Taxi & Transfers from Colombo airport «Bandaranaike» (CMB)

How to Get from Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport to Colombo City Center and Other Destinations

Your trip to Sri Lanka cannot be complete without visiting its commercial capital, the ocean city Colombo. Bandaranaike International Airport is in the north of Colombo in Katunayake, closer to Negombo. You can do sightseeing with tuk-tuks and explore the eastern colonial architecture and many museums and temples. Get yourself ready for a big city adventure!

Taxi from Colombo Airport     

Colombo Airport taxi service is like a transfer in the way you have to book them at the airport or online beforehand. You can choose between different taxi companies, even negotiate and prepay the price but keep in mind that taxi might have different prices without metered cars and regulated rates. Taxi from Colombo Airport to the city should cost around Rs2900.

Public Transport from Colombo Airport

The cheapest option to get to the destination is public transport. What you should keep in mind is that even though the roads are in very good condition, there is a lot of traffic in the city and the buses are not that widespread and modern. More importantly, they are crowded and a little hard to deal with if you are not a local. From Colombo Airport, with the express line, you are in the city center in 25 minutes and it costs RS110. It runs from the airport until 8:30 pm and some of them do not take the highway and take longer to arrive. Your other option is the minibus N178 which works late hours but is not very frequent at night. And because of a number of stops, it will take around one hour and a half to arrive at your destination. 

Transfer from Colombo Airport       

Colombo Airport transfer is the fastest and most comfortable option. If you do not want to look for the bus and wait for it after your arrival, or do not want to negotiate prices after your long flight, you can book a transfer to Colombo city center at kiwitaxi.com in advance. The transfer prices start from 31$ for a trip from the airport, and you can pay with your credit card in a secure way to enjoy your arrival without any fuss. If the center is not your final destination, you can first get to Maradana Train Station for 32$ in a Micro class car and continue your travel to other Sri Lankan towns.

Useful information

For more adventures, you can enjoy stretching beaches to the fullest in Bentota or Galle on the southwest coast, a day trip away from Colombo. You can do river safari, water sports or visit Galle Fort built in 16th century by the settlers. You can head to the inland and visit Kandy’s famous Buddhist temples and shrines.