Withlocals Highlights & Hidden Gems: Best of Colombo Private Tour
4.5
Withlocals Highlights & Hidden Gems: Best of Colombo Private Tour
By Withlocals
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About
Ages 0-99
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Local guide
- Private tour
- Entrance to Gangaramaya Temple
- Carbon neutral experience
What's not included- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Start:
- Independence Square, Colombo 00700, Sri LankaIndependence Monument, near the information plaquette
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 24380P399- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 24380P399
Itinerary
- Independence Square, Colombo 00700, Sri LankaIndependence Monument, near the information plaquette
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- carladW3050XC0 contributionsThe best tour & tour guide in Kandy!My friend and I booked the 10 Tastings of Kandy tour with Buddhima, and it was perfect from start to finish. Buddhima is absolutely lovely, joyful, and happily answered all of our questions about Kandy & Sri Lanka. The food we tried was amazing - and there was SO MUCH that we ended up taking some away for the next day as we just couldn't eat everything! Do not hesitate to book this tour, or any tour, with Buddhima!Written December 5, 2024
- brir7030 contributionsFantasticFilled with… wonderful experiences, great conversations, delicious food, friendly encounters and exotic delicacies. Buddhima gave me a fantastic experience with her open and cordial manner and her great knowledge.Written December 2, 2024
- Q6741PLmichaels0 contributionsgreat food tourThanks Chandana, this was a fun tour around some eateries in town. Handy to have someone explain what the names of foods were that I hadnt experienced, as well as what was in them. The trip to the market for fruit at the end was a nice way to finish up. Was way more food than I could handle. Very interesting tour.Written December 1, 2024
- MarianneStorey0 contributionsSuper-flexible and attentiveUmair was a great host who was super-flexible about our very specific timing requirements. We were unable to do the whole tour so Umair squeezed in as much as we could in the time we had available. He was charming and fluent in English and we enjoyed our experience despite the torrential rain. The sweet treats and egg hopper were highlights!Written November 29, 2024
- X253QGjennifers0 contributionsAmazing TourBuddhima is an absolute gem. She was so friendly and welcoming that we felt instantly at home in Kandy. She showed us around the market and took us to restaurants run by different nationalities so we got a real taste of the variety of the city. The spicy samosas are the best thing I’ve eaten on our trip so far! The tour price includes the food you’ll be trying so it’s 100% worth it (more than, in my opinion!). Buddhima also shared really interesting facts about the city so it’s more than ‘just’ a food tour; it’s a cultural experience. Fully recommend…and would definitely suggest you start the tour hungry! We wish all the best to Buddhima and her family.Written November 14, 2024
- roso600 contributionsMost disappointingVery disappointing food tour in Colombo. It was only 1 and a half hours instead of 3 hours. We had very little food and were made to start half an hour early as our guide Muditha was obviously going out after with friends.We could not recommend this tour. We have done many food tours in many cities all round the world and this was rated the worst.Written October 1, 2024
- Wander086786604870 contributionsAwesome food tour with Buddhima!We had a really great day with Buddhima, she explained everything very well, gave us great insights of Kandy and we got a lot of different typical Sri Lankan food to try. We can totally recommend her!!! Big thanks to Buddhima! :)Written September 3, 2024
- Alexander B0 contributionsAmazing tour of Kandys best authentic foodBuddhima showed us some amazing food places where you can taste the true Sri Lankan food. Also she was great company we could talk about all sorts of things and she told us a lot about the Sri Lankan culture.Written August 25, 2024
- 44Vanessa0 contributionsA tasty way to explore ColumboWe had a great time on our food tour. Priyantha was very knowledgeable on all aspects of Sri Lanka. On the walking tour he made sure that we had every opportunity to try a range of tasty Sri Lankan fruits and street food specialties. He could not have been more helpful and offered us advice for the rest of our trip. Would definitely recommend this tour.Written August 24, 2024
- johnmL1085IU0 contributionsA fantastic street food tourMy travel buddy and I adored Buddhima. A consummate host and all round excellent ambassador for Kandy and its multiple cultures and traditions. A truly worthwhile tour and if I'm back I intend to enrol in one of her cooking classes too !Written August 16, 2024
- Sybo39390 contributionsDO NOT BOOK - Unsafe and doesn’t show upDo not book this. The guide never showed up. We waited 20 minutes, whatsapped, called 3x absolutely no response and was not in an okay or safe neighborhood. We reached out to TripAdvisor - no response no help from anyone or anything. It completely ruined our day and left a huge hole with no back up. Viator and TripAdvisor should take down this advert immediately as you do not want to be stuck in an unsafe location with no help no response and no feedback. DO NOT BOONWritten June 27, 2024
- Wander158510347510 contributionsAmazingDulshan was an amazing Tour guide. He was so friendly and knowledgeable – he made you feel like you were learning so much but from a friend rather than a stranger. The tour itself was so great – Dulshan was so accommodating with my requests but also made sure that we didn’t miss out on any highlights. We really thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, more than I ever expected. And I can’t thank Dulshan enough for his time and friendliness towards us. I would highly recommend Dulshan on this tour and other tour you have in mind - you will be getting professionalism at its highest. He is by far one of my favour tour guides over my many years of travel and I can’t wait to tour with him again. Thanks Dulshan.Written May 13, 2024
- Yasvau0 contributionsThe highlight of our time in KandyThe highlight of our trip to Kandy! We had such a fun time. It was like hanging out with a friend. We got to sample a lot of different food and learn about the local history and culture. Highly recommend.Written April 9, 2024
- Cruiser532876663730 contributionsWonderful experience!We had a wonderful experience with Buddhima on her food tour. Buddhima is from Kandy and that is demonstrated through her knowledge of the history of the area and even better through taking us to all the best food spots in Kandy! We have been on many food tours around the world and in Sri Lanka, and this has been one of our favourites. It is a really fun afternoon full of incredible food and Buddhima’s great company. Would highly recommend!Written April 3, 2024
- lisamD8081WN0 contributionsFantastic tour with Buddhima!We had a great time with Buddhima. She is a very nice, humorous and intelligent woman. We not only learned a lot about Sri Lankan cuisine, but also about the country and its culture. It was a highlight of our trip. Thank you very much, Buddhima!! 😊🙏🥰Written March 30, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
More to explore in Colombo
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
38 reviews
Excellent
34
Very good
1
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Carolynne B
Civitavecchia6 contributions
We arranged to meet Chinthaka at the port gate and it was great. A
good mix of culture information, walking, tuk tuk ride and visiting
the market. We tasted different types of bananas, vegetable crisps
cooked in the street and had tea with the locals. Great host would
recommend unreservedly
good mix of culture information, walking, tuk tuk ride and visiting
the market. We tasted different types of bananas, vegetable crisps
cooked in the street and had tea with the locals. Great host would
recommend unreservedly
Written March 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ailene M
Newmarket84 contributions
Chinthaka was a great guide and we really felt like we experienced the key highlights of Colombo since we were only there for a day off a cruise ship. Learning the history, visiting the temples. Going to the market and tasting local foods was really fun. We even had a few tuk tuk rides and we know there is much more to see. We were so delighted we definitely want to come back to see more of Sri Lanka.
Written March 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
prasanna
2 contributions
Dec 2019
Exciting day with Prasanna. Nice guy with history knowledge and we
recommend to use his services. Prasanna picked us with his Toyota from the Cruise ship on time, 4-5 hours tour of Colombo.
recommend to use his services. Prasanna picked us with his Toyota from the Cruise ship on time, 4-5 hours tour of Colombo.
Written January 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue N
2 contributions
Nov 2019 • Solo
It never happened. I am waiting for a response from you guys. No one turn up. I waited in heat and the rain for 1.5 hours. Apparently the host cancelled the tour the day before but no one told me. They just sent confirmed meeting place have a great time. If it can’t be rescheduled for Friday 29th in the morning, I want a full refund. Pronto! Thank you
Let’s see if any one contacts me. Grumpy 😡
Let’s see if any one contacts me. Grumpy 😡
Written November 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
william H
Riverside, CT3 contributions
Apr 2018 • Friends
My wife and I travel frequently and have had tours all over the world.
Krishani was our all time favorite. She was full of energy, passionate
about Colombo, knowledgeable, flexible and fun. She also gives hiking
tours and we want to come back with our whole family and spend more
time with her. I can't recommend her highly enough! Bill
Krishani was our all time favorite. She was full of energy, passionate
about Colombo, knowledgeable, flexible and fun. She also gives hiking
tours and we want to come back with our whole family and spend more
time with her. I can't recommend her highly enough! Bill
Written April 17, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
davebuch
Edinburgh, UK16 contributions
Very interesting to see and hear the history of Sri Lanka and get to view parts of Colombo we wouldn't have found otherwise
We really enjoyed our morning with Khasim
We really enjoyed our morning with Khasim
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AucklandShelly
New Zealand666 contributions
We only had one night in Colombo so booked our tour through Withlocals to give us a good
introduction and that's exactly what we got. The weather was
absolutely atrocious, torrential rain making it impossible to get out
of the car but yet we managed to see the main sights and learn so much in
the process. If we hadn't booked the tour I have no idea what we would
have done, the weather prohibited everything. Thanks Muditha for your
help, it was a great way to start out trip, your friendliness and helpfulness was much appreciated.
Written November 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
508Kay
Melbourne, Australia49 contributions
My partner and I only had one day in Colombo and decided a tour would be the best way to see all the essentials. So glad we decided to go with The True Essence of Colombo!
Our tour guide was Muditha.
Pros:
- Muditha was awesome! So knowledgable about Colombo and Sri Lankan history and culture.
- Answered all of our questions
- Muditha gave us lots of tips to help us through our travels in Sri Lanka and even messaged us afterwards with places we should visit while we are here.
Cons:
- We have nothing to fault. It was a great few hours.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed this tour and I definitely recommend them.
Our tour guide was Muditha.
Pros:
- Muditha was awesome! So knowledgable about Colombo and Sri Lankan history and culture.
- Answered all of our questions
- Muditha gave us lots of tips to help us through our travels in Sri Lanka and even messaged us afterwards with places we should visit while we are here.
Cons:
- We have nothing to fault. It was a great few hours.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed this tour and I definitely recommend them.
Written August 17, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
queenpersia
Brisbane, Australia51 contributions
Jan 2019 • Family
What an amazing morning in Colombo, loved by the whole family. Kids loved it and were engaged from the second they met Miyuru. We saw so much of the true Colombo and loved the whole experience, highly recommend.
Written January 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
purplepurchaser
Annapolis, MD22 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We met our guide, Ishaan at Independence Square. It was confusing because we didnt have an exact location to meet. Fortunately, a police officer assisted us with a telephone call to Ishan and directed us to the meeting spot. Ishan was a fantastic host. His English was great, and he was friendly and informative. We toured the temple and drove throughout the city to various locations where we strolled while Ishan provided narrative. It was a lovely half day tour.
Written March 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi,
I am in Colombo for a day on the 20th of December but I will only land at 7AM. Are there later start times available ?
Thanks
Written December 11, 2019
Yes, we actually choose what time we wanted our tour to start. Try not to leave it too late as it gets pretty hot and humid.
Written December 12, 2019
Will you pick up & drop off near the cruise port?
Written November 4, 2019
The Columbo port is controlled by the taxi union so the guide cannot pick you up at the port. We walked about 0.5 miles to the port entrance and that is where we met our guide. That is where we were dropped off at the end of our excursion. It is an easy walk.
Written August 5, 2019
Hi Chinthaka. Will you be free tomorrow at 3pm?
Written July 31, 2019
Edna K
Ra'anana, Israel
At what time does the tour start? We are arriving in November and on the first day there we may only be free from 1pm
Written October 4, 2019
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