Sri Lanka's seaside capital: Gangaramaya Temple, the Galle Face seafront green, Pettah market and the Red Mosque, the 356-metre Lotus Tower. A Theravada Buddhist country, so Kelaniya and Kandy's Temple of the Tooth are special for Buddhist Mongolian travellers. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar — connect via Bangkok, Seoul or Hong Kong. Mongolian citizens get an online ETA ($50).
🛂 Visa: e-Visa · 30 days✈ Flight: 12h☀ Best months: January, February, March, December
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: January, February, March, December.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Gangaramaya Temple
Culture≈LKR 500 (free under 12)≈6:00–22:00
Colombo's best-known Buddhist temple: halls mixing Thai, Chinese and Indian styles, thousands of Buddha statues, vintage cars and a museum of gifts. The ticket also covers the Seema Malaka meditation pavilion on Beira Lake.
A 500 m seafront green: every evening families fly kites and eat isso vadai (prawn fritters) from street stalls. Perfect for an evening walk with children.
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goETA, insurance and your connection — sort all three at home and landing in Colombo is easy.+
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Get the ETA online
Mongolian citizens apply for a tourist ETA at eta.gov.lk: $50, 30 days, double entry; free for children under 12. On arrival it costs $60 and the queue is long. It became free for 40 countries from 25 May 2026, but Mongolia is not on the list. Passport valid for more than 6 months, with a return ticket.
Tip: Apply only on the official eta.gov.lk — many agent sites charge extra.
There is no direct flight, so connect via Bangkok (MIAT in winter), Seoul or Hong Kong. Book the whole route on one ticket so bags are checked through and you are rebooked if you miss the connection. If you route through China, check the Chinese visa rules in advance.
Private hospitals charge, so travel insurance is a must. Dengue is spread by mosquitoes — bring repellent and light long-sleeved clothes. In the dry season (December–April) hotels and flights fill fast, so book early.
Tip: Pack light white clothes that cover shoulders and knees for temples.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityBandaranaike Airport (CMB) is in Katunayake, 32 km north of Colombo; the expressway takes you into the city.+
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PickMe or Uber — the simple way
Call PickMe or Uber on the airport Wi-Fi or your new SIM: about LKR 2,000–6,000 to the centre, 30–60 minutes depending on traffic. The expressway toll is often added separately. Don't negotiate with unmetered drivers at the exit.
Bus 187 (E03) runs from the airport to Colombo Fort and Pettah on the expressway: about LKR 350, 50–60 minutes. Big suitcases may cost extra. Good for solo travellers with light luggage.
With children or a night arrival, book your hotel's pick-up in advance — a driver waits at the exit with a name sign. The arrivals hall has banks, money exchange and SIM counters.
Dialog has two counters in the arrivals hall right after customs: tourist SIMs at LKR 1,399 (20 GB), 1,799 (30 GB) and 2,450 (50 GB + unlimited WhatsApp). Registered with your passport and activated on the spot.
Tip: Download Colombo in Google Maps for offline use.
If your phone supports eSIM, install SLT-Mobitel's tourist eSIM or an international one such as Airalo before the flight — online the moment you land, no queue. A local SIM is cheaper and comes with a phone number.
🚇Getting aroundColombo has no metro: tuk-tuks, taxis, buses and the coastal train.+
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Tuk-tuks — app only
Book tuk-tuks through PickMe or Uber and the fare is shown upfront, no haggling. If you hail one on the street, ask for the meter or agree the price first. Drivers offering a free tour usually end up at gem or silk shops.
Southbound trains from Colombo Fort run along the sea to Mount Lavinia and on to Galle. About 2–2.5 hours to Galle and 2.5–3 hours to Kandy. Reserved-seat tickets can be bought online in advance; carriages are packed at rush hour.
Red state (SLTB) and private buses go everywhere and are very cheap, but crowded and without posted timetables. Check the route number on Google Maps and pay the conductor in cash.
💳Money+
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Rupees (LKR) and ATMs
The currency is the Sri Lankan rupee. ATMs of Commercial Bank, Sampath, HNB and BOC accept foreign cards; big shops, hotels and restaurants take cards, while tuk-tuks, markets and small cafés want cash. Exchanging US dollars at the airport or city banks gives fair rates.
Restaurant and hotel bills usually already include a service charge. Extra tips are not required, but small tips for guides, drivers and porters are customary.
🍜FoodSri Lankan food is spicy: rice, curry, coconut and seafood.+
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What to eat
Rice and curry — rice with several curries; kottu — chopped flatbread stir-fried with vegetables, egg and meat; hoppers (appa) — bowl-shaped pancakes; string hoppers; crab and seafood. Say 'less spicy' if you want it milder.
Tip: Kottu, chicken with rice and fried rice usually suit children.
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Where and how much
In a simple eatery, rice and curry or kottu costs around LKR 1,450 per person. Try the street stalls on Galle Face, the restaurants of the Dutch Hospital precinct and the tea shops of Pettah. Don't drink tap water — buy bottled.
Every full-moon (poya) day is a public holiday: alcohol and meat sales are banned and some restaurants close. Temples fill with worshippers — a good chance to see Buddhist rituals.
🛡️Safety and health+
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Emergency numbers
Police 119, ambulance 1990 (Suwa Seriya, free). The 1912 tourist hotline runs 24 hours, gives information and connects you to the tourist police; Colombo's tourist police are at 80 Galle Road, Colombo 03.
Politely turn down strangers saying 'the temple is closed today, I'll take you somewhere else' or 'there's a gem sale today'. Buy valuables only from licensed shops. Watch for pickpockets in the Pettah crowds.
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Sea and hospitals
Sea currents are dangerous in the monsoon — don't swim when the red flag is up. For serious illness or accidents, private hospitals such as Lanka Hospitals, Asiri and Nawaloka serve in English; call your insurer's assistance line first.
Take off shoes and hats in temple grounds; wear white or light clothes covering shoulders and knees. Never pose with your back to a Buddha statue or point your feet at it. Women should not touch monks.
Tip: Tourists showing Buddha tattoos have been turned back at the border — keep them covered.
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Buddhism — close to Mongolians
Sri Lanka is a centre of Theravada Buddhism, different from the Mongolian Mahayana tradition, yet the Buddha, the Bodhi tree and full-moon worship mean the same. At Kelaniya and Gangaramaya you can offer flowers and lamps and worship like everyone else. Walk clockwise around the Bodhi tree.
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General manners
Use your right hand to give, receive and eat. Hugging and kissing in public is frowned upon. A sideways head wobble can mean 'yes'.
📱Useful apps+
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Rides
PickMe — Sri Lanka's main app for tuk-tuks, taxis and food delivery; Uber — easy to pay with a foreign card. Install both and compare prices.
Bandaranaike is 32 km from the city, 30–60 minutes on the expressway; plan to be at the airport 3 hours before an international flight. There is a baggage screening and a queue at the terminal entrance.
Rupees are hard to exchange outside Sri Lanka, so change what's left into dollars at the airport or spend it. If you stayed beyond 30 days you must have extended your ETA — overstays are fined at the border.
ShoppingFreeMarket ≈8:00–19:00; mosque between prayers, Fridays afternoon only
Noisy market lanes of fabric, spices and electronics, with the red-and-white brick 'Red Mosque' of 1909 in the middle. Enter the mosque with arms and legs covered, accompanied by a free guide. Crowded — take care with children.
CityForeign adults USD 20, children (3–10) USD 109:00–22:00 (to 23:00 at weekends)
356 m high, the tallest structure in South Asia: the observation deck looks over the city, the sea and Port City; the Pixel Bloom digital exhibition is included. The lights change colour at night.
CultureForeign adults USD 5, children USD 39:00–17:00 (closed on public holidays)
Sri Lanka's largest museum in an 1877 white colonial building: the last Kandyan king's crown and throne, ancient Buddha statues, dance masks. The Natural History Museum is next door (combined ticket USD 8).
The city's largest park: a golden Buddha statue, a children's playground and shady paths. Combine it with the nearby Independence Memorial Hall (free).
A golden beach 12 km south of the centre, reachable by train; an 1806 colonial hotel and seafront restaurants. Calm from December to April; in the monsoon, just walk along the shore.
A sacred temple believed to have been visited by the Buddha himself — a major pilgrimage site for Sri Lankan Buddhists, 10 km from the city. Murals of the Buddha's life; on full-moon (poya) days crowds of white-clad pilgrims. Wear white, covering clothing.
KidsForeign adults USD 15, children (3–12) USD 7.5 + tax8:30–18:00 (tickets until 17:00)
One of Asia's oldest zoos: Sri Lankan elephants, leopards, monkeys, a butterfly garden and an aquarium. With children, go early in the morning while it is cool.
FoodFree (meals from LKR 2,000)≈10:00–23:00 (varies by restaurant)
Crab and seafood restaurants, cafés and shops in Colombo's oldest (17th-century) colonial building. Walk on through the Fort district and the new Port City, built on land reclaimed from the sea.
UNESCO World Heritage: a 17th-century Dutch fortified town — ramparts around the sea, a lighthouse, old streets and cafés. From Colombo ~2–2.5 h on the coastal train or ~1.5–2 h by car on the expressway.
Sri Lanka's holiest temple, keeping the Buddha's tooth relic, in UNESCO-listed Kandy. A must for Buddhist Mongolians. ~2.5–3 h by train from Colombo; the ticket includes the museums.
