Airport transfer fares and distances
Sri Lanka's main international gateway at Katunayake, about 33 km north of central Colombo. Every priced journey from Bandaranaike International (CMB), with distance, drive time and price.
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Journeys to and from the airport
| Journey | Distance | Time | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Negombo | 11.5 km | 26 min |
Rs 1,720
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Bentota | 108.8 km | 2 hr 19 min |
Rs 19,800
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Hikkaduwa | 148.3 km | 2 hr 19 min |
Rs 23,580
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Mirissa | 181.4 km | 2 hr 46 min |
Rs 26,750
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Matara | 189.9 km | 2 hr 49 min |
Rs 27,570
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Dambulla | 128.9 km | 2 hr 48 min |
Rs 21,730
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Sigiriya | 145.6 km | 3 hr 13 min |
Rs 23,320
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Nuwara Eliya | 154.8 km | 4 hr 48 min |
Rs 24,200
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Ella | 207.7 km | 6 hr 3 min |
Rs 29,270
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Anuradhapura | 168.9 km | 3 hr 52 min |
Rs 25,550
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Trincomalee | 234.1 km | 4 hr 43 min |
Rs 31,800
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Jaffna | 372.2 km | 7 hr 36 min |
Rs 45,020
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Yala National Park | 322.3 km | 5 hr 16 min |
Rs 40,240
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Colombo | 37.7 km | 51 min |
Rs 5,070
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Kandy | 113.7 km | 2 hr 52 min |
Rs 20,270
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Galle | 158.3 km | 2 hr 26 min |
Rs 24,540
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Arugam Bay | 338.4 km | 8 hr 11 min |
Rs 41,780
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Unawatuna | 158.1 km | 2 hr 22 min |
Rs 24,520
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Weligama | 177.1 km | 2 hr 37 min |
Rs 26,340
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Udawalawe | 197.4 km | 6 hr 1 min |
Rs 28,280
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Tangalle | 217.8 km | 3 hr 8 min |
Rs 30,240
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Hiriketiya | 206.5 km | 3 hr 8 min |
Rs 29,150
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Polonnaruwa | 199.8 km | 4 hr 9 min |
Rs 28,510
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Kalutara | 86.2 km | 2 hr 6 min |
Rs 17,640
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Beruwala | 97.1 km | 2 hr 14 min |
Rs 18,680
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Wadduwa | 64.6 km | 1 hr 53 min |
Rs 15,570
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Haputale | 184.5 km | 5 hr 17 min |
Rs 27,050
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Hatton | 116.3 km | 3 hr 40 min |
Rs 20,520
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Dickoya | 117.4 km | 3 hr 43 min |
Rs 20,620
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Kitulgala | 80.8 km | 2 hr 26 min |
Rs 17,120
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Hambantota | 274.9 km | 3 hr 41 min |
Rs 35,700
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Dickwella | 202.5 km | 3 hr 1 min |
Rs 28,770
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Talpe | 161.8 km | 2 hr 27 min |
Rs 24,870
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Deniyaya | 190.7 km | 4 hr 1 min |
Rs 27,640
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Nilaveli | 245.9 km | 5 hr 2 min |
Rs 32,930
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Ratnapura | 97 km | 2 hr 51 min |
Rs 18,670
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Puttalam | 105.5 km | 2 hr 40 min |
Rs 19,480
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Kalpitiya | 135.8 km | 3 hr 18 min |
Rs 22,390
Mini / Small Car
|
| Colombo Airport (CMB) → Wilpattu National Park | 156 km | 3 hr 34 min |
Rs 24,320
Mini / Small Car
|
Getting to and from the airport
The expressway from Katunayake to the northern edge of Colombo is the only stretch of road on this journey that behaves predictably, and it does most of the work. The old road through Ja-Ela and Wattala is still there and still used when the expressway is closed, but it runs through the middle of every town on the way and takes very much longer. Going north to Negombo instead is a short run on ordinary roads.
Arranging a pickup
Arrivals opens onto a covered set-down area; drivers wait past the exit rather than inside the hall, and meeting outside the terminal building is normal here rather than a sign that something has gone wrong. Flights from Europe and the Gulf land in a cluster before dawn, which is the one time of day the road into Colombo is genuinely clear. Give the flight number when booking — a driver who has it will wait through a delay rather than a booked hour.
Questions about airport transfers
Where do I meet my driver at Colombo airport (CMB)?
Outside the arrivals hall, past customs. Your driver waits in the covered set-down area with a name board — meeting outside the terminal building is normal here rather than a sign that something has gone wrong. Give your flight number when booking and your driver has it. There is no automatic flight tracking yet, so if you are delayed, message your driver on the number in your confirmation — extended waiting beyond the pickup window is chargeable, and the terms say by how much.
Are highway tolls included in the quoted price?
Yes. The expressway toll, fuel and the driver's time are all inside the fixed price you are quoted before booking. There is no meter and nothing to settle at the kerb. Parking or an extra stop you ask for on the day is the only thing that would ever be added, and the driver tells you before it is.
How much is a taxi from the airport?
From Rs 1,720 in a Mini / Small Car, to Negombo: the lowest fare on the board. Every route below shows its own fixed price, distance and driving time before you commit.
Day trips from Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB)
Nothing in our guide is close to the airport, so these are the nearest day trips. Drive time is by road, from the same pricing data as your quote.