Colombo Cruise Port

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Columbo is a 1970’s American crime drama that starred Peter Falk as a homicide detective in Los Angeles, oops sorry wrong spelling, Colombo is the capital of Sri Lanka, its largest city and it is also the country’s leading cruise port.

It is a city full of contrasts, from high rise ultra-modern skyscrapers sitting next to historic temples and from luxurious villas sitting next to aging high density apartments but as well as that, it is a city of surprises.

Before my visit to Colombo, I didn’t really know what to expect and no matter what I manage to envisage in my head, none of my thoughts came close to what I experienced whilst in port.

I should say that in the main, it was because Colombo was much better than I had imagined and thankfully I got to see lots of it whilst touring the city on a Tuk-Tuk and the bulk of the people we met were friendly but there were also some issues during our visit.

If you have booked an itinerary that calls into Colombo and want to know what you are in for or if you are looking at cruises in the region and want to know if it worth choosing one calling into the port, this is the guide for you as I take you through all aspects of visiting Colombo on a cruise including the good aspects and the bad ones.

Cruises To Colombo

Our Visit

I was lucky enough to visit the port in 2024 onboard the Celebrity Millennium on a cruise between Singapore and Mumbai.

We did run into our first issue straight away as there was already a cruise ship in at the main terminal, so we had to dock in the entrance to the port and in a container ship area.

That not only made it impossible to simply walk into the city from the ship, which was our plan for the afternoon, but you had to get a shuttle through two port gates.

Thankfully, we had booked a private tour of the city through a local company which started by meeting them at the dock and heading off in a car to meet our Tuk-Tuk driver.

Before booking, we got a list of all of the sights that we would see that were a mix of local sights including temples, historic buildings, a huge park and the main coastal road but sadly that plan didn’t quite come to fruition.

I’d like to start with a warning to not use a local company called Colombo City Boy as that is who we chose to book a Tuk-Tuk tour of the city with but not know how much of a mistake that was.

Things started of as planned although our stop at the cities beautiful Mosque wasn’t ideal as we went to the back entrance instead of the more photogenic main entrance.

We carried on to the next stop, at a temple, but as we got closer to it, the driver said we would come back to it later as alarm bells started to go off for me.

We then went to another temple but then things really started to unravel as instead of going to the scheduled stops, we started going to shops and to meet ‘friends’ of the driver who all wanted money from us before we could continue.

After doing probably about 50-60% of the tour, the driver drove from near the port, back into the centre of the city and then demanded more money from us to go back to the ship!!!

It should be said that the staff at the places we did stop at and the locals we met along the way were all friendly and their were no issues what so ever but one big concern was that we booked with that company because they had great reviews but we soon found out why as after asking for a refund and leaving a truthful review, they tried to force us into changing the review to a positive one and refused to refund us until we did.

With that experience shaking me and my wife a bit and the difficulty of getting from the new dock to the city, we decided to change our plans of walking into the historic centre and simply got onboard the ship, although some locals had set up gift stalls next to the ship, so we did a bit of shopping first and once again the stall holders were all friendly.

Colombo Cruise Guide

In this guide, I take you through all that you need to know about visiting Colombo on a cruise which should help to make the most of your visit there.

Type of Cruises Available

When it comes to visiting the port, there are only a few options that are available to you, especially if you don’t have the time and money needed for a World Cruise or for a partial World Cruise.

Most ships calling in their will be doing what is known as the Spice Route or sailing between India and Southeast Asia, with the most popular been between Singapore and Mumbai.

Other options extend that and continue onto the Middle East, where Dubai is the most popular final destination.

Another popular option is a full crossing of the Indian Ocean between southern Africa and Southeast Asia with Cape Town to Singapore itineraries amongst the most widely offered.

Colombo Cruise Port Location

Colombo itself sits on the west coast of Sri Lanka withs its port split into two areas, the old port which ends at the Fort district and that runs alongside parts of the city.

The other part of the port is a newer, deep-water port which is used for massive container ships and is further from the city.

The cities cruise passenger dock is located in the old part of the port, right at the Fort end of it and close to the historic Galbokka Lighthouse.

For those who dock there, you can then walk around the city and either take in the old town or the coastal road although as already mentioned, if you arrive when another ship is using the cruise dock, you will end up in an empty space in the port.

For my visit, I docked at the Unity Container Terminal right in the entrance to the port and surrounded by large cranes and warehouses.

Colombo Cruise Facilities

If you dock where I docked, there are no facilites although some stalls will set up with gifts and some locally made products to buy.

If you dock at the main cruise terminal, there is still little awaiting you aside from some small huts selling similar gifts, jewellery and local products and there is a small tourist information stall and a currency exchange.

There is no terminal building but there is a duty-free shop within walking distance at the ports entrance. You can find taxis and Tuk-Tuk’s there for those wanting to head out on a tour of the city.

Colombo Attractions

As you would likely expect from such a large city as Colombo, there is lots to see and do when visiting there although as somewhere relatively new to global international tourism, most of the sights of interest are historic buildings in the city, although there are some more modern attractions that are been built, or developed, including arguably the most famous attraction in Colombo, the impressive Lotus Tower.

The Lotus Tower rises up to a height of 351 metres and has not only the design and look of a Lotus flower, but it also has the colours to match it.

The tower, which has a viewing deck at the top, can be seen from your ship and if you have an after-sunset departure, you will see it lit up which is an impressive sight.

Another must visit is the Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple which sits on a lake and offers a tranquil place of reflection in the heart of the busy streets of Columbo.

There are plenty of other temples, churches and mosques that are well worth visiting including the Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil temple, the colourful Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara temple, the Seema Malakaya temple and St Lucia’s Cathedral amongst the most impressive and open for tourists.

The city’s historic train station is an impressive piece of architecture whilst the beautiful Beira Lake offers a relaxing place to take a stroll.

The Galle Face Green and promenade is popular with locals and tourists alike as it offers great views, a place to unwind and enjoy the beach and if you are lucky enough, you may even find a street food market on.

The National Museum of Sri Lanka is not just an interesting place to visit inside for those who want to learn more about the city and the country, but even if you don’t head inside, the building is impressive from the grounds that surround it.

One of the most impressive sights we saw when in the city was the Viharamahadevi Park, a huge city centre park with lots happening in and a great place to mix with locals and just next door to the park is the Independence Memorial Hall, an interesting building and somewhere to get out of the hot sun.

The Colombo Fort and surrounding area is within strolling distance of the main cruise dock and offers an insight into the past of the city but that is contrasted by the huge skyscrapers and new districts that surround it nowadays.

For those wanting an authentic experience when visiting the city is to head from the port to the nearby Pettah district, where the bustling streets offer lots of shopping opportunities as do the numerous markets found in the district including the Pettah Market and the floating market.

Colombo Shorex

One of the most popular options is to do just what me and my wife did whilst we were in port and that is to head off on a Tuk-Tuk tour of the city where you can drive past many of the impressive building in Colombo and also stop off at some of its best attractions- just don’t use the same company we did!

If a Tuk-Tuk tour isn’t to your liking, most lines will also offer a range of tours onboard coaches to take you around the city, with many also offering the best to explore some of Colombo’s top sights.

Another option is to book a tour of the Galle District and take in the stunning views of the ocean before spending time relaxing on the beach.

If you have a long stay in port, or an overnight stay, you can head out of the city and head to the impressive Sigiriya Rock Fortress and Dambulla Cave Temple.

Best Time To Visit Colombo

As a port with limited options for visiting, the best time to visit is when there is a ship and line that you want to sail on offering an itinerary going there.

The widest range of options is in the northern hemisphere winter months, especially between November and April.

Transport

Although there are buses and trains in the city, they are only for locals in the main and act as a way to get people from a to b rather than to tourist attractions and areas.

That makes the best option for those visiting there to either head out on a excursion or book grab a taxi or Tuk-Tuk from the port gate.

Colombo Cruises From UK

Whilst it is possible to visit Colombo directly from the UK, it will either be on a World Cruise or a partial World Cruise going between the UK and Australia- all of which are few and far between.

Colombo Cruises From Southampton

If you do want to head there from these shores, the best chance of finding an itinerary is from the UK’s leading cruise port of Southampton