Colombo Airport to Kandy

How do you get from Colombo airport to Kandy? (Checked 13 October 2026)

The simplest way is the airport's official taxi; ask at its counter for the Kandy fare. The cheaper way is a bus to Colombo and a second bus on to Kandy. There is no direct train, because trains do not run into Kandy station in October 2026. When we checked the official pages on 12 October 2026:

Bandaranaike International Airport is at Katunayake, north of Colombo, and is the airport most visitors mean by "Colombo airport". This page gives no drive time or road distance, because we found no official figure for the trip. This page has no affiliate links.

How much is a taxi from Colombo airport to Kandy?

The airport taxi service is supervised by Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) and runs counters in the arrival lobby and at the arrival porch, with what the airport calls a fleet of over 600 vehicles. Its taxi page has a rate table by destination, but it showed no rates when we checked on 13 October 2026, so ask at the counter for the Kandy fare before you pay. The official airport site was unavailable on 15 Oct 2026.

Two extra charges apply: Rs 130 for each kilometre beyond the destination you asked for, and Rs 300 for each extra drop on the way. That matters if your hotel is in the hills above Kandy rather than in town, so give the counter your exact address before you pay. The taxi desk's number on the airport page is +94 11 226 3096.

Uber and PickMe are also listed on the airport's transport page as ways to leave the terminal (the official airport site was unavailable on 15 Oct 2026). The airport does not publish their prices, so compare the fare shown in the app with the counter rate.

Is there a bus from Colombo airport to Kandy?

Not directly from the terminal, so plan on two buses.

1. Airport to Colombo on bus 187. The airport's luxury bus page says these air-conditioned buses run 24 hours a day and reach Colombo and Colombo Fort Railway Station in about 50 minutes (the official airport site was unavailable on 15 Oct 2026). Board at the Departure Terminal Outer Porch. The fare is Rs 325 a person, plus Rs 325 for baggage over 23 kg.
2. Colombo to Kandy. The National Transport Commission's fare table, in force from 6 July 2026, lists route 1 Colombo to Kandy at Rs 521 on a normal bus and Rs 1,018 on an air-conditioned luxury bus. Its expressway table lists a Colombo to Kandy service (route EX03/EX04/602) at Rs 1,230.

The NTC tables also list route 1/245 Negombo to Kandy at Rs 513 (normal) and Rs 1,002 (air-conditioned luxury), which can suit you if you spend your first night in Negombo.

There is also an airport bus to the Makumbura Multimodal Centre: Rs 410, about 50 minutes, boarding at the Arrival Outer Porch opposite the Buddha statue, per the Makumbura bus page (the official airport site was unavailable on 15 Oct 2026). The NTC lists an expressway service from Makumbura to Kandy at Rs 1,210.

The fare tables do not give departure times or say where in Colombo each service leaves from. Search the National Transport Commission and ask at the bus stand before you board. Big luggage is hard work on a crowded normal bus.

Can you take the train from Colombo airport to Kandy?

Not all the way in October 2026. Since 2 October 2026 trains from Colombo Fort run as far as Peradeniya and Gampola, but not into Kandy station, because the Peradeniya railway bridge is still being restored (Colombo Times, 2 October 2026). On 12 October 2026 the Department of Railways said the reopened Rambukkana to Gampola section was operating as usual and added a daily Polgahawela to Peradeniya train (Ada Derana, 12 October 2026).

If you want the train anyway, take bus 187 to Colombo Fort, a train to Peradeniya, then a short road transfer into Kandy. We give no train times or fares here because the official online schedule search was offline when we checked. Our Kandy to Ella train guide keeps the dated status of the line, and the getting-around guide explains how to check rail notices.

Which option should you choose?

Before you leave the airport, sort out a SIM or eSIM so you can call your driver or use an app. The Sri Lanka eSIM guide lists the arrival-lobby counters, and the Sri Lanka visa guide covers the ETA you need before you land.

To compare local and international plans side by side, see our best eSIM for tourists in Sri Lanka comparison.

Is the road to Kandy affected by landslide warnings?

It can be, in heavy rain. The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) issues landslide early warnings for hill-country divisions, including parts of Kandy District, when heavy rain is expected. Warnings change often, so check the latest landslide early warnings on the Disaster Management Centre site before you travel, and ask your driver about road closures.

Once you arrive, our Kandy guide covers what to see in the city, and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic page covers visiting the temple.