4 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Kandy, Peradeniya & Bentota Beach
Four days that balance culture and sand: Pinnawala, Kandy and the Peradeniya gardens, two nights at Bentota, then a Colombo city tour before you fly.
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Colombo, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's commercial capital and largest city, and for most visitors the first and last stop of a trip — Bandaranaike International Airport sits about 30km north. Colombo mixes colonial-era architecture with a modern skyline: Galle Face Green's oceanfront promenade, the Pettah market district, and the old Dutch and British quarters are all worth an afternoon if your flight times allow it.
What to expect
- A stopover city more than a destination in its own right for most private itineraries
- Galle Face Green, the Old Dutch Hospital precinct, and the Pettah market district
- Good base for a first or last night before/after the rest of the island
Tours that include Colombo
Every tour is private and can be adjusted to spend more or less time here.
Kandy & Bentota Beach
Four days that pair the hill capital with the south-west coast: elephants, the Tooth Relic temple, a botanic garden, tea and spices, then a night by the sea.
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5 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Kandy, Nuwara Eliya & Ella Hills
Five days in the cool central hills: Pinnawala and Kandy, a tea-country drive, two nights in Nuwara Eliya, then Ella and its famous railway viaduct.
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5 Days Sri Lanka Tour: Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Waskaduwa
Five days from elephants and temples in Kandy, up through tea country to Nuwara Eliya, then waterfalls, a Madu River cruise and a night by the sea.
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Hill Country & Heritage Trail
Elephants, cave temples, a rock fortress, a hill capital, tea slopes and the Ella viaduct in six days, with a private vehicle and an English-speaking driver-guide.
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7 Days Sri Lanka Adventure Tour: Sigiriya, Kandy & Kitulgala
Ancient rock fortress, elephant safari and a Kandy hill walk, then waterfall abseiling and white-water rafting at Kitulgala, finished on a quiet beach.
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A Colombo city tourfits one unhurried day
Colombo city tour: what fits into one day
A Colombo city tour works best as a single, unhurried day. Start at Gangaramaya Temple, where Buddhist shrines sit next to a small museum of gifts and curios. Drive on to the Pettah market district for spice stalls and fabric shops, then look at the Old Dutch Hospital precinct and the colonial buildings around the Fort. Late afternoon belongs to Galle Face Green, where families fly kites and sell snacks as the sun goes down over the Indian Ocean.
Gangaramaya to Galle Face
A temple, the Pettah market, the Fort and the sunset green.
Close to the airport
About 30 kilometres from Bandaranaike, so often the first or last night.
Hot all year
Weekday traffic is slow, which is why a driver who knows the side roads matters.
When to see Colombo and how it fits your route
Most guests land at Bandaranaike International Airport, about 30 kilometres north of the city, so Colombo is usually the first or last night of a trip. The weather is hot and humid all year, and traffic can be slow on weekdays, which is why a driver who knows the side roads matters. If you only have a few hours between a flight and a hotel, tell us and we will pick the two or three stops that suit you best, then add Colombo to any of our Sri Lanka tour packages.
Children are usually happy at the beach park, and older guests often enjoy the National Museum and the quiet lanes of Cinnamon Gardens. If you land late or leave early, we can arrange a hotel near the airport instead.
Planning a visit to Colombo?
Tell us your dates and interests and we'll build a private itinerary around it.