This is one of the oldest shrines in Sri Lanka. This was built in the 1800 century. There are many stories about the church and today, this shrine is one of the most preferred churches on the Island. It is in the middle of the busy Colombo city and on Tuesdays, hundreds of devotees are visiting the church.

This is a 12 acres promenade in Colombo city limit which stretches for 500 meters. It was built in 1859 and mainly used for recreational activities such as horse races, golf, ruby, and Cricket. Today, it is popular among the children, kite flyers, teenagers, lovers, vendors and especially among the families as an evening outing destination. One of the best places for seafront walking in the evening for a stress-free life. Also, it is filled with street food outlets with yummy finger-licking food verities such as kottu roti, prawns, etc. etc.

The most beautiful 50 acres green land, Viharamaha Devi park is one of the main relaxing parks in the middle of Colombo. It has a history from early The 1900s since many first-class cricket matches played against England and Australia during 1927 1935. Also, in world war II, it was occupied by British and Australian troops. Presently, it is a great place to be in Colombo city with a green and wall free open park. A better place to walk in an evening with loved once.

As per the available information, Dutch Hospital is the oldest building in Colombo. It was built in 1681 has the Dutch hospital to serve the officers and other staff working for Dutch East India Company in Sri Lanka. The building has five wings and designed to avoid heat and humidity inside the building. Today, it was renovated and became one of the best Shopping Precinct in Sri Lanka aiming for the high-end market. Most of the best restaurants local and international brands are available here and the best place for dinner or lunch.

Colombo National Museum was established in 1877 and the building was designed on Italian architectures. Many pieces of evidence and remains are available as evidence for the rich culture and heritage of Sri Lanka. There are many divisions namely Ethnology, Anthropology, Botany, Entomology, Zoology, and Geology. The Museum is located in the middle of Colombo city.

The city Mount Lavinia was picked from the name of beautiful “LOVINA” who was a local mestizo dancer. Sir Thomas Maitland, Governor-General (1805-1811) sets his eyes upon “Lovina” and it was a nice love story that was not allowed to be free. The Governor’s house was named “ Mt Lavinia House ” which is now becoming one of the famous hotels in Sri Lanka, “The MT Lavinia Hotel “ and later the city was developed to a modern city in Sri Lanka. The Mt Lavinia beach is popular with the Mt Lavinia hotel and probably the best beach in Colombo suburbs. Clean beach, can swim and bath, the best place to see the sunset, many restaurants around with quality cuisines. This is for an evening walk, dinner out on the beach and not like Bentota, Unawatuna, and Nilaweli.

Situated in the busiest Colombo market area, the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims. Built-in 1908, the mosque is commonly called as the Red Mosque, this appears as a hot spot for photographers as this is a landmark of Colombo. To get here, you have to come through Main Street and if you are entering from the city center side it is on to your left. In the evenings you can find street food stalls around the Mosque area, you should try these delicious Patties, Samosas and Rolls served hot.

Being one of the major attractions in Colombo, the Old Parliament building is situated in the heart of the Colombo city. If you are taking a walk through the Galle Face green almost at the end of the walk opposite the Galadari hotel you could see this brilliant architecture colored in brown. The building was operating as the parliament of Sri Lankan from 1977 to 1983 which later moved to the Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte. In the Garden, you would be able to find several bronze statues.

This 17^th Century church was built in 1749. As you enter the premises the Dutch craftmanship is visible, the gravestones of governors can also be seen and the floor is made of granite flagstones. Situated in the Pettah area this is the only Dutch church in the country which is still in service. This is now named the ‘Christians Reformed Church of Sri Lanka’.

Geoffrey Bawa was one of the most influential and important architects of Asia. His unique designs merge insides and outsides, building and landscape. His designs are sensitive and sustainable. One of his main achievements is the “Lunuganga Garden”. This is his house with a collection of interesting artifacts, the architecture of the place itself gives you an idea of his work if you are not familiar with it. There are tours organized involving only the Bawa properties. This is a place not to be missed while you are in Colombo.

You are on a business tour and are interested to play a little golf in your spare time? The Royal Colombo Golf club is the only option for you in Colombo, about 20 minutes from the heart of the city Royal Colombo Golf club offers you a well-maintained best Golf course with excellent caddies and friendly staff. This traditional Golf club was established by the British in 1879. With Golf lessons, a fitness center and you can also call this a perfect spot in Colombo for bird watching.

Sri Lanka as a country is famous for Cricket as we became the world champions in 1996 as well as T-20 world champions in 2014. If you are a Cricket fan, there is a Cricket museum in Colombo dedicated for the Cricket lovers. You can see all the major achievements of the Sri Lanka team as you enter the museum. The museum will be open for visitors daily from 0900hrs to 1700hrs.

Another very popular and beautiful temple among the locals, the actual age of the temple is unknows, some say it dates back to the 15^th century. The Bodhi Tree in the premises is special as it is one of the 32 saplings from the Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura. Interesting ancient structures and statues are found in the temple, as you walk inside you will find a chamber to your left with the walls covered in religious murals. Quite an interesting place but located outside Colombo approximately a 40-minute drive.

Long story short, in 1815 King Sri Wikckrama Rajasinghe the las king, was captured by the British rulers and celled here prior to transporting him to India. This spot is hard to miss as it is in the center of the city opposite the World Trade Centre with the parking lot itself. The British kept the king in this small cell separately to prevent rebellion. You can find pictures of the King with the queen if you peek through bars of the cell.

This Anglican church was built in 1887 with stones of the era which still stands solid is located within close proximity of the Prime Minister’s residence. This can be called the landmark in Kollupitiya. There are candles and blessed water on the sides kept for the visitors. A quite and a peaceful place which is a must-visit.

Situated in the heart of Colombo, the National art gallery consists of two huge halls, one is for the permanent painting and the other for the exhibitions held occasionally by Sri Lankan artists. In the permanent paint section, you can find a collection of beautiful & intriguing paintings that have great values. As the permanent painting collection is not much, we would like to recommend you to visit the gallery when a temporary exhibition Is going on as our island has plenty of excellent artists. The open art street in Colombo is a great example of this.

The history of Sri Lankan currency is offered in this museum. Focused on coins and notes used back in the era. The entrance is free for the place so it is definitely worth a visit. There is a collection of modern commemoration coins and information on them as well.

A building belonging to the 1800s, a small museum with steam-powered roller, gas lamps used during the era with no electricity, street plate names used approximately 150 years ago and other ancient stuff that you might find interesting. The place is not maintained well but the gothic architecture of the building resembles the British era which is pretty impressive.

The place was the Dutch Governor’s residence in the 17^th Century, the unique colonial architecture of the building is simple enough to understand this belongs to the Dutch era. The beautiful patio garden will surprise you by the time you have reached the museum as this is situated in the center of the busiest market place in Colombo. You can witness the art effects belonging to the Dutch era. It is advisable to take a walk up to the museum due to the busy streets.

A perfect getaway from the busyness of the city! The garden which is filled with beautiful plants and trees will immediately make you forget that you are in the city. If you are a bird lover this place will blow your mind as the wetland of the park is with filled birdlife stopping hereby for water. The calmness is definitely something to take in to relax especially when you are in the city. The Urban Wetland park the correct place you can reach just within 30 minutes from the center of the city.

Situated in the middle of busy Colombo, even though the church is not very old the beautiful gothic architecture and a well-maintained garden will definitely draw your attention whether you are a Christian, Hindu or Buddhist. On Sundays, you can see a massive crowd attending mass service.

Located just walking distance from the Galle Face Green, the 95-foot-high lighthouse was built in 1952. Due to security reasons, you are not allowed to climb to the top but you will still be able to observe this structure belongs to the Dutch era. So, while taking a walk through the Galle Face Green you can also have a peek into this as well.

A Place quite popular among the locals, this is a South Indian style temple and the oldest Hindu temple in Colombo. The fine architecture and the colorfulness make the temple so special. There is also a wedding hall which can accommodate 1000 guests, so if you are interested in witnessing a Hindu wedding you will be able to, of course, if a wedding ceremony happens at the time you visit. The Temple is situated in the heart of the city which you can visit during your city tour.

If you think this must be the busiest railway station in Sri Lanka? You are correct. This is the starting point of any train anywhere in Sri Lanka. Built in 1877 when the trains operated only down south. There have not been any significant changes in the structure of the railway station as you can still see the hard pillars, bridges of olden days. If you need any information on schedules, ticket prices this is the place you should call to get assistance with. They announce the arrivals and departures of the trains in all three languages – Sinhala, Tamil & English so if you are a first-timer in Sri Lanka it will not be a hassle for you if you carefully listen to the announcement.

A place in Colombo where you can get an idea of village life. It is open from 9.00 AM to 9.00 PM every day and yes there are people living and working in this artificial village. Karunarathne Mahagamarala is ahead of the village. Like in olden days, you will find the round-shaped housed with a garden in the center of the house which we call “Meda Midula”. There are women frying, making sweets and if you are interested you can get a cooking demonstration as well. If you are in Sri Lanka on a very short visit and do not have enough to discover the actual village life, this is the place to visit.

A picturesque roadside in Colombo? Surely it is the Nelum Pokuna open art gallery. Located behind the Colombo National Museum, this is a place visited by both local and foreign art lovers. All paintings are by the local artists many of them are university students who are trying to sell their artworks to cover their day to day expenses, and the difference here is you can purchase a good quality, beautiful painting for a very reasonable price. Even if you do not purchase any paintings, a snap of the shop of this street is really worth it for your Sri Lanka tour album.

Located very next to the Independence square memorial hall, this is mainly a shopping mall with branded stores but surely you will find the colonial architecture and the surrounding of the place amazing. There are international and local cafes and restaurants to select your favorite meal after a long Colombo city tour, not to mention there is a well-equipped movie theatre as well if you need to watch the latest movie.

This beautiful temple is situated in the heart of the city, on a tiny island in the middle of the Beira lake. Both tourists and locals find this place an ideal location for photography and an icon of Colombo. Designed by Geoffery Bawa in 1976 the carvings inside resemble the Kandyan era. On a Full moon Poya day, you can see the temple is lit with tiny oil lamps which makes it looks magnificent. This is a quiet and relaxing place you can find in the middle of the city is a must-visit but remember to wear appropriate clothing as it is a place of worship.

Built for the commemoration for Independence of Sri Lanka, this is situated in Cinnamon Gardens, in the heart of the city which you can visit during your city tour. Morning and evenings, you can see the locals come here for jog and bit of exercising. The statue of the first Prime minister of Sri Lanka can be seen facing front. There are interesting carved pillars that hold the room of the hall.

This is a Hidden Hindu temple situated in the heart of the city. You can see beautiful wood carvings and specially dedicated temple for Lord Shiva. It is built in South Indian granite which is also a specialty. If you are doing a Colombo city tour this is a good place to visit to know the traditions of Hindus. The temple is well maintained and a nice site.

You can call this the most hectic yet market place in Sri Lanka, from fruits, clothing, toys lottery tickets, you name it, as pet the Sri Lankan says ‘It is available in Pettah’. The prices are cheap hence the locals travel all the way to Pettah from various parts of the country to purchase the goods. The Loudness and walking through crowds will make you soon understand the busy life of locals. The main bus station is also situated in Colombo so it is easy to get here from anywhere as the last stop would be Pettah.

Gangaramaya is one of the oldest and most beautiful Buddhist temples you will find in the heart of Colombo, this was started in the 19^th Century by the scholar-monk Hikkaduwa Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera. He laid the foundation to convert this temple to an institute of international reckoning.  The next chief incumbent was the Ven. Dewndara Keerthi Sri Sumangala Jinaratana Vacissara Thera, the teacher of the Ven. Galboda Gnanissara, who worked for what Gangaramaya is today: This is the main tourist attraction in Colombo.

The latest metropolitan of South Asia, Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo hosts more tourist attractions than any other city in the country. Few of the attractions are National Museum, Galle Face Green, Viharamahadevi Park, Dutch period museum, Dutch Hospital, Federation of Self Employees market in Pettah, Old City hall, House of Geffory Bawa, Seema malakaya Meditation center, Jaami-Ul-Alfar Mosque, Pelican Perches, Wolvendaal Church, St Anthony’s church, University of Colombo and newly opened Lotus Tower. Colombo is most famous for its colorful nightlife, restaurants, clubs, and entertainment. A walk along the Galle face coastal line during the night is a good suggestion to get a beautiful view of the city. Don’t forget to go shopaholic among the latest shops.