Sri Lanka›From Colombo›Arugam Bay
Colombo to Arugam Bay by bus or road
About 315 km. The private car is fastest at 7.5 h; the bus is cheapest, from ₹410 per person.
Fastest
Private car
Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle
7.5 h door to door
Cheapest
Bus
Overnight bus to Pottuvil + tuk-tuk to Arugam Bay
from ₹410 per person
Best value
Bus
Overnight bus to Pottuvil + tuk-tuk to Arugam Bay
cheapest at mid fares among options within 1.5× the fastest time (or 1 h more on a short ride)
Every option, compared
Door-to-door times (flights include the time at the airports). Fares are typical ranges from the cheapest seat to the premium one.
| Mode | Service | Time | Fare | Runs | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private car | Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle | 7.5 h | ₹9,900–₹18,940per car (up to 4) | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
| Bus | Overnight bus to Pottuvil + tuk-tuk to Arugam Bay | 10 hovernight | ₹410–₹1,210per person | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
- Private car, Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle: Via Ratnapura, Wellawaya and Monaragala, or the Southern Expressway and Tissamaharama.
- Bus, Overnight bus to Pottuvil + tuk-tuk to Arugam Bay: Night buses leave Colombo for Pottuvil in the evening; or go by day via Ella and Monaragala.
Booking links open the route on the country's transport booking site for trains, buses, boats and transfers, and a flight search for flights, dated about two weeks out; change the date there.
What it costs your group, one way
Fares × people; a private car is priced per car, one car per four people.
| Option | 2 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Private car · Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle | ₹9,900–₹18,940 | ₹9,900–₹18,940 |
| Bus · Overnight bus to Pottuvil + tuk-tuk to Arugam Bay | ₹820–₹2,420 | ₹1,640–₹4,840 |
Once you’re in Arugam Bay
- Best time: May – September
- Typical stay: 3 days
- November: Better avoided: November is outside the recommended season (May – September). Against it: North-East Monsoon: East Coast Off Season.
Related
Plan Colombo and Arugam Bay
A day-by-day plan with this journey, the stays and the rest priced in.