• Pettah - Pettah is a vibrant neighborhood in Colombo, Sri Lanka, situated to the east of the city center, Fort. Renowned for the Pettah Market, it features a series of open-air bazaars and markets. As one of Sri Lanka’s busiest commercial hubs, it hosts numerous wholesale and retail shops, buildings, commercial institutions, and other organizations.

The main market area is designed like a massive crossword puzzle, allowing visitors to explore from dawn till dusk without covering every part.

The name Pettah is derived from the Tamil word “Pettai,” an Anglo-Indian term for a suburb outside a fort. Today, the Sinhala phrase “pita-kotuwa” (outside the fort) aptly describes the same location.

• Galle Face Green - Galle Face Green has always held a special place in the lives of Colombo residents, with the British credited for establishing it as a social hub, a role it continues to play today.

During colonial times, the British embraced Galle Face Green as a leisure ground, especially in the evenings when elite ladies would stroll along its length. It was also a venue for cricket, football, polo, and the famous horse races. Horse racing gained popularity in the 1840s, and the Ceylon Turf Club was established here between 1840 and 1860, although official records began in 1866. The formal seaside walkway was constructed during Governor Ward’s tenure in 1859.

• Zylen Tea - Visitors can taste and purchase pure Ceylon factory-fresh tea from the factory outlet.

• Temple of Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil - Constructed in the late 1700s, the Kovils at Captain’s Garden, Maradana, are believed to be the oldest in Colombo. The area was once an island surrounded by the waters of Beira Lake, and devotees traveled by boat to worship and make vows. During the Dutch period, Captain’s Garden was known as ‘Cilamagoda’ and was a hub of economic activity, with warehouses for cinnamon, pepper, coconut, oil, and coir located nearby.

• Old Town Hall - The Town Hall Building was accompanied by the Edinburgh Hall, which opened simultaneously. The Edinburgh Market was designed as an extension of the main building, featuring similar architectural elements with its open plan and identical cast iron details. This hall was used for stage plays and dramas.

After a long period of disuse, the building was renovated in 1980 by then-President Ranasinhe Premadasa, and in 1984, the adjoining building was converted into a town hall museum. The renovated Edinburgh Hall is now a marketplace rented out to street vendors by the Municipal Council.

• Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque - Nestled within the bustling Pettah Market on the narrow 2nd Cross Street is a colorful mosque known as Rathu Paliya in Sinhalese or Red Mosque (or Red Masjid) in English, and Samman Kottu Palli (“Mosque for Muslims of Indian origin”). Built in 1909 by the Pettah Muslim community to meet the religious needs of Muslims.

The mosque was designed and constructed by H L Saibo Lebbe, with construction beginning in 1908 and completed the following year. Lebbe was inspired by the Indo-Saracenic architectural style, a hybrid style combining elements from native Indo-Islamic and Indian architecture with the Gothic revival and Neo-Classical styles favored in Victorian Britain.

• Kayman’s Gate Bell Tower - Known as “Kaiman Dorakada” in Sinhalese, Kayman’s Gate was an entrance to the former Colombo Fort, located at the foot of Wolvendaal Hill in the Pettah district of Colombo, Sri Lanka. A historic free-standing bell tower still stands at the site, now at the intersection of Main and 4th Cross Streets.

The second Colombo Fort was built by the Portuguese in 1554 to fortify their trading post at Colombo and was captured by the Dutch in 1656. Under the Portuguese, the fort’s main entrance at the eastern rampart was Poorta Reinha (“Queen’s Gate”), a large tunnel guarded by a drawbridge and moat. “Kayman’s Gate” is derived from the Dutch word Kaaiman, meaning crocodile.

• Colombo Fort - The business district of Colombo, featuring government buildings, banks, commercial ventures, 5-star hotels, and department stores, is still referred to as ‘Fort’ because that is what it once was. The Fort of Colombo, like Jaffna and Galle, was essentially a fortified town, demolished around 1870 for urban development, followed by most of the buildings within it. Today, only its shape is visible in aerial photographs, with the regular grid pattern of the streets, some parts of the walls, the hospital, the solitary Delft Gate now a hidden passageway among modern high-rises, barely recognizable parts of the Governor’s House, and some remnants like a small warehouse in the harbor. Today, historical remains are more appreciated as monuments to history and sites of tourist interest, with most remaining buildings recently renovated.

• Christian Reformed Church of Sri Lanka - Wolvendaal Church (Wolvendaalse Kerk) is located in Pettah, a neighborhood of Colombo. It is one of the most significant Dutch Colonial-era buildings in Sri Lanka and one of the oldest Protestant churches still in use in the country.

In 1736, the Governor of Ceylon, Gustaaf Willem van Imhoff, sought approval from the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC) to demolish the existing church (Kasteel Kerk) within the Colombo Fort and construct a new one on the same site. However, the VOC refused this request, and it wasn’t until the arrival of Governor Julius Valentyn Stein van Gollenesse in 1743 that the impasse was resolved. He decided that the new church would be built beyond the city walls, in an area that was then swamp and marshland. Europeans mistook the packs of roaming jackals for wolves, and the area became known as Wolvendaal (Wolf’s Dale or Wolf’s Valley).

• Gangarama Temple - The stunning Gangarama Temple is renowned for its impressive buildings, complete with a chetiya, bo tree, image house, Simamalaka, relic chamber containing the relics of the Buddha and Arahat Seevali, museum, library, pirivena, and residential, education, and alms halls. It is adorned with stone carvings, brass work, and various forms of Buddhist art. It features rows of Buddha statues in meditative poses, alongside miniature stupas arranged like a staircase.

Upon entering the temple, visitors will see a large mural on the wall depicting the ‘Atalo Dahama’ (the eight vicissitudes of life) – gain and loss, good repute and ill repute, praise and censure, and pain and pleasure – conveying the message that one should not be disturbed by these.

• Independence Square - Although many leaders who fought for independence are no longer with us, and remnants of colonial times are rapidly disappearing, only a few tangible elements remain to remind us of that monumental struggle, the sacrifice of many, and the ultimate triumph. The Independence Monument at Colombo 7 is today the best symbol of that moment in time when the course of Sri Lankan history was changed. Although it is only once a year that the responsible authorities remember to mow the lawns, prune the bushes, and clean the columns of this historic edifice, it remains the most recognizable monument related to independence.

• Port City Promenade - Port City Colombo is a multi-services special economic zone located in Colombo, Sri Lanka, currently under construction on reclaimed land adjacent to Galle Face Green. The land reclamation work was completed as of January 2019. In 2017, the cost was estimated at US$ 15 billion.

• Colombo Port Old Lighthouse - Colombo Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is operated and maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. It is located at Galbokka Point, south of the Port of Colombo, on the waterfront along the marine drive in Colombo Fort.

• Colombo Port Maritime Museum - The Sri Lanka Ports Authority Maritime Museum, commonly known as the Colombo Maritime Museum, is located at 19 Chaithya Road, Colombo, adjacent to the Colombo Port. The museum is operated and maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

• Colombo Municipal Council - The Town Hall of Colombo serves as the headquarters of the Colombo Municipal Council and the office of the Mayor of Colombo. It is situated in front of Viharamahadevi Park.

• Viharamahadevi Park - Viharamahadevi Park (formerly Victoria Park) is a public park located in Colombo, next to the National Museum in Sri Lanka. It is the oldest and largest park in the Port of Colombo. Situated in front of the colonial-era Town Hall building, the park is named after Queen Viharamahadevi, the mother of King Dutugamunu. The park was built on land donated to the city of Colombo by Charles Henry de Soysa during British rule in Sri Lanka and was originally named “Victoria Park” after Queen Victoria. During World War II, it was occupied by the British Army, with the Australian 17th Brigade based at Victoria Park. After the war, the park was restored and opened to the public in 1951.

• Private transportation
• Bottled water
• Surcharges on fuel
• Parking fees

• Entrance fees
• Entrance fees
• Entrance fees

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Rather than opting for a costly private tour, join our group Tuk Tuk Food Tour and experience the same incredible adventure at a more economical price!

Discover Colombo alongside other food enthusiasts, forge new friendships, and indulge in the city’s finest cuisine – all while riding in a traditional Tuk Tuk. It’s enjoyable, delicious, and easy on the wallet!

Reserve your group tour today and experience the authentic essence of Colombo with us!

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