Khan Clock Tower

The clock tower is a short walk or tuk-tuk from the floating market and a natural navigation point on a Pettah loop, also useful as a meeting spot.

1. Visit in daylight for the best exterior photos.
2. Use it as a waypoint on a Fort walking loop.
3. Plan it together with the Red Mosque and Pettah Market.

It was long one of Colombo’s tallest structures and remains the most recognisable vertical landmark in the Pettah area.

The Fort–Pettah belt has been the city’s administrative and trading centre since colonial times, and the clock tower is a remnant of that era.

1. Type: colonial-era clock tower (mainly an external landmark).
2. Location: centre of Colombo Fort, short walk or tuk-tuk from the floating market.
3. Cost: free to view from outside.
4. Rating reference: visitor ratings and photos on third-party map platforms.

As an external landmark there is no separate “opening time”; the interior is usually not open to visitors.

We do not confirm interior access; treat it as a landmark to view from outside.

Free to view from outside; no ticket required.

From the floating market: walk through Pettah or take a short tuk-tuk to the Fort centre.

Built in the early 20th century, the tower long served as Colombo’s timekeeping and navigation reference and is part of the colonial-era city infrastructure.

It carries the mass and proportion of colonial public architecture; its simple shaft and clock face stand out among Pettah’s low streets.

1. 1Start at the floating market boardwalk.
2. 2Walk or tuk-tuk into the Fort centre.
3. 3Orient and photograph at the clock-tower square.
4. 4Continue to the Red Mosque or Pettah Market.
5. 5Return to Fort to finish.

1. The interior is usually closed; do not force entry.
2. Traffic and crowds around it are heavy — stay alert.
3. Use it as a bearing to avoid getting lost.

1. The square facing the tower gives a full vertical frame.
2. Blue-hour in the evening also works.
3. Pairing it with Pettah street life adds local texture.

Colombo Fort is within walking distance or a short tuk-tuk; see our where-to-stay guide.

Most visitors treat it as a handy Fort landmark and photo stop; as a historic building, reviews are neutral. Check the latest on third-party map platforms.

Search “Khan Clock Tower, Colombo Fort” on your map app; it is about 1–2 km from the floating market.