Galle Fort
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Galle is located in the south of Sri Lanka. A journey to the past sees the remnants of a Dutch past at a World Heritage Site. Galle has been the emporium of foreign trade since the dawn of commerce. The Dutch Fort, which has been declared a World Heritage Site, surrounds the older part of the town and is situated on a headland of which three sides overlook the sea. The ramparts of the Fort are over 2.5 km in circumference and provide a pleasant and interesting walk. The historian Sir Emerson Tennant claimed that Galle was the ancient biblical city of Tarshish. This city is said to have traded with King Solomon, the Persians and the Egyptians. In 1505 a Portuguese fleet led by Lorenzo de Almeida heading for the Maldives drifted accidentally into Galle. On hearing a cock crowing (cock means ”Galo” in Portuguese), it is said that they gave the town its name. Another explanation for the name is from the Sinhala name for rock ‘Gala’, plenty of which are found in the harbour area.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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  • pankaj bansal
    New Delhi, India445 contributions
    Watch sunset and have lunch at The Bungalow.
    Watching sunset from the wall near the light house is mesmerising. The Galle Fort is world heritage site which contains the Dutch period buildings and constructions. It is a historical, archaeological and architectural heritage monument. When Ptolemy made the map of Ceylon in 139 AD he indicated Galle as “Cetum Proments” The port was in use in Pre-Christian times because of its strategic location from the east and west of the world. Today Galle fort covers an area of 36 hectares and encloses several museums, clock tower, Churches, mosques, a light house and about 473 private dwellings
    Visited January 2020
    Traveled with family
    Written January 4, 2020
  • Simroch
    Melbourne, Australia130 contributions
    Quaint
    Can walk around on the ramparts or stroll along the shops. Beautiful view form the ramparts especially at sunset.Some pricey boutiques as well as more reasonably priced tourist shops. Places to sit and relax or enjoy a gelati on a hot day.
    Visited January 2020
    Written January 19, 2020
  • abroadwithashley
    Minneapolis, Minnesota1,358 contributions
    A Quick Stop
    We had a bit of miscommunication about what exactly the fort part of Galle was. All of the part of Galle that you (as a tourist) are visiting is the fort. The more photogenic bits down by the water are lovely, but the enclosure runs around the entire old city. As a few photos is all that is really needed to have checkboxed the site, 20-30 minutes should be sufficient. The lighthouse is lovely.
    Visited December 2019
    Written February 9, 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.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.5
3,467 reviews
Excellent
1,823
Very good
1,298
Average
299
Poor
39
Terrible
8

Filip S
2 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
The Galle Fort is beautiful, clean and well-kept - completely opposite to The Colombo Fort. A lot of places to get good food and coffee.
Written August 13, 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.

Terri W
South Wales, UK121 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
Beautiful and well maintained with stunning views.
Great way to spend a few hours with lots if local cafes and ships to get something to eat or find some shae and have a picnic.
Written July 22, 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.

James c
Oklahoma City, OK158 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
This whole town is a must see in sri lanka. The trek goes around the outer walls on the top of the fort built by the Portuguese. The views of the ocean are stunning to look down upon with the rocks below. You should start at the clock tower, you will run across cannons, sentry tower lookouts(like in San juan puerto rico), you can see views of churches. Buddhist temples, a mosque, a light house,a large cricket stadium and views of the town with small lanes. I only spent the afternoon here but I recommend to stay a night here,so you can get a feel of the nightly atmosphere. There are also many jewelry shops here and pretty good quality ones.
Written July 17, 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.

Chris H
Belfast, UK5 contributions
Jul 2023
Beautiful place. Stunning sign of dutch architecture. Heard there was one similar up north in jaffna as well.
Written July 15, 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.

Myra Zeineddine
Dubai, United Arab Emirates34 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
Must visit spot in Sri Lanka. The vibe is very nice in the area and the restaurants and spots there are nicely done - touristic area in general. Nice walk in the afternoon after lunch. More reviews @myra.recommends
Written May 13, 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.

Killian max
4 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
In Sri Lanka there are few forts around the country. Galle is the best and biggest. There you can see Dutch architecture and ruined.
Written April 24, 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.

Hasan F
Bexley, UK12 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
The view were amazing we took loads of photos and going around 5 pm was a great time to visit as it is a lot cooler although the museums are closed at that time.
Written April 22, 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.

Barbs25
Staffordshire, UK2,538 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
Nice fort and some views around Galle coast. Sadly our guide didn’t give us too much information about it. But we enjoyed the walk around and there are stones with information on for you to read.
Written April 16, 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.

Nalin Ahangama
Kotte, Sri Lanka20 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
The beautiful architecture of the centuries old buildings, wonderful views of the ocean and the harbour, great beaches and wide variety of dining options makes Galle Fort a much visit for any traveller to Sri Lanka !!!
Written April 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.

tropictrav
Pacific Coast Australia, Australia78 contributions
Jan 2023 • Family
A genuine experience, not a contrived tourism attraction. There are still people living, worshipping and going about their daily business in this truly worthy world heritage site.
Written April 11, 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.

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Galle Fort - 2023 All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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  • Sun - Sat 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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