Overview
Our private Galle day trip from Colombo combines the island’s best-preserved colonial town with one of its most magical experiences: swimming with giant sea turtles. Your English-speaking driver picks you up from your hotel in Colombo, Negombo or near the airport at 7:00 am, and the Southern Expressway gets you to Galle in about two hours.
The price covers your private return transport for the day: US$120 for 1 to 3 people in a car, or US$150 for 4 to 7 people in a van, including expressway tolls.
One day trip to Galle Dutch Fort
Spend the morning inside the walls of Galle Dutch Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk the ramparts above the ocean, see the white lighthouse, the old Dutch Reformed Church and the clock tower, and wander lanes of colonial houses, cafés, galleries and craft shops. Read more about Galle Dutch Fort.
Swim with turtles at Hikkaduwa
After lunch, drive up the coast to Hikkaduwa Turtle Beach, where giant sea turtles graze on seaweed in the shallow water just off the sand. Swim or snorkel beside them, take photos from a respectful distance and relax on the beach before the drive back.
Galle one day trip from Negombo
Staying in Negombo or near the airport? We pick up there at no extra cost; the drive is about 2.5 to 3 hours each way.
Want to stay longer on the south coast?
See our 3 nights Yala and south coast itinerary, with Galle Fort, Mirissa, two Yala safaris and a night on the beach.
More day trips from Colombo
This is one of our private day trips from Colombo and Negombo.
Highlights
- Galle day trip from Colombo with hotel pickup at 7:00 am
- Walk the ramparts of Galle Dutch Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Swim with giant sea turtles at Hikkaduwa Turtle Beach
- Fast and comfortable on the Southern Expressway
- Private air-conditioned car (1–3 people) or van (4–7 people) with an English-speaking driver
- Transport from US$120 · tolls included
