The buzzing commercial-and-seaside strip south of the centre — malls, seafront hotels, a spread of restaurants, rooftop bars and the city's nightlife, running along the coast. Lively, central and well-connected, with the sea alongside; the base for travellers who want good dining, rooftops, shopping and the city's best nightlife within easy reach.
€50–110
typical per night in Sri Lanka
The sensible middle
Typical prices for Colombo — neither steal nor splurge.
Where it sits
The circle is Kollupitiya & Bambalapitiya and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- The National Museum17 min walk1.4 km
- Gangaramaya Temple20 min walk1.7 km
- Galle Face Green27 min walk2.2 km
- The Lotus Tower9 min taxi2.9 km
- The Fort district11 min taxi3.6 km
- Pettah Market12 min taxi3.9 km
- Jami Ul-Alfar (Red Mosque)12 min taxi4.0 km
- Mount Lavinia (beach)22 min taxi7.3 km
- Mount Lavinia beach22 min taxi7.3 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 6.Sri Lankan street food — Sri Lankan food is a spicy, glorious surprise, and Colombo is the place to dive in — kottu roti (chopped flatbread stir-fried with veg, egg and meat, hammered out to a clattering rhythm), hoppers (bowl-shaped rice pancakes), string hoppers, fiery curries with sambols, and short eats galore. Graze the Galle Face stalls, the local 'hotels' and the food streets; cheap, bold and delicious. Come hungry and adventurous.
- 10.A rooftop bar at sunset — Colombo's skyline has soared, and its rooftop bars are the stylish way to enjoy it — cocktails high above the city and the sea, from historic hotel terraces to sleek new sky-lounges, glowing as the sun sets over the ocean. Dress up, ride the lift, and toast the changing capital; the sunset views over the Indian Ocean are the star. A glamorous evening and the fashionable flip side of the street-food scene below.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Kollupitiya & Bambalapitiya; flights via Google Flights.