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Colombo City Tour With Mahaweli
Colombo
Discover Colombo's top attractions with a private tour. Explore history, culture, and hotspots with a knowledgeable guide. Customize your itinerary for a perfect experience.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Colombo National Museum - Established in 1877, the National Museum Colombo showcases various aspects of Sri Lankan history and culture. Today, it boasts over 100,000 exhibits and the island’s most significant library. The Museum’s popularity led the Sri Lankan Government to create a dedicated ministerial department for its management. Some galleries date back nearly 140 years, featuring exhibits from early agricultural civilizations to the modern colonial era, including ancient rock inscriptions, swords, jewelry, coins, frescoes, and lamps. Newer galleries display guns and stunning watercolor paintings of Ceylon by English visitors.
- Independence Memorial Hall - Also known as Independence Commemoration Hall, this national monument in Sri Lanka commemorates the country’s independence from British rule, marked by the restoration of full governing responsibility to a Ceylonese-elected legislature on February 4, 1948. Located in Independence Square (formerly Torrington Square) in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, it also houses the Independence Memorial Museum. The monument stands at the site where the formal self-rule ceremony took place, with Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, opening the first parliament on February 4, 1948.
- Gangaramaya (Vihara) Buddhist Temple - One of Colombo City’s most prominent Buddhist temples, Gangaramaya Temple houses a vast collection of artifacts. Situated near the scenic Beira Lake, this temple complex is a popular tourist attraction, sacred worship site, and a center for learning and vocational training. Established over 120 years ago, it has evolved from a small hermitage on marshy land into a must-see destination. Crowds of local and foreign devotees visit this bustling space, admired for its ornate architecture and statues reflecting Sri Lankan, Chinese, Thai, Burmese, and other artistic styles. The temple is a masterpiece, adorned with statues of Buddha, lions, nymphs, and china vases. Two golden Buddha statues stand at the entrance, guiding visitors to the main sanctuary, with doors decorated in intricate wood carvings of elephants and swans.
- Lotus Tower - The Colombo Lotus Tower, standing at 351.5 meters (1,153 feet), is a symbolic landmark in Sri Lanka. As of 2019, it is the tallest self-supported structure in South Asia, the second tallest structure in South Asia after the guy-wire-supported INS Kattabomman in India, the 11th tallest tower in Asia, and the 19th tallest tower in the world. It is located in Colombo 01, near Beira Lake.
- Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque - Known as the Colombo Red Mosque, Jami-Ul-Alfar Mosque is a historic mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka, located on Second Cross Street in Pettah. It is one of the oldest mosques in Colombo and a popular tourist site. Construction began in 1908 and was completed in 1909, commissioned by the local Indian Muslim community in Pettah for their daily prayers and Friday Jummah. The mosque is a distinctive red and white candy-striped two-story building with a clock tower, reminiscent of the Jamek Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Before other landmarks were built, some sailors approaching the port recognized the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque as Colombo’s landmark.
- Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct - The Old Colombo Dutch Hospital, considered the oldest building in the Colombo Fort area, dates back to the Dutch colonial era in Sri Lanka. Now a heritage building and shopping and dining precinct, it was originally built as a hospital by the Dutch and has served various purposes over the years. Believed to have existed since 1681, the hospital was established by the Dutch to care for officers and staff of the Dutch East India Company, with its proximity to the harbor serving Dutch seafarers. The building has five wings forming two courtyards, designed to keep out heat and humidity and provide a comfortable environment. Like many Dutch-era buildings in Colombo, it features 50 cm thick walls and massive teak beams.
- Old Parliament Building - The Old Parliament Building houses the Presidential Secretariat of Sri Lanka. Located in the Colombo fort area facing the sea, it is near the President’s House and adjacent to the General Treasury Building. Opened on January 29, 1930, by Governor Sir Herbert Stanley, it was taken over by the State Council of Ceylon a year later and used until 1947 when the House of Representatives was formed. Following the adoption of a republican constitution in 1972, the National State Assembly convened in the building until 1977, when it was renamed the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
- Galle Face Green - Galle Face is a 5-hectare (12-acre) ocean-side urban park stretching 500 meters (1,600 feet) along the coast in the heart of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s financial and business capital. Initially laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward, the original Galle Face Green covered a much larger area than today. It was initially used for horse racing and as a golf course, as well as for cricket, polo, football, tennis, and rugby. Records show it was bounded to the north by Beira Lake, the ramparts of Colombo Fort, and the city’s cemetery (established in 1803), to the west by the Indian Ocean, to the south by the Galle Face Hotel (established in 1864, originally a Dutch villa), and to the east by St Peter’s Church (consecrated in 1821).
- One Galle Face - One Galle Face is a mixed-use complex near Galle Face Green in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is the country’s first internationally developed and managed mixed-use project, officially opened on November 8, 2019. The complex includes four skyscrapers: one for business offices, two for residential purposes, and one as part of a hotel. A shopping mall is also part of the project, and the entire premises are owned by Shangri-La.
- Colombo City Centre - Colombo City Centre is at the forefront of the dynamic changes transforming Sri Lanka and its capital into one of the world’s most exciting cities. Conveniently located, it represents the best of the country with an innovative design inspired by Colombo’s rich cultural heritage, integrated with the style of a progressive Sri Lanka. The Residences at Colombo City Centre feature 192 luxurious, state-of-the-art apartments in the heart of the city, while The Mall at Colombo City Centre is Sri Lanka’s largest shopping destination, offering the best local and international brands alongside world-class restaurants and entertainment.
What's Included
- Bottled water
- In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Entrance Ticket for Colombo Museum US$5
- Entrance Fee for Gangarama Temple US$2
- Colombo Lotus Tower entrance fee US$ 20
Additional Information
This tour gives you the opportunity to explore almost all the key places in Colombo including the Lotus Tower, Red Mosque, Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo Museum, Galle Face Green, Independent arcade, and so on. It’s a combination of history, culture, lifestyle, religious places, and the latest hotspots of Colombo. Our guide will give you great explanations about each place while offering travel comfort with a car of the latest model. Since it’s a private tour dedicated to your group or family, you are free to discuss with the guide and make the required changes to the plan. Feel free to add your favorite places for dining, and shopping too. At the same time guide will give them some tips to pick the best places in the city.
Location
Colombo National Museum
Albert Crescent,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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