• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Want to see the best of Colombo? We got you covered. But as you can expect from a Withlocals experience, the real excitement is its hidden gems. Join your favorite local and get a feeling of the city's real vibe on a tour that has it all, so you can say: I experienced the real Colombo!

Destination

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Sinhala, العربية, Français, Deutsch, Español, Italiano, Português, 日本語, Hindi, Tamil, Korean, Русский

Included

• Private Guide
• Local Snack or Drink
• Tuk Tuk ride
• Entrance to Gangaramaya Temple
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 6 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Independence Monument, near the information plaquette - Colombo to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. City Highlights

   See from Gangaramaya Temple, Light House Tower, Red Mosque, and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in town so you can get the perfect overview of what makes Colombo so unique

4. Hidden Gems

   Along the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists experience

5. Magical Storytelling

   Behind every landmark and every stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to listen to incredible stories, one-of-a-kind insights, and fun facts only a knowledgeable local would know!

6. Special Treat

   Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Dr. Andreas🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Deegoda)

18 February 2025

We had a great individualized tour, as fast as we like with stops where we liked. We saw all we wanted to see. Deegoda was very active and knowledgeable and also willing to adjust spontaneously- thanks a lotGreat individualized tour

Tim🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Deegoda)

2 January 2025

We had a fantastic time with Deegoda in Colombo. He picked us up from our hotel in his tuk-tuk and was super friendly and enthusiastic about showing us around Colombo. He tailored the tour to the areas we had asked about. He knew so many people as we went around, so it was great to feel immersed in the hustle and bustle of a big city and see the real side of Colombo. We would 100% recommend booking time with Deegoda.Great Day with Deegoda

Nicole 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Muditha)

7 December 2024

Muditha is a fantastic guide! Very knowledgable and passionate about Colombo. We did the ‘hidden gems’ walking tour with him and he showed us all the main areas of Colombo while sharing insightful information about the culture and the history of the city. A highly recommended tour guide!Excellent guide in Colombo!

Tracey🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Muditha)

1 March 2024

Muditha was such a great Guy, with great English and knew so much about the History of Colombo. It was the perfect introduction to the Country on our first day. He went over and above to meet our needs. Wealth of Knowledge

Diva🇵🇹 Portugal

(About local Muditha)

22 August 2022

If you don't have much time to visit, friendly Muditha will show you around and you can get to know the essential of Colombo. Totally recommend.Best way to get to know Colombo

Elizabeth 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Muditha)

22 March 2022

We went out with Muditha on our first day in Sri Lanka and it was the best way to be introduced to the city and country. Muditha took us to several local spots, explaining interesting cultural and historical points along the way in a way that was really interesting and engaging. He offered great advice for our stay, and we even got to try a king coconut together! We loved it and really recommend it as a way to see the city. The perfect introduction to Colombo!

Nathan🇧🇭 Bahrain

(About local Muditha)

10 December 2021

Muditha is a fantastic guide. He is so knowledgeable and personable. We really enjoyed our personal tour, I highly recommend the experience!Must do in Colombo!

Gesa

(About local Muditha)

13 March 2020

Elly🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Muditha)

13 March 2020

We enjoyed our time with Muditha. He was nice, friendly, helpful, informative, and apparently he is well known to be super gentleman :) We had a great time and he speaks really good English, hence communication was fantastic. It was an eye opener for me and my family walking around in Colombo with Muditha and we will definitely be back soon! Thanks Muditha!We had a great time with Muditha!

Jouke🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Priyantha)

20 February 2020

Priyantha heeft ons heel goed rondgeleid. Hij weet veel over zijn stad en hij is heel vriendelijk.Prima gids

Jens🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Priyantha)

9 February 2020

Priyantha was a perfect guide for us. He picked us up an drove us with his car all around Colombo with many, many interessting information about the City and Buddishm. He is friendly and very polite. But the best was at the end. We asked him not to bring us back to the staring point, but drop us off at a restaurant. We did not asked him, but he was waiting in front of the restaurant for us to pick us up again and brougth us back to the final destination. That is 1a+ - thanks. Perfect Guide

John🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Tuan Ishan)

26 January 2020

We booked Tuan on line, not sure what to expect. He picked us up at the Cruise Ship, min extra payment, as we had no transport to his regular meeting spot. He took us by TukTuk and we went into a restaurant for Appa, a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast dish, and tea. We went to 2 temples and a market. Only disappointment was that he didn’t go into the temple with us and give some extra info. (Not a major deal.) We then went to the Red Mosque via a local bus - great experience. All in all 4 TukTuk rides. Highly recommended. Great, personable guide

Andre🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Khasim)

7 January 2020

Very interesting visits and discussions with KhasimJust perfect

Anja🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Krishani)

5 January 2020

We had a great time with Krishani. She showed us Colombo and gave us a lot of insight about the background of this city. She is a very pleasant person and speaks execellent English. We really enjoyed her tour. Friendly, knowledgeable host

Sandra

(About local Tuan Ishan)

3 January 2020

We had a nice day with a perfectly nice guy who showed us around and we had a lot of fun.

Thomas

(About local Priyantha)

2 January 2020

Thank you for showing us your city.Very good

Heidrun

(About local Khasim)

5 December 2019

Die Fahrt war mehr mit dem PKW als mit einem Tuk Tuk.Die Verkostung der landestypischem Krabbenbrot und anderen Dingen fand gar nicht statt...dafür gab es Ananas und eine Kokosnuss.Nicht ganz wie versprochen...

Maximiliane

(About local Khasim)

25 November 2019

Kasim is very nice and the tour was marvelous.

Friedemann

(About local Priyantha)

19 November 2019

Wir wollten mit dieser Stadtrundfahrt einen allgemeinen Überblick über Colombo haben und dabei die besonders schönen Dinge dieser Stadt sehen und natürlich auch die Ursprünglichkeit in den Strassen der Altstadt erleben. Wir waren nicht unbedingt an jeder Kirche oder an jedem Tempel vordringlich interessiert. Diese Wünsche und Vorstellungen erfüllte uns unser Guide Priyantha ausnahmslos mit allen notwendigen Erklärungen und ging dabei auf alle unsere Fragen sachlich und kompetent ein. Die Tour dauerte etwa 3 Stunden kreuz und quer durch Colombo und hat uns in jeder Hinsicht sehr positiv überrascht. So schön hätten wir uns die Hauptstadt Sri Lankas nicht vorgestellt ( Green and Clean ). Und dieses überaus positive Gesamtesultat verdanken wir auch vordringlich unserem Guide Priyantha. Vielen dank nochmals an Ihn und dem gesamten Team von " Withlocals ". Dieser Ausflug ist in jeder Hinsicht nur zu empfehlen.Eine Tour genau nach unseren Vorstellungen !

Claudia

(About local Priyantha)

11 November 2019

Die Stadtour war sehr interessant, wir haben sehr viel gesehen. Unser Führer war besonders freundlich und hat uns alles in sehr gut verständlichem englisch erklärt. Er war auch für den Tempelbesuch gut vorbereitet (Bedeckung für Knie und Schultern hatte er mit). Sonderwünsche was wir ansehen wollten wurden ebenfalls erfüllt. Fragen was man sonst noch am Abend machen konnte hatte er auch gut beantwortet. Die 3-4 h der Tour sind wie im Flug vergangen. Alles in allem können wir Priyantha ohne Meckern weiter empfehlen :)wundervolle Stadttour durch Colombo

Michelle🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Muditha)

4 November 2019

We only had one night in Colombo so booked our tour to give us a good introduction and that’s exactly what we got. The weather was absolutely atrocious, torrential rain making it impossible to get out of the car but yet we managed to see the sights and learn so much in the process. If we hadn’t booked the tour I have no idea what we would have done, the weather prohibited everything. Thanks Muditha for your help, it was a great way to start out trip Great way to start our trip to Sri Lanka

BRETT🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Krishani)

22 April 2019

Krishani was an amazing host. She had prepared a fresh fruit platter when we arrived and that was great. We enjoyed the mangroves lagoon boat tour, and lunch. both were a bit long , and would have liked to see more of Colombo city itself. Overall we had a great day, and our hosts were very informated. I would recommend Krishani highly.Colombo Day Tour

Louise

(About local Priyantha)

14 April 2019

Our morning with Pryiantha was more than we hoped for. He had a good understanding of Sri Lankan history and politics and chose places to visit which he thought would be special interest to us such as the Ministry of Crab restaurant established by two of Sri Lanka’s cricket legends to raise funds for the poor.Excellent

Bernard 🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Priyantha)

12 April 2019

The True Essence of Colombo: Highlights & Hidden Gems

Terry

(About local Khasim)

1 March 2019

A very enjoyable tour of Colombo with A very pleasant and knowledgeable host (Guide). Would recommend this tour as a great introduction to Sri Lanka.The True Essence of Colombo Highlights & Hidden Gems

Clive🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Muditha)

11 January 2019

Muditha gave us a great 2 hour tour of Colombo. His English is really excellent having studied in the US. Through his work, he has interesting insights into the city and its opportunities and challenges which he explained very well. Highly recommended C&LColombo tour

Chetna🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Priyantha)

17 December 2018

We had a great tour with Priyantha. He showed us more than the itinerary and we talked about life, politics, investment and tourism during our time with him. He was lovely and I would highly recommend him! Thanks again PriyanthaMore than just a guide!

Swati

(About local Khasim)

14 December 2018

Excellent tour ! I got a great inside view of colombo. Highlights & Hidden Gems

Oivind🇳🇴 Norway

(About local Krishani)

17 November 2018

We where four people visited from Norway. We had a very good guided tour through Colombo together with Krishani and her husband. I can highly recommend her. Very good tour + Very well known guide.

Alice🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Krishani)

6 November 2018

The experience Krishani took me on was exactly what I was after. She is a perfect guide who is very friendly and knows everything about Sri Lanka. So feel free to bobard her with questions 😂 I really enjoyed zipping around from place to place in a tuk tuk and also having time to strole around as well. I can't forget about the local food either😋 Fabulous experience, thank you Krishani 😊Colombo in a day

Claire

(About local Khasim)

3 November 2018

We really enjoyed all aspects of this tour. The contrast of temples , markets and historic land marks brought colombo to lite for us. khasim was very knowledgeable and great company. Thank you.The true essence of Colombo

Richard🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Priyantha)

24 October 2018

Priyantha was a great tour guide and showed us a great side of Colombo. Touching on the history and modern importance of many of the locations we had a detailed look round the history and development of the city and Sri Lanka.Great tour with a personal touch

Jill

(About local Khasim)

26 September 2018

Meet on time. Lovely guy! Very informative about the city, knowledgeable. Tried some local food that was lovely, recommend definitely!True Essence of Colombo

Katherine🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

(About local Krishani)

17 July 2018

It was my second day in Colombo and I wanted to see some of the sites but was on my own and was a bit daunted by the idea of travelling round a foreign city as young women alone. Krishani was amazing and took me to see all the best places from food to temples. It made me a lot more comfortable in the city itself as well and would definitely recommend Krishani to someone. She is super friendly and goes above and beyond to make sure you enjoy your tour and that you get home safe. Best way to see Colombo quickly

Georgie🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Muditha)

15 July 2018

We had a Colombo tour, what was amazing. Muditha is a great host and showed us loads around the city, he knew the answers to all our questions and gave us alot of insite that made our Colombo visit much more interesting/ less confusing. Thanks! Excellent host

Noemi🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Krishani)

12 June 2018

We were picked up from the airport and had a really good city tour. It was interesting, we saw different places in the city and Krishani really made us feel welcomed in Sri Lanka. We would always book another tour with her!!Very nice tour with lovely guide

Caroline🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Muditha)

16 April 2018

Muditha was excellent with communication and is very flexible in meeting your requirements. He arrived on time and showed us around Colombo as per our itinerary. He is very informative and we learnt many interesting facts. The only criticism we have is that we were expecting the whole tour to be a Tuk Tuk tour as per the details of the booking. He arrived in a small white car. We asked about Tuk Tuk and we did a couple of journeys by Tuk Tuk with 3 of us squeezed in the back! Muditha Colombo tour

Caroline🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Muditha)

16 April 2018

Muditha colombotour

WILLIAM🇺🇸 United States

(About local Krishani)

9 April 2018

My wife and I travel frequently and have had tours all over the world. Krishani was our all time favorite. She was full of energy, passionate about Colombo, knowledgeable, flexible and fun. She also gives hiking tours and we want to come back with our whole family and spend more time with her. I can’t recommend her highly enough! Bill & GwennTour of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Ruth🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Anoj )

4 March 2025

Anoj was our guide for a 8-day trip in Sri Lanka. Already the communication before was fast and reliable. He ia a friendly, calm and easy person, always had good suggestions for visits and activities, but open to adapt them to our wishes. We highly recommend Anoj

Linda

(About local Priyantha)

26 February 2025

Another driver had a sign that said my first name and confirmed his name was the same as my driver so I went with him thinking he was my driver. Had to pay him. I realize my real driver didn’t put me in that car but if he had been on time with a sign, this wouldn’t have happened. Confusion at inception

eric

(About local Deegoda)

19 February 2025

Very nice tour lead by Degoda. It was a food tour but he mixt it with some cultural things . He is always full of energy and seems to know everybody in the street and market,then you are welcome everywhere by warm smiles.Exciting tour

Daniela🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Anoj )

15 February 2025

Anoj ist ein sehr liebevoller und gut organisierter Tour Guide. Anoj hat uns mit einem Chauffeur von einem grossen Tempel über Brief Garden nach Galle gebracht und uns geduldig unsere vielen Fragen beantwortet. Wir haben durch ihn sehr viel über Sri Lanka erfahren. Der Abschluss war Ein Traum-Curry in einem lokalen Restaurant. Herzlichen Dank Anoj für diese schönen Tag. Great authentic tour! Thank you Anoj.

William🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Anoj )

7 February 2025

We enjoyed our holidays with Anoj. He’s always punctual and provided good advice and service level. For certain heritage sites, Anoj even gotten the local heritage site guides to give us a thorough and comprehensive explanation of the history associated with there. Highly recommended for his service.Excellent services

Laurel

(About local Priyantha)

3 February 2025

This food market tour with Priyantha was excellent and exactly what I was looking for. We walked through the Pettah neighborhood and market and stopped along the way to try something or look at a cultural site. Priyantha was a great guide and would definitely recommend for others!Fantastic Local Tour

Rose

(About local Muditha)

12 January 2025

Thank you Muditha for an incredible tour. We had a large group (8) and you managed to make it work perfectly for us, navigating the busy streets and entertaining us with fascinating stories and information about the delicious food we were tasting. I'd highly recommend this tour to anyone who is interested - Muditha is amazing! An amazing Tour!

Shani

(About local Priyantha)

11 January 2025

We recently had the absolute pleasure of taking a street food and city tour in Colombo with the incredible Priyantha, and it was an experience we’ll never forget! Despite a rocky start—entirely my fault due to my mistake on the meeting location—Priyantha was incredibly patient, waiting for us to arrive without a hint of frustration. From that moment on, the adventure truly began. Priyantha guided us through Colombo’s bustling streets, introducing us to a variety of mouth-watering local street foods. Every stop was thoughtfully chosen, and we enjoyed delicious samosas and perfectly fried fish cutlets, among other tasty bites. Each dish brought something new and exciting to our palates, and Priyantha’s knowledge of the city’s culinary and cultural landscape added so much depth to the experience. What made this tour stand out was how it gave us the confidence to explore Colombo’s street food scene on our own afterward. Thanks to Priyantha, we felt empowered to discover new flavours throughout our journey across Sri Lanka. Even our 12-year-old had a fantastic time and walked away with a newfound love (and mild obsession) for accharu! If you’re looking for more than just great food—something that immerses you in the heart of Colombo’s culture and leaves you eager to explore more—this tour is a must. Priyantha’s warmth, expertise, and enthusiasm made it an unforgettable experience, and we highly recommend him to anyone visiting Colombo. Thank you, Priyantha, for a deliciously memorable start to our Sri Lankan adventure!Unforgettable Colombo St Food Adventure

Katharina

(About local Anoj )

30 December 2024

Wir haben einen Tag gemeinsam mit Anoj verbracht. Wir haben mit Fort Galle begonnen, danach ein tolles Lunch am Strand, weiter ging es zum Schildkröten Observations Zentrum und schließlich zur Boots Safari. Der ganze Tag war gut geplant, unser Guide konnte uns vieles Interessantes erzählen und war immer sehr freundlich. Ein kurzer Abstecher bei ihm zu Hause mit erfrischendem Getränk hat uns sehr gut gefallen. Den Tag haben wir in einem schönes Restaurant ausklingen lassen. Insgesamt hatten alle einen wirklich tollen Tag. Toller Tag rund um Galle

Paul🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Anoj )

28 December 2024

We were a party of 4 English adults from 40-60 years old. I’ve used Withlocals before as it is considerably better value and better delivered than the hotel or travel agency excursions. We wanted a totally packed day and squeezed in a crazy amount of activities in 10 hours. It was non stop (our choice) and Anoj was excellent - on time, courteous, knowledgeable and fun. Strong spoken English too and knew his subject matter. We had beautiful, serene moments at a temple and being blessed by a monk all the way through to driving a Tuk Tuk and getting deep in the mangroves awaiting sunset and the return of the birds. Not to mention those little turtles and charging around Galle and the fort. A tailor made day. Choose how you want your day to be with Anoj and just enjoy it. A wonderful day!

Sabrina🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Deegoda)

29 November 2024

Zusammen sind wir morgens vom Hotel in Negombo nach Kandy aufgebrochen. Schon auf der Fahrt gab es viel zu entdecken und die ein oder andere Überraschung von Deegoda. Es war ein erfüllter Tag mit schönen Gespräche, vielen Eindrücken und Erlebnissen. Am Abend hat uns der Fahrer trotz schwieriger Wetterverhältnisse wohlbehütet in unser Hotel nach Mirissa gebracht. Eindrucksvoll: Negombo - Kandy - Mirissa