Take a peek into Sri Lanka’s rich history and culture at the National Museum of Colombo. From the moment you step through its main gates, you’ll be enchanted by the museum’s beauty and splendour, a fitting home for the marvellous collection and a show of how important the country’s history is to its people.

Resting serenely in the lobby is a majestic stone sculpture of the Buddha in meditation, a wonderfully preserved masterpiece that dates back to the 4th or 5th century. Inside the museum, you’ll find a collection of artefacts that showcase life in Sri Lanka from its earliest traces of human activity like ancient rock carvings and jewelry, to watercolours and guns from the British colonial era.

One of the treasures you can’t miss is the gorgeous throne of the last King of Kandy, the last of Sri Lanka’s local kings. The opulent throne and footrest are covered completely in gold and inlaid with jewels, featuring intricate patterns and motifs like lions adorning the armrests and Buddhas on both sides of the throne.