West coast

Colombo

Not a stopover any more — markets, Dutch forts, sea-front sunsets and the best food on the island.

Most itineraries treat Colombo as an airport with a city attached, which is a mistake. Pettah market, the Dutch Hospital precinct, the Gangaramaya temple, Galle Face Green at sunset, and a restaurant scene that has become genuinely good in the last few years all reward a day at the start or the end of a trip.

Things to do

Experiences in Colombo

Culture

Food and village life

Rice and curry cooked in a village kitchen, short eats at a roadside stall.

Journeys

Trips that include Colombo

11 days / 10 nightsWellness

Ayurvedic Sri Lanka

A prescribed treatment course with the island around it

14 days / 13 nightsCulture

Classical Sri Lanka

The five UNESCO sites, properly paced

12 days / 11 nightsClassic

The Essential Sri Lanka

Negombo to Colombo, the long way round

14 days / 13 nightsClassic

Essence of Sri Lanka

The island's headline places without the rush

11 days / 10 nightsClassic

Experience the Magic of Sri Lanka

Eleven days from the Cultural Triangle to the south coast

14 days / 13 nightsClassic

Grand Tour of Sri Lanka

Coast, culture, highlands and safari in one loop

7 days / 6 nightsShort

Sri Lanka in One Week

The short trip that still feels like a trip

14 days / 13 nightsWildlife

Sri Lanka in Two Weeks — Summer

Wildlife and nature, timed for the summer months

14 days / 13 nightsClassic

Sri Lanka in Two Weeks — Winter

The full island, timed for the northern winter

8 days / 7 nightsWildlife & coast

The Wild South

Colombo to Mirissa, at the pace of the coast