Colombo City Tour
The best first afternoon in Colombo. Galle Face, the old Fort, Pettah's markets and a temple or two, with the stories that go with them.
Duration: 2 to 4 hours
From LKR 8,000 (about US$25)
Place in Colombo
Colombo Fort
The Fort is the old colonial core of Colombo and, today, its central business district: a compact area where Portuguese, Dutch and British history sit between bank towers and government buildings.
- Allow
- About 1 to 1.5 hours on foot or by tuk tuk
- Best time
- Morning, before the heat, or outside office hours
- Cost
- Free to walk around
- Good for
- History, architecture and photography
What to see and do
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The Old Dutch Hospital
A Dutch-period building now used for restaurants and shops, and one of the Fort’s best-known landmarks.
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The Old Parliament Building
A neo-baroque building that now houses the Presidential Secretariat, so it is best seen from the outside.
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Old Colombo Lighthouse and St Peter’s Church
Both are listed among the Fort’s notable landmarks.
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The business district around them
The Fort also holds the Colombo Stock Exchange and the head office of the Bank of Ceylon, so the old buildings share streets with modern towers.
A little history
The area was known as Kolonthota and saw the first Portuguese landings in the early 16th century. The Portuguese turned it into a fortified base and harbour, and held it through several sieges, including one in 1587.
The Dutch East India Company took the fort in 1656, demolished the Portuguese fortifications and rebuilt it, calling it the Casteel. The British followed, and after the 1815 Kandyan Convention Colombo became the capital of the whole island.
The northern, eastern and southern walls were pulled down between 1869 and 1871, and many Dutch buildings gave way to British-style architecture. From the 1980s the government began moving ministries to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, though the move was never fully completed.
Visiting tips
- Parts of the Fort are government and security areas. Follow signs and any instructions from staff before taking photos.
- As a business district it is quieter outside office hours, which suits a slow look.
See it by tuk tuk
The City Tour passes through the old Fort on the way between the seafront and Pettah.
Near Colombo Fort
Galle Face Green
Galle Face Green is Colombo’s seafront promenade: sunset, kite flyers, prawn isso vadai from the carts and a short history. What to do and how long to allow.
Pettah
Pettah is Colombo’s market district: crowded lanes, wholesale shops, the red-and-white Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque and some of the best snacks in the city. What to know before you go.
Guides that cover this place
Sources
Facts on this page come from the pages below, read on the dates shown. Opening times and fees change, so check before you go.
- Fort, Colombo, Wikipedia, read 12 October 2026
- Walking tour of the Colombo Fort district, Le Monde, The Poetic Travels, read 12 October 2026