For couples · Colombo · Sri Lanka
Romantic things to do in Colombo
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: AKS.9955, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Colombo's romantic moments are about sunsets over the Indian Ocean, colonial verandahs and candlelit courtyards designed by Geoffrey Bawa. Couples tend to stay in Cinnamon Gardens.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 2
- Area for couples
- Cinnamon Gardens
- Best months
- December–March
Romantic ideas
1.Sundowner at the Galle Face Hotel
Watch the sun set over the ocean from the verandah of the hotel, open since 1864.
2.Dinner at the Gallery Café
Eat in the lantern-lit courtyard of Geoffrey Bawa's former office on Alfred House Road.
3.Seema Malaka at dusk
Walk the lake temple's platforms as the lights reflect on Beira Lake.
4.Beach dinner at Mount Lavinia
Choose seafood on the sand as trains rattle past and the sun drops into the sea.
5.Lotus Tower after dark
See the city lights from the observation deck, then dinner in the Fort.
Sights couples love
Religious site · Slave Island
Seema Malaka
Visit at sunset, then walk along the Beira Lake promenade.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Couples
- Photo spot
- After dark
Beach · Mount Lavinia
Mount Lavinia Beach
Take the coastal train from Fort for sea views, and swim only where locals do and when the flags allow.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Kids
Where couples should stay
$$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays, shopping and culture
Cinnamon Gardens
Once cinnamon plantations, Colombo 7 is now the city's most elegant district, with the National Museum, Viharamahadevi Park, Independence Memorial Hall and wide streets of colonial villas. Boutique hotels, design shops such as Paradise Road and the Odel department store, and garden cafés make it a calm base.
- Good
- Green and peaceful; Museums and parks on foot; Boutique hotels and shops
- Watch out
- Expensive; Spread out; you will still need tuk-tuks
- Nearby
- National Museum, Viharamahadevi Park, Independence Memorial Hall, Odel
Romantic day trips
- Galle Fort (About 1.5–2 hours by expressway; 2–3 hours by train) — A walled Dutch fort town on a headland, with ramparts for sunset walks, a lighthouse, churches, boutique hotels and cafés in colonial houses.
- Bentota and Lunuganga (About 1.5 hours by road or train) — Bentota has a golden beach between the river and sea, water sports and river safaris.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Rice and curry, Lamprais and Crab curry. A 10% service charge is usually added in restaurants that cater to visitors.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Colombo romantic?
Colombo's romantic moments are about sunsets over the Indian Ocean, colonial verandahs and candlelit courtyards designed by Geoffrey Bawa.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Colombo?
Sundowner at the Galle Face Hotel: Watch the sun set over the ocean from the verandah of the hotel, open since 1864.
+Where should couples stay in Colombo?
Cinnamon Gardens: Leafy Colombo 7 of museums, parks, embassies and boutiques.