UltimateGuide Sri Lanka
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The Colombo skyline The Colombo skyline The ramparts of Galle Fort The Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Sigiriya seen from Pidurangala Rock

The city guide to Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

Best of Sri Lanka

Colombo’s seafront and Bawa buildings, the ramparts of Galle Fort, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, the tea country by train and leopards in Yala.

Where to eatWhat to see

Your trusted, one‑stop guide to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka packs an astonishing amount into one island: a lively capital on the Indian Ocean, a Dutch fort town on the south coast, golden beaches, a sacred hill city, tea estates in the clouds, ancient royal capitals and national parks with elephants and leopards. We start in Colombo, with the best places to eat, drink, stay and shop, then guide you region by region, with the stories behind the places and the practical facts you need.

Galle Fort & the ramparts

The south coast

Walk the ramparts of Galle at sunset

Galle·UNESCO World Heritage Site

Inside the Dutch walls of Galle Fort, the lanes are lined with old houses, churches and cafés, and the ramparts look straight out over the Indian Ocean.

Plan your visit

Christmas & New Year in Sri Lanka

Lights in Colombo, festive feasts by the sea and the start of high season on the beaches.

Galle Face Green, ColomboHolidaysChristmas in Sri LankaColombo lights and carolsColombo by nightNew YearNew Year’s EveFireworks over the cityThe beach at UnawatunaWinter sunBeach seasonThe south and west coasts

Sri Lanka by region

From the Fort at Galle to the ancient capitals and the tea hills.

The ramparts of Galle FortRegion guideGalle & the south coastRamparts and beachesBentota beachRegion guideBentota & the west coastRiver, beach and Bawa gardensThe Negombo lagoonRegion guideNegomboLagoon town by the airportThe Temple of the Tooth, KandyRegion guideKandyThe hill capital

Hills, ruins and safaris

The tea country, Ella, the Cultural Triangle and the national parks.

Tea country in the hills of Sri LankaRegion guideNuwara Eliya & the tea countryTea estates in the cloudsThe Nine Arch Bridge, EllaRegion guideEllaBridges and hill walksSigiriya seen from Pidurangala RockRegion guideThe Cultural TriangleAncient capitalsA leopard in Yala National ParkRegion guideSafaris & wildlifeLeopards and elephants

Sri Lanka: the back story

Ports and forts, a great architect, the island’s food and its wildlife.

Colombo by nightThe back storyColomboPorts and fortsThe Seema Malaka on Beira Lake, ColomboThe back storyGeoffrey BawaTropical modernismGalle Face Green, ColomboThe back storyThe Sri Lankan tableRice, curry and crabElephants in Minneriya National ParkThe back storyWildlife, responsiblyParks, not rides

ULTIMATE City Guides: Europe & beyond

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

The old town of Belgrade above the Sava, with the spire of the Cathedral Church of St MichaelSerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.Visit the guide The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos HillGreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.Visit the guide Oia’s white houses and blue domes on the rim of the Santorini calderaGreeceULTIMATE Greek IslandsIsland hopping made easy: Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos and the Cyclades, plus Crete, Rhodes and Corfu, with ferries, beaches, hotels and tavernas.Visit the guide The Blue Mosque at nightTurkeyULTIMATE IstanbulTwo continents, one city: Hagia Sophia and the bazaars, Bosphorus ferries, meyhanes and rooftop bars, Sinan’s hammams and the car-free Princes’ Islands.Visit the guide The Romanian Athenaeum in its gardenRomaniaULTIMATE BucharestBelle Époque palaces, concerts at the Athenaeum, a buzzing food and coffee scene, and the castles and mountains of the Carpathians.Visit the guide The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the DanubeHungaryULTIMATE BudapestThermal baths, grand coffee houses, ruin bars and MICHELIN-starred dining on both banks of the Danube, with day trips to the Danube Bend and Lake Balaton.Visit the guide The spires of Zagreb Cathedral above the rooftopsCroatiaULTIMATE ZagrebCroatia’s elegant capital of cafés, museums and markets, and the gateway to Plitvice Lakes, Istria, Dubrovnik and the islands of the Adriatic.Visit the guide The Triple Bridge over the LjubljanicaSloveniaULTIMATE LjubljanaSlovenia’s green, car-free capital of river cafés and Plečnik’s bridges, an hour from Lake Bled, the Julian Alps, the caves and the Adriatic.Visit the guide The Sebilj fountain and the square of BaščaršijaBosnia & HerzegovinaULTIMATE SarajevoWhere East meets West at a line in the pavement: an Ottoman bazaar, Habsburg boulevards, Bosnian coffee and the 1984 Olympic mountains, with Mostar two hours away.Visit the guide The Millennium Bridge over the MoračaMontenegroULTIMATE PodgoricaMontenegro’s relaxed capital of rivers and café terraces, and the gateway to the Bay of Kotor, Lake Skadar, Cetinje and the mountains.Visit the guide Skanderbeg Square with the Et’hem Bey MosqueAlbaniaULTIMATE TiranaAn Ottoman mosque painted with waterfalls, museums in bunkers, Blloku’s cafés and the Dajti cable car, with Berat, Gjirokastër, the Alps and the Riviera within reach.Visit the guide The Stone Bridge over the VardarNorth MacedoniaULTIMATE SkopjeA 15th-century stone bridge between a 21st-century square and an Ottoman bazaar, Kenzo Tange’s concrete city, Matka Canyon, and Lake Ohrid three hours away.Visit the guide St Alexander Nevsky CathedralBulgariaULTIMATE SofiaRoman streets beneath the city, golden domes, warm mineral springs and a mountain at the end of the main boulevard.Visit the guide Yachts in Puerto BanúsSpainULTIMATE MarbellaWhitewashed lanes and orange trees in the Old Town, the yachts of Puerto Banús, beach clubs on the Golden Mile and day trips to Ronda and Gibraltar.Visit the guide Sunset at the Naples PierFloridaULTIMATE NaplesWhite-sand beaches and sunsets on the Gulf of Mexico, Fifth Avenue’s terraces, grand beach resorts and golf, with the Everglades and Marco Island close by.Visit the guide

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

The latest from our readers: visitors and locals talking about Sri Lanka, its beaches, trains, food and wildlife.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    Galle Face Green

    This week's pick

    Galle Face Green

    Galle Face·Seafront promenade

    As the northeast monsoon reaches the east coast, Colombo and the west enter their best season. Head to Galle Face Green at sunset with the rest of the city.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    Galle Face Green, ColomboItinerary48 hours in Colombo and on the coastTwo days, by tuk-tuk and carSigiriya seen from Pidurangala RockItineraryThe classic Sri Lanka loop in 10 to 14 days10–14 days, with a driver and the trainColombo by nightItineraryOne perfect day in ColomboA day by tuk-tuk

    Sri Lanka by region

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants & Cafés

    1. 1Rice and curry, hoppers and lagoon crab: the Sri Lankan table, the back storySri Lanka · In depth: food
    2. 2Ministry of CrabColombo Fort · Old Dutch Hospital · Sri Lankan seafood
    3. 3NihonbashiGalle Face · Japanese
    See all 15

    Bars & Rooftops

    1. 1Botanik Bistro & Rooftop BarColombo Fort · Rooftop bar
    2. 2Travellers BarGalle Face Hotel · Hotel bar
    3. 3FirebeachGalle Face Hotel · Grill & bar by the sea
    See all 4

    Hotels

    1. 1Galle Face HotelGalle Face · Historic seafront hotel
    2. 2Shangri-La ColomboGalle Face · Luxury hotel
    3. 3Cinnamon Grand ColomboKollupitiya · City hotel
    See all 18

    Sights

    1. 1Ports, forts and a modern skyline: Colombo, the back storyColombo · In depth: history
    2. 2Geoffrey Bawa and the architecture of Sri Lanka, the back storyColombo & the island · In depth: architecture
    3. 3Elephants, turtles and safaris: watching wildlife responsibly, the back storySri Lanka · In depth: wildlife
    See all 10

    Shopping

    1. 1One Galle FaceGalle Face · Shopping mall
    2. 2Colombo City CentreColombo 2 · Shopping mall
    3. 3Old Dutch Hospital PrecinctColombo Fort · Historic shopping & dining
    See all 13

    Golf

    1. 1Royal Colombo Golf ClubColombo 8 · Borella · Golf club
    2. 2Victoria Golf & Country ResortDigana · near Kandy · Golf resort
    3. 3Nuwara Eliya Golf ClubNuwara Eliya · Golf club
    See all 4

    Spas & Wellness

    1. 1CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La ColomboGalle Face · Hotel spa
    2. 2Santani Wellness KandyNear Kandy · Wellness retreat
    3. 3Amangalla, The BathsGalle Fort · Resort spa
    See all 3

    Luxury Cars

    1. 1Mercedes-Benz Sri Lanka (DIMO)Colombo · Official dealer
    2. 2BMW Sri LankaColombo · Official dealer
    3. 3Land Rover Sri LankaColombo · Official dealer
    See all 3

    Health

    1. 1Lanka HospitalsColombo 5 · Narahenpita · Private hospital
    2. 2Asiri HospitalsColombo, Kandy & Galle · Private hospital group
    3. 3Nawaloka HospitalColombo 2 · Private hospital
    See all 3

    Property

    1. 1LankaPropertyWebOnline · Property portal
    See all 1

    Getting Around

    1. 1Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB)Katunayake · International airport
    2. 2Cinnamon AirFrom Bandaranaike airport · Domestic air taxis
    3. 3Trains & Sri Lanka RailwaysIsland-wide · Railway
    See all 7

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