Galle Fort
Walled old town on a headland, first fortified by the Portuguese and later expanded by the Dutch. Visitors walk its ramparts and wander streets of old houses, shops and cafés.
Galle
On the south coast, this Dutch-built fort town has ramparts that can be walked, along with beaches nearby such as Unawatuna and boutique cafes.
Attractive locations
Galle Lighthouse
Tall white lighthouse at the edge of the fort, next to the sea wall. A favourite place to watch the sun go down over the ocean.
Groote Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church)
Dutch church inside Galle Fort, built in the 18th century. Its floor is paved with old gravestones, and its simple interior reflects the colonial period.
Hikkaduwa National Park
Small marine park with a coral reef just offshore. Snorkelling and glass-bottom boat trips show fish and sometimes turtles in the shallow water.
Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Large patch of tropical rainforest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to many birds and plants found nowhere else. Visitors walk with local guides.
Unawatuna
A crescent-shaped beach town just east of Galle with calm water, a reef for snorkelling and a line of cafes along the sand. It is the nearest beach resort to the fort.
Mirissa
A beach town on the south coast known for its palm-fringed bay and as a departure point for whale-watching boat trips. Surfers and swimmers use the main beach.
Airports
Koggala Airport KCT
It is about 12 km in a straight line from Galle.
Colombo Ratmalana International Airport RML
It is about 95 km in a straight line from Galle.
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport HRI
It is about 104 km in a straight line from Galle.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Sri Lanka page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan26.8 °C95 mm
- Feb27.2 °C85 mm
- Mar27.8 °C124 mm
- Apr28.2 °C221 mm
- May28.3 °C243 mm
- Jun27.7 °C146 mm
- Jul27.2 °C116 mm
- Aug27.1 °C139 mm
- Sep27.2 °C189 mm
- Oct27.2 °C280 mm
- Nov27.1 °C334 mm
- Dec26.9 °C202 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Jul. Wettest months: May, Oct, Nov.
Costs
Prices here are about 29% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 119. Ambulance 1990. Tourist police hotline 1912.
local government
Sri Lanka Tourist Police
Helps with: Sri Lanka Tourism's emergency page lists a Tourist Police number in Colombo for visitors, alongside the national police emergency hotline 118 / 119.
Who qualifies: Tourists and other visitors in Sri Lanka.
Phone: 011-2421052
local government
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA)
Helps with: Sri Lanka's national tourism authority. Its tourism hotline 1912 gives visitor information, and its website links to a tourist complaints page.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Sri Lanka or planning a trip there.
Phone: 1912
Email: [email protected]
Address: No. 80, Galle Road, Colombo 03
local government
Suwasariya ambulance service (1990)
Helps with: A national ambulance service that Sri Lanka's tourism authority lists for tourists. Dial 1990 for an ambulance.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Sri Lanka, including tourists, who needs an ambulance.
Phone: 1990
ngo
Sri Lanka Red Cross Society
Helps with: Sri Lanka's national Red Cross society. Its national headquarters is in Colombo, with contacts for 25 district branches listed on its site.
Who qualifies: People in Sri Lanka who need to reach the Red Cross national headquarters or a district branch.
Phone: +94 11 2694487
Address: 106, Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo 7
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Sri Lanka
Helps with: The UN migration agency's country office in Colombo. Contact it about migration matters in Sri Lanka.
Who qualifies: Migrants and organisations working on migration. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +94 11 2112 600
Email: [email protected]
Address: 9th Floor, Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka Building, No. 80A, Elvitigala Mawatha, Colombo 08
embassy
Foreign embassies and high commissions in Sri Lanka (official list)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy or high commission. The Sri Lankan foreign ministry's Diplomatic Corps page lists missions in Colombo with addresses and phones.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or high commission.
local government
Disaster Management Centre (DMC)
Helps with: Sri Lanka's national disaster management centre. Its call centre 117 is the public line for disasters, and it runs an emergency operation centre.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Sri Lanka affected by a disaster or reporting one.
Phone: 117