Sri Lanka›From Colombo›Tangalle
Colombo to Tangalle by train, bus or road
About 195 km. The private car is fastest at 3 h; the bus is cheapest, from ₹230 per person.
Fastest
Private car
Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle
3 h door to door
Cheapest
Bus
Expressway bus to Matara + bus to Tangalle
from ₹230 per person
Best value
Bus
Expressway bus to Matara + bus to Tangalle
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train | Coastal train to Beliatta + tuk-tuk to Tangalle | 4.8 h | ₹520–₹1,020per person | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
| Bus | Expressway bus to Matara + bus to Tangalle | 4 h | ₹230–₹730per person | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
| Private car | Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle | 3 h | ₹6,460–₹12,050per car (up to 4) | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
- Train, Coastal train to Beliatta + tuk-tuk to Tangalle: A few trains a day run past Matara to Beliatta, the end of the line.
- Private car, Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle: Southern Expressway to the Beliatta exit.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Train · Coastal train to Beliatta + tuk-tuk to Tangalle | ₹1,040–₹2,040 | ₹2,080–₹4,080 |
| Bus · Expressway bus to Matara + bus to Tangalle | ₹460–₹1,460 | ₹920–₹2,920 |
| Private car · Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle | ₹6,460–₹12,050 | ₹6,460–₹12,050 |
Once you’re in Tangalle
- Best time: December – April
- Typical stay: 2 days
- November: Mixed month: November is outside the recommended season (December – April). Nothing in our data flags November as a problem, but it isn't the season the place is best in.
Related
Plan Colombo and Tangalle
A day-by-day plan with this journey, the stays and the rest priced in.