Southern Sri Lanka Sightseeing Day Trip From Colombo & Negombo
Badge of Excellence
Colombo, Sri Lanka
- 8 to 10 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Private transportation
- All Expressway Toll Fees
- Driver's Food
- WiFi on board
- All Fees and Taxes
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We Pick Up Travelers From All places Around Colombo and Negombo. Please Send Us a Message if its not mentioned on the list given.
Itinerary
1
Galle Dutch Fort
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
Madu River Safari by Buddhi
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Unawatuna Beach
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
5
Galle Fort Lighthouse
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
6
stilt fishermen Sri Lanka
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Japanese Peace Pagoda - Rumassala
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Galle (Pass By)
8
Sea Turtle Farm Galle Mahamodara
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
9
Madu Ganga
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
10
Kalutara Bodhiya
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Infant seats available
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Tour Duration includes Travel Time.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Cathy_P
Vidu, our driver, arrived in plenty of time and took us to so many interesting places between Colombo and Galle. He was chatty and knowledgeable. His driving was excellent and he knew where we were going and made sure we were well prepared and looked after. This was a very full day but if you’re limited on time you will see an awful lot in one day. Would recommend the tour but most of all Vidu,
Reviews
4.5
based on 137 reviews
STEPHEN_B, Mar 2026
Was a fun tour especially seeing the sea turtles. Beautiful coast line! Our driver was excellent and flexible!
Steven_B, Feb 2026
To start it with it should have stated Galle was about 3 hours from Colombo.
The place to meet was unknown to the cruise ship employees even though it said passenger terminal there wasn’t one. A resident offered to call for us and then preceded to ask for a tip.
We were the only 2 in the group and in a car not a bus. That concerned us especially since the driver had a very poor command of the English language. He spoke only when spoken to, gave no tour info, and only drove us around. And his driving scared us at times!
There were some places that admission was not included and when we heard the prices($40) we declined after paying $185.00 for this tour.
There was no internet and we never got any bottled water.
There were things included that we never made it to see and when lunch was not included we asked the driver to take us back to the ship.
Viator usually does a great job , but this was not one of them.
Bruce_D, Feb 2026
Our guide was wonderful. We saw everything we wanted and skipped what we didn’t want to see
It’s a long day. Make sure you have time.
Cecilia_D, Feb 2026
It is a long day, but Dana made the journey very comfortable and was very helpful. The turtle conservation tour was very interesting. And, whilst initially I was not sure I wanted to do the boat safari, it turned out to be a highlight.
Joanne_C, Feb 2026
WE DID NOT SEE THE SALT FISHERMEN.
DO NOT DO THIS TRIP FROM COLUMBIO
We paid for this tour that included several stops. On meeting the representative (who was simply the taxi driver but was very honest and nice) he said this tour is not possible to complete in full due to the time constraints. the initial stop was 2.5 hours away from the ship in columbo.
we only did the boat trip (additional money plus allegator/crocodile hatchery was a tiny new born who was passed around(.
we asked the driver to take us back to the ship.
the booking stated bottled water, free WiFi, comfortable car...none of which was had
Margaret_C, Feb 2026
First, our guide was wonderful. We really enjoyed being with him. Unfortunately we were unable to do the tour. I spoke to the person who books the tours and told him we were in port from this time to that time. I asked if we could do this tour within this time period. He sent me a text “note taken”. Never told me the drive alone was 3 hours each way. Told me absolutely nothing about not being able to do the tour. Our guide picked us up as planned and told us we did not have enough time to do the tour. It was very upsetting because we were looking forward to doing this tour since we saw a lot of the places on the amazing race. Instead we had to do a city tour which was no fault of our guide but the owner of this company. So be careful when booking so what happened to us doesn’t happen to you.
Jocely_A, Dec 2025
We had an excellent day trip exploring Southern Sri Lanka from Colombo. kumaragelal was professional, punctual, and incredibly knowledgeable about the country’s history, culture, and hidden gems. He made the entire journey smooth and enjoyable, pointing out important landmarks, sharing interesting stories, and always making sure we were comfortable
Isha_A, Dec 2025
The driver did not follow the itinerary . We Missed the stilt fishermen experience and the lunch at the beach…….. he took us to a restaurant near madu river. The whole experience was spoilt because we did not get what we expected. Not recommended
lisa_h, Dec 2025
Excellent trip, gave us an insight into Sri Lanka, our guide Indika looked after us and showed us some great sights from the boat safari to the fisherman on stilts. Thank you
Stephen_R, Nov 2025
Don’t think I would recommend this tour operator, there was no communication beforehand up to the point of a message from the guide 1 hour before start time. We were in Colombo for 7 hours only visiting off a cruise ship. We choose this tour when back in the UK and thought it sounded great. With limited time this was not a tour suitable for us but operator did not say this, just accepted the booking. When we met our guide and he told us it would be a 3 hours journey to Fort Galle and then 3 hours back to ship, leaving one hour for us… not what was suitable for us. The operator should have seen this and suggested another tour, perhaps just of Colombo city.
Our guide was called Lal and he was not the most communicative of guides, it appears not to be his fault and he did try but we cut short the tour so only spent 5 hours in the car and 15 minutes at the turtle sanctuary. Worst tour ever had through Viator 😢
May_M, Oct 2025
It was a horrible experience, they didn’t fulfill their promised schedule. We had a chance to go to the river and it was the most depressing thing I have ever gone to on my life. The tour guide has nothing to say except talking about my country and corona!!! Even when I ask, he doesn’t have the answers.. definitely I wouldn’t recommend it.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Ma’am,
We’re very sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your experience. However, your tour began at 3:00 PM, which was the start time you personally selected when booking. Our team kindly advised that beginning late in the afternoon would not allow enough time to visit all the scheduled sites and even offered to reschedule for the next morning, but this option didn’t fit your plans.
Despite the limited time, our guide did his best to make your experience enjoyable and ensure you could still visit the river. Since the shortened itinerary was a result of the late start rather than our service, a refund was unfortunately not possible.
We always appreciate feedback and remain committed to offering the best experiences to all our guests.
SigiriTrip Tours Team
Alex_Y, May 2025
An unforgettable day in Galle thanks to Glen! We loved every moment - from the heartwarming turtle sanctuary and exciting boat safari to watching the iconic stilt fishermen in action. Glen, our great guide and driver, made the trip even better with his friendly vibe, smooth driving, and great local tips. Everything was perfectly organised, stress-free, and so much fun. Absolute 5-star experience!
Dorinda_W, May 2025
This was a very nice tour, but also very long due to the distance from the port. Overall it was good, except that the boat ride safari, in our opinion is not worth the cost or the time. Very little is seen.
Also recommend that for additional costs not included in the price of the tour, information be provided in the tour description and identify where credit card is not accepted, so that sufficient cash is available.
Nita_H, May 2025
If you limited for time and wish to discover sri lanka this is ideal tour. Whilst a couple of areas we could have spent more time in, it gaves us a good insight to those sights.
Kathleen_O, Apr 2025
Bidu is amazing! We saw everything and he was so accommodating. He’s a fabulous driver and did not stop short of making sure that we had an amazing day. We highly recommend.
Cathy_P, Apr 2025
Vidu, our driver, arrived in plenty of time and took us to so many interesting places between Colombo and Galle. He was chatty and knowledgeable. His driving was excellent and he knew where we were going and made sure we were well prepared and looked after. This was a very full day but if you’re limited on time you will see an awful lot in one day. Would recommend the tour but most of all Vidu,
Leong_K, Apr 2025
The tour covers a large area. I have seen many things. The tour guide was knowledgeable and helpful.
marcus_E, Apr 2025
What a wonderful day. We spent the day with Glen who is very friendly and well informed. We chose not to do the turtles or the boat ride as we wanted to take our time at the port of Galle. There was also a quick stop off to a Buddhist temple that we spotted. The flexibility and the patience was well notice. Our second tour from this company and we are very happy with the service. A great introduction to life in Sri Lanka.
Marissa_A, Mar 2025
This day was amazing!!! Our guide vidu was such a fun person and shared his love for Sri Lanka through history & stories & pointing out landmarks! Highly recommend this tour! We had so much fun
Anonymous, Mar 2025
Driver was on time and car was clean and safe. This tour was a great option to get out of Colombo for the day and see Southern Sri Lanka. Loved the stop at the marine life rescue — very interesting to learn about the important conservation work occurring in Sri Lanka. Drove by the Dutch fort which was massive and filled with colonial history. Lunch was at a delicious seafood restaurant— highly recommend the lobster and the crab. Tour guide was accommodating to stop for souvenirs that we wanted to buy. Great day trip option!
Jennifer_L, Mar 2025
The tour describes 4 stops I would recommend choose wisely as there will a tooo much to do it all justice
I would recommend skip turtles and boat ride if you are more interested in Galle fort and stilt fisherman
Everything was rushed and fisherman were abut to go home when we got there at 530pm and then still had to drive back to Colombo
So it is not 8-10hour tour
We had shortens what we did on boat ride and were quick at turtles yet still ran very late and had to rush around the fort
DavidFarrow, Mar 2025
We have had a brilliant day with our guide Gihan. Nothing was too much trouble and he took us to places we specifically wanted to see. The turtle hatchery are doing amazing conservation work and need our support. Galle a beautiful historic place Fishing on stilts was a once in a lifetime experience Jungle beach beautiful with excellent food in the beach bar. Would highly recommend thanks again Gihan for making it a great day. booking through Viator very smooth process
Margaret_J, Mar 2025
Brilliant day, very helpful and knowledgeable driver, who tailored the trip to suit our requests. I would recommend this trip to anyone
Mona_M, Mar 2025
I enjoyed an amazing day travelling to the southern part of Sri Lanka with Indika as my tour guide. I saw a great deal in one day. Indika was a very experienced driver and tour guide who went out of his way to accommodate my requests. We also enjoyed a fabulous meal in Galle Fort area. I highly recommend this tour!!
Gillian_D, Feb 2025
This was a very disappointing experience leaving us grateful to have made it back to the ship before it sailed. The day started well. Our guide met us at the port as arranged. It was a private air conditioned car so we were pleased and we set off. He told us first stop was Galle fort. Excellent we thought. It was a long drive but he was chatty and all was going well. We arrived at Galle and he told us to have a look around and meet him back at the car in 40 mins. That started alarm bells as we expected him to be a guide not just a taxi, however we did as told and walked around the fort. 40 mins is not long to be there. It’s well worth a visit but go for the day or at least a few hours. Back in the car he then started checking the itinerary to see where next and to consult google maps. He admitted he hadn’t worked that area before so how he was supposed to be a guide was unclear. We went to jungle beach, having taken wrong turnings and finally asking for directions. Lovely but not worth the trek if you are only going to take a photo. Next lunch. It took 1 hour 15 mins and further wrong turnings before he found the restaurant, during which time he told us we wouldn’t see the stilt fishermen as they were all off as it was a holy day (later saw other peoples photos of the stilt fishermen so this was clearly a lie). The lunch was good. Next river safari. Finally found it and as we were about to board the boat we were asked for 100 dollars for a 40 min boat ride. We refused and at this point lost our temper about how bad the day had been. We finally agreed to pay 60 dollars so that the day wasn’t a complete failure. It was an interesting boat ride but sort the price when you book. Finally turtle hatchery. Driver announced we didn’t have time for this but there was something similar just round the bend. It was a sea life centre! At this point we insisted that he checked Maps to see how long it would take to get back to the ship. We were 2 hours away, it was 4:30pm and the ship sailed at 7. Having to convince him we needed to go straight away he drove erratically to the point where he got pulled over by the police and we had to convince the police to let him keep going. I’ve never been so relieved to get back on board ship. This was a taxi not a tour and the driver failed us by not pre checking routes, understanding the area and generally giving a damn. I have given it two stars rather than one as the destinations were good. The bit that needs to change is a tour guide not a driver and a boat trip inclusive price or at least an indication of expected cost. It could probably be improved by focusing on 3 things rather than trying to do everything.
Pearl_L, Feb 2025
Shaminder our guide and driver picked us up at the port. He greeted us with a big smile. His car was nicely air conditioned and very comfortable. We had a instant connection with him. He drove us to all the places listed plus accommodated our request to pick up a quick lunch and washroom break. He knew we had to be back at the ship at a certain time and assured us that it would not be a problem. Shaminda shared his wealth of knowledge with us and we learned a lot during this tour. We also had a lot of laughs along the way. It was like touring with a friend. The cruise was breathtaking and we loved the turtle sanctuary. We ended the day with trying stilt fishing which was fun. All in all we had a great day filled with wonderful memories.
Thank you Shaminda!
Mike_S, Jan 2025
Caution about the length of time for the tour. Because of the distance needed to cover, our guide (Sean) rushed to show us most of the places but we still did not have time for the river tour, pagoda and lunch within the 8-10 hrs advertised and be back to our ship on time. There are a lot of places to cover. He was however excellent, accommodating, and knowledgeable. We had a couple of other time challenges (late start) but most importantly is that the supplier was empathetic and understanding. Not all tours go smoothly for whatever reason, but my wife and I rate this company and guide full marks because of their customer service.
Georsadd_G, Jan 2025
Our driver Vidu tried hard during the day, drove us safe, and was very enthusiastic. However, I felt that the latter part of the tour (in Galle and the stilts fishing, the beach) was a bit rushed. So I suggest spending lesser time in the earlier stops (I would say the Turtle Sanctuary - maybe even skip it) so you can spend more time in Galle Fort, one of the beaches (where you can feed Turtles in the ocean) or even two, and also maybe wait for the sun set if the stils fishermen if time permits.
Matthew_F, Jan 2025
We enjoyed our day. It was a long day almost 11 hours and we moved pretty quickly. Our driver was excellent - he gets 5/5. He was friendly, and consistently tried hard through the day. Be aware that there are a number of day tours from Colombo down to the south coast with similar destinations. The description of this tour is clear that it does not include the cost of the entry into the Sea Turtle Conservation Project or the cost of the River Safari. What it does not say is the cost of those attractions. We were charged US$20 each for entry into the Sea Turtle Conservation visit. There was no published price list when we go there we were just told how much we had to pay. The visit lasted about 30 minutes. On top of that we were expected to make additional (small) donation and pay a tip to the person showing us around. For the river safari, we were told we were going to a 'local operator' favoured by domestic tourists. We were driven to a jetty at the back of someone's house and told that it was US$60 for two people for the one hour boat ride. We were the only people there and there was no published prices. The local guide who took us around the river on the boat tried hard, but spoke very limited English. So in summary it was a good day but it would be better if the tour operator was clearer about the additional costs.
Manso_C, Jan 2025
Vidu was a sensational tour guide. Very informative and was very thoughtful in his itinerary and gave us many options for any additional activities we might be interested in. Highly recommend this as a one day tour of beautiful Southern Sri lanka
From $85.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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