The Top Must See Attractions in Colombo City

Experience the dual fun of a unique ride and exploring the city's attractions on the Double Decker Bus Tour! The bright red bus decorated with colourful, funky pictures of landmarks, will take you around Colombo's top attractions such as the Independence Memorial & Arcade Independence Square, Vihara Mahadevi Park, Colombo Town Hall and many others. The project which is a venture by Sri Lanka Tourism & Ebert Silva Holidays offers three types of tours named Glimpse of Colombo, Heritage of Colombo and Colombo at Night. However, if you want to explore Colombo in more than just one day it is important to be comfortably settled in a Colombo City hotel that's within convenient distance to the city's top attractions. The Steuart by Citrus is thus an ideal option as this premier boutique hotel is just within easy distance to many of the landmarks.

When Sri Lanka became an independent nation in the year of 1948, the magnificent Independence Memorial Hall was built to commemorate the nation's great victory. Today, the Independence Memorial Hall and the surrounding lush gardens are the perfect place to relax with your friends and family or go for an energetic jog. The memorial hall is a stunning work of architecture as the stone building contains many impressive carvings and designs. Adjacent to the Memorial Hall is the recently opened Aracde Independence Square which is a grand shopping complex. The complex contains a great stone Lions Fountain and a beautiful fish pond made of glass that you can walk on! You can also shop for high-end fashion brands such as FCUK and Tommy Hilfiger.

Sri Lanka is famous for its beaches and when in Colombo you won't miss out on this experience as you have Galle Face Green! A five hectare ocean-side urban park, the Galle Face Green is an ideal venue to go for a chilling-by-the-beach evening experience with friends and family. Sprawled on the sides of the park are vendors selling kites, toys, balloons and the absolutely delicious and mouth watering Isso Wadé or Prawn Vada that some might say is the signature snack of Galle Face Green.

An eclectic mix of Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian, and Chinese architecture make up one of Colombo's most iconic of Buddhist temples, the Gangaramaya Temple. Situated on the edge of the Beira Lake, the temple serves not only as a place of Buddhist worship; it is also a centre of learning. The temple is involved in Buddhist welfare work including old peoples' homes, a vocational school and an orphanage. Inside the temple you will find a wide range of beautiful and elaborate artefacts some of which date back to 1000 years! The Gangaramaya Temple has all the usual the main features of a Vihara (temple), the Cetiya (Pagada) the Bodhitree, the Vihara Mandiraya, the Seema malaka (assembly hall for monks) and the Relic Chamber while in addition it has a museum, a library, a residential hall, a three storeyed Pirivena, educational halls, an alms hall and also most importantly the scenic location.

When you enter the grand entrance of Sri Lanka's premier cultural institution, you will be greeted by a 9th Century splendorous statue of a stone Buddha. There onwards, you will be taken back in time to the ancient glorious days of Sri Lanka with all kinds of art, carvings and statuary from Sri Lanka's ancient past, as well as swords, guns and other paraphernalia from the colonial period. The highlights of the national Museum include the 9th-century bronze Bodhisattva Sandals, the gigantic skeleton of a Blue Whale as well of the beloved Heiyantuduwa Raja (elephant) elephant and the magnificent throne made for King Wimaladharma in 1693.