24 Hours in Colombo: How to Visit the Best Things to Do in Colombo

Much like Delhi in India, Colombo doesn’t have the best reputation. Most visitors tend to spend as little time as possible in Sri Lanka’s capital before moving on. However, the sprawling city has a sense of character and there is a surprising number of things to do in Colombo, that makes it a worthwhile place to introduce yourself to this wonderful island nation in the Indian Ocean.

Colombo can be a hard city to embrace, with a sometimes-bizarre combination of bustling traffic, grand colonial buildings, and high-rise luxury hotels. Most people simply fly in and out of Negombo, north of Colombo, and happily skip through the capital city on their way to Kandy and the highlands or down to Galle and the sun-kissed south coast. However, I recommend spending at least a day in Colombo, to give it a chance.

I spent a few days in Colombo upon arriving in Sri Lanka for the first time. I found it to be a wonderful introduction into the country’s vibrant culture while zipping through the streets from temples to markets in a tuk tuk. If you have 24 hours to spend in Colombo, then here’s how I recommend you spend your day, visiting all the best things to do in Colombo city.

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Getting to Colombo

Being the capital city of the island, Colombo is the entry and exit point of Sri Lanka. The country’s main international airport, Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), is located north of the city centre in the beach suburb of Negombo.

How to Get From the Airport to Colombo

Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) is annoyingly 32km north of the city centre in Negombo. This makes any travel between Colombo and the airport quite lengthy.

The easiest and most convenient option is to take a private transfer or taxi. You will find authorised taxi counters at the airport’s arrival terminal, but be warned that their prices are quite expensive (and fixed). You can also try your luck bargaining with drivers outside the terminal, although you’ll have to be quite ruthless. The drive can take up to an hour or more depending on traffic and where your accommodation is located.

Book your airport transfer ahead of time for peace of mind:

You can also use PickMe or Uber to hail a ride and pay a set price, but be aware that ride-hailing drivers are not allowed to actually enter the airport pickup bay where the taxis sit. You’ll have to walk outside of the airport to find them.

The cheapest way to Colombo city centre is No. 187 AC bus, which now departs from just outside the Arrivals terminal (look to the right as you exit the airport and you’ll see the bus). Tickets cost around 300 LKR per person + 300 LKR for big luggage. The journey takes about an hour and the buses leave frequently every 30 minutes during the day. The buses only run from 6am until 8pm though, so if you’re arriving in the night, you’ll have to take a taxi. They drop you at the Central Bus Station in Colombo, from where you can grab a tuk tuk to your accommodation.

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Train and Bus Travel to Colombo

The main train station in Colombo city is the Colombo Fort Railway Station, located just outside the central Pettah Market area. This is where many of Sri Lanka’s trains arrive and depart from, with trains running south to Galle and Matara along the coast, east to Kandy and Ella, as well as north all the way to Jaffna and back.

The main bus station area is just past the railway station across from the Pettah Floating Market. There’s a huge parking area with bays of buses, plus you can also find some leaving from just outside the station as well. There are buses travelling to and from virtually every corner of the country. Some signs are in English, but it’s usually easier to ask someone and they’ll point you to the right bus. If you’re coming to Colombo from further afield, the buses may drop you just outside the station.

When to Visit Colombo

Basically anytime from October until April is considered the best time to visit Colombo. This is the dry season in the south of Sri Lanka, so you’ll get fairly stable weather conditions and more of a dry heat.

From April until September, the monsoon brings heavy rains and very humid conditions to Colombo. However, when I arrived in August, I was lucky to have a few nice days, so it depends on the severity of the annual monsoon.

Read more: 26 Sri Lanka Travel Tips: Everything You Need to Know

Where to Stay in Colombo

Colombo is a vast city covering a large area on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. There are so many neighbourhoods and suburbs that it can be a little overwhelming to decide where to stay in Colombo.

For those just making a quick stopover in Colombo or arriving really late at night, they usually opt to stay in Negombo as it’s closer to the airport. However, Negombo doesn’t offer too much to do and if you have a day or two to spend in Colombo, I suggest staying a bit closer to the city centre. Still, I have a couple of recommendations for Negombo below too.

If you want to stay in the action of Colombo, I suggest staying in Colombo Fort area. This is home to old colonial architecture, local cheap eats, and is walking distance to markets. For somewhere a little nicer, find somewhere around Colombo 03 neighbourhood, south of Galle Face Green, or alternatively somewhere around Viharamahadevi Park in the Cinnamon Gardens neighbourhood. In these areas, you’ll find trendy cafes, clean streets, and beaches not far away. Here are some suggestions.

Colombo Accommodation

Alma Boutique Hostel | A super nice hostel with a garden, kitchen, and common area south of the city centre, with nice restaurants a few minutes walk away. I stayed here and highly recommend it.

Srilax | A beautiful boutique guesthouse on Independence Avenue and surprisingly affordable at less than $100 per night

Colombo Villa | A family-friendly guesthouse in the Cinnamon Gardens area and all for a mid-range price

Jetwing Colombo Seven | This stunning luxury hotel is located in Cinnamon Gardens, and features an incredible infinity pool overlooking the city

Negombo Accommodation

Island Life | A new, clean and nice guesthouse about 20 minutes from the airport and not far from the beach, perfect for a one night stay at budget prices

Serendib Village Guest House | A feeling of seclusion right in the middle of Negombo Beach area, this guesthouse has affordable rooms with a pool

Terrace Green Hotel & Spa | A boutique hotel ideal for couples with private spas and a classy restaurant, only 20 minutes from the airport

How to Spend 24 Hours in Colombo: Best Things to Do in Colombo

If you only have a day in the capital city, here’s how I recommend you spend it from morning until night with this detailed Colombo itinerary. Don’t forget to download Pick Me (or Uber) so you can easily order tuk tuks to get around, with prices around 150lkr ($0.70) per km.

Prefer to book a day tour instead? Check out these options:

Morning

Start the morning off by heading into the downtown area of Colombo. Explore the famous Pettah Market, the bustling commercial centre of Colombo. A wander around the streets here is the perfect introduction into Sri Lanka’s cultural landscape, with a chorus of vendors selling a wide variety of goods.

The market streets are set out in a grid and its worth just wandering around and getting lost amongst the mayhem of sights, sounds and smells. You’ll find sections of the market are semi-organised into categories, with jewellery, spices, electronics, textiles and more.

Don’t be overwhelmed with the crowds, as most people are extremely friendly and will likely want to strike up a conversation with you. Bargaining is expected, especially from the street vendors, so don’t be afraid to push the price lower than the first quoted option.

Pettah Market has been the main bazaar and trading place for centuries, so you’ll find a melting pot of religions and ethnic groups from across Sri Lanka. You can’t miss Jami Ul-Alfar Masjid (or the Red Mosque). This fantastical red and white striped mosque is one of the most striking buildings in Colombo.

The mosque was built in 1909 for the local Muslim community, who were in need of a central location for their daily prayers, and has since been expanded to accommodate thousands of worshippers.

The entrance for foreigners is located on 2nd Cross Street. You’ll have to check the ever-changing opening times, but generally they work around prayer times for locals. There are free 30 minute tours of the mosque operating all day, with gowns given for women to wear and men if they’re not appropriately covered.

Another landmark to check out within Pettah is Wimaladharma Clock Tower or Khan Clock Tower, located on the northwest corner of the market. It’s a similar clock tower that can be found in other Sri Lankan cities like Galle, Jaffna, and Kandy.

Then, walk from Pettah over to Colombo Fort neighbourhood. This is the historic centre of the city and is where you’ll find the grandest colonial buildings still intact. Many of the neoclassical landmark buildings are now occupied by banks and government departments, but they’re worth admiring from the outside.

Don’t miss the Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct, which is a large colonial-era complex that has been transformed into a modern dining and shopping precinct. You’ll find upmarket boutique shops, as well some of Colombo’s best restaurants, including the pricey but delicious, Ministry of Crab seafood restaurant.

Lunch

If you didn’t grab lunch in the Dutch Hospital Shopping Centre, then get in a tuk tuk and head over towards the area just west of Viharamahadevi Park and Colombo National Museum, where you’ll find some great cafes and restaurants to try.

Curry Pot Restaurant is a great option for local Sri Lankan food including rice and curry buffet. Two popular cafes for either Western or Sri Lankan food include The Commons Coffee House and Cafe on the 5th in the same neighbourhood.

Afternoon

In the afternoon, spend time south of the city centre in the pretty neighbourhoods around Independence Square and Viharamahadevi Park.

Start at Independence Square in the affluent Cinnamon Gardens district, a national monument built to commemorate Sri Lankan independence from British rule. Wander around the memorial hall that stands in the middle of a landscaped lawn.

Then, walk up towards Viharamahadevi Park, passing by the Colombo National Museum. A beautiful white colonial-era building amidst landscaped gardens, the national museum is a perfect starting point for discovering the rich history of Sri Lanka. With hundreds of artefacts and extensive exhibitions and photographs, the museum documents the country’s history from ancient kingdoms to colonial times. Entry fee is 1500LKR (AU$7.50) for foreigners, but you can wander the grounds of the museum for free. Allow around two hours if you plan to go inside.

A short walk up from the museum is Viharamahadevi Park, one of Colombo’s largest urban parks. Formerly known as Victoria Park under British rule, it was renamed in the 1950s. The park has beautiful lawns under large tropical trees and palm-lined paths, making it a pleasant place to walk or picnic with locals to escape the crowds and heat of the city. 

The final stop in the afternoon is at Gangaramaya Temple, one of the oldest and most important Buddhist temples in Colombo. Located across from the serene Beira Lake, the temple complex features several prayer rooms, statues, assembly halls, and shrines founded in the late 1800s. 

Vastly different from other Buddhist temples I’d seen in cities like Bangkok, Gangarama hosts a wide variety of unusual objects and statues, including taxidermied elephants, model dinosaurs, vintage cameras, swords, toys and more, all donated by worshippers. I certainly felt like I was in some sort of thrift store or op shop when wandering the museum rooms!

In the courtyard, you’ll find a beautiful Bodhi tree and white stupa, where locals often pray. Another interesting part is the sea of buddha statues cascading down a wall near the temple’s museum. It doesn’t take long to take in most of the buildings and statues, allow an hour at most.

Evening

As the sun is heading down towards the horizon, head to the coast just 2km from Gangaramaya Temple and you’ll find Galle Face Green. Easily one of the most loved parts of Colombo, the ocean-front urban park has beautiful views and a fun atmosphere every evening around sunset time. 

With a skinny strip of sandy beach, backed by a large flat grassy area, you’ll find everyone from locals to tourists heading down for a picnic and to watch the sunset. If you’re feeling peckish, there’s plenty of street food vendors selling ice cream, sliced mango, grilled seafood, and even helium balloons for the kids.

Stick around until after sunset and the young kids come to hang out and play cricket with their mates. On weekends, the park has a festive atmosphere, especially when the weather is clear and warm, making it one of the best things to do in Colombo.

Just back from Galle Face Green, you’ll find the upscale One Galle Face Mall. This huge seven level shopping mall is Colombo’s best shopping centre and has almost every brand you can imagine, plus restaurants and a cinema.

Night

After dark, you’ll want to jump in a tuk tuk and head to Aluthkade Street Food Market east of Pettah. This is a bit of an off the beaten track attraction and definitely not where you’ll find many other tourists.

Spread out along Abdul Hameed Street, vendors spill out onto the street from the tiny restaurants with outdoor seating and barbecues heating up. It’s a predominantly Muslim area of the city, with most of the food on offer showcasing a combination of Middle Eastern and South Asian flavours.

It’s particularly famous for fast food options like fried chicken, burgers and buns, and sandwiches. But I highly recommend sitting down to try fried rice, bamboo biryani or kottu. Take the time to stroll up and down the street a couple of times, everyone is super friendly and it quickly became one of my favourite things to do in Colombo.

Where to Next? More Sri Lanka Guides

• Sigiriya: Ultimate Guide to Sigiriya: Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle
• Ella: 10 Best Things to Do in Ella: An Essential Guide
• Kandy: 10 Best Things to Do in Kandy: An Essential Guide
• Galle: 2 Days in Galle Fort: Best Things to Do in Galle
• Hiriketiya: Hiriketiya Beach: A Guide to Sri Lanka’s Little Coastal Paradise
• Weligama: Layback Surf Camp Review in Weligama
• Trincomalee: Trincomalee Travel Guide: Underrated Beach Destination in Sri Lanka
• Jaffna: 10 Best Things to Do in Jaffna, North Sri Lanka
• Digital Nomad Travel: Digital Nomad in Sri Lanka: A Guide for Remote Workers
• Learning to Surf: A Guide for Beginner Surfers in Sri Lanka

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