Majeste
Majeste
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Colombo city half day

Colombo city half day is Majeste's private day tour from Colombo. It takes about 5 hours door to door and costs $28 per person for two, including your own car with an English-speaking driver and entrance tickets. Prices checked 7 Nov 2026. Nothing to pay now.

Pettah, two temples, the museum and Galle Face.

Seema Malaka temple on Beira Lake, Colombo, with rows of golden Buddha statues and a tiled roof
Photo: AKS.9955 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

StartColombo
Hoursabout 5 hoursDoor to door
Distance35 kmRound trip
Also from these towns
StartHoursKmPer person for two
Negomboabout 890$43
Airportabout 7.580$43

About this tour

A morning in the commercial capital by car and on foot: the Pettah bazaar and the Red Mosque, Gangaramaya temple on Beira Lake, Independence Square and the National Museum, ending at Galle Face Green. Colombo is hot and humid and the traffic is real, so we keep it to half a day. If you would rather see the city by tuk-tuk, add the tuk-tuk tour; your car still brings you in and takes you back.

  • Pettah market streets and the Red Mosque
  • Gangaramaya temple and the Seema Malaka pavilion on Beira Lake
  • Independence Square, the Arcade and the National Museum

Your day

Planning times from Colombo, not promises. From another start town the times change.

  1. Pickup at your hotel.

  2. Pettah on foot: Main Street, the Red Mosque and the spice and textile lanes.

  3. Gangaramaya temple and Seema Malaka. Shoulders and knees covered, shoes off.

    About Gangaramaya Temple

  4. Independence Square and the Arcade.

  5. National Museum, about an hour. Closed on Mondays and Poya days.

    About Colombo National Museum

  6. Galle Face Green and drop-off, or lunch nearby if you like.

What is in the price

Included

  • Private air-conditioned car or van with an English-speaking driver for the day
  • Fuel, expressway tolls and parking
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Colombo, Negombo or at the airport
  • Every entrance ticket listed under tickets and fees

Not included

  • Lunch is at a local restaurant, paid directly, about USD 5 to 15 a head
  • Tips for the driver and any local guide, at your discretion
  • Drinks, snacks and personal spending

Tickets and fees

  • Gangaramaya Temple

    $2.41

    LKR 400 per adult, children free, according to one list; LKR 500 is also in circulation. Paid at the temple and covers the Seema Malaka pavilion on Beira Lake.

    Source

  • Colombo National Museum

    $7.22

    LKR 1,200 per adult (LKR 1,500 combined with the Natural History Museum). A child price of LKR 600 is listed but without an age band. Prices date from April 2022.

    Source

Amounts are for two adults. Entrance fees for Sri Lankan residents differ. Message us and we price them for you.

Entrance fees last checked 7 November 2026. Activity prices last checked 7 November 2026. Rupee fees converted at LKR 332.5 to USD 1 (XE mid-market rate, 6 Nov 2026).

Good to know

  • On Mondays and Poya days the museum is closed; we spend the hour at the Lotus Tower or the Old Dutch Hospital instead (tower ticket paid directly).
  • Traffic is heavy from 07:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 19:30.
  • The afternoon version (14:00 to 18:30) ends at Galle Face Green for sunset.

Good months: January, February, March.

Harder months: May, October, November.

Optional extras

Not in the price. Add them in the price box.

Read more

Where the figures come from

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