Colombo · Things to do

THINGS TO DO

The things worth doing in Colombo, from the obvious landmarks to the ones locals actually rate.

Independence Square & Arcade

Colonnaded memorial hall where locals jog at dusk, beside a restored asylum turned upmarket shopping arcade.

Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara

Ancient temple 10km northeast with vivid Solias Mendis murals. Hosts the Duruthu Perahera each January.

Colombo street food crawl

Kottu roti hacked on a hotplate, hoppers, isso wade on the Green. A guided evening walk makes sense in a city this sprawling.

Beira Lake and Slave Island

Walk the lake edge through a dense old quarter of mosques, Tamil shops and low-rise streets hemmed in by new towers.

Shop for tea and handloom

Barefoot for textiles, Paradise Road for design, and any good grocer for Ceylon tea at a fraction of airport prices.