Sri Lanka · Architecture

Kalutara,Lunuganga & Brief Garden Tour from Colombo

11 Hours Round trip from Pickup service provided in Colombo. Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights
  • 01 Visit the sacred Kalutara Vihara in Kalutara
  • 02 See the unique hollow shrine and interior Buddhist paintings
  • 03 Explore Lunuganga Estate, the former home of Geoffrey Bawa
  • 04 Discover gardens that inspired one of Sri Lanka’s most influential architects
  • 05 Travel from Colombo in a comfortable A/C vehicle
  • 06 Enjoy the service of an English-speaking guide
  • 07 Includes hotel pickup and mineral water

Discover a full-day journey from Colombo that combines sacred heritage, tropical landscapes, and architectural legacy. Visit Kalutara to explore the revered Kalutara Vihara, known for its distinctive hollow shrine and beautiful interior paintings depicting stories of Buddha.

Continue to Lunuganga Estate, the former country home of renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. Wander through the gardens that inspired his creative vision and remained his experimental landscape throughout his life. With hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, and travel in a comfortable A/C vehicle, this tour offers an easy way to experience some of Sri Lanka’s cultural and architectural highlights.

The Kalutara Vihara is a Buddhist temple built in the 1960s which holds the distinction of being the only shrine in the world that is hollow.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 11 Hours
Tour type Private
Activity level Easy
Accommodation Not included
Transport Not included
Wheelchair access No
Cities Colombo, Kalutara
Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

1
Day 01

The Kalutara Vihara is a Buddhist temple built in the 1960s which holds the distinction of being the only shrine in the world that is hollow. It is three stories high.

Kalutara temple is one of the country’s most holy places of worship and attracts the Southwest Buddhist community as well as tourists. Inside the Dagoba is a magnificent array of paintings describing the stories of Buddha.Lunuganga Estate was the country home of the renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. In 1947 the garden led Bawa to decide to become an architect. As he went on to become Sri Lanka’s and one of Asia’s most prolific and influential architects, the garden at the Lunuganga estate remained his first muse and experimental laboratory for new ideas.

Bawa continued to change and experiment with the garden’s spaces and structures throughout his life until his final illness in 1998. The gardens are now open to the public and the buildings on the estate are run as a country house hotel.Kalutara, a district in Sri Lanka’s Western Province is emerging as one of the top tourist coastal destinations on the island. This is because of its many amazing beach destinations around it, best of which are as follows.

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map
Round trip from Pickup service provided in Colombo. 2 cities · 11 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

  • Experience English Speaking Guide
  • Comfortable A/C Vehicle
  • Mineral Water Bottle
  • All Government Tax & Charges

What's Not Included

  • Entrance Fees
  • Any Other Tour or Service Not Mentioned Above

Know before you go

  • PASSPORT REQUIRED
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Not suitable for pets
  • No public transportation nearby
  • Infants must not sit on laps
  • Infant seats unavailable

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point
Pickup service provided in Colombo.
Tour start
Pickup service provided in Colombo.
Tour ends at the same location as the start point.
End of the journey

Your 11 hours finish where they began, in Pickup service provided in Colombo..

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