Colombo to Kandy

Colombo to Kandy

NaN Passengers

Best Options

$41
$55

Other Options

Colombo to Kandy Schedule

Colombo to Kandy Schedule
Transport NameRoute TimePrice
Real Lanka Holidays Van 9pax Any timeLKR 17,658
Sri Lanka Railway Third Class Reserved Seats 05:30 - 08:13LKR 2,075
Sri Lanka Railways 2nd Class Seat 06:30 - 09:18$ 15.29
Sri Lanka Railways 1st Class Seat 08:30 - 11:03$ 16.71
Sri Lanka Railway First Class Seat 10:35 - 14:00LKR 2,075
Sri Lanka Railways Second Class Seat 12:30 - 15:59$ 14.43
Sri Lanka Railways Second Class Seat 14:30 - 17:15$ 14.43
Sri Lanka Railways 2nd Class Seat 17:35 - 19:58$ 13.86
Sri Lanka Railway First Class Seat 19:30 - 22:13LKR 2,600

Transportation from Colombo to Kandy

Facts about the transport from Colombo to Kandy

Cheapest Transport$5
Fastest Transport2h 31m
Earliest Departure5:00 AM
Latest Departure5:10 PM
Departures per day3
Distance118 kilometers
Transport CompaniesReal Lanka Holidays, Sri Lanka Railway, Tuktukdude Leisure

Colombo to Kandy Destination Reviews

S
Not a comfortable train trip. It’s jumping up and down many times, may be due to poor railway quality.
Train #1031 First Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railway, Oct 24, 2023
DC
IT WAS REALLY UNEXPECTED.
Train #1019 First Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railway, Oct 12, 2023
SS
Good online service, showed the booking number at the train station in Colombo and they gave us the ticket.
Train #1023 First Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railway, Oct 11, 2023
SS
We bought the ticket from Colombo to Kandy. First we wanted to take the train at 11 am but when I was looking 5 minutes later, the option was gone. So we booked the train at 7 am. So far so good. We got the receipt and I payed via PayPal. The official price was around 3.000 LKR, when I paid with PayPal they booked Singapore Dollars which was way more expensive. In total we payed 15EUR /20 USD… which is not the price that was originally shown. We received the E-Tickets right away and the rest was totally fine. Next time I would prefer asking the ticket counter instead of booking online as it’s a lot cheaper.
Train #1009 Second Class, Sri Lanka Railway, Apr 18, 2023
DL
The Climate is even on cold days veeeeeery freezing, they should regulate that. And we didn't have seats, where we could both sit in one row.
Train #1019 First Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railway, Jan 17, 2023
LR
Was an amazing train ride and 12go made it super easy to get the tickets and requested front glass seats for best viewing.
Train #1009 Observation class, Sri Lanka Railways, Nov 2, 2022
AN
It was an excellent experience for me to buy online ticket of SL and I could easily get the physical ticket in the station. Thanks to make our journey comfortable... Best of luck.... Buddy..
Train #1019 First Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railway, Sep 30, 2022
I
There is no way to get a refund for an e-ticket if your plans change.
This review was autotranslated
Train #1015 1st Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Mar 14, 2022
RT
Best seat on the train -tickets all ready on arrival
Train #1009 Observation class, Sri Lanka Railways, Feb 24, 2022
JG
First of 3 (planned) trips. Went smoothly. Ticket was delivered to hotel on time. The second trip (or lack thereof) will be a 1 star, unless 0 is an option!
Train #1009 1st Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Feb 2, 2022
4.5
117 customer reviews
5
66%
4
22%
3
7%
2
5%
1
0%

How to get from Colombo to Kandy

When you want to get from Colombo to Kandy, you have a few options to consider. Traveling between these destinations is possible by different means of transport:

  • Train
  • Van
  • Taxi

If you’re looking for a quick trip, it’s recommended that you use Train. However, if you’d rather take your time with a slower, more affordable travel option, you can book a Van ticket.

The cost of travel will depend on the means of transport you choose for your trip. A taxi ticket is the most expensive option - it will cost you about USD 54.04. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a taxi as a taxi ticket costs as low as USD 40.75.

How far is Colombo from Kandy?

If you’re traveling by land, it’s important to know the distance from Colombo to Kandy. Your trip will be a total of 74 miles (118 km). The flying distance is 60 miles (95 km).

How long does it take to get from Colombo to Kandy?

The travel time from Colombo to Kandy can vary depending on the mode of transportation you choose. All things considered, the whole journey should take from 3 to 12 hours.

How much does it cost to get from Colombo to Kandy?

The cost of the trip from Colombo to Kandy varies according to what means of transport you choose for your journey. The most affordable operator is Real Lanka Holidays: travelling by taxi expect to pay as low as USD 40.75 for your ticket.

However, if you’re after more upscale travel . The most expensive variant is to opt for a taxi - a one-way taxi ticket can cost as much as USD 54.04.

Here is a chart of the average ticket prices and transportation options available from Colombo to Kandy:

  • Train tickets - USD 4.41 to USD 7.94;
  • Van price : USD 88.23;

You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from USD 40.75 to USD 54.04.

How many trips per day are there between Colombo and Kandy?

Depending on your choice of transportation, the number of daily trips varies.

  • Taxis are a good option to consider for this route, too. Book a cab to take you from Colombo to Kandy any time of the day.

Which means of transport is the best for the route?

Taxi

Catching a cab is the easiest way to get from Colombo to Kandy. It allows you to tailor-make your trip, plan all the detours and see all the places you want. You can choose the type and the size of your car as well to be as comfortable as you'd like to.

Depending on the route, it might cost as much as USD 40.75.

Things to remember: It's a good idea to follow the route on Google Maps or any other GPS navigator.

Trains

Things to remember while choosing a train ticket:
Consider everything carefully while choosing the class of your train travel. In most cases, the second class is comfortable enough – it features 2 or 4 berths in each compartment and is often air-conditioned.

If you’re in for a premium experience, consider getting a first class ticket. The price of first class tickets may include Wifi, and a choice of snacks and drinks.

Vans

A shared van is another means of transport for traveling from Colombo to Kandy. As far as travel time is concerned, it’s basically equal to a taxi ride, while price-wise it’s way more affordable. The majority of tourists book a van online in advance.

Sometimes, when trains or buses aren’t available, a van is your only way to get from Colombo to Kandy.

Things to remember: while traveling by van, you might not have as much space for luggage as you would on a train or a plane. It’s a good idea to pack only the most useful things for a van trip and put them in a backpack that will be easy to carry around..

The most popular transport from Colombo to Kandy

How to choose the most convenient way of travel from Colombo to Kandy? In order to make your choice of transportation easier, we asked 1000 users to range their preferences for this route. Here are the results of the poll:

  • 99% users enjoyed a train ride.
  • 1% Other