Galle

Galle Trips & Tours

Galle

Let's help you plan

Joanna - Travel Consultant
Johnny - Travel Consultant
Eve - Travel Consultant
HeartHeartHeartHeartHeart

4.9/5 (911 reviews)

Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards for number 1 tour operator in the world 2024 and number 2 tour operator in the world 2025
We're one of the World's Best Tour Operators!
Voted No.1 in 2024 and No.2 in 2025 by Travel+Leisure

Galle Trips & Tours

A cosmopolitan colonial town on the sultry south-west coast stuffed with hipper-than-hip eateries, hotels and cafes.
Sri Lanka’s south coast might be all surf, sea and sunshine but step away from the sand and into Galle’s higgledy-piggledy streets for something a tad different. The fortified town is one of Sri Lanka’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites and in its heart is a jaw-dropping fortress crammed with centuries of colonial influence from Portuguese to Dutch to English. It might be a cliché, but watching the sun rise or set over the thick castle walls will be a highlight of any trip. Beyond the ramparts, you’ll find an eclectic mix of art galleries, cafes and chic hotels all watched over by a jumble of entirely elegant architecture. Get into the nooks and crannies on a walking tour – the best ones will take you past local restaurants serving tuna salads and tasty hoppers, through the flea market to pick up antiques and decorative bunting, and ending at the sweeping seaside for a pineapple shake.
Things to do

What to do in Galle

The closest thing to a city on the balmy South Coast, Galle is bursting with history yet has an entirely modern side complete with fine dining and art galleries. Get your bearings with a cycle along its quaint streets, then enjoy a wander (guided or solo) through the famous Fort where Portuguese, Dutch and English rule is still evident in the architecture. And don't miss watching the sunset from the ramparts! Take to the sea for a fishing excursion or whale-watching catamaran sail with an on-board expert to decipher their every move; or venture a little ways inland for a cinnamon farm tour or forest hike.

Open Map
Static map
Best time to visit

When to go on a Galle Trip

Excellent
Good
Mixed
Articles

Sri Lanka in the blog

Reviews

HeartHeartHeartHeartHeart

Based on 911 Feefo Reviews

Why travel with Timbuktu?

We design tailor-made journeys for travellers who want more than a holiday, from first-time safaris, gorilla treks and multi-generational family adventures to once-in-a-lifetime honeymoons - and everything in between. And here's why so many choose us to plan them.

Tailor-Made Since 2014

Tailor-Made Since 2014

We've been crafting one-of-a-kind journeys since 2014 — over 2,500 trips across 40+ countries, each one built from scratch around your interests and dreams.

Specialists Who've Been There

Specialists Who've Been There

Our team only recommends places they've slept in, eaten in, and happily keep going back to. Condé Nast Traveler named 11 of them Top Travel Specialists in 2026, and Travel+Leisure made three A-List Advisors.

The World's No 1 Tour Operator

The World's No 1 Tour Operator

Travel+Leisure's readers voted us the World's No.1 Tour Operator in 2024 and No.2 in 2025 — the travel industry's biggest readers' award, judged by people who actually travel.

Every Trip Makes A Difference

Every Trip Makes A Difference

$50 from every booking goes to female empowerment, tech education, and conservation projects across the countries we love. We have donated $78,000 so far – and it's going up!

Collaboration Is Key

Collaboration Is Key

Your travel specialist is with you the whole way, dreaming up the trip, building the itinerary, checking you in, and answering the 2am question from the other side of the world..

Loved By Our Guests

Loved By Our Guests

We are rated 4.9 out of 5 from 911 verified Feefo reviews. And these are the words of people who actually went, not us talking about ourselves.

As Seen in

11 Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists 2026

Condé Nast Traveler

No. 1 & No. 2 Tour Operator in Travel + Leisure's Best Awards 2024 & 2025

Travel + Leisure

Best Booking Platform in Women's Health Travel Awards 2025

Women's Health magazine

Travel Specialist voted as Latin America A-List Travel Advisor 2025

Condé Nast Traveler A-List Awards

"Timbuktu can take relatively complex and slightly amorphous travel plans and transform them into a well-organized, perfectly tailored trip."

Forbes magazine
AFAR magazine
The Daily Telegraph newspaper
Vogue magazine
Glamour magazine
BBC
Oprah Magazine
Natural Geographic