Pettah Market
A grid of crowded streets just outside Fort where Colombo buys textiles, electronics, spices, gold and party supplies, each street with its own trade.
What Pettah Market actually is
Pettah is the neighbourhood just east of Colombo Fort, and the market is not one building but a grid of streets, alleys and arcades that trade by type. The name comes from the Tamil pettai, a settlement outside a fort; the Sinhala name pita-kotuwa means the same. Wikipedia likens the layout to a crossword puzzle, which is accurate.
The specialisation is the point. One guide lists Front Street for bags, shoes and watches, 2nd Cross Street for sarees and clothing, 1st Cross Street for mobile phones, China Street for chinaware and party supplies and Sea Street, at the far end, as the gold market. Stalls selling spices and vegetables sit around the 4th Cross Street. Shops open at roughly 7am and many are shut on Sundays.
It is chaotic, hot and loud, and an hour is plenty for most visitors. Treat it as a way to watch how Colombo shops rather than a place to buy souvenirs: many branded goods are fakes, and goods are priced for locals, so prices are negotiable.
Worth your attention
The Cross Streets
Numbered streets that run in a grid, each with its own trade. Phones, textiles and spices sit within a few minutes' walk of each other.
Sea Street gold shops
Described as Sri Lanka's gold market. Window-shopping is fine; buying jewellery from strangers is a different matter.
Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque
The red-and-white striped mosque on Second Cross Street is the area's best-known landmark. See its own page for visiting details.
Khan Clock Tower and the old fort-edge landmarks
Wikipedia lists the Khan Clock Tower, Wolvendaal Church and Kayman's Gate among the district's landmarks, all handy as navigation points.
Before you go
Do this
- Go before 10am, when it is cooler and less crowded
- Walk in from Fort rather than driving into the grid
- Bring small notes and keep your phone and wallet zipped away
- Decide what you want to look at first; it saves wandering
- Bargain politely and walk away if the price is silly
Know this first
- Pickpocketing is reported as common in the crowds
- Brand-name goods such as sports clothing are mostly fakes
- Many shops close on Sundays, so the district can feel empty
- Traffic and narrow pavements make it hard going with luggage or a pushchair
Getting to Pettah Market
Most people see Pettah Market as part of a stay around Colombo. Our Colombo guide covers where to stay, how long to give it and what else is nearby.
Coming straight from the airport, the relevant run is Colombo Airport to Colombo — fixed price per vehicle, driver waiting inside arrivals with a name board.
Read the full Colombo guideFrom Colombo Airport
Car up to 3 passengers; vans quoted on the route page. No night surcharge.
Pettah Market — frequently asked
What is Pettah Market?
A district of Colombo just outside Fort where streets specialise in different goods, such as textiles, electronics, gold and party supplies. It is a working wholesale and retail market, not a tourist market.
Is Pettah open on Sunday?
Many streets are quiet or shut on Sundays. Come Monday to Saturday if you want to see it busy.
Is Pettah safe?
It is crowded and pickpocketing is commonly reported, so carry little and keep it close. Most visits pass without trouble.
What can I buy?
Clothing and sarees, electronics, bags and shoes, spices and party supplies. Check quality, and assume branded sports goods are fakes.
Also worth stopping for around Colombo
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