Your day, step by step
08:30
Shuttle to the port gate. Note which gate it is. Walk 50 m away and book a PickMe or Uber.
08:45
Ride to Gangaramaya Temple while traffic is light. Cover shoulders and knees; remove shoes and hats.
10:00
Colombo National Museum (opens 09:00; closed on public holidays).
11:30
Galle Face Green for the seafront promenade.
12:15
App ride back to Fort. Lunch at the Dutch Hospital, for example Ministry of Crab, or a banana-leaf meal at Mayura Hotel in Pettah.
13:45
Walk into Pettah: the market lanes and the Jami Ul-Alfar (Red Mosque) on 2nd Cross Street. Avoid prayer times, especially Friday afternoon.
15:15
Falooda at Bombay Sweets on 1st Cross Street, then walk back towards the port gate.
16:00
At the port gate for the shuttle, 90 minutes before all-aboard.
- Latest you can leave Port gate (Gate 1, Fort Gate)16:00
16:30
Back on board, 60 minutes before all-aboard.
One port done
Your Colombo day is timed. Now the rest of your cruise.
The Cruise Pass times every port of one sailing, up to 10, to your all-aboard like this, with a Plan B if you run late, an offline copy, and live mode on the day: Google Maps travel time back to the pier and alerts at 30, 15 and 0 minutes.
€14.99 once, nothing renews. 30-day full refund.
Where to leave from, and when
on foot bus, train, boat taxiPins show when to leave each place. Lines: route back to your ship.
Going further? Leave by these times
- Port gate (Gate 1, Fort Gate)Free shuttle to the ship, about 5 min, plus queue16:00
- Colombo Fort (Dutch Hospital)Walk about 5 min to the gate, then the shuttle15:55
- Pettah Market and Red MosqueWalk or app tuk-tuk to the gate; allow 30 min in crowds and traffic15:30
- Galle Face GreenApp tuk-tuk, 30–40 min in afternoon traffic, then the shuttle15:20
- Gangaramaya Temple or National MuseumApp tuk-tuk or car; up to 60 min for 5 km in the afternoon, then the shuttle15:00
Where people get Colombo wrong
Visiting Galle Face or the temples in the afternoon and getting stuck in traffic on the way back to the port gate.
Built from our Colombo guide, checked against 12 official sources (November 2026). Nothing here is guessed. Read the full guide or see the sources.
Make it yours
Tell PortTrip what you love, who's coming and how fast you like to go. It builds the day from these checked facts, and you can add, drop and reorder stops.
Personalise my Colombo dayYour whole cruise, planned like this
This is one port. The Cruise Pass times every port of your cruise.
You just timed Colombo to your own all-aboard. Every other port on your cruise needs the same, and your ship's times change at each one. The Cruise Pass does this for every port of your sailing, up to 10: each day timed to your ship, a Plan B if you run late, and live mode on the day with Google Maps travel time back to the pier and alerts at 30, 15 and 0 minutes. Every plan uses the same checked facts as this guide. Nothing is made up.
Cruise Pass
€14.99
One sailing, up to 10 ports. Pay once, nothing renews.
- Every port of your cruise timed to your all-aboard, in port time and ship time
- Live on the day: Google Maps travel time back to the pier, alerts at 30, 15 and 0 minutes
- The full planner for each port, with a Plan B if you run late
- An offline copy for when there is no signal
Year Pass
€39/yr
Every cruise you take for 12 months. Renews yearly; cancel any time.
Everything in the Cruise Pass, for as many sailings as you like.
30-day full refund. Secure checkout with Stripe.