colonial mansion. Go in the morning, before the heat and the handcarts peak.
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Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque - the Red Mosque
culture arts historyBuilt in the early 20th century, the Red Mosque's candy-striped red and white brickwork makes it Pettah's most photographed building. Visitors can usually look inside outside prayer times; dress modestly and cover shoulders and legs.
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Gangaramaya Temple and Seema Malaka - Beira Lake
culture arts history ⭐ Highly recommendedGangaramaya is a working Buddhist temple crammed with statues, relics, gifts from devotees and an eclectic museum, and it is the heart of the city's Navam perahera procession. Nearby on Beira Lake, the Seema Malaka meditation pavilion, redesigned by the architect Geoffrey Bawa, floats on platforms linked by walkways.
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Galle Face Green - sunset on the seafront
food scenic 👍 PopularA long lawn and promenade between the Fort and the ocean, laid out by the British in the 19th century. Come at dusk, when families fly kites, vendors fry isso wade (prawn fritters) and the colonial Galle Face Hotel glows at the southern end.
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Colombo National Museum - the island's story
history culture artsSri Lanka's oldest and largest museum sits in a white colonial building beside Viharamahadevi Park. Its collection runs from ancient Buddha statues and bronzes to the regalia of the last kings of Kandy, making it a good primer before the Cultural Triangle.
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Fort and the Old Dutch Hospital - colonial core
history foodThe Fort district keeps grand British-era offices, the Old Parliament and the clock tower lighthouse. The Old Dutch Hospital, one of the oldest buildings in the city, has been restored as a courtyard of restaurants and shops, including the well-known Ministry of Crab.
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Geoffrey Bawa's Colombo - Number 11 and Paradise Road
culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedSri Lanka's most influential architect lived and worked in Colombo. His home at Number 11, 33rd Lane, is open for guided tours, and his former office is now the Gallery Cafe, a calm courtyard for lunch or a drink.
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Hoppers, kottu and lamprais - eating in Colombo
food 👍 PopularBreakfast is string hoppers with dhal and pol sambol; evenings bring bowl-shaped egg hoppers and the rhythmic clang of kottu roti being chopped on the griddle. Look out for lamprais, a Dutch Burgher parcel of rice and curries baked in banana leaf, and short eats from bakery counters any time.
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Independence Memorial Hall - Cinnamon Gardens
historyModelled on a Kandyan royal audience hall, the memorial marks independence in 1948 and anchors Independence Square, where locals jog and stroll in the evening. The restored Independence Arcade next door holds cafes and shops.
Best areas to stay in Colombo
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Kollupitiya and Galle Face
First-time visitors $$$Seafront hotels, malls and restaurants
Explore hotels in Kollupitiya and Galle Face →
Cinnamon Gardens
Quiet and leafy $$$Leafy, genteel boulevards and museums
Explore hotels in Cinnamon Gardens →
Fort
Stopovers and trains $$Colonial business district by the port
Explore hotels in Fort →
Mount Lavinia
Beach by the city $$Beach suburb south of the city
Explore hotels in Mount Lavinia →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Colombo
Getting to & around Colombo
Getting there
Fly into Bandaranaike International at Katunayake, about 45 minutes north of the city by expressway
Flight
Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB)
The airport is at Katunayake, near Negombo, about 35 km north of the centre. Taxis and pre-booked drivers take the expressway to Colombo in around 45 minutes to an hour, longer in city traffic; airport buses also run to the Fort area.
Train
Colombo Fort
Main lines run from Fort up to Kandy and the hill country, south along the coast to Galle and Matara, and north towards Jaffna and Trincomalee
Coach
Pettah bus stations
Government and private buses leave from the stations beside Fort for almost every town on the island, including expressway services south to Galle
Getting around
Tuk-tuk
Everywhere, and the usual way around; use a metered one or book through the PickMe or Uber apps to avoid haggling
TBC
Taxi
Car taxis book easily through PickMe or Uber; the comfortable choice with luggage or in the rain
TBC
Bus
Red and private buses run up and down Galle Road constantly; very cheap but crowded, pay the conductor on board
TBC
Train
The coastal line links Fort, Kollupitiya, Bambalapitiya and Mount Lavinia along the seafront; avoid rush hour
TBC
Walking
Fine around Fort, Galle Face and Cinnamon Gardens, but the heat and traffic make long walks tiring
Free
Day trips from Colombo
Galle
Full dayDutch fort town
The walled 17th-century Dutch fort on the southern coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of ramparts, churches, lighthouses and lanes of old houses turned cafes and boutiques. The coastal train ride there, right along the shore, is half the fun.
Getting there
car | train | bus | tour
About 1.5-2 hr south by expressway, or 2-3 hr on the coastal train
Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara
Half daySacred Buddhist temple
One of the island's holiest temples, believed by Buddhists to have been visited by the Buddha himself. Its image house is covered in fine murals of Buddhist legend and Sri Lankan history, and it is busiest and most atmospheric on poya full-moon days.
Getting there
car
About 30-45 min northeast by tuk-tuk or car
Negombo
Half dayFishing town and lagoon
A Catholic fishing town near the airport, known for its lagoon, outrigger boats, the fish market and fish drying on the beach, and colonial-era canals. Many travellers spend their first or last night here instead of in the city.
Getting there
car | train
About 1 hr north by car or train
Bentota and the Madu Ganga
Full dayRiver and beach
Boat trips wind through the mangroves and islands of the Madu Ganga estuary, and Bentota's broad beach is nearby. Architecture fans can visit Lunuganga, Geoffrey Bawa's country garden estate.
Getting there
car | train | tour
About 1.5 hr south by expressway or train
Kandy
1-2 daysHill country royal city
The last royal capital sits around a lake in the hills and holds the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Lanka's most revered Buddhist shrine. Possible in a long day, but better as the first stop of a hill-country trip.
Getting there
train | car
About 3 hr northeast by train or car
A little history of Colombo
Arab, Persian and Chinese traders knew Colombo's harbour for centuries before Europeans arrived. The Portuguese landed in 1505 and built a fort here to control the cinnamon trade, the Dutch took it from them in 1656, and the British captured it in 1796, making Ceylon a crown colony in 1802 with Colombo as its capital.
Under the British the city grew into one of the great ports of the Indian Ocean, with a breakwater harbour, railways reaching inland to the tea country and the leafy suburb of Cinnamon Gardens on old spice plantations. It remained the capital at independence in 1948 and is still the country's commercial heart, although parliament moved to neighbouring Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte in 1982.
Portuguese ships reach Colombo; a fortified trading post follows to control the cinnamon trade
The Dutch East India Company takes Colombo from the Portuguese after a long siege
British forces take Colombo from the Dutch
Ceylon becomes a British crown colony, governed from Colombo
The first railway line opens, running inland from Colombo
Ceylon gains independence on 4 February, with Colombo as capital
Ceylon becomes a republic and is renamed Sri Lanka
Parliament moves to a new building at Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, on Colombo's edge
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type G
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+94
Cyclones & hurricanes risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
Monsoon flooding risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
FAQs about Colombo
▸ When is the best time to visit Colombo?
December to March is the driest and most comfortable time on the west coast. May to July and September to October bring the heaviest monsoon rain and rough seas. Colombo is hot and humid all year, so plan outdoor sightseeing for mornings and evenings. If your dates fall in the west coast's wet months, the east coast is usually in its dry season.
▸ How do you get from the airport to Colombo?
Bandaranaike International is at Katunayake, about 35 km north. A taxi or pre-booked driver takes around 45 minutes to an hour on the expressway, more in heavy traffic, and ride-hailing apps work from the airport. Airport buses to the Fort area are the cheap option. Many travellers stay in nearby Negombo for a first or last night.
▸ How many days do you need in Colombo?
One full day covers the highlights: Pettah and the Fort in the morning, Gangaramaya and the National Museum in the afternoon, sunset on Galle Face Green. Two or three days lets you add Bawa's buildings, more eating and a trip to Kelaniya or Mount Lavinia. Most people use it as a start or end point for the rest of the island.
▸ Is Colombo safe for travellers?
Colombo is generally safe, and the usual problems are petty: overcharging tuk-tuk drivers and friendly strangers steering you to a gem shop or a special festival that is not happening. Use metered tuk-tuks or ride-hailing apps. Demonstrations occasionally gather around Galle Face and Fort, so check your own government's current advice and give them a wide berth.
▸ What should I wear to visit temples in Colombo?
Cover your shoulders and knees, and take off shoes and hats before entering temple grounds. Never pose with your back to a Buddha statue for a photo, and do not wear clothing or have tattoos showing Buddha images, which can cause serious offence. Mosques and kovils expect similar modesty.
▸ What food should I try in Colombo?
Start with hoppers, bowl-shaped rice-flour pancakes often cooked with an egg, and string hoppers with dhal and coconut sambol. Try kottu roti, rice and curry at lunch, Burgher lamprais baked in banana leaf, Jaffna-style crab curry and isso wade from the carts on Galle Face Green. Short eats from bakeries make an easy snack.
▸ Is Colombo worth visiting or should I go straight to the beaches?
It is worth at least a day. Colombo is the easiest place in the country to see colonial history, working temples and bazaars together, and its food scene is the island's most varied. If time is short, fly in, spend a day, then head south to Galle or inland to Kandy.
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