Bandaranaike International Airport is at Katunayake, north of Colombo, and the south coast is, well, south of it. The good news is that you don’t have to fight your way through the city. A chain of expressways runs from the airport round the eastern edge of Colombo and down the Southern Expressway, so you can be on a beach in Bentota, Galle or Mirissa the same day you land.
This page covers the four ways to do it: the airport taxi, a ride-hailing app, the bus, and the train, with what each costs and when it makes sense.
The route the drivers take
From the airport, the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway (E03) runs south towards Colombo. At Kerawalapitiya it meets the Outer Circular Expressway (E02), which loops round the city’s eastern side to Kottawa, where the Southern Expressway (E01) begins. From there the E01 runs south, inland of the coast, past Kalutara and Bentota to Galle and Matara and on to Hambantota.
Drivers leave the expressway at the interchange nearest your hotel. Pinnaduwa is the one for Galle, about 8 km from the town, and for Unawatuna. Expressways charge tolls, so ask whether they’re included when you agree a price.
By airport taxi
The official airport taxi service, supervised by Airport and Aviation Services, has counters in the arrivals lobby and the arrival porch. Fares are fixed by destination, which takes the haggling out of your first hour in the country. On 19 October 2026, the airport’s published list gave these fares for an air-conditioned car:
- Bentota: Rs 20,520 ($62 · convert)
- Hikkaduwa: Rs 22,788 ($69 · convert)
- Galle: Rs 23,328 ($70 · convert)
- Unawatuna: Rs 23,980 ($72 · convert)
- Koggala: Rs 25,380 ($76 · convert)
- Ahangama: Rs 27,432 ($83 · convert)
- Weligama: Rs 28,944 ($87 · convert)
- Mirissa: Rs 30,024 ($90 · convert)
- Matara: Rs 33,048 ($100 · convert)
- Tangalle: Rs 37,692 ($114 · convert)
The airport adds Rs 130 ($0.39 · convert) for each extra kilometre beyond the destination you book and Rs 300 ($0.90 · convert) for each extra drop. The list doesn’t say whether expressway tolls are included, so ask at the counter. Fares change, so check the airport’s taxi page before you rely on them.
By ride-hailing app or a pre-booked driver
The airport lists Uber and PickMe among its transport options, and recent visitors (2025–26) report that app fares are usually lower than the taxi counter’s. You need mobile data for them, so buy a SIM at one of the 24-hour phone counters in the arrivals hall first, as our guide to arriving in Sri Lanka explains.
Many hotels on the south coast also arrange pick-ups, and if you’re hiring a car and driver for your trip, the driver can meet you at arrivals. Drivers and friends meeting you inside pay an entry charge to the arrivals lobby, so agree a meeting point outside if that’s easier.
Recent visitors also report drivers walking up to new arrivals inside the terminal and offering rides at inflated prices. Use the counter, an app or a pick-up you’ve arranged. Our guide to scams and touts covers the rest.
By bus
The cheapest way, and simpler than it sounds. Air-conditioned buses run from the airport’s arrival outer porch to the Makumbura Multimodal Centre at Kottawa, the interchange for buses on the Southern Expressway, in about 50 minutes; the airport listed the fare at Rs 410 ($1.24 · convert) in October 2026, plus the same again for baggage over 23 kg. At Makumbura you change to an expressway bus towards Galle or Matara.
It works best in daylight, with one bag you can lift on and off. With a big suitcase or after a night flight, the taxi is worth the money.
By train
The Coastal Line from Colombo Fort is one of the loveliest train rides in the country, running beside the sea for much of the way through Kalutara, Aluthgama, Hikkaduwa, Ambalangoda, Galle and Matara. The airport isn’t on it, though. Take the 24-hour airport bus 187 to Colombo Fort, which takes about 50 minutes, then the train. Reserved seats are sold on the Sri Lanka Railways seat reservation site, and unreserved tickets at the station. Our train travel guide has the details.
It’s a slower trip than going by road, so it suits the second day rather than the first: spend a night in Colombo or Negombo and take a morning train.
Should you go straight to the coast?
Go straight there if you land in the morning or early afternoon and want to start the holiday by the sea. The expressway makes it a few hours’ drive rather than a full day.
Stop a night first if you land late at night or after a long overnight flight. The UK government’s advice says road accidents are frequent, particularly at night, and Negombo, minutes from the airport, or Colombo make an easy first night. The airport taxi to Negombo was Rs 3,780 ($11 · convert) in October 2026.
Where to head first
Bentota and Hikkaduwa are the nearest beach towns on this list, Galle and Unawatuna the classic choice, and Mirissa, Weligama and Tangalle further south. Not sure which? Our guide to Mirissa or Unawatuna compares the two most popular, and the best beaches in Sri Lanka by coast and month tells you which coast is calm when.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How much is a taxi from Colombo airport to Galle?
The official airport taxi listed Rs 23,328 ($70 · convert) to Galle for an air-conditioned car on 19 October 2026, and Rs 23,980 ($72 · convert) to Unawatuna. Ask whether expressway tolls are included.
How much is a taxi from Colombo airport to Mirissa?
Rs 30,024 ($90 · convert) for an air-conditioned car from the airport taxi counter on 19 October 2026. Ride-hailing apps are often cheaper.
Is there a bus from Colombo airport to Galle?
Not direct. Take the air-conditioned airport bus to the Makumbura Multimodal Centre, about 50 minutes, and change there to an expressway bus towards Galle or Matara.
Can I take the train from the airport to the south coast?
Not directly, as the airport isn’t on the railway. Take bus 187 to Colombo Fort, then a train on the Coastal Line to Galle or Matara.
Do I have to drive through Colombo?
No. The expressways run from the airport round the eastern edge of Colombo to the Southern Expressway at Kottawa.
Header photo: Sājidh Buhary / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
