Anonymized excerpt from a real Inspigo itinerary pack. Personal and booking details have been removed.
Sri Lanka 2026
DAY 1
Welcome to Colombo
The Travellers - welcome to Sri Lanka.
Land soft, rest at Colombo sea-view hotel, then Galle Face at sunset and dinner in Fort.
“You land in the morning · this view is the city you meet at sunset”
Today's Rhythm
Airport morning · then rest - evening is when the day begins.
🏠
05:00
Leave Suburb A
🛬
11:40
Land CMB
🛂
~09:00–10:30
After bags · before exit
🏨
~14:40
Hotel arrive
😴
15:00–17:00
Lunch + rest
🚶
17:00
Walk to Galle Face
🌅
17:20
Galle Face
🦀
19:15
Dinner · Booked
⏱ Door-to-Door · Sat 12 Sep
Until hotel · Suburb A → land → Colombo sea-view hotel
| Activity | Time | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Leave home · Suburb A | ~05:00 | Pre-booked cab · reach DEL T3 ~06:15–06:30 · Day 0 |
| Land CMB | 11:40 | Allow ~2 hrs · immigration, bags, SIM, forex - then ride |
| Leave CMB for Colombo sea-view hotel | 13:40 | PickMe/Uber · more info |
| Arrive at Colombo sea-view hotel | 14:40 | Bag drop · formal check-in from 14:00 |
| Lunch + rest | 15:00–17:00 | Hotel lobby café / rooftop light bite if open · sleep or optional rooftop pool · aim to head out around 17:00 |
Evening · Galle Face / dinner
| Activity | Time | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Leave Colombo sea-view hotel for Galle Face | 17:00 | On foot along Marine Drive · tuk-tuk if rain |
| Galle Face Green | 17:20–18:50 | Sunset promenade · head toward Harbour Kitchen around 18:55 |
| Harbour Kitchen | 19:15 | Booked · gift shopping waits for Day 10 · conf in today's plan |
Cash plan → Arrival · Money & cards
Attire: Breathable day clothes for rest after the flight. Harbour Kitchen - casual / smart casual (no beachwear or flip-flops); neat shirt + trousers or skirt.
✈ Flight Details
XY
Flight number
PNR
Confirmation on file · web check-in
Seat number
12A / 12B
Cabin baggage
7 kg each
Check-in baggage
30 kg each
Meals
Breakfast included · veg + beverage
DEL✈CMB
Boarding steps & lounge - Day 0
🛬 Arrival Guide
🛂 Immigration
- Passport ready
- Sri Lanka ETA PDF on phone + offline copy
- Return ticket · hotel conf.
- Customs - declare if asked
- ETA approved - The Travellers Confirmation on file
- The Travellers Confirmation on file
- Show PDF at immigration (+ offline copy) · see Day 0
💵 Money & cards
- Bring ~USD 300–400 from an RBI-authorised dealer in India · keep the receipt
- After customs, exchange only USD 75–100 at a CMB 24-hour bank counter
- Keep the rest as backup
How to pay Low/zero forex · always charge in LKR
Prefer LKR on the card machine - decline INR/USD conversion (DCC).
- Best: your bank’s zero/low-forex travel or international card (e.g. Scapia / Niyo-type) at hotels & malls
- Avoid: standard Indian credit/debit with ~3.5–4% forex markup
- Cash: street food, tips, tuk-tuks, markets · PickMe sometimes
- No low-FX card? Prefer exchanged USD/LKR cash over a 4% markup card
- ATM: bank ATMs · larger amounts, less often · backup if you run short
📶 Connectivity
SIM + PickMe/Uber before you leave arrivals - then book Colombo sea-view hotel from inside.
📶 Connectivity · SIM & Ride Apps (before you leave CMB) Buy SIM → register PickMe/Uber → book Colombo sea-view hotel
After bags, before the rideshare bay · ~10–15 min.
- 1 · Buy SIM - Official Dialog or Mobitel booth · passport · ~LKR 1,500 cash · keep it working for the whole trip: Less Taxi long legs (driver / plate WhatsApp) and Day 4 night → Day 5 whale / Pigeon operator confirms
- 2 · Data on - activate at booth · insert · turn on mobile data
- 3 · PickMe & Uber - verify with your new Sri Lankan number (OTP often fails on Indian numbers)
- 4 · Book Colombo sea-view hotel - still inside arrivals · drop-off: Colombo sea-view hotel
- 5 · Pickup - app bay only · match the plate before you board
- Dual-SIM: WhatsApp on Indian number · local SIM for data + ride OTPs
- Single-SIM: WhatsApp can stay on the old number · apps need the local one
🚘 Self-drive only - tap for steps Skip for PickMe / Uber · DMT near SPAR
Optional - not needed for PickMe/Uber on this trip. Apply at the airport if you wish.
- Where: DMT counter in CMB arrivals, near SPAR · 24/7 · ~10–30 min
- Bring: passport + full Indian licence (English) · LKR 15,000/mo cash (~₹4,200–4,400) · keep receipt
🏨 Hotel Information
🕐 Check-in from 14:00 · bag drop earlier if room not ready
🛏 Standard Double Sea View · conf. Confirmation on file · ₹8,500
☎ Reception Contact on file
🚗 From CMB · leave ~13:40 · ~45–60 min · Connectivity
📶 Wi-Fi complimentary
🍳 Breakfast (included) from Sun 13 Sep - not on arrival day
🏊 Rooftop infinity pool · 07:00–23:00
🛁 Bathtub yes · Standard Double Sea View
Scan
🧭 How today unfolds
- Default after lunch: rest / sleep until Galle Face ~17:20 - no afternoon sightseeing
- Tired later? Shrink Galle Face to 20 mins - or PickMe from Colombo sea-view hotel ~18:50 straight to dinner
14:40–17:00Lunch + rest · Colombo sea-view hotel
- ~14:40 Arrive · bag drop (room may wait until 14:00)
- ~14:45–15:30 Light lunch at hotel lobby café · ~₹430–1,150 · alt: rooftop light bites (rooftop bar) · All Day Dining · café on Marine Drive
- ~14:00 Formal check-in
- ~14:30–16:45 Rest - shower · change · sleep if you want to · alarm ~16:45 · aim to head out around 17:00
- Optional · rooftop pool if you want a dip during the rest window (open until 23:00) - skip if you’d rather sleep before Galle Face
17:00Leave Colombo sea-view hotel · on foot to the sea
~1.4 km · Marine Drive · 🚶 15–20 mins · tuk-tuk if rain
17:20–18:50
Galle Face Green
⭐ Recommended
- Time to spend
- ~90 mins · aim to leave around 18:55 for dinner
- Cost
- Free entry
- Best approach
- No fixed route - umbrella for showers; tuk-tuk or PickMe if it pours.
- What to expect
-
Galle Face promenade - Sea wind, food carts, after-work crowd - atmosphere over landmark
- Keep light for dinner · no safe swimming · valuables close
- Try isso wade, roasted kadala, or grilled corn · ~LKR 200–600 cash
Isso wade - crispy lentil patty with a prawn - Photo tip
- Golden hour ~18:15 · face the water with Fort towers behind you
Around 18:55, make your way · PickMe/tuk-tuk ~8–12 mins · Harbour Kitchen 19:15
18:55Leave Galle Face for the Old Dutch Hospital
🚗 8–12 mins · ~2 km · PickMe / Uber · no hotel return · optional courtyard stroll on arrival (5–15 mins) before the 19:15 seating - look only - gift shopping waits for Day 10
Optional Gangaramaya exterior glance
Optional · Gangaramaya exterior on a short tuk detour to/from dinner (outside only · Beira / Slave Island · ~10–15 min extra) · skip if tight on time. Not on the default Marine Drive / Fort route.
Courtyard / street view from the tuk - no full temple visit before dinner.
Visit details · Gangaramaya (exterior)
Website: gangaramaya.com
Address: Sri Jinarathana Road, Colombo 02 (Beira Lake / Slave Island)
Map: Open Google Maps
Tonight: outside look only · full visit optional on Day 10 if gift clock allows.
Open map
19:15–21:15
Harbour Kitchen
✔ Booked · 19:15
- Booked
-
Conf. Confirmation on file · The Travellers · 2 diners · Sat 12 Sep19:15–21:15 · No. 04 Old Dutch Hospital · 15-min hold - call if delayedPhoto: Kanatonian / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Scan
- Dress
- Casual / smart casual - no beachwear or flip-flops. Neat shirt + trousers or skirt.
- Cost (for two)
- ~₹6,500–9,500 · shared mains + bread + soft drinks
- Card OK · always choose LKR
- Ask portion sizes when you order
PickMe back to Colombo sea-view hotel · ~15–25 mins · ~4 km
~21:30Back at Colombo sea-view hotel - sleep, or a short rooftop look
- Optional · ~21:30 · short sea/city-lights look (15–20 min)
- Optional · hotel pool until 23:00 if you want a dip · bar until 00:00 - no need to swim or order
- Most travellers sleep after dinner - and that’s fine
💵 Money today Today's Out-of-pocket Expenses~₹7,900–11,800 · Hotel already prepaid separately.
Today's Out-of-pocket Expenses · ~₹7,900–11,800
Hotel already prepaid separately. Breakfast on XY123 and Colombo sea-view hotel Night 1 (₹8,500) sit outside this total.
| For what? | Amount | ≈ INR | Medium |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD exchanged at CMB for starter LKR | USD 75–100 | ~₹6,300–8,400 | Bank counter |
| Dialog or Mobitel tourist SIM | ~LKR 1,500 | ~₹430 | Cash |
| CMB → Colombo sea-view hotel (PickMe / Uber) | LKR 3,500–5,000 | ₹520–700 | Card / App |
| Lunch at Colombo sea-view hotel | LKR 1,500–4,000 | ₹430–1,150 | Cash / Card |
| Harbour Kitchen dinner (for two) | ~LKR 23,000–33,000 | ~₹6,500–9,500 | Card |
| Colombo sea-view hotel Night 1 | ₹8,500 | paid | Already paid |
- Payment tips - Arrival · Money & cards
- Exchange only at banks / authorised counters · keep receipts
💡 Useful Tips
- Go easy at lunch - save room for dinner tonight
- Sleep is strategy - Kandy drive tomorrow · checkout 10:00
- Gift shopping waits for Day 10 - nothing to chase this afternoon
- City sleep · Colombo stays up later than the east - PickMe/Uber usually fine for dinner & hotel hops after dark · many shops/malls till ~9–10 pm (approx).
Don’t rush today. Recover first - the island introduces itself properly at sunset.