Galle

Sri Lanka’s historic maritime city is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city’s most iconic landmark is the Galle Fort, which was built by the Portuguese, fortified by the Dutch, and used by the British. The strong influence of the Dutch is visible throughout the city in its colonial architecture, churches, and mansions. Today, Galle city is a bustling cosmopolitan with its captivating character fully intact. It has one of the most active regional ports in the country, and you don’t have to look far for fresh seafood. Its neighbouring beaches are highly sought-after for their beauty and water sports. As southern Sri Lanka’s most famous city, Galle, provides the ultimate mood and charm for exotic seaside holidays.

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Tailor-make a Tour

Hidden Gems

Japanese Peace Pagoda is a tranquil structure on top of Rumassala hill.
Historical Mansion Museum is a private museum with Dutch period items.
Joseph’s chapel is from the Portuguese times later revived by the Dutch.
Maha Modara Sea Turtle Hatchery works towards turtle conservation.
Meeran Jumma Mosque at the Fort is architecturally pleasing and faces Mecca.
Galle Harbour is nearly 2000 years and supports yachts.

Best Times to Visit

Galle is a year-round destination.

Weather

GALLE WEATHER

Top Attractions

Dutch Fort

First, incepted by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the Dutch expanded it. You can walk along its thick ramparts spread across 130 acres overlooking the ocean.

Galle Lighthouse

Built by the British in 1939, this lighthouse is still in operation. It is the oldest light station on the island and a principal Galle Sri Lanka attraction.

Dutch Reformed Church

Also known as Groot Kirk, it was built in 1755 by the Dutch. It is the oldest Protestant church still in use in Sri Lanka. It has a wooden pulpit and a gravestone floor.

The National Museum of Galle

Visit the Galle Museum, which is in the oldest remaining Dutch building in the Galle fort. It houses artifacts from the Portuguese, Dutch, and British periods.

Old Gate

It is the entrance to the fort, originally built by the Dutch and modified by the British. The outside has the British coat of arms and the inside the Dutch VOC.

Maritime Museum

1671 Dutch warehouse within Galle Fort, serves as the museum. The items displayed here take you through the Dutch East India Company trading routes.

Where to Shop in Galle

Galle has a collection of high-end boutiques and shops in and around the Fort. Laksana, Mimimango, Barefoot, Exotic Roots, Raux Brothers are a few to name.

Where to Eat in Galle

The Fort Printers, Fortaleza, Poonie’s Kitchen, Gallery 52, Chamber’s, Dumplings, Pilgrim’s, Elita, and Coconut Sambol are just a few places you can go for delectable meals.

Top Accommodations

Explore where you enjoy a comfortable stay during your explorations.

Amangalla

Amangalla lies within the ramparts of Sri Lanka’s 17th-century Galle Fort, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Offering views of the Fort and harbour on one side and the hotel’s lush gardens and swimming pool on the other, the historic residence presents lofty-ceilinged suites, elegant fine dining and a tranquil spa complex known as The Baths.

Fort Printers

The Fort Printers is nestled in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Galle Fort, the finest example of a preserved European fort and a living microcosm of Sri Lankan history and culture. The narrow streets of the Fort are lined with colonial buildings, each with a unique history. Dating back to the 18th century, the Printers building has over the years served as a college, later the home of a traditional printing company.

Galle Fort Hotel

One of the grand mansions of the fort, this iconic building has been many things to many people; a former gem merchants mansion, RAF barracks, a post office, bakery, lapidary and even a pitch for the forts juvenile cricketers; the Galle Fort Hotel is quintessential Galle, a beautiful, eclectic, eccentric gem of a place in the town that exerts a magnet appeal for history and culture buffs the world over.