Sri Lanka›From Colombo›Sigiriya & Dambulla
Colombo to Sigiriya & Dambulla by bus or road
About 170 km. The private car is fastest at 4 h; the bus is cheapest, from ₹230 per person.
Fastest
Private car
Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle
4 h door to door
Cheapest
Bus
Air-con bus to Dambulla + local bus to Sigiriya
from ₹230 per person
Best value
Bus
Air-con bus to Dambulla + local bus to Sigiriya
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 | 4 h | ₹5,740–₹10,620per car (up to 4) | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
| Bus | Air-con bus to Dambulla + local bus to Sigiriya | 5 h | ₹230–₹670per person | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
- Private car, Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle: Via the Central Expressway to Kurunegala and Dambulla.
- Bus, Air-con bus to Dambulla + local bus to Sigiriya: Buses from Dambulla to Sigiriya run every 30-60 minutes; a tuk-tuk is LKR 1,500-2,000.
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 | ₹5,740–₹10,620 | ₹5,740–₹10,620 |
| Bus · Air-con bus to Dambulla + local bus to Sigiriya | ₹460–₹1,340 | ₹920–₹2,680 |
Once you’re in Sigiriya & Dambulla
- Best time: January – September
- Typical stay: 2 days
- November: Mixed month: November is outside the recommended season (January – September). Against it: Inter-Monsoon Storms.
Related
Plan Colombo and Sigiriya & Dambulla
A day-by-day plan with this journey, the stays and the rest priced in.