Welcome to our Sri Lanka short break series of posts. Read where to stay, eat, shop and explore. From the Southern coast beaches and heritage fort town of Galle to the gleaming skyscrapers of Columbo. Just a short, four hour flight from Dubai.
We booked an Emirates ticket, outbound operated via Emirates, but return via Flydubai. Check your preferred timings.
Sri Lanka short break – our itinerary
5-Day – 4 night
Sri Lanka short break Itinerary: Galle & Colombo
- Travel Approach
- Minimized time in vehicles to maximize experiences
- Took the fast highway from Colombo to Galle (~2.5 hours)
- Galle – 3 Nights – but 2 nights would be fine too so 2 nights in Galle 1 night Columbo
- Stayed within the historic Galle Fort town itself – easy to walk everywhere
- Explored the town’s colonial charm, coastal views, and cultural sites and shops
- Experienced tea and cinnamon farms, the surfing vibe at Hiriketiya and incredible places in Ahangama and Welligama as outings from Galle as our base
- Scenic Stop at Lunuganga
- Visited Geoffrey Bawa’s stunning country home and garden on the way back to Colombo
- Colombo (1 Night)
- Enjoyed sightseeing, shopping, and dining in the city
- Spent a relaxed final night at an ultra modern hotel before flight back
- Return to Dubai
- Took a direct 4-hour flight back
Sri Lanka short break – First Stop Galle – Where to Stay in Galle
We stayed and highly recommend The Charleston hotel in Fort Galle itself. A beautiful 9 bedroom boutique hotel with great food and the coolest bar in Galle! Read our article on The Charleston hotel for all the details on our stay there to see if it’s for you.
What to do in Galle
Galle is a historic fort town with Portuguese, Dutch and British influences. It’s permiter is 3 km if you walk all around the fort walls and the architecture is a fascinating and charming blend of colonial style and Sri Lankan tradition.
Do book a fort walking tour – we booked ours via The Charleston hotel where we stayed and just wander around the roads of Galle Fort stopping where you feel like it for a drink, snack or a bit of shopping!
Where to eat and shop in Galle
- Lunch at The Bungalow
- Drinks at Charlies Bar – The Charleston hotel
- Drinks at Galle Fort hotel – short walk from The Charleston
- The Kahanda Kanda shop and gallery – beautiful clothes and a gorgeous courtyard at the back
- The views from A Minute by Tuk Tuk at the Old Dutch Hospital Building
Day trip ideas from Galle
- The tea and cinnamon experience
- Lunch at Malabar Hill
- A drive out for lunch at some surfing in Hiriketiya : But that’s about 1.5 hour drive, very cool though
Sri Lanka short break – Where to stay
Columbo is a now a modern city with tall skyscrapers, high end restaurants and swanky shopping districts. We chose to stay at the very modern and quite new Cinnamon Life hotel.
It’s a huge hotel designed for events and conferences with 2 outdoor pool areas and a variety of restaurants. We were very happy with our rooms, the location, facilities and the food. By far the best breakfast buffet I have every experienced!
Where to eat and shop in Columbo
Check out One Galle Face mall, but also take a short taxi to the cool FROK ME collective boutique and check out the clothes. We had lunch at the Dragonfli restaurant in the cool District 7 area of Columbo.
If you know people who can get in to the Columbo Swimming Club then do go and have a drink there. I hear food is also very good. Note Uber works well in Columbo.
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