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Sri Lanka
Southern Province
Galle District
Galle
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Galle Fort
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Galle Fort

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Galle Fort
4.5
3,475 reviews
#3 of 53 things to do in Galle
Historic Sites
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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
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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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The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
323 within 3 miles
The Bungalow Galle Fort - Restaurant & Bar.
946
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Seafood • Pub • Fusion
Imal's restaurant
302
0.2 mi$ • Asian • Sri Lankan • Vegetarian Friendly
Isle Of Gelato
438
0.3 mi$ • Dessert • Vegetarian Friendly • Gluten Free Options
Lucky Fort Restaurant
1,878
0.2 mi$ • Asian • Sri Lankan • Vegetarian Friendly
The Pasta Factory
627
0.2 mi$ • Italian • International • Deli
Ocean Bistro by Starbeans
479
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Seafood • Asian
Abacate
185
0.3 mi$ • Cafe
Church Street Social
299
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • European • Asian • Fusion
Elita Restaurant
664
521 ft$$ - $$$ • Seafood • Fusion • Gluten Free Options
AQUA Pizza
94
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Pizza • Neapolitan
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Attractions
47 within 6 miles
Galle National Museum
16
432 ftHistory Museums
Maritime Archeology Museum
259
0.2 miSpeciality Museums • Natural History Museums
Galle International Cricket Stadium
63
0.2 miArenas & Stadiums
Dutch Reformed Church
480
0.3 miChurches & Cathedrals
Maritime Archeological Museum (Galle)
9
0.2 miSpeciality Museums • Natural History Museums
Galle Fort Lighthouse
871
0.3 miLighthouses
Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications
3,505
0.3 miHistoric Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct
366
0.3 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Walking Areas
Galle Fort Clock Tower
269
0.3 miHistoric Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
All Saints Anglican Church
164
0.3 miChurches & Cathedrals
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See what other travelers are saying
  • 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
3,475 reviews
Excellent
1,826
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299
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39
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8
GHILDA C
Amman, Jordan20 contributions
Lovely walk across the fort overlooking the ocean
Jan 2020 • Family
We had a lovely walk around sunset time which added to the magic of the site. Overlooking the rooftops of the old city is spectacular as it combines Dutch, Portuguese, SriLankan and English touches. You can easily spend a half day or more walking around, shopping and grabbing a bite.

I wish we had planned a short stay within the old city... I can imagine the morning walks would be equally spectacular.
Written January 11, 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.
RavWoj
Rybnik, Poland729 contributions
17th Century Dutch Fortress walls
Feb 2020
If you come from Europe with thousands of years of history and cultural heritage the fortress walls will not impress you. The town itself is not older than that and there was really nothing which caught my eye. Some old buildings, nice restaurants, shops with gifts, jewellery… That’s it. Ignoring time spent in restaurant it didn’t took us more than 2-3 hours to walk all what was worth seeing there.
Written February 18, 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.
Gerry
Loon op Zand, The Netherlands2,133 contributions
Great historic site
Jan 2020 • Couples
Very impressive historical site, built by the Dutch in the 17th century. It was actually so strongly built, that even with the horrible tsunami in 2004, inside the fortress they kept it dry. Lots of stuff to see, including nice bars, shops and restaurants.
Written January 29, 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.
2015ECL05
Singapore934 contributions
Quaint Little Town
Feb 2020 • Couples
An UNESCO Heritage Site, a once upon Dutch Town. There are many old houses left behind during the Portuguese, Dutch & British. Many houses are reconstructed, converted to shops, hotel, restaurants, museums and yet there are some still in ruin.
The popular functional Lighthouse is the place every tourist will snap a photo with.
The town is quiet with the Fort Wall surrounding the town. We can stroll around the wall of the round. Enjoy the sound of the sea. At the click Tower side, we can see overlook the exterior of the city wall, the cricket club.
The best time to stroll around is during evening and early morning. Look out for the sunset and sunrise. Listen to the roaring, bellowed sea.
Things are more expensive within this wall.
Written February 15, 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.
PHABfamily
London, UK820 contributions
Quaint old town.
Feb 2020 • Couples
A very pleasant few hours walking around the quaint streets, discovering shops, market stall, restaurants & cafes.
Do not miss out on a lovely ice cream from 1 of the many gelatos cafes.
There is also the fort structure with ramparts, tower & lighthouse.
It’s not as well maintained as many old structures but it looks like they are doing something about it.
There are many Tuk Tuk drivers that will offer you a 1 hour tour for £2 or £3. In the heat it many save you some sweat.
There is also a small fish market on the way in, which we found interesting.
Written February 1, 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.
mik s
Darwin, Australia119 contributions
Awesome history
Jan 2020 • Couples
Thoroughly enjoyed my time at Galle Fort.
I spent an afternoon walking the old perimeter wall and going into places of interest along the way i.e. Dutch hospital, Dutch church, Old Dutch Governors mansion, old warehouse etc. etc.
I used a guide book as I walked around and found it fascinating talking to some of the teams doing the refurb work at various areas around the perimeter.
Some great eateries and shops particularly on Peddlar St.
Great vibe within the fort and its narrow, grid-like street layout.
Highly reccomend.
Written January 10, 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.
1LifeStand
Colombo, Sri Lanka5,065 contributions
Walking tour by Galle Heritage Foundation
Sep 2020 • Friends
I happened to call the GHF to ask if they have walking tours, and they asked me to email the request and allocated Shiranga who was an excellent English speaking guide.

He started at the peer outside the old gate and walked for a little over 2hrs with us, showing us everything worthy of seeing inside the Fort.

The Black Fort was being renovated therefore we couldn't go inside.

We met him at 9.30am and concluded a little past 11.30am.

The GHF does not charge for this tour and we tipped Shiranga for his excellent service.
Written September 26, 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.
nir0sh
Colombo, Sri Lanka946 contributions
Largest Dutch Fort in Sri Lanka
Oct 2019
Galle fort was built by Portuguese, enlarged by Dutch and modified by English. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and it's official name is Galle fort and it's fortification.
It needs a day to explore the whole fort and read before you go there. There are three museums- Marine archaeology museum, National Museum and Mansion's private museum. Dutch reformed church and All Saint's church are two attractive churches. You can walk over rampart of the fort and visit each bastions-there are fourteen bastions.
There are enough restaurants within the fort and you can enjoy food as well.
Written June 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.
Aggie H
Phuket, Thailand402 contributions
Beautiful
Jan 2020 • Friends
Galle is beautiful. It looks lovelyboth at night and during the day, when it's white walls look shiny in the sun. It's a necessary place to visit when traveling through Sri Lanka. It's enough to be here for just one full day, because it's small, but it nevertheless should be a part of any travel itinerary.
Written January 3, 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.
SevenoaksSinjun
Sevenoaks, UK1,523 contributions
Fortified town
Mar 2020
This is a really nice fortress complex on the sea front at Galle. Entry is via an arched opening in the walls, and once inside the peaceful ambience is quite different from the hustle bustle of the main town. You'll find little lanes lined with shops, restaurants, bars, and the occasional museum. There are also small guest houses, hotels and lanes with attractive private residential properties. Walk up to the lighthouse and you'll get good views out to sea. Also make sure to find the clock tower. This was a real town back in the 17th century and still retains that feel. Really nice.
Written May 11, 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.
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  • Sun - Sat 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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