A free guide from Mayar & Ali, straight from the road
24 hours in Colombo, mapped out for you
Temples, souvenirs, a train that hugs the sea and street food after dark: how we spent one full day in Sri Lanka’s capital, built on the ground, not from a brochure.
Written with Ali & Mayar | Gangaramaya to Galle Face
Before you go
Four things to lock in first:
Colombo in 24 hours works best with a little prep. Sort these four and everything else on the ground gets easier.
Flights
From Cairo it took about 14 hours with Gulf Air via Bahrain, the cheapest fare when we flew. Check in early: we left it late and ended up in separate seats.
Search flights →Getting around
Order tuk-tuks and cars through the PickMe app. Touts at the airport will tell you not to, but PickMe is far cheaper. Sri Lanka drives on the left, so do not be surprised when your driver sits on the right.
Data on arrival
You need data to call a PickMe the moment you land. Skip the SIM counter queue and arrive with an eSIM already active. Use code MAYAR10 at checkout for 10% off.
Get an eSIM →A place to sleep
A hotel with a rooftop facing the coast gives you the sea train for free at sunset. The Galle Face area is where the big malls and luxury hotels cluster.
Browse stays →The 24-hour loop
| When | Focus | Don’t miss |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Temples | Gangaramaya & Seema Malaka, Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam, Lotus Tower |
| Afternoon | Souvenirs & the sea train | The tuk-tuk driver’s souvenir spot, the Coastal Line at sunset |
| Evening | Galle Face | One Galle Face mall, Spa Ceylon, street food on Galle Face Green |
Colombo’s temples
Gangaramaya Temple & Seema Malaka
The most famous temple in Colombo, tucked into a quiet corner next to Beira Lake. The part on the water is Seema Malaka, the floating hall built for meditation and reflection. The main temple is a different world: hall after hall, each with its own look, filled with elephants, crocodiles and Buddha statues. It doubles as a museum, with old coins, gifts and statues from different countries, plus what the host calls the world’s smallest Buddha statue.
Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam
One of the oldest Hindu temples in Sri Lanka, dedicated to Shiva. Every wall is covered in tiny colourful details, carvings and statues that tell stories from Hindu mythology. You take your shoes off to go inside. It was pouring when we arrived, so we admired it from outside, and it still looked incredible.
Lotus Tower
The tallest tower in South Asia, glowing an unmistakable green. We did not go up because tickets are on the pricey side and we were short on time, but if you have a spare hour it looks worth it for the views.
Order tuk-tuks via PickMe
Gangaramaya entry ≈ 500 LKR
Shoes off at Hindu temples
Name check: two temples here have similar names and we wandered into the wrong one first. Screenshot the exact name and map pin before you tell your driver.
Souvenirs & the sea train
The souvenir spot our tuk-tuk driver swore by
Our tuk-tuk driver told us this is one of the best places in Colombo for souvenirs, and it did not disappoint: shelves of small, simple, cute things, with plenty at around 500 LKR. Sri Lanka is famous for cinnamon, so stock up. After nine cities across the island, the host says this was still one of the cheapest places to buy anything. Open the pin →
Sri Lanka’s Coastal Line
One of the closest train rides to the sea in the world: the line runs so near the water that spray can reach passengers at the window. It was built under British rule to carry tea, cinnamon and coconut from the south up to Colombo, and today it is one of the most scenic rides you can take towards places like Galle and Hikkaduwa. We watched it pass from our hotel’s rooftop before sunset, an easy win if your hotel has a roof with a view.
Galle Face: shopping & street food
One Galle Face Mall
Galle Face is where Colombo’s big malls and luxury hotels cluster, and One Galle Face is one of the biggest. You will find international brands like Nike and Adidas, but the host found them pricier than back in Egypt, so spend your time on Sri Lankan labels instead.
Spa Ceylon
A luxury Sri Lankan brand for spa and skincare built on Ayurveda, the ancient Asian medicine based on herbs and natural oils. The shop smells incredible and stocks incense, body lotions, perfumes and home items, plus a range made to help you sleep. We left with a few things.
Galle Face Green street food
Walk through to the other side of the mall and small carts sell local street food. We only made it there after dark. Most stalls do seafood snacks with shrimp, nearly everything comes topped with chilli, and we ended the night with a sweet street treat we had been hunting since landing.
Eat your way through Colombo
The Colombo street food checklist
Screenshot this and check each one off as you go. The full 24 hours is in the video below.
Ready to book
Lock in the trip
Flights
Compare fares to Colombo (CMB).
Search Skyscanner →Hotels
Galle Face or a rooftop with a sea view.
Check Agoda →eSIM
Land already connected for PickMe.
Get Airalo →Tours & tickets
Temples, tuk-tuk tours and day trips.
See GetYourGuide →Guide by Ali & Mayar. Some links on this page are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.