Colombo is Sri Lanka's commercial capital — a chaotic, layered city of Dutch forts, colonial British buildings, Buddhist temples, Hindu kovils, mosques and the intensely flavored Sri Lankan cuisine that is one of the great undiscovered food traditions of Asia. The city has reinvented itself dramatically since the end of the civil war in 2009 — a new waterfront promenade, the Lotus Tower (South Asia's tallest tower), luxury hotels and a booming restaurant scene. Day 3 easily takes you to the ancient Buddhist capital of Kandy, just 2.5 hours inland.
Galle Face Green is the largest urban open space in South Asia — 5 acres of ocean-facing esplanade south of the Dutch Fort, with the Indian Ocean on one side and colonial-era grand hotels on the other. In the early morning, people fly kites, the wind from the southwest is fresh, and the sunrise light on the Colombo skyline is extraordinary.
Pettah is Colombo's wholesale market district — streets dedicated to different trades (Second Cross Street: textile; Fifth Cross Street: hardware; Main Street: everything). The First Cross Street mosque, the Dutch Period Museum in a 17th-century VOC building, and the chaos of three-wheelers, handcarts and humanity makes Pettah the most overwhelming sensory experience in Sri Lanka.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Sri Lankan rice and curry is a spread of 8–12 small dishes served simultaneously with rice — dhal (lentil curry), jackfruit curry, coconut sambol, polos (green jackfruit), brinjal (aubergine) pickle, papadums and some form of protein (fish, chicken or mutton). At Ministry of Crab (fine dining, celebrates Sri Lankan crab) or at a local Pettah rice and curry place for the authentic daily version (LKR 200–400).
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideGangaramaya Temple (built 1885, expanded continuously since) is the most vibrant Buddhist complex in Colombo — the main temple, a museum of extraordinary eclectic gifts (cars, boats, Buddha statues from every country, Thai-style architecture alongside Sri Lankan), and the sacred Seema Malaka temple pavilions floating on Beira Lake designed by Geoffrey Bawa.
Two options for the first Colombo dinner: Ministry of Crab (the Sri Lankan crab preparation from Chef Dharshan Munidasa — the finest crab in Asia, in Chili, Pepper, Jaffna, Garlic or Black Pepper sauce) OR a late-night kottu roti stand (shredded roti chopped on a griddle with egg, vegetables and curry — the most satisfying street food on the island). The kottu sound (the rhythmic metal-on-metal chopping of the blades) is the sonic signature of Sri Lanka.
Galle Face Green at night has dozens of food vendors selling ottu (rolled omelette), isso wade (prawn fritters), corn-on-the-cob and a cold Lion Lager (Sri Lanka's finest beer, the green bottle) from ice boxes. The evening sea breeze from the Indian Ocean and the lit skyline is at its finest.
The National Museum (1877, on Viharamahadevi Park) has the finest collection of Sri Lankan antiquities — the Throne of the Kandyan kings, Anuradhapura (3rd-10th century) Buddhist sculpture, the Portuguese-era artifacts, and the Sigiriya frescoes replicas. The colonial building itself is extraordinary.
Hoppers (appa) are bowl-shaped rice and coconut milk pancakes — the edges crispy, the center soft. Egg hoppers have an egg cracked in the center. Eaten with seeni sambol (caramelized onion), coconut sambol and dhal. At Upali's or a local hopper shop in the Fort or Slave Island area.
Colombo Fort (the old Dutch and British colonial administrative centre) has been redeveloped into a business district but retains several colonial buildings: the Old Post Office, the Grand Oriental Hotel (1837, facing the harbour), the St. John's Cathedral and the colonial-era commercial buildings along York Street and Chatham Street.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideGeoffrey Bawa (1919–2003) is Sri Lanka's greatest architect and one of the most important architects of the 20th century — the creator of "tropical modernism" that influenced resort architecture worldwide. In Colombo: the Parliament Building (seen from the road), the Lighthouse Hotel (Geoffrey Bawa, 1997 — now accessible) and the Parliament at Sri Jayawardenepura (also exterior view).
Nuga Gama (at the Cinnamon Grand hotel) recreates traditional village cooking: mus kaju (cashew curry), drumstick curry, jak fruit biryani and the rice-and-curry spread served in clay pots. The most atmospheric traditional Sri Lankan restaurant in Colombo.
A rooftop bar over Colombo — the Arrivals Bar at the Kingsbury, the Sky Bar at the Shangri-La, or the rooftop at the Galle Face Hotel for the historic option. The Colombo skyline at night and the Indian Ocean beyond.
The train from Colombo Fort station to Kandy (2.5 hrs, LKR 100–300) is one of the finest train journeys in Asia — the line climbs through the hill country past tea plantations, waterfalls and jungle. The "Observation Saloon" carriage at the rear (reserve in advance) has unobstructed views.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe Temple of the Tooth in Kandy houses the most sacred Buddhist relic in the world — the left canine tooth of the historical Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama, 563-483 BC), brought to Sri Lanka from India in the 4th century AD. The golden relic casket is displayed during the twice-daily puja (ritual) at 6:30am, 9:30am and 6:30pm — the chamber fills with white-robed devotees, the drums and horns start, and the incense rises. One of the most moving religious experiences in Asia.
Kandy Lake (built 1807 by the last Kandyan king) in the heart of the city is a short walk from the Temple — the island pavilion in the centre (the king's bathing house), the cloud wall (Walakulu Bamma) on the east bank, and the colonial-era Queen's Hotel facing the lake are all accessible.
The Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya (founded 1371 by the Gampola kingdom, developed in its current form 1843) are the finest in South Asia — the avenue of royal palms, the orchid house, the Java fig tree (100m canopy, a single specimen), and the Rajamala (the flower garden). The Flying Fox bat colonies in the trees are spectacular.
🎫 Book tickets via GetYourGuideThe evening train back to Colombo. The descent from the hills as the light fades is one of the most beautiful things in Sri Lanka.
A final Sri Lankan feast: the rice and curry with 10 dishes, a fish ambulthiyal (sour fish curry in Goraka), the pol sambol (coconut relish) and a coconut milk dessert (watalappam — a steamed Malay-origin pudding with jaggery, coconut and spice). The finest meal in Colombo to end three days in Sri Lanka.