Attraction
1. Gangaramaya Temple
A late 19th-century Buddhist temple near Beira Lake that mixes Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian and Chinese styles and keeps a crowded museum of donated treasures.
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2. National Museum of Colombo
Sri Lanka's national museum, opened in 1877 in an Italianate building in Cinnamon Gardens, home to the throne and regalia of the last Kandyan king.
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3. Galle Face Green
A 12-acre seafront lawn laid out in the Dutch era and turned into a promenade in 1859, now Colombo's favourite place for kites, snacks and evening walks.
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4. Colombo Lotus Tower
A 351.5-metre tower shaped like a lotus bud on the edge of Beira Lake, opened to the public in 2022 with an observation gallery and restaurants.
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5. Seema Malakaya
Gangaramaya Temple's lake pavilion, rebuilt from 1976 to a design by Geoffrey Bawa, with three platforms of seated Buddhas linked by pontoon bridges.
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6. Independence Memorial Hall
The national monument to Sri Lankan independence, built in 1949 to 1953 and modelled on the royal audience hall of the Kandyan kings.
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7. Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque
Pettah's red-and-white Red Mosque, built in 1908 to 1909 by South Indian traders and one of Colombo's oldest and most photographed mosques.
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8. Viharamahadevi Park
Colombo's main city park, the former Victoria Park, facing the Town Hall with fountains, a large Buddha statue and a children's play area.
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9. Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara
An ancient temple 11 km north-east of Colombo, linked by tradition to the Buddha's third visit and known for its Solias Mendis murals and January perahera.
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10. Wolvendaal Church
A Dutch Reformed church consecrated in 1757, with metre-and-a-half-thick walls, governors' tombstones in its floor and rare colonial furniture.
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