LAYOVER TOURS IN COLOMBO

The three main ways to get into Sri Lanka are through the international harbour in Colombo, the international airport in Bandaranayake, and the international airport in Mattala. We get letters from people all the time asking things like, “What are some must-see places near Colombo airport?” and “What can you do in Colombo, Sri Lanka, during an six to eight-hour layover?”, What are the popular layover tours in Colombo? Because more and more people want to know about things to do at the Colombo airport, I wrote this blog post to help many tourists in the future. Sri Lanka, which is in southern Asia, is a very busy transport hub that gets a lot of traveller traffic.

Table of Contents

What do you think makes these layover tours in Colombo, Sri Lanka, so special?

  • Outstanding private layover tours in Colombo, that give you a personalised experience with many interesting tourist spots in Colombo
  • Layover tours in Colombo, with Pickup at the airport
  • Meeting arrangements at the airport
  • Have a private driver guide from Sri Lanka
  • No waiting time at the airport, no matter what time you leave or arrive; pick-up times that can be changed to fit your arrival time;

Why stop your tour of Colombo at the duty-free area or food court when you can see some of the most interesting places in Colombo? Pick the plan that works best with your schedule. Explore Sri Lanka’s historical monuments in the cultural triangle, go on a Sri Lanka wildlife tour to see leopards and elephants, relax on the beautiful beaches lined with palm trees, eat fresh seafood, and get an Ayurvedic massage to heal your body and mind. Everything is included in your stress-free tour, from the time you arrive until you leave. To be exact, one can make their own schedule based on their hobbies. No matter what you decide, your personal guide will be with you the whole time to make sure your trip to Sri Lanka is real.

Plan your layover tours in Colombo,, Sri Lanka. What should you do and where should you go?

Sri Lankan layover tours in Colombo, and Mattala

The three main ways to get into Sri Lanka are through the international harbour in Colombo, the international airport in Bandaranayake, and the international airport in Mattala. We get letters from people all the time asking things like, “What are some must-see places near Colombo airport?”” and “What can you do in Colombo, Sri Lanka, during an six to eight-hour layover?”Because more and more people want to know about things to do at the Colombo airport, I wrote this blog post to help many tourists in the future. Sri Lanka, which is in southern Asia, is a very busy transport hub that gets a lot of traveller traffic.

Whether you’re staying in Colombo or Mattala, you can find a lot of cheap cultural attractions that will give you a break from the expensive monotony of port and airport places. Many planes that come to and go from the island are handled at Colombo International Airport, which is also its main airport hub.

Sometimes, the feeling of descending into a city you don’t know can wake you up after a long, tiring trip. As the overhead picture slowly grows, it changes into flashing lights that show the presence of a living thing that can be seen from a very high place. Assume that Colombo, Sri Lanka, is not a very interesting place to visit on your trip. If that’s the case, you might not be able to explore this interesting area as much as you’d like to because you’ll really just feel like you’re in motion.

For the same reasons that any other foreign airport or port, the chain stores sell useless goods, the daily menus at high-end restaurants are easy to see from everywhere, and it’s impossible to sneak away for a quick nap.

Ways to find an exit Going to the dock is definitely a good idea, even though Sri Lankan airports are incredibly boring. You might want to check out a number of places during your stay in Colombo or Mattala. If you stop in Mattala, which is on the western or southern side of Colombo, you can enjoy the beach, wildlife, and local culture for a low price.

I’ll be at Colombo airport for five, eight, ten, twelve, or fifteen hours. What should I do?

A city walk in Colombo usually lasts for 4 hours. Many passengers, on the other hand, would have to wait more than two hours to get on their next trip. There are a number of extra things to do at the Colombo airport for people who are staying longer than 4 hours. Participants on transit tours in Colombo are given a wide range of options for places to visit based on their own tastes. Not only can tourists take relaxing beach vacations and trips to see wildlife, but they can also visit cultural and historical sites and the hill country of Sri Lanka. If you have any questions about your travel plans while you’re waiting at the Colombo airport, please email us at admin@seerendipitytours.com. The number to text is 0094-77-4440977. You won’t have to pay anything for our help planning your activities in Colombo.

How much time do you have to finish your layover tours in Colombo,?

How long do you think you should spend on the layover tour of Colombo? This is an important question that needs to be answered before you plan anything for your stay in Colombo. It is assumed that you will get back to the airport a long time before your flight leaves. At Seerendipity, we care a lot about when your flights leave and arrive. Every detail of your trip is carefully planned so that you can fully enjoy it without worrying about being late for your flight.

The walk from your plane to the arrivals lounge usually takes between thirty minutes and an hour. Additionally, passengers are highly encouraged to arrive at the airport at least two hours before the scheduled departure time. Take a make-believe scenario where your flight is scheduled to arrive at 6:00 AM and leave at 18:00 PM. After going through the appropriate steps and checking out, you would meet your guide in the arrival lounge around 7:00 a.m., since your flight to Colombo leaves at 6:00 a.m. You have to be in the departure room for your return flight at least two hours before it leaves. This means that it will take at least sixteen hours to get to the airport. So, your duty at the Colombo airport can last for up to nine hours at most.

When should I starts my layover tours in Colombo?

You only need to be up-to-date on travel-related information, and you can choose your own leaving time. We suggest that you leave early in the morning so that you can get the most out of your tour of Sri Lanka. Because it’s hard to see before sunset, I don’t think it’s worth the time and money to go on a tourist trip if you get there late at night.

Which seven things do transit tourists like to do the most at Colombo airport?

During a layover at the Colombo airport, people can do many things, such as shopping, visiting historical sites, taking a beach vacation, or going on a culture or wildlife tour. Even so, city walks are still the most popular thing to do in Colombo. This is mostly because getting from the airport to the city centre is so easy. We strongly suggest that you take part in the following activities during your layover at the Colombo airport, as they must be done exactly at the times listed in the plan. The time frame given allows for the completion of all the tasks on the list below. Seerendipity Tours can set up stylish, high-end cars to be used as private transportation for your trip. If you have a skilled local guide with you, you can be sure that the trip will be both fun and safe.

  • Colombo city tour
  • A trip to the city of Negombo
  • Negombo beach tour
  • Ayurvedic Spa treatment
  • A trip to Bentota
  • Trip to the south of Sri Lanka
  • From Kitulgala Colombo Airport, you can spend the whole day in Colombo.

Colombo city tour from the airport

A Colombo city tour from the airport is by far the most popular thing to do when you get there for a break or transit. It only takes about 40 minutes to drive from Colombo airport to Colombo city on the Colombo-Katunyake road, which is only 35 kilometres away. But if the usual road is taken, it could take up to 1.5 hours. The express way is used on all of our trips from the Colombo airport to the city, which saves our clients time.

Stopover at Colombo International Airport on the way to Colombo

If your flight stops in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s biggest international airport, you will have a great time during your layover. The airport is 35 miles away from Colombo, which is Sri Lanka’s main business hub. This city is full of life and has a long past. It is home to many religious and racial groups. It’s a mix of different cultures. Colombo is a great place to go for a day trip in Sri Lanka because it has so many things to see and do. Sri Lanka has a lot of history that can be learned from its many churches, cathedrals, forts, and other historically important buildings.

Without a doubt, the Colombo city tour is the most popular activity for tourists coming to Sri Lanka. Unlike people who would rather relax at the beach or do other things, more than 90% of transit tourists in Colombo ask to go on city tours. The 33-kilometer-long Colombo-Katunyake highway has made it much easier to get from the airport to the city of Colombo. It now takes less than thirty minutes.

On your city tour of Colombo, you can see the Gangarama temple, eat real Sri Lankan food and rice, and walk along long, sandy beaches, among other things. It would be a waste of time to visit places in Colombo that don’t interest you because the city has so many things to see and do. With the help of a private driver or guide, you can enjoy exploring Colombo, Sri Lanka’s lively city. With the help of our travel experts, you can make even more changes to the Colombo city tour schedule to make it fit your needs. Using your own car will also save you from the crowds that happen on Sri Lanka’s public transport system.

To make the most of your break, you could join one of the many local tour companies, like Seerendipity Tours, that offer half-day city tours in Colombo. Visiting historical places, shopping malls, temples, and churches, as well as enjoying delicious Sri Lankan food, all make for an interesting trip.

Eating in Colombo on your layover tours in Colombo

As an example, Colombo has a lot of restaurants to eat, like many food courts. A reasonable court has a range of restaurants that serve food from around the world and the area. Food halls not only have a huge selection of foods, but they also offer very low prices on those foods. In Colombo, food courts are popular in shopping malls. They are usually on the first floor or in the basement. There are a lot of restaurants in the food malls that serve a wide range of foods. Customers must pick out what they want from the menu and pay for it at the business before their food can be made. At the booths, people can get halal food, pizza, salad, soup, Indian, Chinese, and Mongolian food, as well as many other tasty options.

Hulftsdorp has a street full of food

One of the best places to try delicious Sri Lankan food is at Hulftsloop Food Street. If you get to the Colombo airport in the afternoon or evening, we will take you to Hulftsdorp Food Street because that’s when the food kiosks open. There are many delicious hot meal choices to choose from at rotisseries that specialise in smoked meats, small, colourful barbecues, and food carts that travellers like to stop at. After that, a wide range of foods are served, including naan, roti, wadey, deep-fried pork, barbecued meat, and wadey. Along with the exciting sounds of men’s voices and splattering pots and pans, the street smells like meat.

What kinds of sights are included in the Colombo city tour?

  • The Pettah market
  • The Gangarama temple
  • The National Museum
  • Galle face green
  • BMICH
  • Hall of Independence
  • The Park Viharamahadevi
  • Colombo’s Cinnamon Garden
  • The Hindu Temple at Companna Vidiya
  • Food Street Hulftsdorp (every afternoon during the walk of the city)

How long does the Colombo city tour last?

The tour of Colombo lasts between four and six hours and starts at the airport. How long the city tour exactly lasts will depend on how interested you are in each place and how long you stay there.

How much does the trip from the airport to the city of Colombo cost?

Each person pays $120.00, and a group of two friends pays $75.00. If you can fit more than two guests, you might be able to get big savings.

Why should you take the Colombo city tour?

  • Plan your trip to and from the airport
  • Setting up a meeting at the airport
  • Transportation on the ground in a new, air-conditioned car with an English-speaking driver or guide
  • Memorial Bandaranaike hall for international conferences
  • The Viharamahadevi Park
  • Gangarama Buddhist Temple
  • Hindu temple
  • Simamalaka with a town hall
  • Devatagaha Mosque or Red mosque
  • The area of Pettah
  • The Lake of Beira
  • Shopping at Odel, the House of Fashion, and the Handicraft Shops at Colombo

What do I need to do to book a Colombo city tour?

You can reach us at 0094-77-4440977 by WhatsApp, by phone at 0094-77-4440977, or by email at admin@seerendipitytours.com.

A calm day trip while on the way to or from Colombo airport

Take a trip to Negombo, both the city and the beach, during your layover in Colombo to turn it into a relaxing beach holiday. A lot of people like to go to Negombo, which has grassy beaches lined with palm trees. Negombo Beach is one of the best places to go in Colombo during a break. It’s only twenty minutes from the airport. Now is a good time to turn your stay in Colombo into a short trip to the beach in Sri Lanka. If you are going to be in Colombo for a long time, you might be looking for a place to eat healthy food and sleep. Seerendipity Tours makes custom Sri Lanka tour packages for people who only need a place to stay temporarily. Breakfast is part of the Sri Lanka tour itinerary, but dinner is not. The tour package prices are very important because people who only stay one night at the hotel are only charged half of the daily room rate.

Because it is so close, it only takes about 20 minutes to get from Colombo International Airport to Negombo Beach. Negombo, like many other beach towns in Sri Lanka, is thought to be one of the best places for short vacations. In addition to being a popular beach destination for tourists, Negombo is also home to a large fishing community made up of people who work in the fishing business. In Negombo, tourists can do a lot of interesting things besides visiting Hindu and Buddhist temples. Some of these are: taking slow walks along the beach, fishing market, and lagoon to see snakes, birds, and mangroves; eating delicious seafood; shopping; or just relaxing in the sun, sea, and sand.

While on the way to Negombo from Colombo, where should you stop for a break?

  • Negombo fish market
  • There are temples for both Hinduism and Buddhism
  • Shopping area in Negombo
  • The Lagoon of Negombo
  • The beach of Negombo

How long does the Negombo city walk last?

The trip from the airport to Negombo city takes five to seven hours.

How much does the trip from the airport to Negombo cost?

Taking into account two people, the price is $45.00 per person; for one person, it’s $75.00.

What does the Negombo city tour include

  • Plan your trip to and from the airport
  • Setting up a meeting at the airport
  • Transportation on the ground in a new, air-conditioned car with an English-speaking driver or guide
  • The list of events and attractions is shown below
  • The Hindu Temple
  • Church of the Catholic
  • The Buddhists
  • Negombo fish market
  • Negombo walking tour with a guide for beach and fun
  • Going on foot through the Negombo market

How do I book a Colombo public transportation-based city tour of Negombo?

You can reach us at 0094-77-4440977 by WhatsApp, by phone at 0094-77-4440977, or by email at admin@seerendipitytours.com.

Layover trips in Colombo, Sri Lanka; Ayurvedic spa treatments

If you have a layover in Colombo for less than 4 hours and might not have time to see the city, we ask you to enjoy an Ayurvedic spa treatment and a real herbal massage. These places are conveniently located just 20 minutes from Colombo International Airport.

This lovely gem is in a beautiful part of the famous Negombo beach resort, so you have plenty of time to explore one of the most beautiful beach resorts in Sri Lanka.

Getting an Ayurvedic massage in Sri Lanka is a great way to get ready for the next part of your trip because it will refresh your mind and body. Before your oil massage and sauna session, you have to take off your clothes and pick a massage room that is right for your gender. Dry saunas, oil massages, and hot water baths are all part of the spa treatment.

The warm water and oil massages ease any stress from the trip, release endorphins, rest muscles, and boost blood flow. As a way to help people with long layovers, the spa is open 24 hours a day and offers sitting areas upon request.

Is there enough time for me to visit the Ayurvedic spa on my way to the Colombo airport?

You need at least three hours.

How much does an Ayurvedic doctor visit cost?

It costs $80.00 for each person and $60.00 for two people.

In what ways does the Negombo city tour include?

  • Welcome Drink
  • Plan your trip to and from the airport
  • Setting up a meeting at the airport
  • Transportation on any ground in a new, air-conditioned car with a driver or guide who speaks English
  • A full-body Ayurvedic massage that lasts 1.5 hours

How do you make plans to get an Ayurvedic massage?

You can reach us at 0094-77-4440977 by WhatsApp, by phone at 0094-77-4440977, or by email at admin@seerendipitytours.com.

Layover trips in Colombo, Sri Lanka; a one-day tour of Bentota

The tour to Bentota is another great choice for your stopover at the Colombo airport. Taking the southern highway from Colombo airport will get you to Bentota Beach in about an hour and a half. Because of this, Bentota is an easy place to visit during a stay at Colombo Airport. Travellers will find Bentota to be an interesting place to visit that is easy to get to. It has a lot of different things for people to do. A lot of people in Bentota like to swim, boat, cruise the beach, and visit historical sites, churches, and museums. People from Colombo and many other places along the west coast love the Bentota tour, which lasts for one day and is highly recommended. Sri Lankan tour companies, like Seerendipity Tours, offer this one-day trip that leaves from Colombo every day. It can be changed to fit your arrival and departure times in Sri Lanka.

What should someone who is going to Bentota see while they are stopping in Colombo?

  • To project to protect sea turtles
  • Old Temple of Kande Vihara
  • A trip down the Madur River
  • Mines for moonstone
  • Mask Museum and Gallery
  • Herb and spice garden

How long do you think it will take to get to Bentota?

It takes at least eight hours of driving to get to Bentota.

How much does it cost to get to Bentota?

The price is $130.00 for one person and $95.00 for two people.

How long does the Bentota tour last?

  • Plan your trip to and from the airport
  • Setting up a meeting at the airport
  • Transportation on the ground in a new, air-conditioned car with an English-speaking driver or guide
  • Schedule lists all the activities below
  • The Buddhist temple of Kande Vihara
  • Sea Turtle Conservation Initiative
  • The Safari on the Madu River
  • Tour of the Beach at Bentota
  • A look around a herb and spice garden

What do I need to do to book a Bentota transit trip at the Colombo airport?

You can reach us at 0094-77-4440977 by WhatsApp, by phone at 0094-77-4440977, or by email at admin@seerendipitytours.com.

For layover trips, go to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and check out southern Sri Lanka.

You might want to plan a trip to the southern part of Sri Lanka while you’re on your way to the Colombo airport. Even though Galle Fort will be the main centre of your short tour, you will also have the chance to see many other interesting places. Galle City has many interesting places to visit, including rainforts, beaches, mangrove lagoons, churches, shopping malls, museums, and projects to protect turtles. Galle City is a beautiful and fascinating city. Due to the short length of the trip, it may not be possible to see all of the major tourist attractions, but there will still be time to see a lot of interesting places.

What should you see and do in Colombo if you have a stopover and then go to southern Sri Lanka?

  • The Maritime Museum at Galle Fort
  • A gem museum
  • The Sea Turtle Conservation Centre
  • Galle City’s Wolvendaal Church
  • Safari on the Bentota River
  • Herb and Spice Garden

How long does it take to get from the airport to the southern part of Sri Lanka?

It takes at least eight hours of driving to get to Bentota.

How much does it cost to get from the airport to the south of Sri Lanka?

The price per person is $125 for two people and $160 for one person.

What does the trip from the airport to Bentota include?

  • Plan your trip to and from the airport
  • Setting up a meeting at the airport
  • Ground transportation in a new, air-conditioned car with a driver or guide who speaks English
  • The following lists the activities and entry costs
  • A guided walk through Galle Fort
  • The Centre for Handicrafts,
  • The Museum of Gems,
  • The Maritime Museum at Galle Fort
  • Safari on the Bentota River
  • The Centre for Sea Turtle Conservation
  • The Church of Wolvendaal
  • A slow stroll through a herb or spice garden

How do I plan my trip to southern Sri Lanka with Galle for a vacation?

You can reach us at 0094-77-4440977 by WhatsApp, by phone at 0094-77-4440977, or by email at admin@seerendipitytours.com.

Colombo, Sri Lanka, layover trips; a trip to Kitulgala

Individuals who are being held at the Colombo airport can enjoy exciting activities in Sri Lanka while they are in transit. The eighty-kilometer trip from Colombo Airport to Kitulgala would take about two hours and thirty minutes. In other words, if you have about ten hours to spend while travelling, you can do a lot of fun things, such as whitewater rafting, hiking in the jungle, watching birds, swimming, canoeing, and more.

What should someone see on their way from Colombo to Kitulgala?

  • On the Kelaniya River, you can swim, canoe, and go mountain rafting
  • Watching wildlife in the Kitulgala jungle in Makandawa

How long would it take for me to get to Kitulgala from my stopover in Colombo?

It takes at least eight hours of driving to get to Bentota.

How much does it cost to get to Kitulgala with a stop in Colombo?

The price for one person is $140.00, and the price for two people is $90.00 each.

What does the trip from the airport to Kitulagala include?

  • Plan your trip to and from the airport
  • Setting up a meeting at the airport
  • Transportation on the ground in a new, air-conditioned car with an English-speaking driver or guide
  • The following lists the activities
  • Rafting through waves at Kelaniya River in Kitulgala
  • A walk through the Makandewa forest with a guide to look for animals in the town.

What do I need to do to book a Kitulgala layover tour at the Colombo airport?

You can reach us at 0094-77-4440977 by WhatsApp, by phone at 0094-77-4440977, or by email at admin@seerendipitytours.com.

A short stop at the Colombo Port

Every year, hundreds of cruise ships come to Colombo International Harbour. An important number of cruise ships stop at the harbour to swap crew members, guests, and storage space. The wait time in Colombo’s harbour is usually a lot longer than the airport break. The Colombo port will require a 24-hour stopover, and it will be possible to make it last for an extra week.

In the event that your layover is near the Colombo port, you can enjoy a variety of extra activities. Some of these are trips to historical places, shopping trips, golfing, gourmet eating, and trips to the beach.

It will take you a lot less time to get to Colombo Harbour because your cruise ship will be close by in less than five minutes. By taking advantage of Colombo Port’s prime location, one can make good use of their time and do a wide range of activities in Sri Lanka.

If you have a stay in Colombo for eight hours or more, you can take a trip to one of Sri Lanka’s best beaches. These beaches are on the southern and western sides and have a lot to offer, like places to eat, water sports, boating, snorkelling, diving, and interesting landmarks.

Many interesting places in Colombo can be seen on foot, such as the Dutch Hospital, the Gangarama Temple, the Wolvendaal Church, Galle Face Beach, Beira Lake, an independent memorial hall, and a museum. This is a good way to spend an hour on the west coast if you don’t want to do a lot of sightseeing.

Buddhist temples are at the top of everyone’s list of things to do in Colombo. While not the oldest, the Gangarama Temple in Colombo is the most well-known Buddhist temple in the area. People have been going to the temples since the end of the 1800s and have worshipped the Buddha figure inside for more than one hundred years. The Gangarama Museum is the most interesting of the temple’s museums because it has hundreds of thousands of items that can’t be replaced.

Think about having less than three hours to do something. There are many places to shop in Pettah, which is close to the sea. From the passenger deck, you can take a cab to Pettah, which has hundreds of shops with a wide range of goods, such as leather goods, Ayurvedic medicines, textiles, jewellery, and gems.

What can you do in Mattala?

  • Go to Yala National Park in Sri Lanka
  • Getting to Know Hambantota Beach
  • Going to Turtle Beach at the Rekawa
  • Seeing the Temple of Kataragama
  • See the Yatalatissa Temple.

When people arrive at the international airport in Mattala, they will find everything they need ready for them. The government ignored the brand-new Mattala International Airport from 2015 to 2019. Most of the money that the island has made from the multimillion-dollar project has been lost over the past few years. Even so, Mattala International Airport was chosen by the new government as one of the island’s main airports. A good number of well-known companies, such as Emirates and Sri Lankan companies, have agreed to start flying out of Mattala airport. The next time you take a plane to Sri Lanka, you will almost certainly land in Mattala.

Mattala International Airport is in the deep south of Sri Lanka, which is one of the most beautiful parts of the country. Most Sri Lankan vacation plans include time spent in the southern part of the country, which is full of interesting places to visit. There are many interesting places to visit, such as national parks, historical buildings, and beautiful coastlines lined with palm trees.

It doesn’t take long to get from the airport to Yala National Park, which is a popular place for safaris in Sri Lanka. Leopards can be seen in Yala National Park more than any other wildlife haven in the world.

On your layover, you can go to some of the most famous tourist spots, such as Yala National Park, Kirinda Temple, Yatalatissa Temple, Rekawa Turtle Beach, and Hambantota Beach. Due to the small number of restaurants and shops at Mattala International Airport, it is suggested that you go on a stay tour. Southern Sri Lanka is a must-see for people who come to see the Kataragama Temple, which is the most important and visited building in the area. A lot of Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus come to this holy place.

Why use Serendipity tours for layover tours in Colombo?

Seerendipity Tour is a travel service based in Colombo that is owned by people from the area. One of the best things about Seerendipity Tours is that its staff is fluent in Sri Lankan and can make your trip perfect.

Guaranteed best rates for your layover tours in Colombo,

We plan trips directly with the local provider, so there are no middlemen and you get the best prices. Just get in touch with us and let us know where and when you want to visit.

Friendly staff to plan your layover tours in Colombo,

The personalised plan that our staff makes for you can be changed until you find the best way to do things. Check out our pre-planned tour plans for more ideas. Each one can be changed to fit your needs exactly. You can email us at admin@seerendipitytours.com or call us on WhatsApp at 0094-77-440977 or 0094-77-4440977.

Please help us.

An enormous amount of time and work went into writing this blog post. Could you please give your thoughtful comments?

Seerendipity Tour is a travel service that started in Colombo and is owned and run by people from that island. One of the best things about Seerendipity Tours is that its staff is fluent in Sri Lankan and can make your trip perfect.