Lady’s Itinerary for 2 Days in Galle, Sri Lanka

Today I want to share my travel itinerary for 2 days in Galle with you. This coastal city in southern Sri Lanka is famous for its historic fort and colonial architecture. It’s one of the best places to visit in the country.

2 Days in Galle

I love train travel. I never traveled by train growing up, and despite taking trains all over Europe since moving to London, it’s still a novelty to me.

When I booked my trip to Sri Lanka, I planned to take the trains as much as possible. Unfortunately, my itinerary and the train schedules didn’t allow for much of it.

But on the last leg of my trip, I was finally able to take the train from Colombo to spend 2 days in Galle.

The train ride, which lasted just under three hours, ran right along the coast. From beautiful palm-lined beaches to small villages with piglets running through the trees, the journey was so beautiful I couldn’t stop staring out the window.

This was even true when the man next to me tried to persuade me to become his girlfriend (“You’re American, I’m Sri Lankan. It just makes sense.” Does it?).

Day 1 in Galle

When I arrived at Galle railway station, I hopped in a tuk tuk. It whisked me south along beaches full of brightly-colored fishing boats before dropping me off at my final destination.

This was The Frangipani Tree hotel in Thalpe, an area along the beach just south of Galle Fort. It was to be my home during my 2 days in Galle.

When I arrived at The Frangipani Tree, I was greeted by the managers. They showed me to my room—one of only nine at the hotel—on the upper floor of the main building.

Huge and surrounded by wooden-shuttered windows, the room had a four-poster bed, a desk, and a bench that wound its way around the perimeter. The bathroom was equally large and had a huge bathtub and open shower.

After I got situated, I decided to explore the area a bit. I took a walk down the narrow beach that ran in front of the hotel, passing by other resorts and private homes along the way.

It was the first purely sunny day I’d experienced in a few days in Sri Lanka, and it felt great to be walking on the beach even if I was smothered in SPF 45 the whole time.

I spent the rest of the day lounging by the swimming pool at the hotel. At dusk I went out to the beach to watch the sunset, then had dinner al fresco.

The catch of the day was jumbo prawns, and they were amazingly fresh. While I ate, a lone sand crab ventured over to say hello and came back several times during the meal.

Day 2 in Galle

The next morning I woke up early and continued my 2 days in Galle by heading into Galle Fort for the day. The fort dates back to the 17th-century Dutch colonial period, and it’s the city’s main attraction.

The old walls are still intact, and within them are historic churches, trendy shops, rooftop cafes, guesthouses, and boutique hotels like The Frangipani Tree’s sister property, The Fort Printers.

I started my day in Galle at the Amangalla, a beautiful hotel right inside the main gate. After walking through a spacious lobby full of colonial-style furniture and decor, I left and made my way down the street to The Fort Printers.

On the way I passed a Dutch colonial church, Galle’s maritime museum, and the high-end Galle Fort Hotel, as well as a smattering of jewelry shops and cafes.

At The Fort Printers I stopped to say hello to the manager and thank him for offering me two complimentary nights at The Frangipani Tree. I enjoyed an orange juice in the poolside courtyard, then continued out to the sea.

When I got to the famous Galle Lighthouse, I climbed up the city wall and walked all the way around it until I was back at the entry gate of the fort.

From there I explored more of the interior, including a large plaza surrounded by law offices and courts.

The center of the picturesque square was sadly being used as a parking lot, although I later found out cars weren’t actually supposed to park there.

It would have been lovely to see it full of benches and people as opposed to vehicles.

Continuing on from the plaza, I wandered around for a bit longer until finding a cafe called Mama’s. It had been recommended to me by a food blogger for the supposedly excellent cuisine and the views over the city.

Unfortunately, the food was terrible. My vegetable curry was so bad I barely touched it. At least the views were nice, though.

After lunch I walked around for a bit longer until returning to the hotel to get some work done.

But Galle Fort beckoned, and I returned in the evening for dinner at the Pedlar’s Inn Cafe with a new friend I’d met through the group I went to Unawatuna with for New Year’s Eve in Sri Lanka.

After the meal, we had drinks at a local bar and then I headed back to Thalpe for the night.

2 Days in Galle

The next morning my 2 days in Galle came to an end. The weather was nice again, and I took another walk on the beach before I had to leave.

All around were local flora and fauna, including crabs that blended in seamlessly with the rocks and birds of all kinds perched on driftwood and tree branches.

After my walk I relaxed by the pool until lunchtime, when my vegetarian curry was so good it more than made up for the previous day’s debacle.

The variety of dishes—from pumpkin to eggplant to potato—was vast, and the flavors were so good I couldn’t stop eating until I was way past the point of satiety.

After lunch it was time to say good-bye to Thalpe and The Frangipani Tree hotel. I jumped into a tuk tuk and headed back to the Galle train station to board the 3:45pm train to Colombo.

The views were pretty once again, but I was so exhausted I fell asleep and slept for most of the journey north.

When I arrived in Colombo I had six hours to kill before my flight from Bandaranaike International Airport. Laden with bags and still feeling tired, I went around the corner to the Hilton Colombo Hotel.

I had a martini at the bar and dinner in the Indian restaurant before taking a taxi to the airport to catch my flight.

The security and check-in lines were so long my flight was delayed for two hours because so many passengers were late. But eventually we were airborne and I was en route to Singapore for the next leg of my Asia trip.

I’d had a great 2 days in Galle and I couldn’t wait to see what my travels had in store for me next. To be continued…

Want more? Take a look at my Sri Lanka travel video.

Find this post helpful? Buy me a coffee!

New here? Join thousands of others and subscribe to the A Lady in London blog via email.

Some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links. At no cost to you, I earn a small commission when you click on them and make a purchase. It doesn’t affect the way you shop, and it’s a great way to support the A Lady in London blog.