Experience the best of Galle
Galle is a southern Sri Lankan port city whose Dutch-era fort, with ramparts above the sea, shelters cafés, churches and old merchant houses.
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Galle Fort was started by the Portuguese in the late sixteenth century and extensively built by the Dutch in the seventeenth, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside its thick sea walls, people still live and work among Dutch-style houses, mosques, churches and small galleries. A circuit of the ramparts at sunset, passing the lighthouse and the clock tower, is the favourite local walk.
The Dutch Reformed Church of 1755 and the National Maritime Museum are inside the walls, and cricket matches at the ground beside the fort are a local delight. Beyond the fort, Unawatuna's calm beach and Hikkaduwa's coral reef lie on either side of town. The Madu River's mangrove boats, whale watching off Mirissa, and stilt fishermen at Koggala are all within reach along the coast road.
Southern Sri Lankan food means rice and curry, coconut sambol, hoppers, crab and prawn curries, and lamprais, a rice parcel from the Dutch Burgher tradition. Tea is served everywhere, and treacle-sweet snacks fill the bakeries. The sea is calmest and the weather driest from December to April; the south-west monsoon from May to September brings rough water and rain.
- Free cancellation on 94% of experiences
- 4.9 across the top 24
Top experiences in Galle
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Go beyond Galle
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Bentota · 47 kmKosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project
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Udawalawa · 85 kmUdawalawe National Park
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Colombo · 106 kmGangaramaya Temple
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Colombo · 106 kmGalle Face Green
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Nuwara Eliya · 118 kmGregory Lake
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Negombo · 133 kmNegombo Beach
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Negombo · 133 kmNegombo Lagoon
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Kandy · 145 kmTemple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa)
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Kandy · 145 kmAlagalla Mountain Range
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Sigiriya · 219 kmSigiriya Rock Fortress
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Sigiriya · 219 kmDambulla Cave Temple (Golden Temple of Dambulla)
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Anuradhapura · 255 kmRuwanwelisaya
Questions about Galle
- What is there to do in Galle?
- We list 608 experiences in Galle. The largest groups are day trips (171), city tours (33).
- What is the most popular experience in Galle?
- By number of traveller reviews it is "Whales and Dolphins Watching-Luxury Super Grade Cruiser(Hotel Pick up offered)", rated 4.8 out of 5 from 1,473 reviews.
- How long do tours and tickets in Galle take?
- The typical experience in Galle lasts about 6 hours; the middle half run between 3 hours and 10 hours.
- Can I cancel a booking in Galle?
- The operator lists free cancellation on 94% of the 608 experiences we hold for Galle. The cut-off differs by experience and is shown on each product page before you choose a date.
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