Galle Day Trip

This tour covers the best part of Sri Lanka’s South Coast. You’ll visit Galle, rich in colonial heritage, and explore the iconic Dutch Fort that encloses the city, walking along the ramparts and the cobblestone pathways that crisscross through the fort. You’ll also visit a tea factory and plantation, the Ambalangoda mask factory, and experience a memorable boat ride at Maduganga before visiting the Turtle Hatchery.

Itinerary

• 07:30 — You will be picked up from your hotel in Negombo or Colombo and then transfer to visit Handunugoda Tea Estate. Handunugoda is the only tea estate situated in the coastal belt of Sri Lanka specialising in the artisanal manufacture of ‘virgin white tea’, and is one of a handful of estates exporting high-quality luxury teas to global markets.
• 10:00 — Dutch Fort of Galle. The fort is a historical, archaeological and architectural heritage monument which, even after more than 423 years, maintains a polished appearance thanks to extensive reconstruction work by the Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.
• 12:00 — After the Dutch Fort, you will be driven to Ambalangoda, known for its exquisite collection of native masks carved through generations of professional carvers from the region. Don’t miss the variety of masks available for sale — current productions are more garish and vibrant in colour.
• 13:00 — After lunch, discover the unique beauty of the Maduganga River on a boat trip. A relatively unspoiled lagoon, the Maduganga estuary is a 915-hectare complex coastal wetland ecosystem that opens to the Indian Ocean.
• 15:30 — Visit a Turtle Hatchery in Kosgoda, where these almost-extinct turtles are bred and cared for. Visitors can see the newborn turtles and even take part in releasing them into the sea.
• 18:00 — You will be taken back to your hotel at the end of the tour.

What you get

• Pick up and drop off at the hotel.
• Transportation by an air conditioned vehicle.
• Service of an English speaking driver.
• All parking and highway tickets.
• All current taxes.

What you don’t get

• Any meals.
• Entrance fees to any site or attraction.
• Any activity cost.
• Any other expenses not mentioned in the What you get section.
• Gratuities (recommended).