Sri Lanka has one international airport handling almost all scheduled commercial traffic. Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) sits in Katunayake, in the Western Province, roughly 35 km north of Colombo and about 6 km from the coast. Every tourist flying into Sri Lanka lands here. The second airport at Mattala Rajapaksa (HRI) near Hambantota handles occasional charter and regional flights, but for practical purposes, CMB is the gateway.
The airport runs 24 hours a day. Flights from the Gulf tend to pile up between 2 am and 6 am, which means immigration queues can stretch significantly if you land in that window. If you’re on one of those overnight arrivals, budget an extra 30 to 60 minutes at the immigration counter and don’t arrange a driver who charges waiting fees by the quarter hour.
Colombo Airport is where most Sri Lanka trips begin, and getting through it smoothly sets the tone for everything that follows.
Sri Lanka (CMB) Airport Map
The terminal building is a single integrated structure, not a multi-terminal complex. The ground floor handles arrivals; the upper floor handles departures. The layout is compact enough that you won’t need to take any internal transport between zones. Clear English signage runs throughout, from the jet bridge through to the arrivals exit.
Here’s what you move through after landing:
Health screening: Passengers arriving from countries on Sri Lanka’s yellow fever risk list will be directed to a health counter before immigration. All others walk straight through.
Immigration: All visitors must present a valid ETA approval, passport, return ticket, and accommodation confirmation. The tourist lanes are clearly signed. During the Gulf flight rush (2 am to 6 am), queues can be substantial. Outside those hours, immigration typically takes 10 to 20 minutes. Officers check documents carefully; have everything accessible before you reach the counter.
Baggage claim: Flight information screens at the base of the escalators list belt numbers. Oversized items like surfboards and large backpacks go to a separate collection point adjacent to the main belts.
Customs: Green Channel for passengers with nothing to declare; Red Channel if you’re carrying goods above the duty-free threshold, large amounts of currency, or anything restricted. Officers run random checks on Green Channel passengers. Choosing green when you should be using red carries a higher penalty than simply declaring at the Red Channel.
Arrivals hall: Once you clear customs, you’re in the public arrivals area. SIM card counters for Dialog, Mobitel, and Hutch are positioned before the exit doors. Currency exchange desks and ATMs sit just beyond. Hotel drivers and private transfer operators wait in the designated meeting zone with name boards.
Getting from the Airport to Your Hotel
Colombo Airport puts you 35 km from the city centre, which sounds manageable until you factor in Sri Lankan traffic. The Colombo Katunayake Expressway (E03) handles the distance in 30 to 50 minutes when conditions are reasonable. Taking the old Negombo Road through local towns can stretch the same journey to 90 minutes during morning and afternoon rush hours.
Where you’re headed shapes which transport option makes sense.
| Destination | Approximate Travel Time | Pre-paid Taxi (LKR) |
|---|---|---|
| Negombo | 15 to 20 minutes | 2,000 to 3,500 |
| Colombo city centre | 45 to 90 minutes | 6,000 to 8,000 |
| Kandy | 3 to 4 hours | 18,000 to 24,000 |
| Galle | 3 to 4 hours | 18,000 to 25,000 |
| Sigiriya | 4 to 5 hours | 22,000 to 30,000 |
Note: The Colombo Katunayake Expressway has a toll of approximately LKR 400. Pre-booked private transfers usually include this; confirm with the driver before departure if you’re taking a kerbside taxi.
Taxis and Private Transfers
The official taxi counter sits inside the arrivals hall, before the exit doors. You pay a fixed price at the counter, receive a receipt, and a registered driver meets you outside. No negotiation on the vehicle. No ambiguity about the fare. The counter operates 24 hours and is the most reliable walk-up option for anyone arriving without a pre-arranged transfer.
Kerbside taxis wait outside the arrivals exit as well. Some are legitimate; some are not. The touts who approach new arrivals in the hall with unsolicited offers are worth ignoring. Walk directly to either the official counter or your pre-confirmed driver.
Arrival at Colombo Airport at night requires particular attention. Touts are more active on overnight arrivals because passengers are tired and less focused. A polite but firm decline and a direct walk to the official desk cover it.
Pre-booked private transfers are worth arranging for anyone heading to Kandy, Sigiriya, Galle, or Ella. Distances are long, drivers on those routes know the road well, and having someone track your flight and wait regardless of delays removes a significant source of stress on arrival day.
Platforms worth using for pre-booked transfers: GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook, Suntransfers, and 12GoAsia. Several reliable local operators also take direct bookings via their own websites.
PickMe and Uber
Both apps work at CMB. PickMe has the largest driver network in Sri Lanka and is the better option for most journeys. Uber operates mainly in Colombo, and coverage thins out significantly for airport pickups after midnight.
Using either app requires mobile data or Wi-Fi. The airport has free Wi-Fi in the arrivals hall; you can connect before you exit and book a ride before stepping outside. The designated ride-hailing pickup zone is separate from the official taxi rank; follow the signs or ask a security officer to point you toward it.
PickMe fares to Colombo city center typically run between LKR 2,500 and LKR 4,000, considerably below the official taxi counter rate. The tradeoff is a short wait for the driver to arrive and occasional unavailability during the early morning Gulf flight rush. If you land at 3 am and need to leave immediately, the official counter is more dependable.
Download PickMe before you fly: pickme.lk
Airport Express Bus (Route 187)
Route 187 runs between the airport and Colombo Fort, the city’s main transit hub. It’s air-conditioned, departs every 30 minutes, and costs LKR 150 per person for the express service. Journey time runs 60 to 80 minutes, depending on traffic.
The bus stop is an 800-meter walk from the terminal exit, past the departures drop-off zone and along the perimeter road. Perfectly manageable with a small backpack; less ideal with two large suitcases and a 6 am arrival. Local buses on the same route (non-express, Route 240) cost around LKR 80 to 120 but are slower, frequently crowded, and not recommended with luggage.
Route 187 operates until approximately 10 pm. Nothing runs after that, so late arrivals are limited to taxis, PickMe, Uber, or pre-booked transfers.
From Colombo Fort, onward travel by train to Kandy, Galle, or further destinations is straightforward. The Fort station is Sri Lanka’s main rail hub.
Car Rental
Car rental desks operate inside the arrivals hall. International operators, including Hertz and Europcar, have counters, as do several well-regarded local companies. Daily rates start at roughly LKR 8,000 to 12,000 for a basic manual vehicle.
A valid driver’s license is required. An International Driving Permit is recommended for non-English or non-French licences, though not always strictly enforced. Sri Lanka drives on the left. Roads around Colombo are heavily congested; outside the city, coastal roads are manageable, but mountain routes through the Hill Country are narrow and winding. Most tourists who hire a car say the freedom it provides around the south and west coasts makes it worthwhile. The same tourists often say they’d use a driver for the Hill Country legs.
Airport Facilities
SIM cards: Dialog, Mobitel, and Hutch all have counters in the arrivals area, positioned before the customs exit. Buying a SIM at the airport costs slightly more than in town but saves the hassle of finding a store on your first day. A Dialog tourist SIM with 50 GB of data runs around LKR 1,500 to 2,000. See the full SIM Cards guide for Sri Lanka for current plans and what to expect.
Currency exchange: Exchange desks operate inside arrivals. Rates are workable for small amounts; for larger exchanges, bank branches in Colombo or Negombo offer better rates. ATMs are available in the arrivals hall and accept Visa, Mastercard, and Cirrus cards. Commercial Bank and Bank of Ceylon machines tend to have the lowest fees for international cards.
Duty-free: The arrivals duty-free shop sits between immigration and customs, which is the unusual thing about CMB that surprises most first-time visitors. You buy duty-free on the way in, not on the way out. The shop stocks local tea, spices, arrack, and imported spirits. Picking up something here for your hotel is a reasonable use of a few minutes while your luggage makes its way to the belt.
Left luggage: A staffed left-luggage facility operates on the ground floor near the arrivals exit. Useful if you land early and want to explore Negombo before heading to your hotel.
Lounges: The airport has several paid-access lounges, including the SkyDine Lounge, the Colombo Airport Club, and the Plaza Premium Lounge. All are accessible by day pass for non-premium passengers at prices ranging from USD 25 to USD 45, depending on the facility. Useful if you have a long layover or want a quiet space away from the main terminal.
Connectivity: Free Wi-Fi covers the public areas of the terminal. The connection handles messaging and light browsing reliably; video calls and large downloads are inconsistent. Good enough to book a PickMe or check your hotel address before you exit.
Quick Tips Before You Land
Get your ETA sorted before you board. Completing the application at eta.gov.lk takes five minutes; dealing with it at the immigration counter takes considerably longer and creates a queue behind you.
If you’re arriving on a Gulf connection between 2 am and 6 am, the immigration hall will be busy. This is simply how CMB works. There’s nothing to do except have all documents in hand and join the correct lane. The tourist lanes move at a reasonable pace once the initial surge clears.
Download PickMe before you land. The free airport Wi-Fi will load the app if you haven’t already, but having it installed and your profile set up in advance saves ten minutes in the arrivals hall.
For anyone heading straight to Negombo for a first night before travelling south or to the Hill Country: the town sits 6 km from the airport, takes 15 to 20 minutes by taxi, and costs around LKR 2,000. Staying in Negombo on the arrival night rather than pushing through to Colombo is a sensible choice after a long-haul flight.
Useful Links
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| ETA application (official) | eta.gov.lk |
| Airport official site | airport.lk |
| PickMe app | pickme.lk |
| Sri Lanka Railways | railway.gov.lk |
| Sri Lanka Customs | customs.gov.lk |