Bookstores in Colombo
Bookstores reward the browsers. Colombo, Western Province has 83 mapped right now. That's 83 bookshops mapped around Colombo, each with its own shelves and specialties. The used sections are where the real bargains hide.
This guide covers every bookstore we could verify in and around Colombo (within about 40 km), built from OpenStreetMap's community-maintained data. Names you'll run into include Vijitha Yapa Negombo and Jeya Book Centre, plus Sarasavi. If a bookshop's missing from Colombo's list, it probably just hasn't been mapped yet.
The Colombo bookstore lineup
83 mapped within about 40 km — showing 60:
Vijitha Yapa Negombo
Bookstore
Vijitha Yapa Negombo — Bookstore.
Jeya Book Centre
Bookstore
Jeya Book Centre is Bookstore.
Sarasavi
Bookstore
Sarasavi — Bookstore.
Dehiwala
Sarasavi
Bookstore
Sarasavi — Bookstore, found on High Level Road in Maharagama.
High Level Road, Maharagama
MD Gunasena
Bookstore
MD Gunasena — Bookstore.
Granthaloka Bookshop
Bookstore
Granthaloka Bookshop is Bookstore. Granthaloka Bookshop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Su 09:00-19:00.
Kottawa
Hours: Mo-Su 09:00-19:00
Lassana
Bookstore
Lassana — Bookstore.
Wellampitiya
Sarasavi Bookshop
Bookstore
Sarasavi Bookshop — Bookstore.
Luminex Bookshop
Bookstore
Luminex Bookshop is Bookstore.
Sadeepaa Book shop
Bookstore
Sadeepaa Book shop — Bookstore.
Vijitha Yapa
Bookstore
Vijitha Yapa — Bookstore, found on Hospital Road in Kohuwala.
Hospital Road, Kohuwala
Expographic
Bookstore
Expographic — Bookstore.
Book Shop
Bookstore
Book Shop — Bookstore on D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha.
D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha
Book Shop
Bookstore
Book Shop — Bookstore on D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha.
D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha
Book Shop
Bookstore
Book Shop — Bookstore on D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha.
D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha
Book Shop
Bookstore
Book Shop — Bookstore on D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha.
D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha
Book Shop
Bookstore
Book Shop — Bookstore, found on New Kandy Road in Malabe.
New Kandy Road, Malabe
M D Gunasena Book Shop
Bookstore
M D Gunasena Book Shop is Bookstore on Gnanartha Pradeepa Mawatha, Borella.
Gnanartha Pradeepa Mawatha, Borella
Ganga Book Shop
Bookstore
Ganga Book Shop — Bookstore.
Nethsani Book Shop
Bookstore
Nethsani Book Shop — Bookstore.
Vijitha Yapa Book Shop
Bookstore
Vijitha Yapa Book Shop is Bookstore on S. De S. Jayasinghe Road, Nugegoda.
S. De S. Jayasinghe Road, Nugegoda
Makeen Books
Bookstore
Makeen Books is Bookstore.
The Barefoot Bookshop
Bookstore
The Barefoot Bookshop is Bookstore. The Barefoot Bookshop also notes on the map: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
Phone: +94112589305
Sarasavi Book Shop
Bookstore
Sarasavi Book Shop — Bookstore, found on Sir Baron Jayathilaka Mawatha in colombo 01.
Sir Baron Jayathilaka Mawatha, colombo 01
Poobalasingam Book Shop
Bookstore
Poobalasingam Book Shop is Bookstore. Poobalasingam Book Shop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 08:00-18:00.
Hours: Mo-Sa 08:00-18:00
Mahajana Pothhala
Bookstore
Mahajana Pothhala is Bookstore on 141/c Colombo - Kandy Road, kadawatha.
141/c Colombo - Kandy Road, kadawatha
Aisha Book Centre
Bookstore
Aisha Book Centre is Bookstore.
M.D.Gunasena
Bookstore
M.D.Gunasena — Bookstore on De Cross Road. Also worth knowing about M.D.Gunasena: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-19:00; Su 09:00-14:00.
De Cross Road
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-19:00; Su 09:00-14:00
Astan
Bookstore
Astan is Bookstore on 9 Alexandra Place, Wellawatte. Astan also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00, Sa 8:30-12:30; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
9 Alexandra Place, Wellawatte
Hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-17:00, Sa 8:30-12:30
Phone: +94112508535
Loyal Publications
Bookstore
Loyal Publications is Bookstore on 125 New Moor Street. Loyal Publications also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 08:30-17:00, Sa 8:30-13:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
125 New Moor Street
Hours: Mo-Fr 08:30-17:00, Sa 8:30-13:00
Phone: 0094112433874
Ola Bookshop & Publisher
Bookstore
Ola Bookshop & Publisher — Bookstore on 244/4 Pannipitiya Road. Also worth knowing about Ola Bookshop & Publisher: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
244/4 Pannipitiya Road
Phone: +94 11 2796784
Hameed Book Centre
Bookstore
Hameed Book Centre is Bookstore.
Colombo
M.S Book Shop & Communication
Bookstore
M.S Book Shop & Communication — Bookstore, found on Mattakkuliya Farm Road in Colombo.
Mattakkuliya Farm Road, Colombo
Mizpah Christian Book Shop
Bookstore
Mizpah Christian Book Shop — Bookstore, found on New Negombo Road in Colombo.
New Negombo Road, Colombo
Sasiru Book Shop
BookstoreRun by dilshan
Sasiru Book Shop is Bookstore run by dilshan.
Harindra Book Shop
BookstoreRun by dilshan
Run by dilshan, Harindra Book Shop is Bookstore.
Sandali Enterprises
BookstoreRun by dilshan
Sandali Enterprises is Bookstore run by dilshan.
Sarasavi BookShop
BookstoreRun by Asanka
Run by Asanka, Sarasavi BookShop is Bookstore.
Baddagana Communication
Bookstore
Baddagana Communication is Bookstore on B 368, Sri Jayawadhanapura Kotte.
B 368, Sri Jayawadhanapura Kotte
Poth Gula
Bookstore
Poth Gula — Bookstore, found on 433 Kotte Road in Sri Jayawadhanapura Kotte.
433 Kotte Road, Sri Jayawadhanapura Kotte
Maleesha Book Shop
Bookstore
Maleesha Book Shop is Bookstore on 395 Kotte Road, Sri Jayawadhanapura Kotte.
395 Kotte Road, Sri Jayawadhanapura Kotte
Sunera
Bookstore
Sunera — Bookstore, found on 64 Devala Road in Nugegoda.
64 Devala Road, Nugegoda
National Picture Mart
Bookstore
National Picture Mart — Bookstore, found on 125A Stanley Thilakarathne Mawatha in Nugegoda.
125A Stanley Thilakarathne Mawatha, Nugegoda
Red Dot Geek
Bookstore
Red Dot Geek is Bookstore on 250/1/1, Libery Plaza R. A. De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 03. Red Dot Geek also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Su 09:00-18:00.
250/1/1, Libery Plaza R. A. De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 03
Hours: Mo-Su 09:00-18:00
Didula Bookshop
Bookstore
Didula Bookshop is Bookstore on 108 B Makola South, Makola. Didula Bookshop also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Su 08:00-20:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
108 B Makola South, Makola, 11640
Hours: Mo-Su 08:00-20:00
Phone: +94 72 2962456
Sarasavi
Bookstore
Sarasavi — Bookstore on 83 Parliament Road. Also worth knowing about Sarasavi: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 10:00-19:00; Su 10:00-17:00.
83 Parliament Road
Hours: Mo-Sa 10:00-19:00; Su 10:00-17:00
Colombo University Bookshop
Bookstore
Colombo University Bookshop — Bookstore.
Hasini Book Shop
Bookstore
Hasini Book Shop — Bookstore.
Poobalasingam book store
Bookstore
Poobalasingam book store — Bookstore on 309 Galle Road. Also worth knowing about Poobalasingam book store: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-19:30; Su 09:00-14:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
309 Galle Road
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-19:30; Su 09:00-14:00
Phone: +94 114 515 775
Ariyadasa Book Shop
Bookstore
Ariyadasa Book Shop — Bookstore.
Eknayake Book Shop
Bookstore
Eknayake Book Shop — Bookstore.
Shanthi Lak Book Shop
Bookstore
Shanthi Lak Book Shop is Bookstore.
Ariyadasa Book Shop
Bookstore
Ariyadasa Book Shop — Bookstore.
Lakmini Book Shop
Bookstore
Lakmini Book Shop — Bookstore.
Shankar book shop
Bookstore
Shankar book shop — Bookstore, found on 230 Galle Road in Wellawatte.
230 Galle Road, Wellawatte, 00600
Senanayake Book Shop
Bookstore
Senanayake Book Shop — Bookstore, found on 366 Galle Road in Wellawatte.
366 Galle Road, Wellawatte
Windsor book shop
Bookstore
Windsor book shop — Bookstore.
Sarasavi Publishers
Bookstore
Sarasavi Publishers is Bookstore.
Daniels Bookshop
Bookstore
Daniels Bookshop — Bookstore, found on 287 Galle Road in Wellawatte. Also worth knowing about Daniels Bookshop: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
287 Galle Road, Wellawatte, 00600
Phone: +94 112 362 750
Sarasavi book shop
Bookstore
Sarasavi book shop — Bookstore.
What the map tells us about bookstores in Colombo
12 of the 83 list their opening hours on the map, which is genuinely useful — bookshops keep civilised hours, so the listed ones are usually reliable.
3 have websites listed. Worth a look for events — readings and signings get announced there first.
There's a cluster: 4 of them sit on D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha, so you can string those into one walk and drive between the rest.
The Colombo bookstore crawl
The efficient Colombo bookstore crawl strings these together: Vijitha Yapa Negombo, Jeya Book Centre, Sarasavi, Sarasavi on High Level Road, MD Gunasena, Granthaloka Bookshop, Lassana, and Sarasavi Bookshop — 83 stops, one logical order. 75 more are listed below.
Bookstore tips for Colombo
The regulars' playbook for Colombo's bookshops:
- Browse by serendipity, buy by list at Vijitha Yapa Negombo. Keep a want-list on your phone for the hunt, but let the shelves surprise you too. The best finds are never the planned ones.
- Read the first page in the shop at Jeya Book Centre. The first-page test never lies. If it doesn't grab you standing there, it won't grab you at home.
- Come back seasonally. Stock turns over with the publishing seasons. The shop you browsed in spring is a different shop by autumn.
- Note the shop's specialties. Sci-fi, travel, art books, philosophy — every good shop leans somewhere. Find the lean that matches yours.
Good to know
We searched about 40 km around Colombo — that covers the town itself plus the surrounding communities you'd reasonably drive to. Listings come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by local volunteers, so a brand-new bookstore in Colombo can take a while to appear. The 83 above are only as current as the community map. A bookstore that's shut, or a new one nobody's added yet, gets fixed with a single OpenStreetMap edit.
We don't list prices — they change constantly and vary by edition. What we list is the where: real shops, verified by real mappers, in alphabetical order with no favourites.
If you run one of the 83 listed here and something's wrong — a closure, a move, new hours — the fix is the same: update the shop on OpenStreetMap and the correction flows through to this page on the next daily refresh.
Bookstore listings for Colombo: 83 mapped from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Photos from Wikimedia Commons contributors; individual photo credits appear in captions. Listing data was last refreshed automatically — verify hours before visiting.