What to Do in Galle in 4 Days? Travel Guide and Tips

Day 1 | Morning

Sea Turtle Farm & Hatchery

Opening Hours: Open from 7:30am-6:00pm

Ticket Price: 250 LKR

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-2 Hours

Location: Matara Road, Habaraduwa, Sri Lanka

The Turtle Hatchery is a non-profit organization in Habaraduwa, 5 miles from Galle. Since its establishment in 1986, 500,000 sea turtles have been released. Here you can learn about the whole process of sea turtles from birth, growth to adulthood, and have a chance to have a close contact with sea turtles, this lovely marine creature.

Day 1 | Afternoon

Now we come to another great highlight in the city: National Maritime Museum.

National Maritime Museum

Opening Hours: Open on Tue-Sat,9:30am-4:30pm

Ticket Price: 5 USD

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-1.5 Hours

Location: Queens Street, Galla, Sri Lanka

Galle Maritime Museum is a high-tech museum in Sri Lanka, displaying a large number of cultural relics excavated under the sea. The museum also has a number of exhibits with sound and animation as well as short films that show the town's past, present and future in relation to the sea through various means. 1. Museum History Galle's Maritime Museum opened to the public in May 1992. It was transformed from the warehouse of the Dutch East India Company built in 1967. It is also a museum that introduces the history of navigation, marine life and anthropology in Sri Lanka. 2. The main display The museum displays a large number of cultural relics excavated under the sea, such as maps, ships, ropes, pottery, wine glasses, tobacco bags, artillery, etc., showing the long history of shipping in southern Sri Lanka, marine ecosystems and fish specimens. Most of these cultural relics come from shipwrecks off the southern coast, some of which are nearly 800 years old. After the 2004 tsunami, the museum has an additional model that analyzes the tsunami generation principle very clearly.

Day 1 | Evening

If you want to explore other popular attractions later, Taru Villas Rampart Street - Galle Fort is a suitable place for you to stay and refresh.

Taru Villas Rampart Street - Galle Fort

Ideally located in the prime touristic area of Galle Fort, Taru Villas - Rampart Street promises a relaxing and wonderful visit. The property features a wide range of facilities to make your stay a pleasant experience. All the necessary facilities, including daily housekeeping, 24-hour front desk, luggage storage, Wi-Fi in public areas, airport transfer, are at hand. Designed for comfort, selected guestrooms offer towels, closet, wooden/parqueted flooring, sofa, mirror to ensure a restful night. Enjoy the hotel's recreational facilities, including outdoor pool, garden, before retiring to your room for a well-deserved rest. Friendly staff, great facilities and close proximity to all that Galle has to offer are three great reasons you should stay at Taru Villas - Rampart Street.

Day 2 | Morning

National Museum Galle

Opening Hours: Open on Tue-Sat,9:00am-5:00pm

Ticket Price: 300 LKR

Recommended Length of Stay: 1-1 Hours

Location: Church St, Galle 80000Sri Lanka

The Galle National Museum was converted from a fortress warehouse and is located next to the Aman Galle Hotel. The museum displays pottery from various periods of Sri Lanka, currency and daily necessities of the people's rule. The museum also displays some information about the history of Galle, introduction to underwater creatures, etc. It is a good place to learn about the marine culture of Galle, as well as the living customs and colonial history of the local people.

Day 2 | Afternoon

Now we come to another great highlight in the city: Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project.

Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project

Opening Hours: Open from 9:00am-5:00pm

Ticket Price: 500 LKR

Recommended Length of Stay: 2-3 Hours

Location: A2, Kosgoda, Sri Lanka

The Turtle Hatchery is located 11 kilometers south of Bantuta and is world-famous for its major turtle hatcheries and turtle conservation. In Sri Lanka, you can see 5 of the 7 species of sea turtles in the world (leather turtle, loggerhead turtle, hawksbill turtle, olive green turtle, green turtle, rich turtle and flatback turtle). At present, there are more than 20 sea turtle hatcheries in the area. You can visit sea turtle hatching, release baby sea turtles, and listen to the introduction of natural environmental protection knowledge. The original intention of conservation The conservation center buys turtle eggs sold by egg thieves from hawkers at a price slightly higher than the market price, and hatches at the conservation center. Sea turtles are very fragile when they are young, and with the intensification of human activities in recent years, it is very difficult for small sea turtles to survive. After hatching, the baby turtles will grow up in the water tank for a period of time to prevent parasitic infection. When they grow up a little, they will be put back into the sea under the cover of darkness. The visit to the protection center does not exceed 20 minutes, and there are volunteer programs.

Day 2 | Evening

If you want to explore other popular attractions later, Jetwing Saman Villas is a suitable place for you to stay and refresh.

Jetwing Saman Villas

Jetwing Saman Villas is located in the peaceful fishing village of Aturuwella in Bentota. Enjoying a beachfront location on the golden sands of Bentota, it offers an infinity-edge pool, a spa and beautiful suites with private balconies. Spacious suites have elegant wood flooring and furnishings. They come with a day bed, ample seating space and private bathroom facilities featuring both an open-air bathtub and shower. Suites enjoy sweeping views of the ocean. Massages are available at Villa Saman. The hotel also provides a sauna and a hot tub. Other facilities include a book and CD library. Saman’s main restaurant offers an international menu and local specialities for dinner, while the terrace restaurant provides breakfast and lunch. Guests can also enjoy stunning views of the ocean with their drinks at the bar. Villa Saman is surrounded by tropical gardens and coconut plantations. It is located on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, about 65 km from Colombo. The International Airport is about 92 km away.

Day 3 | Morning

Galle Dutch Fort

Opening Hours: Open 24 hours

Ticket Price: Free

Recommended Length of Stay: 2-3 Hours

Location: Church St, Galle 80000, Sri Lanka

Galle Fortress is an ancient city where people still live, and it is also one of the world cultural heritages. The fortress was built by Dutch colonists. The firm and hard old city wall is the iconic landscape of the Galle Fortress. It not only witnesses the changes of Galle during the colonial period, but also protected the entire ancient city from the 2004 South Asian tsunami. 1. Overview of the fortress This ancient city was built by Dutch colonists in 1663, in a standard European style, covering an area of 36 hectares. There are about 400 houses, churches, temples and many old commercial buildings in the fortress. A visit to Galle Fort is not about visiting every inch of the land here, but just strolling through its old city walls and streets to appreciate its quaint beauty, literary atmosphere and a unique dynamic charm. Visitors to the Galle Fortress will walk around the city wall, overlooking the entire ancient city, while enjoying the beautiful sea view, a rare and comfortable enjoyment. 2. Introduction to the main attractions The main gate (MainGate) of the Galle Fortress is located at the northern end of the city wall. It was built by the British in 1873 and is relatively new. It separates the new city of Galle from the ancient city. Walking clockwise along the city wall, you will see the Old Gate of the fortress. This Mediterranean-style building is relatively dilapidated, with the fortress storerooms on both sides. Outside the old door there is a coat of arms of the British hideout, and on the inside of the door there are three letters of VOC, representing the Dutch East India Company. After passing through the old gate, you can see a black castle (Zwart Bastion), which is the oldest bunker in the fortress. At the southeastern end of the city wall is a Utrecht Bunker (PointUtrechtBastion), facing the sea, and there is an 18-meter-high lighthouse on top of the bunker, which is a representative building of the Galle Fortress. You can find it on many souvenirs about Galle. see it. The lighthouse is not open to the outside world, and tourists can only enjoy it outside. Watching the sunset from the city wall at dusk, the romantic scene will be particularly heartwarming. To the southwest of the city walls is the Triton Bastion bunker, which is a wonderful place to watch the sunset. The flag stone (FLAGROCK) at the end of the next section of the city wall used to be a Spanish bunker. During the period of Dutch control, the bunker was used to warn ships to beware of dangerous underwater reefs, hence the name of the flagstone. There are also many old buildings worth admiring inside the Galle Fortress. There is a Dutch Reformed Church (Dutch Reformed Church) at the intersection of Church St Road and Middle St Road. The exterior is white, with beautiful outlines, and there are some simple stained glass mosaic windows inside, especially the ground and exterior walls are covered with The tombstones of the former Dutch residents in Galle. There is a bell tower near the church, which is still in use today and is said to be quite accurate. Not far from the clock tower is the National Maritime Museum (National Maritime Museum) converted from the fortress warehouse, which can be entered from the old gate of the Galle Fortress. The museum displays a large number of cultural relics excavated under the sea, such as maps, ships, ropes, pottery, wine glasses, tobacco bags, artillery, etc., as well as some introductions about the history of Galle and underwater creatures.

Reviews from Real Guests:

Trip.com User: Galle Fort is really amazing nice place to walk around and the food is very good and cheap...also the gems will visit again and again

リゾート: I entered the sea in the old town of Goal! You can see a lot of sakana with snorkel!

Day 3 | Afternoon

After finishing the tour at Galle Dutch Fort, you can head to Point Utrecht Bastion & Light House, the most worth visiting place around the corner.

Point Utrecht Bastion & Light House

Opening Hours: Open 24 hours

Ticket Price: Free

Recommended Length of Stay: 0.5-1 Hours

Location: Rampart St and Hospital St, Galle

Utrecht Bunker is located in the southeast corner of the old city of Galle, facing the sea. Above it is the lighthouse, which is the landmark building of Galle Castle. The lighthouse was built in 1938 and is 18 meters high. Due to frequent painting, the white lighthouse is very dazzling. There are tall acacia trees nearby, which are very beautiful and suitable for taking pictures. This lighthouse appears on almost all kinds of souvenirs about Galle.

Reviews from Real Guests:

Trip.com User: 随手一拍都是大片 我家先生钟爱灯塔 家里也有灯塔的摆件 海边空气清新 景色优美

Day 3 | Evening

After visiting the glorious Point Utrecht Bastion & Light House, 20 Middle Street nearby is the best place to stay.

20 Middle Street

With a stay at this villa in Galle (Fort Galle), you'll be steps from Galle Lighthouse and Dutch Reformed Church. This 5-star villa is 0.1 mi (0.2 km) from Galle Fort and 0.1 mi (0.2 km) from Spa Ceylon Boutique & Urban Spa. Pamper yourself with onsite massages or enjoy recreation amenities such as an outdoor pool. This villa also features complimentary wireless Internet access and an arcade/game room. Take advantage of the villa's room service (during limited hours). A complimentary English breakfast is served daily from 8 AM to 11 AM. Featured amenities include a 24-hour front desk, multilingual staff, and luggage storage. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available 24 hours), and free self parking is available onsite. Make yourself comfortable in your air-conditioned villa. There's a private balcony or patio. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available to keep you connected. The bathroom features a shower with a rainfall showerhead and complimentary toiletries.

Day 4 | Morning

Unawatuna Beach

Opening Hours: Open 24 hours

Ticket Price: Free

Recommended Length of Stay: 2-3 Hours

Location: Galle-Matara Rd, Galle, Sri Lanka

Unawatuna is located 5 kilometers southeast of the outskirts of Galle, near the ancient city of Galle. 1. Introduction to the beach Unawatuna Bay is crescent-shaped, with slender white sand and calm waves. It is very suitable for swimming and diving. It is a popular holiday destination for Westerners. There are many travel agencies offering marine entertainment, small shops selling Sri Lankan souvenirs, and various inns, bars and resorts are lined up along the coastline. If you are tired of playing, you can sit in the cafe and enjoy the beauty of the sea and the sky, or enjoy a quiet afternoon on the beach, leisurely. 2. Marine activities Unawatuna can carry out a variety of marine activities, such as diving and surfing, sailing, seaside fishing and so on. There is also the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) diving training school, and many tourists come to Unawatuna to learn to dive. Here you can dive to see coral, and you can also go to Rumassala overlooking Galle and watch seabirds.

Day 4 | Afternoon

Flag Rock Bastion nearby is the top choice before you leave Unawatuna Beach and hit the road.

Flag Rock Bastion

Opening Hours: Open 24 hours

Ticket Price: Free

Recommended Length of Stay: 30-60 Minutes

Location: Flag Rock, Galle Fort, Galle

Flag Rock is a prominent part of the coastal city wall, a huge rock on the sea, echoing with the lighthouse. During the Dutch colonial period, the flag rock used to be a Portuguese bunker, used to remind ships to be careful of the surrounding underwater reefs. 1. Diving Boys Here you can see the famous Galle Diving Boys, they will jump off the flag rock and jump into the frightening rocky sea. 2. Enjoy the sunrise and sunset This is a good place to enjoy the sunrise and sunset. Standing here in the early morning and looking towards the lighthouse, the sun rises slowly from the direction of Lumasala, and the entire Indian Ocean is illuminated golden, which is very spectacular. In the evening, facing away from the lighthouse, you can see the magnificent Indian Ocean sunset. It is very pleasant to take pictures here and blow the sea breeze.

Day 4 | Evening

Don’t forget to book Fort Bazaar in advance, because all the tourists head to Flag Rock Bastion love staying at it.

Fort Bazaar

Once a Merchant home from the 16th century, Fort Bazaar is a boutique hotel located in the heart of the Galle Fort. Built around a traditional Galle Fort private courtyard boasting the acclaimed Church Street Social restaurant library and Z Spa.Free WiFi access is available throughout the property and the rooms come with complimentary soft drinks in the mini fridge. Breakfast and high tea is served for all in-house guests.Galle Fort is 200 metres from Fort Bazaar, while Dutch Church Galle is 200 metres from the property.

* All reviews in the blog are machine-translated.