Top 15 attractions in Colombo: what you must see

Colombo is the economic capital of Sri Lanka and the largest city in the country, where the business and cultural life of the country is in full swing. This is a port city where colonial architecture is adjacent to modern skyscrapers, and noisy markets are with pacifying temples. Although there are many attractions in the city, and they are scattered in different areas, they can be easily covered in 2-3 days.

To ensure that your acquaintance with the capital was as rich as possible and you did not miss anything important, we have prepared for you a selection of 15 key places in Colombo. This list will help you see the most important, interesting and colorful things that are definitely worth visiting on your first visit.

What is the best way to get to know Colombo

Independently: Most of the attractions on our list are convenient to explore on foot or using city buses. For convenience, you can break up the acquaintance with the city for two days:

• Day 1: Focus on the sights in the area of Viharamadevi Park (National Museum), Gangaramaya Temple and Galle Face Promenade, reaching the Sambodhi Chaitiya Stupa.
• Day 2: Explore the Fort historic district and immerse yourself in the chaotic and vibrant world of the Petta district.

With aguided tour: Group tours to Colombo are rare. More often, individual trips by tuk-tuk or car are offered. Attention: Be careful with tuk-tuk drivers offering a "sightseeing tour" at a very low price. Often this is a shopping and souvenir shop route where you will be persuaded to shop. To avoid this, make a list of places you want to visit in advance and immediately specify the final cost.

Find and book excursions to Colombo Monjo on these trusted sites with reviews:

• Excursions to Colombo on Trip.com (there are a lot of options, Russian maps work)
• Excursions to Colombo on GetYourGuide (many options, Russian maps do not work)
• Excursions to Colombo on Sputnik8.com
• Excursions to Colombo on Tripster.ru
• Excursions to Colombo on Tezeks.com

Now that you know where to start, we suggest you move on to the main thing – the TOP 15 attractions of Colombo:

Gangaramaya Temple (Gangaramaya Temple)

Gangaramaya Temple is considered the richest and most famous in Sri Lanka. It was built a little over 120 years ago and is dedicated to Buddhism. This is quite a popular place among tourists. It is a small religious complex, including several structures, including the temple itself, a library, a museum, and classrooms. The interior of the Gangaramaya Temple is very bright and rich, contains many images of the Buddha and representatives of the Buddhist pantheon, as well as statues of the Buddha. Read more about the temple of Gangaramaya and photos here...

Meditation Center (Seema Malakaya)

In the eastern part of the small lake Biera is the Seema Malakaya Meditation Pavilion, also known as the temple on the water. It belongs to the Gangaramaya temple. The pavilion is connected to the shore by a wooden bridge. People come here to pray and meditate, or just relax and enjoy the views. Around the perimeter it is surrounded by numerous bronze statues of Buddha, photos of which can be seen on all postcards and advertising booklets about Colombo. Learn more about the meditation center and photos here...

Sambodhi Chaitiya Stupa from the observation deck (Sambodhi Chaitiya)

In the Colombo Fort area, a white domed Buddhist stupa (dagoba), Sambodhi Chaitiya, is visible in the center next to the port. It rises 20 meters above the ground on special piles. It has no historical value, and serves as a reminder to the passing courts that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country, but the place is unique and worthy of a visit in its own way. You can climb to the very top of the stupa by a ladder located next to the stupa and connected to it by a bridge. There is an observation deck, which offers a great view of the port and the city. Read more about the Sambodhi Chaitiya Stupa here...

The Maritime Museum (Colombo Maritime Museum)

The Maritime Museum is located next to the Sambodhi Chaitiya Stupa, more precisely, the stupa is located on the territory of the museum and is part of it. In general, this area with a museum and a stupa is adjacent to the port, and therefore it is not at all surprising that it appeared here. Its exposition, though not too large, will be interesting to many, especially if you visit it together with a stupa, to the top of which you can climb and look at the port and the Colombo Fort area from a bird's-eye view. Read more about the Colombo Maritime Museum here...

Galle Face Promenade (Galle Face)

Looking for a place to spend an evening in the center of Colombo? Galle Face Green is a long pedestrian zone by the ocean, which at dusk turns into the main attraction point for locals and tourists. In our experience, you should not expect European comfort and infrastructure from this place, but its real magic is in a unique atmosphere: people walk here, play sports, sell street food and celebrate major city holidays. Be prepared for some clutter and observe the usual vigilance in the evening, especially on weekends. This is not a place for a perfect holiday, but to see the real, living life part of Colombo. Read more about Halle Face Green here...

Temples of Kathiresan (Kathiresan Kovil)

In the Pettah area, a few meters from each other (on opposite sides of Sea Street), there are two Hindu temples: New Kathiresan (New Kathiresan Kovil) and Old Kathiresan (Old Kathiresan Kovil). They do not differ in importance for the people who visit them, the difference is only in the brightness of the colors and the tarnished decoration of the latter.

Both temples are dedicated to the Hindu god of war - Skanda (Murugan). Every year in July-August, a colorful festival called Hindu Vel is held in the temples. The main attribute of the holiday is Vel (Vel) – the spear of the god Skanda, a symbol of his strength and energy. In general, this is a very popular attribute of Hindu temples dedicated to this particular god. A lot of people take part in the festival. They follow a silver chariot drawn by bulls, on which the god Skanda sits with a spear. The procession starts from the Kathiresan temples, then along Galle Rd to Colombo 4 (or Bambalapitiya) and back.

Unfortunately, most of the time of the day the temples are closed, and there is practically nothing to see from the outside. Therefore, you should come here either early in the morning or in the evening after 17:00.

Yami ul Alfar Mosque or Jami ul Alfar (Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque)

A very beautiful building, made in white and red, reminiscent of a mosaic painting. It is of no historical interest, because it was built not so long ago, in 1909. But it is one of the most popular tourist destinations. Unfortunately, tourists are not allowed inside, it can only be viewed from the outside.

Old Town Hall (Old Town Hall)

The old building of the first municipality is slightly lost among the shopping streets of the Pettah district. You can find it by the magnificent architecture of the period of English rule. The building is dated 1865, and the first meeting of the local government council was held in January 1866. Today there is a modest museum in the building, and its exhibits are not in the best condition. Read more about Colombo Old Town hall and photos here...

Viharamahadevi Park (Viharamahadevi Park)

The oldest and largest urban park in Colombo, located in the Kurunduwatta area or Cinnamon Gardens. It got its name in honor of the mother of the liberator king Dutugamundu (Dutugamunu), who ruled Sri Lanka from 161 BC to 137 BC.e. The Park was founded by the British in the XIX century. and until 1950 had a different name – Victoria (Victoria Park) (in honor of the English Queen). It is a popular place not only among locals, but also, due to the accumulation of a certain part of interesting sights, among tourists. In general, it is a great place for walking and relaxing, as well as one of the best starting points for exploring other sights of Colombo. Learn more about Viharamahadevi Park here...

Colombo National Museum (Colombo National Museum)

The largest Museum in Sri Lanka. Located in the southern part of Viharamahadevi Park (Viharamahadevi Park) in an elegant white building built in the Italian style. There is a statue of Buddha in front of the facade of the building. This is one of the places that are definitely worth visiting in Colombo. The museum is very informative and allows you to fully present the history and culture of the country, since ancient times. All exhibits are located on two floors of the Museum building in 17 halls, arranged in historical sequence and thematically divided. Read more about Colombo National Museum and photos here...

Independence Hall

This is one of the most significant monuments of Sri Lanka, opened on February 4, 1948 in honor of the declaration of independence of the state. The structure is a rectangular open pavilion, guarded on all sides by statues of reclining lions. Numerous columns are decorated with carvings with images of animals and plant patterns. Under the arches are paintings from the historical past. In front of the main entrance there is a statue of the country's first Prime Minister - Stephen Don Senanayake. The Memorial Hall is surrounded by a green park with walking paths. In addition to Independence Day, other mass and religious events are celebrated at this place. In the basement of the Independence Hall is the Independence Museum, which contains information about the national heroes who fought for the liberation of the country, and busts of some of them.

Grand Oriental Hotel and Chekhov Museum (Grand Oriental Hotel)

Grand Oriental is a three–star hotel where anyone can stay today. It is noteworthy, first of all, for Russian tourists, as well as foreign connoisseurs of Russian classics. The fact is that in November 1890, this hotel briefly became the haven of the famous Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904). Here he finished writing his new story "Gusev". In honor of this event, in room 304, where A.P. Chekhov lived, all the furnishings of the room of that time were preserved, photographs of the writer were hung on the walls. The hotel staff, having learned that you are from Russia, offer to show the room, of course for an additional fee. If you wish, you can stay in this room. In November 2010, on Chekhov's 150th birthday, a commemorative plaque and a bust of the writer were installed in the lobby of the hotel.

Historic Cargills Building

While walking through the Fort historic district in Colombo, be sure to pay attention to the Cargills building – a jewel of colonial architecture. This landmark two-storey building of red and white stone with arches was built at the beginning of the XX century and has a centuries-old history: in its place used to be the residence of the Dutch commander. A foundation stone from 1684 and an ancient wooden statue of Minerva were discovered here. In our opinion, this is one of those details that make the center of Colombo interesting from an architectural point of view.

Old Parliament Building Old Parliament

The Old Parliament Building in Colombo is a monumental neoclassical white limestone building on the Galle Face waterfront. It is interesting primarily for its architecture and history: the Parliament of Ceylon met here from the 1930s until 1983. Now the Presidential Secretariat is located in the building, and this is the main nuance for a tourist – it is impossible to get inside. Therefore, it can only be viewed from the outside in passing. It is best to combine it with a walk along the promenade of Galle Face Green to take photos of the impressive facade against the sunset.

St. Peter's Church (St. Peters Church)

St. Peter's Church is located in the Fort district and is bordered on the west side by the Grand Oriental Hotel. This building is considered one of the oldest in Colombo, its construction dates back to 1700. Initially, there was a small chapel here, later - the house of the Dutch manager, and in the premises occupied today by the church, various solemn events and holidays were held. Since 1821, the building was transferred to the church and, due to its location near the port, was intended mainly for sailors and seafarers. Currently, the church has a small room on the ground floor. The rest, funnily enough, is occupied by a bar for sailors and a couple more offices. Local workers offer to go up to the second floor of the building for free and look at the port, however, due to nearby buildings and trees, nothing is practically visible.