This bustling metropolis serves as the country’s capital and financial center, as well as the focus of all modern-day activity. It has excellent restaurants, retail centers, and an exciting nightlife. Nobody remembers how the city received its name. The name is derived from the coconut palm, according to popular belief. Whatever the narrative, any modern tourist will find much to see and do in Colombo. A day trip of the city may be booked from either Colombo or the South Coast and takes roughly 5 hours to accomplish.

Locations covered

• Kelaniya Rajamaha Viaharaya -This temple, located approximately 10 kilometers northeast of Colombo, is one of the most valuable temples in the country. It is also said that Lord Buddha came here to resolve a quarrel between two kings competing for the crown. The shrine, which is located on a tiny ridge near the Kelani River, is historically and religiously significant to all Buddhists.
• Gangarama Temple — Built in the late 1800s, this temple combines contemporary style with cultural expression. It is very important to all Buddhists, and the shrine comprises a variety of spectacular buildings. It is located not far from Beira Lake on a tract of ground that was previously marshy.
• Manning Market – The Pettah Market, also known as Manning Market, is an open market in the Colombo neighborhood of Pettah, Sri Lanka. The Khan Clock Tower, a large landmark in the center of a roundabout, marks the ceremonial entry to the Pettah Market. At the end of Pettah lies Sea Street, Sri Lanka’s gold market, where people from all over the country come to buy jewellery. It is a lengthy boulevard lined with jewellery stores, with hundreds of them adjacent to one another. In addition, there are a few jewellery stores on Main Street Gaspa Junction.
• Fort – This is Colombo’s core commercial or financial area, and it is home to many wonderful corporations, hotels, government agencies, and even eateries. The region became notable in the 16th century as the site of the first Portuguese landings, which established it as an important commercial base. In order to extend their dominance throughout the nation, the invaders established a fortified fortress and harbour in the area.
• B.M.I.C.H. -The Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall is a conference facility in Colombo that was built in the early 1970s. The center was a gift from the People’s Republic of China in commemoration of Mr. Solomon Dias Bandaranaike, one of Sri Lanka’s late Prime Ministers. Many of the country’s high-profile events are staged here.
• Independence Square – The Independence Memorial Hall is a national monument commemorating Sri Lanka’s independence from British control in 1948. It was constructed on the site of the ceremonial event, and at the top of the monument is a statue of the country’s first Prime Minister, Hon. Don Stephen Senanayake, known as the “Father of the Nation.”
• Galle Face Green — This is a 12-acre oceanfront urban park in the centre of Colombo that spans roughly 1600 feet down the shore. Sir Henry George Ward, the British Governor at the time, laid it out in 1859. The Galle Face Green was utilized for horse racing and as a golf course back then. Football, cricket, polo, rugby, and other sports were played here.
• Old Parliament Building – This Neo-Baroque-style building was built during the time when the British ruled the country and was the idea of Sir Henry McCallum, to house the Parliamentary Council of Ceylon. It is located in Colombo Fort, facing the sea and is in close vicinity to the President’s House. The building kept the country’s legislature for 53 years until the new parliamentary compound was opened at Sri Jayawardenepura in 1983.

Inclusions

• Transport to Colombo from Colombo / South Coast and back
• Lunch on tour

Exclusions

• Anything that is not mentioned above