Negombo City Tour
Overview
It is one of the major commercial hubs in the country and the administrative centre of Negombo Division. Negombo has about 142, 136 population within its divisional secretariat division.
Negombo is known for its long sandy beaches and centuries old fishing industry.It has a large bilingual population of Roman Catholics, known as Negombo Tamils who have their own Tamil dialect but mostly identify themselves as Sinhala.
The best way to explore this beautiful little fishing village is by private transport as there are many places of interest spread out along the beach and the city.
You will be met at your hotel after breakfast and taken round on the city tour by our experienced chauffeur / guides, .
The uniqueness of this tour is meeting it's people who live in harmony in this small and multicultural city.
Inclusions
- Bottled water
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- All Fees and Taxes
What to expect
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Negombo Fish Market, Negombo Sri Lanka
The Negombo Fish Market is interesting because it takes place right on the beach, fresh from fishing boats. Crowds of fishermen are seen untangling their fishing nets, playing with their kids, and stretching out miles of fish to dry in the sun on Negombo's shore.
A must see place when you are in Negombo.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: St. Mary's Church, Main Street, Negombo 22100 Sri Lanka
A grand old Catholic church built in the 18th century.
St. Mary’s Church, Negombo is landmark edifice, a Roman Catholic church in the heart of Negombo. Its exterior surface is painted in pink colour. It is one of the largest cathedrals in Sri Lanka.
Negombo has been influenced greatly by the Christian faith from the time it was occupied by the Portuguese. It is often called "Little Rome" in view of the large number of churches in the city.
Construction of the church was started in 1874 and completed, after a long gap, in 1922. The art and architecture of this church and a few similar other churches in Sri Lanka demonstrate the cultural amalgamation of the European practice with Sri Lankan art and architecture during the early years of the 20th century.
The church was built in neoclassicism style with columns and plain walls. Its ceilings are painted with alabaster images of many saints. The walls at the upper level are fixed with sculptures of religious saints. The unique paintings on the life of Christ on the ceiling were done by the N.S. Godamanne, a local Buddhist painter. The beauty of the paintings on the nave is described as "thunderous". A testator paid the cost of one of the altars, which was imported from Europe
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Angurukaramulla Temple, Temple road, Negombo 22100 Sri Lanka
The Angurukaramulla Temple is a good place to visit if you're in Negombo. It's best known for its epic statue of the Buddha, and its dragon-entrance - inside you find detailed murals that date back centuries. There is also a 300+ year old ruin of a historic library here, covered in moss.
Please note : Rs.1000 is charged as entrance fee to the Temple
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Sri Singama Kali Amman Kovil, Sea St, Negombo 11500 Sri Lanka
Sri Singama Kali Amman Kovil is a major Hindu religious site. The stunning murals and sculptures of the temple make it a site well worth visiting!
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Dutch Canal, Custom House Road, Negombo 22100 Sri Lanka
The Hamilton Canal (also commonly known as the Dutch Canal) is a 14.5 km (9.0 mi) canal connecting Puttalam to Colombo, passing through Negombo in Sri Lanka. The canal was constructed by the British in 1802 and completed in 1804. It was designed to drain salt water out of the Muthurajawela wetlands. The canal was named after Gavin Hamilton, the Government Agent of Revenue and Commerce.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Dutch Fort, Esplanade Road, Negombo 22100 Sri Lanka
Negombo Fort was a small but important fort in Negombo, approx. 30 km (19 mi) north of Colombo, that was built by the Portuguese to defend Colombo.
In its time the fort at Negombo was probably the next in strategic importance after Colombo, Jaffna and Galle. The original Portuguese fort was a weak structure, which was captured by Dutch forces commanded by Philip Lucasz, in February 1640.The Portuguese made several attempts to retake it before they were successful in December 1640. They then strengthened the fortifications and managed to defend the fort until it was recaptured by the Dutch, commanded by Francois Caron, in January 1644.The original bastions were destroyed by the Dutch cannons during the siege of the fort. The Dutch subsequently rebuilt it in 1672 however not on the usual square pattern, but on a pentagonal one, though it had only four bulwarks, the fifth was never constructed (possibly due to the cost). The fort was located on a narrow strip of land between a lagoon and an inlet of the sea. It was surrounded by a dry moat, and the gate was accessed via a drawbridge.
In February 1796 it was occupied by the British without opposition. In the late 1800s the British authorities decided to demolish the fort and build a prison in its place, constructed from the stones of the fort.Today all that remains is a section of the eastern rampart with mounds at its northern and Southern ends, where the previous bastions existed, and an recessed arched gateway. Above the gateway is a slab of granite, with the date 1678 inscribed, surmounted by a high decorative gable. The site is still used as a prison by the Department of Prisons.
Duration: 15 minutes
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- As the situation of Sri Lanka is different from many other countries please let the guide advise you on the current situation upon arrival.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 2 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
Cancellation
Great tour to start our time in Sri Lanka. We saw 3 different temples, fish markets, harbour and other areas in Negambo. Guide was interesting and knowledgeable let us move at our pace. Had a good start to our trip around Sri Lanka
Great tour to start our time in Sri Lanka. We saw 3 different temples, fish markets, harbour and other areas in Negambo. Guide was interesting and knowledgeable let us move at our pace. Had a good start to our trip around Sri LankaMorning pick up me from my hotel. Very kind and nice person. We go the buddhist temple first. Need pay 1000 local money approx 3 usd to entrace. It's see in here buddha lifetime story. Other building gave a covered stupa, other entrace you see how imagine the hell. In here have a old tree and big...
Morning pick up me from my hotel. Very kind and nice person. We go the buddhist temple first. Need pay 1000 local money approx 3 usd to entrace. It's see in here buddha lifetime story. Other building gave a covered stupa, other entrace you see how imagine the hell. In here have a old tree and big buddha statue, and close the school. After we go the st mary cathedral it's catholic beautiful church. After we want visit the Hindu temples but only one open. Go to short visit rhe Deutch fort and after the dry fish market. Very interesting how prepare the dry fish with this super old school technic. River delta visit the next is extra place.I booked this trip late the night before and was fortunate Nishantha saw the booking. He was quick to respond via e-mail and WhatsApp and set up timing and location to meet me that next morning. He had proper COVID safety protocols in place and made me feel at ease during the entire experience wi...
I booked this trip late the night before and was fortunate Nishantha saw the booking. He was quick to respond via e-mail and WhatsApp and set up timing and location to meet me that next morning. He had proper COVID safety protocols in place and made me feel at ease during the entire experience with him and conversing with locals, especially at the fish market. Nishantha was professional, attentive, and open to discussion during the entire experience. It was my first full day in the country, and with his knowledge and communication about not only Negombo, but other parts of the country, I had a wonderful start to my trip. I would recommend this experience and with Nishantha if you have the time as you get acclimated to Sri LankaOur guide Nishantha was very helpful and friendly. He provided us with snacks and water for the tour also. We visited churches, temples, the Dutch canal, the lagoon, the fort and the very lively fish market too. We learned about the people, religions, culture and even the Sinhalese alphabet. We c...
Our guide Nishantha was very helpful and friendly. He provided us with snacks and water for the tour also. We visited churches, temples, the Dutch canal, the lagoon, the fort and the very lively fish market too. We learned about the people, religions, culture and even the Sinhalese alphabet. We chatted about lots of other things on a lovely, informative morning tour with our guide. A great price for a lot of knowledge!I stayed two days at the place of Nishanta and was offered to do a guided tour around the city with its highlights. We started in the morning and had a nice day with stops at churches, temples and lagoons and fishermarkets. After the tour I had a nice full Body massage on a place which he recomme...
I stayed two days at the place of Nishanta and was offered to do a guided tour around the city with its highlights. We started in the morning and had a nice day with stops at churches, temples and lagoons and fishermarkets. After the tour I had a nice full Body massage on a place which he recommended. He is very kind and if you have any ideas or wishes he will help you out. If you want to have any idea what is around and see the city just ask him and tell what you wanna do. Thanks for the hospitality and the nice tour :)There is a default itinerary for the tour but the guide was happy to adjust it. I was planning a boat ride the next day so we skipped that and went to lovely local park instead. I learned a lot about Negombo.
There is a default itinerary for the tour but the guide was happy to adjust it. I was planning a boat ride the next day so we skipped that and went to lovely local park instead. I learned a lot about Negombo.