Sri Lanka

How to get from Kandy to Colombo

In this in-depth route guide, you can compare the best ways to travel the 115 kilometers (71 miles) from Kandy to Colombo. Our team of indpendent travel experts researched each route — breaking down each option by travel time, price, and comfort. Plus, we’ll share the best booking options to help you get the best deal.

Written by Maarten - Trip Planning ExpertReviewed by Ela - Senior Travel WriterLast updated: November 11, 2024

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What are the 5 ways to travel from Kandy to Colombo?

There are 5 ways to travel the 115 kilometers (71 miles) from Kandy to Colombo. You can choose between the bus, shared minivan, taxi, train and flight. The journey takes 30 minutes - 4 hours and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 270 LKR ($0.90).

Transport

Duration

Pricing

Transport Options

Bus

From 270 LKR ($0.90)

Book Tickets

Train

2h 30m - 3h 55m

From 1,150 LKR ($3.90)

Book Tickets

Shared Minivan

2h 40m - 3h 30m

From 5,000 LKR ($16.80)

Book Tickets

Taxi

2h 50m - 4h

From 13,000 LKR ($43.50)

Book Tickets

Flight

30m

From 28,000 LKR ($95)

Book Tickets

Kandy to Colombo by Bus

Duration: 4h

Costs: 270 LKR ($0.90)

Duration: 4h

Costs: 270 LKR ($0.90)

The bus is an affordable way to get from Kandy to Colombo. Bus fares start from 270 LKR ($0.90) and the journey takes around 4 hours.

There are two main types of bus services: local buses and private company buses, which can be booked online.

Option 1: Local bus

Duration: 4 hours

Costs: 270 LKR ($0.90)

Duration: 4 hours

Costs: 270 LKR ($0.90)

Travelling by local bus is the cheapest option at 270 LKR ($0.90) for an air-conditioned bus. Although far from being as comfortable as taking the train, it is a very affordable alternative.

Even cheaper are the ordinary buses, with tickets priced at 175 LKR ($0.60). However, these buses offer only wooden seats. They also make a lot of stops, making the travel time longer.

Bus #1 operates several buses from Kandy to Cambodia daily. You have two options to get on this bus:

Go to the Central Bus Terminal west of the city centre
Ask your hotel to guide you to the nearest bus stop where buses bound for Colombo pass by

Note that buses can be a bit crowded, especially during rush hour. Also, expect a lot of traffic as these buses pass through very busy roads. Travel time can take about 4 hours.

Option 2: Book your bus online to secure a seat

Duration: 4h

Costs: 4,660 LKR ($15.60)

Duration: 4h

Costs: 4,660 LKR ($15.60)

Local buses operating the Kandy to Colombo route can be quite busy on weekends and holidays.

If you want to be sure you’ll have a seat, book your bus ticket in advance. It’s more expensive, though, with ticket prices starting at 4,660 LKR ($15.60).

Bus options from Kandy to Colombo

Kandy Goods Shed Bus Stand

Standard

Bastian Mawatha Bus Station

10:00

14:00

11:50

15:50

14:00

18:00

16:00

20:00

AKMT Holidays

4,660 LKR ($15.60)

Get Your Tickets

Kandy to Colombo by Train

Duration: 2h 30m - 3h 55m

Costs: 1,150 LKR ($3.90)

Duration: 2h 30m - 3h 55m

Costs: 1,150 LKR ($3.90)

You can get a 1st class train ticket from Kandy to Colombo for as low as 500 LKR ($1.70). But that’s if you are able to avail them at the train station, where reserved 1st and 2nd class tickets sell out fast.

Sri Lanka Railways

Sri Lanka Railways offers several trips daily and you can choose between 1^st, 2^ndand 3^rd class trains.

Trains depart from Kandy Railway Station and arrive at the Fort Railway Station in Colombo. Both stations are in the city centre and are a short tuk-tuk ride to your hotel.

You can find the train schedules below as well as a booking link to BookAway for easy reservation. Online ticket pricess start from 1,150 LKR ($3.90). Remember that you should book a month before your desired travel date when booking this train online.

Train Schedule from Kandy to Colombo

Kandy

Third Class Reserved Seats

Colombo Fort

13:00

2h 47m

15:47

15:00

3h 20m

18:20

16:20

2h 37m

18:57

Sri Lanka Railway

From 1,150 LKR ($3.90)

Kandy

Second Class Reserved Seats

Colombo Fort

04:30

2h 42m

07:12

06:15

2h 35m

08:50

15:00

2h 36m

17:36

15:00

3h 20m

18:20

16:20

2h 37m

18:57

Sri Lanka Railway

1,270 LKR ($4.30)

Peradeniya

Second Class Reserved Seats

Colombo Fort

04:40

2h 32m

07:12

Sri Lanka Railway

1,270 LKR ($4.30)

Get Your Tickets

Kandy

First Class

Colombo Fort

06:15

2h 35m

08:50

10:40

3h 25m

14:05

13:00

2h 47m

15:47

15:00

3h 20m

18:20

15:25

3h 16m

18:41

Sri Lanka Railway

1,910 LKR ($6.40)

Peradeniya

First Class

Colombo Fort

10:51

3h 14m

14:05

Sri Lanka Railway

2,540 LKR ($8.50)

Get Your Tickets

Peradeniya

Observation Class

Colombo Fort

17:15

3h 55m

21:10

Sri Lanka Railway

2,540 LKR ($8.50)

Get Your Tickets

Kandy Train Station

Third Class Reserved Seats

Colombo Fort Train Station

04:30

2h 30m

07:00

06:15

2h 30m

08:45

13:00

2h 30m

15:30

15:00

2h 30m

17:30

15:25

2h 30m

17:55

Sri Lanka Railways

3,110 LKR ($10.40)

Get Your Tickets

Kandy Train Station

Second Class Reserved Seats

Colombo Fort Train Station

04:30

2h 30m

07:00

06:15

2h 30m

08:45

13:00

2h 30m

15:30

15:00

2h 30m

17:30

15:25

2h 30m

17:55

Sri Lanka Railways

3,730 LKR ($12.50)

Get Your Tickets

Kandy Train Station

First Class Reserved Seats

Colombo Fort Train Station

04:30

2h 30m

07:00

06:15

2h 30m

08:45

10:40

2h 30m

13:10

13:00

2h 30m

15:30

15:00

2h 30m

17:30

15:25

2h 30m

17:55

Sri Lanka Railways

4,480 LKR ($15)

Get Your Tickets

Peradeniya Train Station (Kandy)

Panoramic

Colombo Fort Train Station

17:15

3h 45m

21:00

Sri Lanka Railways

5,000 LKR ($16.80)

Get Your Tickets

Kandy Train Station

First Class

Colombo Fort Train Station

10:40

3h 20m

14:00

13:00

2h 45m

15:45

Sri Lanka Railways

5,400 LKR ($18)

Get Your Tickets

Show 6 more operator(s)

We recommend booking your tickets online through BookAway. Their site is intuitive, provides a clear picture of what you can expect, and offers great customer service. If you’re eyeing the best deals, you might occasionally find slightly cheaper tickets on 12Go.Asia.

Blueline Express Train

Blueline offers royal saloon class seats for 2,810 LKR ($9.40). This price already includes food & drinks. The good thing about Blueline is you can book a reserved ticket online even a few days before your trip, if there are tickets still available.

Departs every 06:15 and 15:00 from Kandy Railway Station
Arrives at 08:45 and 17:30 at Colombo Fort Railway Station. You can book your tickets below.

Viceroy II

This restored train features posh interiors, comfortable seats and soft lighting. The Viceroy II train from Kandy to Colombo operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The only downside of this train is that it only runs in the evening, so you will miss out on the beautiful scenery (18:15-20:10).

Departs at 18:15 from Peradeniya, a suburb located west of Kandy’s city centre
Arrives at 20:10 at the Fort Railway Station in Colombo
Tickets cost 2,550 LKR ($8.50). You can book your Viceroy II ticket via 12go.Asia in the link below.

Unreserved seats

If you failed to book train tickets online a month before, there is still the last resort of taking the train with an unreserved seat. Note that the line from Kandy to Colombo can be very busy and there’s a risk you will be standing for a huge part of the journey.

Unreserved tickets are unlimited and available at the train station on the day of your trip. Fares start at 125 LKR ($0.40) for a 3rd class seat and you can check other train schedules on Sri Lanka Railways.

If you don’t want to take that risk and are willing to pay a few more dollars, you can buy reserved train tickets from agencies even a few days before your trip. For more details and other booking options, visit our post on How to Book Train Tickets in Sri Lanka.

Kandy to Colombo by Shared Minivan

Duration: 2h 40m - 3h 30m

Costs: 5,000 LKR ($16.80)

Duration: 2h 40m - 3h 30m

Costs: 5,000 LKR ($16.80)

Magical Sri Lanka offers several daily trips from Kandy to Colombo.

A minivan ride costs around 5,000 LKR ($16.80). The minivan journey takes about 2 hours 40 minutes to 3 hours 30 minutes, depending on traffic.

What we like about this option is the free hotel pickup service. This saves you the hassle and extra cost of finding your way to the bus stations.

Shared Minivan options from Kandy to Colombo

Kandy - Any hotel

Standard

Colombo Bandaranaike Airport (CMB)

08:30

2h 40m

11:10

15:30

2h 40m

18:10

Magical Sri Lanka

5,000 LKR ($16.80)

Get Your Tickets

Kandy - Any hotel

Standard

World Trade Center

08:30

3h 30m

12:00

15:30

3h 30m

19:00

Magical Sri Lanka

6,000 LKR ($20)

Get Your Tickets

Kandy to Colombo by Taxi

Duration: 2h 50m - 4h

Costs: 13,000 LKR ($43.50)

Duration: 2h 50m - 4h

Costs: 13,000 LKR ($43.50)

The taxi from Kandy to Colombo costs around 13,000 LKR ($43.50) when booked via BookAway.

Ordering a taxi with Uber costs around 9,000 LKR ($30), but fares can be slightly cheaper or more expensive depending on the availability. You can also check the taxi apps PickMe and TaxiGo if you’re hoping for cheaper rates. But, unfortunately, these apps have very limited availability outside the capital city, Colombo.

Taxi options from Kandy to Colombo

Economy

Economy Car 3 PAX

Price per person = 4,340 LKR ($14.50)

Real Lanka Holidays

13,000 LKR ($43.50)

Get Your Tickets

Standard

Standard Minivan 8 PAX

Price per person = 1,710 LKR ($5.70)

Real Lanka Holidays

14,000 LKR ($46)

Get Your Tickets

Economy

Economy Car 3 PAX

Price per person = 4,900 LKR ($16.40)

Real Lanka Holidays

15,000 LKR ($49)

Get Your Tickets

Standard

Standard Car 2 PAX

Price per person = 7,500 LKR ($25)

Magical Sri Lanka

15,000 LKR ($50)

Get Your Tickets

Standard

Standard Minivan 8 PAX

Price per person = 2,030 LKR ($6.80)

Real Lanka Holidays

16,000 LKR ($55)

Get Your Tickets

Standard

Standard Car 2 PAX

Price per person = 8,600 LKR ($29)

Magical Sri Lanka

17,000 LKR ($58)

Get Your Tickets

Economy

Economy Car 3 PAX

Price per person = 7,700 LKR ($25.50)

Travel Lanka

23,000 LKR ($77)

Get Your Tickets

Economy

Economy Car 3 PAX

Price per person = 7,700 LKR ($25.50)

Travel Lanka

23,000 LKR ($77)

Get Your Tickets

Standard

Standard Minivan 5 PAX

Price per person = 5,500 LKR ($18.50)

Magical Sri Lanka

28,000 LKR ($93)

Get Your Tickets

Standard

Standard Minivan 5 PAX

Price per person = 6,000 LKR ($20)

Magical Sri Lanka

30,000 LKR ($100)

Get Your Tickets

Standard

Standard Car 2 PAX

Price per person = 15,000 LKR ($52)

Lanka Holidays

31,000 LKR ($105)

Get Your Tickets

Standard

Standard Minivan 4 PAX

Price per person = 8,800 LKR ($29.50)

Lanka Holidays

35,000 LKR ($120)

Get Your Tickets

Show 7 more operator(s)

Kandy to Colombo by Flight

Duration: 30 minutes, excl. transfers

Costs: 28,000 LKR ($95)

Duration: 30 minutes, excl. transfers

Costs: 28,000 LKR ($95)

Taking a flight from Kandy to Colombo might look like the fastest option, but it is also the most expensive at 28,000 LKR ($95), excluding taxi transfers. And worst of all, short-haul flights are really polluting for the environment (up to 10x more polluting than trains or buses).

Apart from being unsustainable and expensive, it also wouldn’t be that fast if you count the travel times to and from the airports. You will be leaving from Polgolla Reservoir Airport, which is 5 km north of Kandy city centre and you will arrive at Diyawanna Oya Airport, which is 12 km south of Colombo city centre.

Considering the traffic, especially in Colombo, the time to reach the airport could range between 45 minutes to 2 hours.

The upside of taking a flight from Kandy to Colombo is the view. You will be taking a small plane and will have a very good view of the Tea Country. If you book at least 60 days prior to your departure, Cinnamon Air also offers a 25% discount.

You can book a flight in the link below.

Check Flights on Skyscanner

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kandy to Colombo

What is the distance from Kandy to Colombo?

The distance from Kandy to Colombo is 115 kilometers (71 miles).

What is the fastest way to get from Kandy to Colombo?

The fastest way to get from Kandy to Colombo is by flight and takes 30 minutes.

What is the cheapest way to get from Kandy to Colombo?

The cheapest way to get from Kandy to Colombo is by bus with ticket costs starting from 270 LKR ($0.90).

Rounding it up

We hope this guide was helpful in planning how to get from Kandy to Colombo. If there's anything else you're wondering about, drop us a comment and we'll do our best to answer you within a few days.

PS: If you've recently travelled this route, share your experience with fellow travellers and help us improve this post. Thanks for helping out our travel community!

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About the author(s)

Maarten

Based in Bali, Maarten’s passion for travel is undeniable. In 2016, he decided to quit his job as a stock analyst and started doing what he always dreamed of: travelling through South East Asia and helping other people plan their trips. When he is not working on Gecko Routes, you’ll find him surfing in the ocean or exploring the best gems of Indonesia.

Ela

Ela is a storyteller, content producer, solo traveller and a mermaid-in-training. When she’s not in front of her laptop, you will find her barefoot and living her best tan on some island in the Philippines… Or exploring the depths of its seas as a budding freediver. An island girl at heart, she’ll be happy anywhere there is sea, sand, sun and coffee.