Colombo

Nearby Attractions

The most popular nearby attraction

• Colombo National Museum

This is a vast, comprehensive history museum situated in magnificent colonial architecture. Sir William Gregory, the British Governor of Ceylon at the time, proclaimed openly the edifice of the Italian architectural style museum in 1877.

The museum contains 15 large exhibition rooms spread across two floors of a linked set of buildings. This lovely dazzling white structure houses a wide range of antiquities from the ancient era to the recent colonial era, containing approximately 100,000 artifacts.
The throne and crown of the King of Kandy City are two of the museum’s most famous exhibits.

The largest and most visited museum in Sri Lanka highlights the country’s rich cultural past.
Distance: Within the city limits

• Hindu Temple

Manikka Vinayagar Kovil was built 150 years ago. It is a beautiful Hindu temple, recently renovated. The shrine is distinguished by a lofty entrance tower adorned with several sculptures of the gods representing the celestial homes of the gods.
Distance: 08 Km

• Lotus Tower

Sri Lanka’s tallest skyscraper, known as “Nelum Kuluna” in Sinhala. With a height of 356 meters, this tower is the tallest in South Asia, the 11th tallest in Asia, and the 19th tallest in the world.
It serves as a transmission and communication tower as well as a variety of recreational activities. The tower contains banquet halls, shopping malls, hotels with suites, restaurants, museums, auditoriums, and much more. At the top, there is a revolving restaurant with a panoramic view of the city. Every 90 minutes, it completes one rotation.
Distance: Within the city limits

• Galleface Green

It is an ocean-side urban park with a 5-hectare strip of land that stretches for half a kilometer along the coast. This area is now considered the largest open space in Colombo, and it was originally much larger than what is seen today.

The Dutch originally planned the promenade for military purposes against the Portuguese. The area was first planned and laid out in 1859 by British Governor Sir Henry George Ward for recreational purposes. It was also used for horse racing, golf, cricket, polo, football, tennis, and rugby.

Today, it is a popular destination for a wide range of people, including children, vendors, teenagers, strolling couples, kite flyers, merrymakers, and anyone else who wants to enjoy their favorite pastimes next to the sea under the open sky.
Distance: Within the city limits

• Wholesale Market (Fort)

‘Pita Kotuwa’ refers to the fort’s exterior in Sinhala. Pettah is famous for its massive and intricate street market, where each profession has its own street.
Distance: Within the city limits

• Independence Memorial Hall

This Hall was built to commemorate the country’s independence from the British in 1948, at the site of the formal ceremony marking the beginning of self-rule.

This Hall is modeled after the Audience Hall at Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth Relic. The columns and pillars are adorned with traditional Sri Lankan floral designs, and the building is surrounded by 60 stone lion statues.
Distance: Within the city limits

• Gangaramaya Temple

The complex includes the Main Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple, the “Seema Malaka,” a monks’ assembly hall, and a vocational training institute. The temple is over 120 years old and has been transformed into an international institution.
Distance: Within the city limits

• Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque

The mosque, located in the city’s bazaar district, was built in 1909 and for many years served as a landmark for sailors approaching the port.

The mosque, which is decorated in red and white bricks, attracts a large number of devotees who come to fulfill their daily prayers and Jummah on Fridays.
Distance: Within the city limits

• Royal Colombo Golf Club- Colombo

The 18-hole golf course first opened its doors in July 1896. It is an amazing and serene location in busy city of Colombo to unwind in contrast to its surroundings.
Distance: 05 Km

• Attidiya Bird Sanctuary

Some of the rarer birds to be observed are the Indian Shag, Wide Winged Purple Heron, Blue Breasted Banded Tail, Ruddy Crake, Spot Billed Pelican, Purple Coot, White Ibis, Painted Stork and the elusive Glossy Ibis.
Distance: 11 Km

• Mt. Lavinia Beach

Mount Lavinia (Mt. Lavinia) is well-known for its beach and the Mt. Lavinia Hotel. The hotel is linked with a love story set during the British colonial period. Mount Lavinia beach is located just outside the municipal limits of Colombo City. There are several beachside restaurants, bars, taverns, and lounges where you can buy a drink or a snack.

The lovely stretch of fine wide sandy beach is also a popular destination for school field excursions, picnics, and photoshoots. On weekends and holidays, the beach may be crowded with families, as well as partygoers, particularly on Saturday evenings.
Distance: 6.5 Km

• Kelaniya Historical Temple

Buddha paid a visit to Kelaniya on his third visit to the country 2550 years ago. The specifics of these visits are preserved in Sri Lanka’s two earliest historical chronicles, the Mahawansa and the Chulawansa. Kelaniya Temple is said to have been constructed before Sir Lanka’s historically recorded history (since 543 B.C).

Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara houses paintings and statues from the 17th and first part of the 20th century. Murals adorned the walls and ceilings of the old and new wings’ rooms. It was always given full royal support in the past, and it is still held in great regard by the people of the island today.

The temple is well-known for its annual Perahera pageant (a Buddhist procession), which takes place in January. The Perahera first opened its doors in 1927.
Distance: 11 Km

• Negombo Beach

Negombo beach is only 10 kilometers from CMB Airport and is known for birdwatching, skiing, kayaking, fun boat rides, and other watersports.
Negombo has a strong historical Catholic impact as a result of its Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonizers. The southern part of the bay is home to the country’s major fishing port, while the northern part is home to the tourism sector. Probably the finest site in Sri Lanka to see the magnificent sunset near the beach. Negombo’s highlights include the Negombo Lagoon, the historic St. Mary’s Church, and the Fish Market.
Distance: 42.5 Km

• Henarathgoda Botanical Garden

One of the three botanical gardens established by the British in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1876 by the British for conducting experiments on exotic economic plants. Many of these trees of the 19th century are still available in the Gardens.

The natural forest patches give way uneven areas of land to clusters of Bamboo, sprawling lawns, beautifully landscaped flower gardens, palm-lined walkways, medicinal plants, spices, fruit plants, and even to large trees like Mahogany, Ebony, Ironwood, Sack trees, Calabash, Amherstia, and Satinwood.
Distance: 38 Km

The most popular nearby attraction: Galleface Green ocean-side urban park