Colombo Tour Packages From Chennai

Colombo specifically would make for a fascinating location to spend some time in, due to it being one of Sri Lanka’s finest urban metropolises, to come to an understanding of how the lives of the people in our two countries are different from each other. For someone living in a place in the southern states of India in a city like Thiruvananthapuram or Chennai, there may not be any differences at all. Colombo has been an important trading post throughout history and as a result, the cultural exchanges and influences which its economic prominence have brought the lifestyles throughout these places closer together, as compared to any other part of India. For those interested in exploring the financial centre of our southern neighbours, taking a trip with our Colombo tour package from Chennai may prove to be an enlightening and educational experience.

Beira Lake

Beira Lake has been at the heart of Colombo for centuries now. Originally constructed by the Portuguese back in the 1500s, its main purpose was to provide some strategic defence for Colombo, a city which they controlled at the time, from the attacks of the local kings, primarily King Vijayabahu VII. Since then, however, the use of the lake and its water has expanded far beyond that. Today, it supplies water to a network of canals that is sprawling all across Colombo, being used for easy transport of goods to certain sections of the city as well as the suburban areas. Various animals live in and around the lake’s waters, including birds such as storks and pelicans, as well as many species of fish. Lining the lake’s shores are many of Colombo’s prominent establishments, such as the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre, the People’s Bank, St. Joseph’s College and also the famous Gangaramaya Temple, a shrine that is of great importance for worshippers who preach the Buddhist faith.

Colombo Fort Station

The Colombo Fort Station, or simply the Fort railway station, is the heart of all railway travel through the city of Colombo and should definitely be included in Chennai to Colombo tour package. For people living in India, the chaos and business of this railway station is a familiar sight. It also links the railway network to the city’s bus transport, as the Central Bus Stand is for Pettah is located within walking distance of it.

Colombo Lighthouse

Part of the old Colombo Fort, the Colombo Lighthouse is a prominent example of the city’s importance as a trading port for sea travellers throughout history. It is located at the Galbokka Point towards the south of the Port of Colombo. The structure that currently stands as the Colombo Lighthouse was actually built in 1952, as the older structure was not tall enough to tower over the buildings that were built in its vicinity as part of the Colombo Harbor Expansion Project, making it functionally obsolete as the light from its bulbs was not then visible to the incoming ships. Visit all the mentioned places as a part of Colombo tour packages from Chennai. 

Places To Visit

Independence Memorial Hall

Seema Malaka

Colombo Dutch Museum

Pettah Floating Market

Temple of Sri Kailawasanathan Swami 

Khan Clock Tower

Attidiya Bird Sanctuary

The National Museum of Natural History

Sri Lanka Tea Board

Mount Lavinia Beach

Ideal Duration

A five-day trip with our Colombo tour package from Chennai should give you plenty of time to take in the city’s sights.

Best Time to Visit

Summer Season

Colombo doesn’t really experience a “summer” season as we understand it here in India. It instead has a dry season, which lasts for a spell of 6 months, from November to April, when the rain is less frequent and less intense and the humidity is also at the lower end. The year’s hottest months occur during this period of time, with April being especially toasty. Temperatures fluctuate in the range of 24 °C to 32 °C for the most part, making the climate here is hot, but not unbearable. Chennai to Colombo tour package can be booked in this season. 

Monsoon Season

The monsoon situation in Colombo is similar to that of the summer, in that it’s less of a proper monsoon and more of a “wet” season, which starts in the month of May and ends in October. The rains are heavy in this season, with the clouds showering down every other day. That doesn’t mean Colombo is not worth visiting during this time of the year, but the beaches certainly won’t be at their hospitable best. Temperatures don’t drop down dramatically during this time, with the mercury still reading within a range of 23? to 31?. The humidity is also at its peak in these months.

Winter Season

While there is no out and out winter season in Colombo, the months that are at either end of the year tend to be cooler overall than the months in the middle of the year.

How to Reach

By Air

An aeroplane trip from Chennai International Airport to the Bandaranaike Airport in Colombo is a straightforward affair, with many non-stop flights available throughout the day. The flight duration is a quick 1 hour and 20 minutes for the most part. There are some indirect flights that stop at Madurai, Bangalore or Mumbai, which adds more hours to the journey.

By Rail

There is no train that takes you from Chennai to Colombo anymore, but the Indo-Ceylon Express or Boat Mail Express used to run this route. It hasn’t been functioning for decades now, as the Indian portion of the train route only runs till Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.

By Road

While you can’t directly drive from Chennai to Colombo, you do have the option to drive to the port town of Nagapattinam. There is a ferry that ships passengers from there directly to Colombo. The whole journey takes more than 40 hours to complete and covers a distance of more than 1200 km, across both land and sea.