Sri Lanka · UNESCO Heritage Sites

1-Day Galle Fort Tour with Hikkaduwa Snorkelling and Balapitiya Boat Trip

1 Day Round trip from Canada Friendship Rd Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Visit the turtle farm in Kosgoda
02 Explore the historical Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
03 Learn about the 'stick fishermen' and their traditional way of fishing
04 Take a boat trip on the Madunagala River in Balapitiya with its 68 islands
05 Enjoy snorkelling and witness coral life in Hikkaduwa

Sign up for a day tour to Galle and admire the marvellous European architecture of Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Asia's largest surviving European-built fortresses. Learn about the fort while soaking in the surrounding beauty, visit a turtle farm in Kosgoda, and witness the traditional fishing method of the 'stick fishermen'. Continue to Hikkaduwa to see coral life from a glass-bottom boat or go snorkelling, then enjoy a boat trip on the Madunagala River in Balapitiya with its famous 68 islands.

Sign up for a day tour to Galle and admire the marvellous European architecture of Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Asia's largest surviving European-built fortresses.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 1 Day

Tour type Shared

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Colombo, Galle, Katunayake, Hikkaduwa, Kosgoda, Beruwala, Balapitiya

Languages Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Tamil

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Galle Fort, Hikkaduwa and Balapitiya Day Tour

Meet your guide on arrival at the airport or at your hotel, then begin your journey.
Leave for Galle, with your first stop at Kosgoda to visit the turtle farm. Galle is the best example of a fortified city built by Europeans in South and Southeast Asia, showing the interaction between European architectural styles and South Asian traditions. Galle Fort is a World Heritage Site and the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers.
Go sightseeing around the city and visit the Galle Dutch Fort, the Galle Museum, a Dutch church, and the British church.
Proceed to see the 'stick fishermen' sitting on sticks while fishing in the traditional way. After that, continue to Hikkaduwa, a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka in the Southern Province, about 20 km northwest of Galle.
Visit the coral area on a glass-bottom boat, and if you like, you can go snorkelling. After that, take a boat trip on the Madunagala River in Balapitiya, famous for its 68 islands.
Head back to the meeting point via Beruwala and Colombo.

Distance: 340 km (round trip)