Taxi from Bentota to Kalutara
Actualizado
A short stretch of expressway, the shortest run this site prices on this corridor.
What it costs
| Vehicle | Seats | Typically | Prices from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini / Small Car | 3–4 | Alto, Wagon R | Rs 2,780 |
| Economy / Medium Car | 3–4 | Aqua, Fit | Rs 3,110 |
| Sedan | 3–4 | Axio, Premio | Rs 3,550 |
| Mini Van | 5–7 | Every, Noah, Voxy | Rs 4,100 |
| SUV | 4–5 | Vezel, CR-V | Rs 4,210 |
| Van | 8–14 | Toyota KDH | Rs 4,540 |
| Luxury Car | 3–4 | Camry, Mercedes, Audi | Rs 6,770 |
| Mini Bus | 15–30 | Coaster, Rosa | Rs 7,100 |
| Bus | 30–50 | Passenger Bus | Rs 10,610 |
Drivers and fleets set their own rates, so these are typical prices from our system, not a guarantee — your actual quote can differ. Quoted by the same engine that prices your booking, for the distance shown; your exact pickup and drop-off, the time of day and any waiting time all affect it too. Last priced on 27-10-2026.
19.8 kilometres and about 41 minutes. This is the shortest journey on the south-west corridor, and it has less to do with getting somewhere than with changing the character of a holiday. Bentota is a river and resort town with water sports and large hotels set back from the road. Kalutara is quieter and more local in feel. Moving north from one to the other is a way of ending a beach week gently.
What the road is like
A short stretch of expressway covers most of the distance, which is why the time is so low. Beruwala sits between the two towns, on a headland with a working harbour, and it is the obvious place to stop if you want a look at a fishing port without making a day of it. On the coast road the same journey takes longer and passes more villages, and a driver will choose the expressway unless you ask otherwise.
Leaving Bentota
The river mouth splits Bentota in two, and the hotels on the far bank take longer to reach than the straight-line distance suggests, because the crossing is at a fixed point. Tell your driver which side you are on and give a landmark as well as the hotel name. The big resorts sit well back from the road behind their own gates, so the gate is the meeting point, not the beach.
A morning, not a day
This is a trip to take after breakfast. Leave Bentota at ten, be at the Kalutara Bodhiya by eleven, and have lunch in town. The dome is hollow and can be entered, and the grounds are small enough for a short visit. If you carry on north afterwards, the city is another 43.2 kilometres away.
Small things worth knowing
Fares by vehicle are in the table above. A saloon is enough for most couples; a van suits a group with surfboards or golf clubs. Book ahead as with any transfer on the site, and give the time you actually want to leave.
Why people make this short move
Few people book a twenty-kilometre transfer for its own sake. The usual reasons are practical. A trip may have been planned with a few nights in Bentota and a few in Kalutara, to taste two different beaches. A traveller may be working their way back towards Colombo in short stages, to avoid a single long drive. Or a booking may have changed and a hotel has to be swapped. The journey itself is simple. The thought goes into when to leave.
Check-out and check-in
Hotels in both towns follow the usual pattern, with check-out in the late morning and rooms available from early afternoon. A move between them fits neatly in the gap: leave Bentota at eleven, arrive in Kalutara before noon, and leave your bags at the desk while you have lunch. That way you are not stuck with a car and luggage in the middle of the day.
What to see on the way
Beruwala lies between the two towns and has a working harbour on a headland. A short stop lets you watch the fishing boats and look at the old lighthouse from the road. The stretch of coast either side is lined with villages and small shops, and the driver can point out anything worth pulling over for.
If you carry on to Colombo
Some travellers use Kalutara as the middle of a three-stop day, with Bentota in the morning, Kalutara at midday and the city by evening. The distance from Kalutara to Colombo is 43.2 kilometres and the time about 1 hour 30 minutes. It is a full day, but a manageable one, and a driver booked for the whole day can make the stops without a separate booking at each.
Which car on a short hop
A saloon covers most couples and small families on this short run. A van is worth it for a group or when large bags are involved. Each class and its fare is listed in the table above.
Expressway or the coast road for a hop this short
Most drivers will take the expressway, because it saves time and the saving is real even over 19.8 kilometres. The coast road is the alternative if you want to see the villages and the sea between the two towns, and it passes through Beruwala on the way. It is slower and busier, and in the middle of the day it can take noticeably longer than the expressway, so say which you want when you book, not on the road. If you have no preference, leave the choice to the driver, who knows how the traffic is running that day.
The booking is made through TaxiList and the trip is driven by the independent operator it is matched to.
Where people go next from Kalutara
The journeys most often booked onward from Kalutara:
- Kalutara to Colombo — about 43.2 km, around 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Kalutara to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) — about 82.6 km, around 1 hour 31 minutes.
- Kalutara to Negombo — about 85.9 km, around 1 hour 37 minutes.
See every fare, distance and route in and out of Kalutara on its own page.
Where the driver meets you
Give the pickup address in Bentota when you book — a hotel name, a street address or a landmark all work. The driver calls or messages shortly before arriving, and waits 15 minutes at no charge.
How a private transfer works
Choosing a vehicle
The choice is about luggage and legroom, not speed — no class arrives sooner, because the road decides that. Two adults with two large cases fit a sedan, but they will be sitting with a bag between them. Four people or more, or anyone carrying sports or camera equipment, wants a van.
Taxi, train or bus?
The bus is cheapest and runs often, but it stops constantly, luggage is what you can hold, and the timetable is a suggestion. The train is the most comfortable public option and on the hill lines it is a reason people come to Sri Lanka at all — but it goes where the rails go, seats sell out ahead in season, and it will not take you to a hotel door. A private car carries luggage, leaves when you decide, stops where you ask, and ends at an address.
Luggage
Book by the bags rather than by the people. Four passengers with hand luggage and four at the end of a long trip are different vehicles. Surfboards, golf clubs, tripods and pushchairs need saying in advance, because they change the class rather than merely filling it.
Travelling with children
A long drive is best broken rather than hurried, and a private car lets you stop when a child needs to rather than when a timetable allows. Child seats are requested when you book — ask in advance and confirm it, because an unconfirmed request is not a seat.
Addresses
Give the full property name and the road it stands on. Sri Lankan addresses are often descriptive rather than numbered, several main roads change name along their length, and guesthouses on one lane can share most of a name. A precise drop-off is worth more than a precise pickup: a wrong turn at the end costs everybody the most patience.
Booking and the price
The quote above is what you pay. It is fixed at booking rather than metered, so traffic on the day is the driver's problem rather than yours — which on a journey through towns is the difference that matters most. The same route in reverse is the same distance but not the same day: traffic peaks in opposite directions.
Questions about this route
How much is a taxi from Bentota to Kalutara?
Rs 2,780 in a Mini / Small Car, up to Rs 10,610 for the largest vehicle. The price is fixed before you book — there is no meter and no surcharge on arrival.
How long does the drive from Bentota to Kalutara take?
About 41 min for the 19.8 km. A short stretch of expressway, the shortest run this site prices on this corridor.
Is the price fixed, or does it change during the journey?
Fixed. You are quoted before you book and that is what you pay. Waiting time and any tolls are shown separately in the quote.
Coming back
Kalutara → Bentota — 19.8 km · 40 min