Galle Fort
AtmosphereRestored colonial houses inside the ramparts; walk to everything.
Galle city guide
Things To Do In Galle
A seventeenth-century Dutch fort on a headland, its ramparts perfect for sunset walks, with a walled town of cafés, boutiques and guesthouses inside and beaches along the coast.
26
Hostels in the city
8.9
Average, from 1,480 reviews
17th c.
The Dutch fort
1988
Joins UNESCO
2–3 h
Train to Colombo
The fort by the sea
Galle Fort was built by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the Dutch in the seventeenth century, and it is the best-preserved European fortified town in South Asia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Inside its ramparts is a small town of colonial streets, churches, a lighthouse and a lively scene of cafés and boutiques, while the modern city lies outside.
Galle is a good base for the south coast beaches. Two days is right.
Where to stay
Inside the fort, guesthouses fill restored colonial houses, and you can walk to everything; it is the most atmospheric choice. Unawatuna, fifteen minutes east, has a sheltered beach and more hostels. Further along, Thalpe and Dalawella have quieter beaches and natural rock pools.
Unawatuna
BeachA sheltered bay with hostels and bars, 15 minutes east.
Thalpe and Dalawella
QuietQuieter beaches and natural rock pools further east.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 12 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Galle
Walk the ramparts, which run almost all the way round the fort. Start at the lighthouse, built in 1939, and go on past Flag Rock, once a signal station, where local boys used to dive from the rocks for tips, to the Clock Tower bastion. Sunset is the time, when half the town comes out.
Inside the walls, the streets are laid out on the Dutch grid. See the Dutch Reformed Church, rebuilt in 1755, with tombstones set into its floor; the Maritime Museum in a seventeenth-century warehouse; and the old Dutch hospital. The Historical Mansion museum is a cluttered private collection of colonial antiques.
Unawatuna, a fifteen-minute tuk-tuk ride, has a curved, sheltered beach. Walk over the hill to Jungle Beach, a small cove for snorkelling, and the white Japanese Peace Pagoda on Rumassala hill above it.
Further east, at Koggala and Ahangama, stilt fishermen perch on poles in the surf, though most now pose for tips rather than fish. Koggala Lake has boat trips to small islands with a cinnamon farm and a temple.
Free things
Free things to do in Galle
Galle Fort is free to enter and explore. The ramparts, the lighthouse, the church and the streets cost nothing, and sunset on the walls is the best free show on the south coast.
The Japanese Peace Pagoda above Jungle Beach is free, as are the beaches at Unawatuna and Dalawella. On Sundays, local families and cricket players fill the green below the walls.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Galle
Inside the fort, cafés and restaurants serve everything from Sri Lankan curries to Western brunch, at prices well above the rest of the island. For better value, eat at local rice-and-curry places just outside the walls, near the bus station.
Galle's fish market, by the harbour, shows the morning catch, and many restaurants grill fish to order. Try a fish ambul thiyal, a sour, dry tuna curry from the south coast.
A meal is €3 to €10.
Nightlife
Going out in Galle
Galle Fort is quiet at night, with a few wine bars and hotel bars rather than anything lively.
For more of a scene, Unawatuna's beach bars have music and sometimes parties in the high season, and the surf towns of Ahangama and Weligama further east have a growing bar scene.
A beer is €2.50 to €4, more inside the fort. Every full-moon day is a Poya holiday, when alcohol sales are banned and most bars close or serve only quietly; check the calendar before planning a night out.
Getting around
Getting around Galle
The fort is walkable, and tuk-tuks wait outside the main gate for Unawatuna and the beaches.
The coastal train runs to Colombo in two to three hours, along the sea for much of the way; the line is fully working. Express buses on the Southern Expressway are faster, about an hour and a half to the edge of Colombo.
Buses run along the coast to Unawatuna, Weligama and Mirissa, about an hour, and on to Matara. The airport is about two and a half hours by car via the expressway.
Costs
What Galle costs
Galle is mid-priced, but the fort is the most expensive place to sleep and eat on the south coast. Dorms start around €8 and a careful day is €20 to €35.
The fort itself is free; the Maritime Museum and the Historical Mansion are a few euros. A tuk-tuk to Unawatuna is €2 to €4, and a coffee in the fort costs what it would in Europe.
The currency is the Sri Lankan rupee (LKR); prices here are euro equivalents. There are ATMs in the fort and the new town.
Safety
Staying safe in Galle
Galle is safe. Inside the fort, touts offer guided walks and gem shops; a polite no is enough.
The sea on the south-west coast is rough from May to October, with strong currents. Swim only on sheltered beaches such as Unawatuna and Jungle Beach, and never where red flags are flying.
Traffic on the coast road is fast; take care crossing and on scooters.
Emergency: 119 police, 1990 ambulance (Suwa Seriya, free). Tourist Police: 1912.
Day trips from Galle
Beaches, stilt fishermen and lake islands along the south coast.
Unawatuna
A sheltered beach bay, with Jungle Beach over the hill.
Mirissa
Whale watching from November to April.
Koggala
Stilt fishermen and boat trips to the islands of Koggala Lake.
What's on
What is on while you are there
The Galle Literary Festival is held in January.
January
Galle Literary Festival
Galle Fort
A literary festival.
December to April
Season
South coast
Calm seas.
Hostels
Where to stay in Galle
The top-rated places to stay in Galle right now, live from Hostelworld.
Muhsin Villa
See dates and book
Sustainable
Surf & Zen Conomad - Habaraduwa
Dorms from €13 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
Sand Cliff Villa
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Old Parkland Hostel
Dorms from €5 a night
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Sustainable
Roamers Aark Villa
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Sustainable
The Bunkyard Galle
Dorms from €13 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
Sweden Villa
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Tanty’s Hostel
Dorms from €4 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
Skyline Guest
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Sustainable
Snooze Station by Sydney Galle
Dorms from €12 a night
See dates and book
Moi Galle Fort by DBI
Dorms from €13 a night
See dates and book
Sanras Hotel
See dates and bookWhen to go
December to April is the season on the south-west coast.
Jan
Peak season
Feb
Dry
Mar
Dry
Apr
New Year
May
Monsoon begins
Jun
Monsoon
Jul
Monsoon
Aug
Monsoon
Sep
Monsoon
Oct
Inter-monsoon rain
Nov
Drying
Dec
Peak season
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in rupees locally; these are euro equivalents.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Galle travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Galle Fort UNESCO-listed?
Yes, since 1988. It is the best-preserved European fortified town in South Asia.
Where should I stay?
Inside the fort for atmosphere, or Unawatuna, fifteen minutes away, for the beach and cheaper hostels.
How far is Colombo?
Two to three hours by the coastal train, or about an hour and a half by express bus on the Southern Expressway.
Are the stilt fishermen real?
The tradition is real, but most fishermen on the poles at Koggala and Ahangama now pose for photos and expect a tip.
How many days do you need?
Two: one for the fort, one for the beaches.
When is the best time to visit?
December to April, when the south-west coast is dry and the sea calm. From May to October the sea is rough.
Where is the best sunset?
On the ramparts, between Flag Rock and the Clock Tower bastion.
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