Shopping · Colombo · Sri Lanka
Shopping in Colombo
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: A-wiki-guest-user, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Colombo is good for Ceylon tea, spices, handloom textiles, batik and design-led homeware. Fixed-price stores in Colombo 3 and 7 sell quality crafts, while Pettah offers bargaining and chaos. Best souvenirs: Ceylon tea, Spices and Handloom textiles.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 3
- Markets
- 2
- Top souvenir
- Ceylon tea
Where to shop
Colombo 7 (Cinnamon Gardens)
Odel department store, Paradise Road homeware and boutique fashion labels.
Galle Road, Kollupitiya
Barefoot's handloom textiles, books and café, plus jewellers and tea shops.
One Galle Face and Arcade Independence Square
Modern malls with international brands, food courts and air conditioning.
Markets
Pettah
Market lanes selling spices, fabrics, electronics, household goods and gold.
Laksala
The state-run handicrafts store, useful for masks, lacquerware and wood carvings at fixed prices.
What to buy
Ceylon tea
Loose-leaf teas from the major growing regions; check for the Lion logo on Sri Lankan-packed tea.
Spices
True cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and curry powders from Pettah stalls or packaged in specialist shops.
Handloom textiles
Brightly coloured cotton sarongs, throws and cushion covers from Barefoot and similar stores.
Traditional masks
Carved and painted wooden masks from the Ambalangoda tradition, sold at Laksala.
Batik
Wax-dyed fabrics and clothing made in workshops around the island.
Gemstones
Sapphires and other stones from Ratnapura; buy only with an official certificate.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Market · Pettah
Pettah markets
Just east of the Fort, Pettah is a grid of streets where each lane specialises: spices and dried fish, fabrics, electronics, hardware or gold.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- Photo spot
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Short eats, Wattalappam, Curd and treacle and Ceylon tea. Bakeries and tea shops throughout the city, especially at breakfast and teatime. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Fort | $$$ | Colonial-era business district of banks, port views and restored landmarks |
| Galle Face and Kollupitiya | $$$ | Seafront hotels, Galle Road restaurants and the Green |
| Cinnamon Gardens | $$$$ | Leafy Colombo 7 of museums, parks, embassies and boutiques |
| Slave Island | $$ | Old multicultural quarter between Beira Lake and new towers |
| Bambalapitiya and Wellawatte | $$ | Residential Galle Road suburbs known for Tamil vegetarian food |
| Mount Lavinia | $$ | Beach suburb with a colonial seaside hotel 12 km south of the centre |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in LKR. A 10% service charge is usually added to bills in restaurants and hotels; extra tips for good service are appreciated. Tip drivers and guides at the end of a tour, and round up tuk-tuk fares if service is good.
- Buy gems only from shops that issue a certificate from the National Gem and Jewellery Authority.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in May–June and September–October; the busiest months are December–February.
- January: Thai Pongal — Tamil harvest festival (mid-January)
- August: Vel festival — chariot procession between Hindu kovils (usually July or August)
- December: Christmas decorations along Galle Road and in the malls
Staying near the shops
$$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays, shopping and culture
Cinnamon Gardens
Leafy Colombo 7 of museums, parks, embassies and boutiques
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Colombo?
Ceylon tea, Spices, Handloom textiles and Traditional masks.
+Where is the best shopping in Colombo?
Colombo 7 (Cinnamon Gardens): Odel department store, Paradise Road homeware and boutique fashion labels.
+What are the best markets in Colombo?
Pettah and Laksala.