Experience the charms of Galle and Sri Lanka’s southwest coast on a day trip from Colombo, with an expert driver-guide.
View endangered turtles at the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery; see the stilt fishermen at Weligama; and explore UNESCO-listed Galle Fort, where 17th-century ramparts enclose colonial buildings, museums, and shops.
Learn about Galle’s maritime history, and visit Talwatte’s simple-but-moving Tsunami Photo Museum to chart the impact of the 2004 disaster. Before returning to Colombo, enjoy lunch and discover Bentota Beach.
- Day trip to Galle and Sri Lanka’s southwest coast from Colombo, with an informative guide.
- Visit the Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery to see endangered sea turtles being cared for.
- Take photos of Weligama’s stilt fishermen, who fish from poles lodged in the sea.
- Explore 17th-century Galle Fort, a fortified complex of colonial mansions, museums and arty shops.
- Witness the devastation of the 2004 tsunami at the Talwatte Tsunami Photo Museum.
- Stop for an included lunch at a local restaurant.
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What’s Included
- Fuel surcharge
- Local taxes
- Bottled water
- Driver/guide
- Hotel or port pickup and drop-off
- Lunch
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- No Drinks
- No Gratuities
Departure & Return
Departure Point: Traveler pickup is offered from Colombo, Negombo, Kaluthara hotels or Airport, Port, Bus stations, and Railway stations. Please send us your Hotel name.
Airports: Bandaranayake International Airport, Colombo Sri Lanka
Ports: Colombo Port
Departure Time: 7:00 AM
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What To Expect
Stop At: Weligama Fishtheraphy.
Complete your Galle day tour with a visit to see the amazing Stilt Fishermen in Weligama. The fishermen sit on a cross bar tied to a vertical pole that is planted in the coral reef and the stilt with one hand while seated and carry out rod and line fishing with the other hand.
The practice of stilt fishing started about 50 years after the end of the Second World War when fishermen found that fishing off the rocks that protrude over the sea was not enough to catch fish in large numbers, so they started planting discarded metal pipes into the reef and using them to lean against and fish. Over time the fishermen discovered that timber worked just as well as developed the poles into the more modern day versions that we see today.
It is a unique sight to behold and one that should not be missed as we watch and marvel at Man’s dexterity to overcome any hurdle. Duration: 30 minutes
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Stop At: Jungle Beach, Unawatuna.
Climb down toward the true destination of your day trip — Jungle Beach. Not another person in sight, just twin stretches of deserted sand trapped between the ocean and Rumassala Rock. After traveling to Unawatuna, this beach is exactly what you will need. Peace, solitude and gorgeous nature. Duration: 30 minutes
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Stop At: Galle Fort.
Head down to the Galle Dutch Fort, with a tumultuous history dating back several centuries, the city’s strategic location made it a hub for trade by sea and subsequently a landing point for the island’s colonial rulers. A fort was built to ensure the protection and preservation of the city by the Portuguese in the early 16th Century and then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century.
Originally the fort was an earthen structure with palisades, a rampart, three bastions, and a moat surrounding it. Under the control of the Dutch, they built impregnable fortifications with coral and granite stones and the Fort resembled a small laid-out walled town with a rectangular grid pattern of streets full of low houses with gables and verandas. Duration: 1 hour
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Stop At: Tsunami Photo Museum.
Your next stop will be at the Tsunami Photo Museum which is located in Talwatte. After the devastating Tsunami of 2004, which struck Sri Lanka along with many other countries, the recovery process has been slow, long as well as arduous. The coastal areas were the worst hit and re-development still continues with physical as well as psycho-social rehabilitation being one of the most important areas. To ease the process so that people can talk and articulate the horrors of the Tsunami as well as to provide a place where beauty and art are still in abundance, the Tsunami Photo Museum was established. It is a completely charitable museum that provides free entrance and has drawings, paintings, and photographs – art in all its glory – to tell the story of every individual to live through the Tsunami of 2004. Duration: 1 day 6 hours
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Stop At: KOSGODA Turtle Conservation and Research Centre.
Your day trip to Galle starts with a visit to Turtle Hatchery. Sri Lanka is home to many different wildlife creatures including sea life and of the seven species of marine turtles in the world; five of them make their way to Sri Lanka to nest throughout the year. The five species of marine turtle nesting in Sri Lanka include the Green Turtle, the Leatherback, the Hawksbill, the Loggerhead, and the Olive Ridley.
Established to protect turtles that nest in Sri Lankan beaches from extinction, the marine turtle hatcheries are operated by the Wild Life Protection Society of Sri Lanka and rely on volunteers to help with their conservation project.
You can help release the turtles back into the sea and find out how we can help these endangered species live a little while longer. Duration: 1 hour
