The financial and commercial capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo is a wonderful place to spend a few days in. Take time to explore the culture and the architecture of the city. You can observe a wide mix of architecture and wonderful sights in the city. Colombo is also a good base for exploring surrounding places like Kandy.
Click here for a Muslim-friendly guide to Colombo
Colombo Grand Masjid: Start your day at this beautiful masjid. It takes about 1 hour to explore the entire area.
Drive along the Fort: It is the main business and financial district of Colombo and houses the World Trade Centre of Colombo. Takes about 1 hour.
Mosques: Fort Jummah Mosque, Red Mosque, Grand Mosque.
Halal Restaurants: Arabian Knights, Kandoori, KFC on York Street, etc.
Casa Serena Art Gallery: Showcases wide range of exhibits on art, photography and sculpture. Takes about 1-2 hours.
Colombo Zoological Gardens: Features a wide variety of animals and holds an elephant show every evening. Spend 2-3 hours here.
Mosques: Dewatagaha Jumma Mosque and Grand Mosque.
Halal Restaurants: Igloo, Mc. Donald's on Galle Road, Pizza Hut on Galle Road.
Galle Face Green Promenade: Sprawling 13 acres promenade spanning between Indian Ocean and Galle Road.
Majestic City: Shop at this huge mall located on Galle Road.
Mosques: Dewatagaha Jumma Mosque, Red Mosque, Kollupitiya Jumma Mosque.
Halal Restaurants: Igloo, Mc. Donald's on Galle Road, Pizza Hut on Galle Road.
Drive along Cinnamon Gardens: A beautiful suburban district in Colombo. Takes about 1-2 hours.
National Museum of Colombo: Largest museum in the city. Takes about 2 hours.
Mosques: Kollupitiya Jumma Mosque, Dewatagaha Jumma Mosque, Al Hassan Masjid.
Halal Restaurants: Arabian Knights, Kandoori, Beruwala Eating House, etc.
Viharamahadevi Park: The oldest and the largest park in the city. Takes about 2 hours.
Natural History Museum: Features flora and fauna native to the region. Takes about 2 hours.
Mosques: Dewatagaha Jumma Mosque, Kollupitiya Jumma Mosque, Jawatte Mosque.
Dutch Period Museum: Historical museum with artefacts dating from the Dutch colonial times. Takes about 1-2 hours.
Goldsmith's quarters in Pettah Market: See the goldsmith's at work and buy authentic jewellery.
Mosques: Fort Jummah Mosque, Red Mosque, Grand Mosque.
Halal Restaurants: Arabian Knights, Kandoori, Beruwala Eating House, etc.
If you are in the city a day earlier then plan a visit to the golden city of Kandy. It is located just a few hours away from Colombo and is a beautiful place to visit.
Shopping: Shop for jewellery, clothing, handicrafts and wood carvings. Some good places to shop include the Crescent Boulevard, Majestic City, Pettah Market, Paradise Road, etc.
Restaurants: Some of the places for finding delicious halal food include the Queen's Café, Dine More, The Sizzle, Al-Maas Family Restaurant, etc.
Halal Friendly Hotels: Cinnamon Lakeside and The Galadari Hotel.
Transportation: Travelling around in the three-wheeler autorickshaw is the most convenient mode of transport. You can also choose to move around in taxis.
