Colombo Airport - everything tourists need to know

Overview of Sri Lanka Colombo Airport

Bandaranaike International Airport (Bandaranaike International Airport, also Katunayake Airport), also called Colombo Airport, Katunayake, and sometimes even Negombo Airport is the main international airport of Sri Lanka. The IATA code is CMB. Airport website airport.lk/

Colombo Airport is served by flights from all over the world, including direct flights from Russia (Moscow, a/c SriLankan Airlines, seasonal a/c "Russia"). However, as often happens, a direct flight is more expensive than a transfer. So, the most favorable fares are traditionally offered by Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Gulf Air and AirArabia airlines with a transfer. The same airlines sometimes carry out very profitable sales with departures from the regions with an additional transfer in Moscow or the UAE, for example, from Samara, Kazan, etc. You have to wait for such sales, but sometimes you can get a ticket even cheaper than from Moscow. Of course, a low-cost airline also flies here from Asian countries AirAsia.

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You can find and book flights to Colombo's main airport in Sri Lanka using the search form. The search is very flexible and allows you to find flights on different dates, with or without transfers, in both directions or one, etc.:

The price of flights from Moscow to Colombo:

ЦЕНА	ПЕРЕСАДКИ	АВИАКОМПАНИЯ	ДАТА ВЫЛЕТА	ДАТА ВОЗВРАЩЕНИЯ
Купить от 45278 ₽	1 пересадка		18.06.2026	16.07.2026
Купить от 54858 ₽	1 пересадка		09.07.2026	16.07.2026
Купить от 54684 ₽	1 пересадка		09.08.2026	08.09.2026
Купить от 51095 ₽	2 пересадки		25.09.2026	08.10.2026
Купить от 52732 ₽	1 пересадка		07.10.2026	22.10.2026
Купить от 51416 ₽	2 пересадки		30.11.2026	21.12.2026

Airport infrastructure, orientation

Colombo Airport is small and simple, it's hard to get confused here. It consists of two arrival and Departure terminals. More precisely, the terminal building of the airport is one, just the entrances to the arrival and departure halls are separated. They are about 200 meters from each other, so there is no problem getting from one to the other on foot.

However, there are some unusual features here, since the international (clean) departure and arrival zones are not separated here, i.e. arriving passengers and departing passengers are in a common zone, which is not typical of most international airports.

Also, do not be surprised that sometimes the airport can look like a railway station with people sitting on the floor in dirty clothes waiting for departure, this is the norm here. But everything you need to wait for a flight and all the necessary infrastructure as in any serious international airport is available here: facilities for the disabled, convenience stores, exchange offices, ATMs, luggage storage, car rental, tour.offices, hotel reservations, fountains with free drinking water, etc.

• What to do and where to go after arrival

  The algorithm after arrival here is the same as at any international airport: you get into the international zone, then passport control, baggage claim and customs control. The only peculiarity is that before passport control you will be in a common international zone with departing passengers. But don't worry, you won't be allowed to go where you don't need to. Here is an instruction on what to do on arrival step by step, and just below there is also a photo instruction:

  1. After disembarking, you will first enter a long corridor that will lead you to the famous welcoming Buddha statue. Next to the statue is the only currency exchange in this zone, but the exchange rate is bad, do not change it.
  2. If you turn right from the statue, you will get to the departure waiting area and duty-free shops. But you can skip these stores, there will be more such stores further.
  3. From the statue, follow the Arrival / Immigration / Passport Control signs to the left.
  4. If you need a visa on arrival, the Visa On Arrival counters are located behind the Buddha statue to get it. Recall that Russians do not need a visa, so skip these counters and go straight to passport control.
  5. Follow the Passport Control (Passport Control) and get in line at the document verification counters.
  6. Show your passport at passport control, you don't need anything else. Additionally, they can request a boarding pass for the flight you arrived on and a return ticket, but this is rare. Read our instructions about the visa and the procedure for entry to Sri Lanka.
  7. After passing through passport control, you will get to the aisle through duty-free shops where you can buy alcohol and other goods. Recall that alcohol is expensive in Sri Lanka, but here it is cheap without duties. Payment in dollars, euros, or by credit card, including Russian unionpay. You can import to Sri Lanka no more than two bottles of wine (1.5 liters) and one and a half liters of spirits per adult. Learn more about customs rules of Sri Lanka and what can and cannot be imported read the instructions here.
  8. After the duty-free shops, you will get to the baggage claim area, look for the baggage tape with your flight there.
  9. After receiving your luggage, you go through Customs. Here, no one needs to show anything on their own initiative, but just go through the "green corridor". If customs officers are interested in you, they will contact you and ask you to present your luggage for verification and check the documents.
  10. After passing through customs, you get to the arrivals hall, where there are exchangers with a good rate, SIM card sales, taxi stands, hotel reservations and everything else. If you arrived by tour, then here you will be met with a sign by representatives of the tour operator.
  11. From the arrivals hall you immediately get to the street to the taxi parking, and you can go wherever you want. The bus stop in Colombo is to the right. Read everything else about transport in the section below How to get from the airport.

  

  

  

  

  

• What to do and where to go for departure

  The algorithm for departure at Colombo airport, to be honest, is a bit "confused" and can confuse those who fly often and are used to the standard procedure. Everything is a little different here, here's a step-by-step instruction:

  1. To get into the Departure Hall Departure Hall from the street, you must go through security control. Moreover, they will not be allowed to the airport without a ticket and passport under any circumstances. Surprisingly, they even sell tickets for the entrance to the airport at the official ticket office for welcoming locals!!!
  2. There are several shops, cafes and a currency exchange in the departure hall. Here you can exchange the remaining rupees for dollars or euros, but the exchange rate is bad + additional commission. Therefore, it is better to make a reverse exchange at resorts, and not here.
  3. From this arrivals hall, you need to go through another security check again and customs control here. Customs control is selective as usual, just go through the "green corridor" and do not present anything on your own initiative.
  4. After passing through customs, you will be taken to the check-in counters. Here you check in for your flight and check in your luggage.
  5. After registration, immediately follow the passport control with access to the international (clean) zone, since there is nothing to do in this hall.
  6. After passing through passport control, you enter the international zone with duty-free shops and restaurants. Here, too, you can exchange rupees back for currency at the only Bank of Ceylon exchanger near the Buddha statue. Duty-free stores accept dollars or euros, bank cards, including Russian Unionpay.
  7. From this international zone, you need to go through another security check directly to the boarding gate, and here they even take away water and other liquids that you bought at the duty-free store, if they are not packed in special bags.
  8. After passing to the boarding gates, there is no free exit back, it remains only to wait for landing here. Therefore, do not rush to go straight to the gates, because there is no water or toilets.

  

  

  

Where to exchange currency at Colombo airport and is the exchange rate profitable

There are many exchange offices and ATMs at Colombo Airport. They work around the clock. The first Ceylon bank exchanger will meet after arrival in the international zone to the right of the Buddha statue, but the exchange rate is worse there, skip it. After passing through customs, you will get to the arrivals hall, there will be many exchange offices there. There are also exchange offices in the departure hall where rupees can be exchanged back.

You can exchange dollars, euros, and other world currencies here, for example, even the Thai baht. We have not seen an exchange of rubles. At the same time, the exchange rate is good only for dollars and euros, and all other currencies change at a bad rate.

Here is the official course for today for reference:

Market exchange rate (Sri Lankan rupee) for today (03/06/2026)

• 1000 рупия (LKR) = 220,18 rubles (RUB)
• 1 US dollar (USD) = 332,46 LKR
• 100 rubles (RUB) = 454,18 LKR
• 1 euro (EUR) = 386,61 LKR

Real currency exchange rate *

• 1 US dollar (USD) ≈ 325,81 - 331,80 LKR
• 1 euro (EUR) ≈ 378,88 - 385,84 LKR

* - The real exchange rate is calculated taking into account the fees charged by exchange offices and banks for the exchange. It can also be higher than the calculated one, but if you are offered an exchange rate lower than this, it's a reason to think about finding another place to exchange.

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The exchange rate for dollars and euros is very good here. For example, in September 2025 there were such rates per dollar:

• The official (exchange) rate of the dollar is 302.45
• The exchange rate on the scoreboard in the exchange offices of the airport is 298.75 (1.22% lower than OFIC)
• The real exchange rate at the airport's exchangers is 302 for old and new dollars (0.15% lower than the official exchange rate)
• The real exchange rate in Colombo's exchangers is 302 for new dollars (0.15% lower than OFIC), and 300 for old dollars (0.81% lower than OFIC)

And such rates are in euros:

• The official (exchange) rate of the euro is 356.56
• The exchange rate on the scoreboard in the exchange offices of the airport is 354.56 (0.56% lower than OFIC)
• The real exchange rate in the exchange offices of the airport is 356 for new and old euros (0.16% lower than OFIC)
• The real exchange rate in Colombo's exchangers is 356 for new and old euros (0.16% below the official exchange rate)

Here you need a little clarification on the courses. In the reviews and guidebooks you can read that the exchange rate in all the exchangers of the airport is the same, and m can be changed in the first one. But in fact it is not. A single lower bank exchange rate may indeed be displayed on the board of the exchangers in the arrivals area, but in fact they change in different ways.

All the figures are higher from personal experience, and at one point they offered 298.75 per dollar at the airport's cash desks, and at private exchangers in the arrivals area we changed 302 rupees per dollar. Moreover, they changed old and new dollars at the same rate. On the same day, the famous financial street Chatham Street in Colombo, known as one of the best exchange places in the whole country, offered a rate of 302 for new and 300 for old, i.e. even less than at the airport.

Therefore, our tips about currency exchange at Colombo airport are as follows:

• You can safely change the amount necessary for the first time of your trip at the airport, there is a good rate here.
• Do not rush to exchange in the first place you find, but go around several exchangers and compare offers. The best rates in private exchangers (not from banks), and for the exchange of amounts from $ 300 or euros give the best rate.
• Change only dollars or euros at the airport, the exchange rate is low for all other currencies.
• First of all, change the old dollars at the same rate as the new ones, and save the new ones for exchange at the resorts.

If you need to exchange rupees back for dollars or euros, you can do this on departure. We checked everything and made sure that it is not profitable to do this at the airport, since the reverse exchange rate there will be unprofitable in itself, but also in addition to this there is a commission. For example, the commission was from 1.5% to 2% with a minimum amount of 500 rupees and up to 1000 rupees. We calculated everything, and in the end it turned out that the losses between the buying and selling rate in one day are almost 5%, which is quite a lot.

Therefore, we advise you to either immediately calculate all your travel expenses and change as much cash as you need or as needed, or change it in exchangers at resorts, and not at the airport.

Where to buy a SIM card at Colombo airport and prices

After baggage collection and customs clearance, you will enter the area where the tourist service counters are located, including two official counters of local mobile operators Dialog and Mobitel. The purchase and registration takes place in a matter of minutes, so if you arrived by tour, you will have time to buy it. The only problem is that sometimes there are queues of people who want to quickly buy a SIM card here when large charter flights arrive, so make a decision after the fact. But it is advisable to decide on the tariff in advance so as not to waste time at the counter. Information about tariffs and which one is better to choose is in our instructions about Sri Lanka sim cards. In theory, you can pay for krata with a card, but during our last trip it was here that the Uniopey card did not work, but perhaps this is a one-time case. Cash for purchase can be exchanged in the same room.

In general, there is an opinion that the prices here are high and you should not buy a SIM card at the airport. But this is a misconception, as we see with every trip. Prices for SIM cards with a connected tariff here are exactly the same as in the official offices of operators and on their websites at no extra charge. The only question is which tariff you choose and whether you will let yourself be deceived when buying.

Every time we buy a SIM card here at a good price. Just choose the minimum inexpensive tariffs right away, and then, as needed, you can replenish the SIM card on the spot and extend the package.

Colombo airport WiFi

At Colombo Airport, there is a good stable WiFi throughout the terminal. Previously, there was a 240-minute time limit on its validity, you only need to update the connection periodically.

The connection is very simple: find a password-free network "CMB free Wi-Fi" or "free Wi-Fi@BIA" (it may be called a little differently), and go through a simple registration in the window that opens with the passport number.

Dutifrey at Colombo Airport and is it worth buying here

There are dry-free shops at Colombo Airport on arrival and departure. In general, there is a common international duty-free zone both on arrival and on departure, so that upon arrival you can visit even those shops that are available on departure. To do this, you just need to, after disembarking and walking along the corridor about the Buddha statue, go not to the left at passport control, but turn right from the Buddha. But in principle, it doesn't make much sense, you'll find the same thing with the same prices in stores after passport control and before the baggage claim area.

Local stores sell a lot of products for promotions, when, for example, you buy 2 products, you get 1 as a gift. In general, it's worth buying something here on arrival, considering that alcohol is very expensive in Sri Lankan stores. Yes, and it is also possible to take off: prices, especially for 2 + 1 or 1 + 1 shares, are very good.

Just don't forget about customs regulations, because everything you buy in dutifrey also falls under these regulations. Recall that you can import to Sri Lanka no more than two bottles of wine (1.5 liters) and one and a half liters of spirits per adult.

The price tag for the goods here is in dollars. Payment is accepted in dollars, euros (recalculate) and, theoretically, in local rupees. But in practice, local rupees at the cash registers, at least in alcohol and perfume stores, refuse to accept. You can pay with a Unionpay card of Russian banks, one works 100%, checked personally.

If it so happens that you find yourself in the departure zone with rupees, and you want to buy something, but they refuse to accept rupees from you, then you can exchange them for currency at the Bank Of Ceylon's only exchanger near the Buddha statue. But there is a very unprofitable course and there is an additional percentage commission and a minimum commission.

Luggage storage at the airport

There is a luggage storage (Cloak room) at the airport, located at the exit from the terminal on the left. But the price for storage there is high, from $ 6 per day, see the rates in the photo. If you have a difficult long trip with moving around the country, and you need to leave winter things, it is more profitable (or rather, most often it is even free), you can leave things at a hotel or guest house in the nearest resort of Negombo or in Colombo. However, for this you will have to stop at this hotel after arrival and return for an overnight stay before departure.

How to get from Colombo airport to the resorts of Sri Lanka

The airport is not located in Colombo itself, but 35 kilometers from it in the town of Katunayake (see the airport on the interactive map). Even closer is the resort town Negombo. And it is Negombo, not Colombo, that more often becomes the first stopover for rest after a flight.

Unfortunately, public transport for airport services is poorly developed: there are no airport express buses to Colombo, there is no railway. Getting to the right place in Sri Lanka from the airport is not always easy and cheap, but there are still options. Here are all the ways to get from the airport inexpensively and on what:

• By taxi

  

  If finances allow, then this is the best way to get to any place in Sri Lanka. Cost from $18 (up to Negombo) and up to $ 240 (a trip to the NationalYala Park). You can order a taxi at the counter in the exit area of the terminal, you can agree to travel with private traders, but carefully agree on the price.

  Also now in Sri Lanka there is an Uber taxi service and a local PickMe application, in which even tuk-tuks are presented. By installing it at home, you can order a car right at the airport using free airport WiFi. Prices via apps are lower than airport taxis or cars on the street. For example, you can get to the Colombo center for 3000 rupees in the afternoon (9.02 USD), to Negombo for 700 rupees. The price of a taxi is still about 30% lower.

  Also, instead of a taxi, you can use the service of ordering tourist transfers. This is an analogue of a taxi, but with an increased level of service, a meeting at the airport with a sign, and Russian-language support. You can check prices and order on the websites Kiwitaxi or Intui.travel, or via the search form:

• By tuk-tuk

  

  Immediately upon leaving the parking lot outside the airport, it is 100 meters from the exit, you can catch a local tuk-tuk that will be ready to take you anywhere. Tuk-tukers will even meet you immediately upon leaving the arrivals hall, and will take you to their transport.

  The fare in tuk-tuks is almost two times lower than by car taxi, but it is necessary to bargain for a long time. Don't be surprised if they initially ask for a price even higher than a taxi. Therefore, you should bargain and bargain. Or just order a tuk-tuk through the Uber or PickMe apps, you will immediately see the price there.

  However, we do not recommend using a tuk-tuk for long-distance travel due to inconvenience. They have little space for large luggage, and they are of an open type. That is, it's one thing to drive 50 kilometers per hour to Colombo, and it's another thing to drive 4-6 hours to Trincomalee, it will be very difficult.

• By bus

  

  With buses at Colombo airport, not everything is favorable, but this is the cheapest way to get away from here. Moreover, you can get anywhere in the country, but in most cases with transplants.

  Before you go by bus, we advise you to study our guide about Sri Lankan buses and how to use them, and then you will know everything. The article also includes a video tutorial about Sri Lankan buses.

  • Colombo Bus No. 187

    There is a bus route No. 187 from the airport to Colombo. It departs often during the day, and about 1 time per hour at night, 50 minutes on the way. The cost is 290 rupees (0.87 USD), plus they can request payment for large luggage. Their stop is located between the domestic and international terminals, it is to the right of the exit from the international terminal about 50 meters away. That is, exit the terminal after arrival, and immediately walk along the building to the right, do not miss the stop (parking of 187 buses on the map).

    

    There are even cheaper city and large buses No. 187, they cost from 100 rupees. But they depart from the Avariwatta bus station 2 kilometers from the airport exit. But more on that below.

    In Colombo, bus No.187 arrives in the city center in the Pettah area at a stop near the main bus station and railway station (bus stop 187 in Colombo on the map). From here you can continue to any point of the country by bus or train. You can get to the hotel in Colombo from here on foot, by city buses or call a tuk-tuk through applications.

  • Other buses from the airport

    In addition to No. 187, other buses do not depart directly from the airport terminal. But to leave here by bus to any other place in Sri Lanka is not a problem. You just have to do transplants.

    One option is to take the bus number 187 to the center of Colombo, and then transfer to the bus or train to where you need to go.

    Another option is the airport station Averiwatta (Avariwatta). This bus station is located two kilometers from the airport (Averivatta bus station on the map). You can get to it by tuk-tuk for 100 rupees or even on foot with a light backpack in 20-30 minutes.

    

    There are a lot of local buses leaving Averivatta station, and theoretically, with transfers, you can get anywhere from here during the day. But after a hard flight, it will certainly not be easy. Direct buses to Averivaty run at least to Colombo (bus 187), Negombo and Kandy (bus 01). There is also a bus to Kurunegala, where you can transfer to other intercity routes. In general, in all these cities you can change the bus and go on.

    Which city should I choose to transfer to:

    • In Colombo - if you go to the southern or western resorts Bentotna, Hikkaduwa, Unawatuna, Halle, etc., as well as in Jaffna
    • In Negombo – if you need to go to Anuradhapura, to the northern resorts.
    • To Kurunegala and Kandy – if you need to go to Trincomalee, or to the center of Sri Lanka in Ella, Nuwara-Elijah, etc..

    There are no scoreboards or timetables at Averiwatta Station. Buses depart constantly, but only during the day. To find the bus you need, just tell the people at the station the name of where you need to go, and they will take you to the bus you need.

    Finally, next to the airport exit to the left on the main road there is another useful bus stop with the name "18Th Mile Post" (stop "18Th Mile Post" on the map). At least the passing bus No. 01 from Kandy to Negombo and back stops there. So if you need to go to Kandy or Negombo, you can go to this stop, it is closer than Averivata. True, buses run less often from here, you may have to wait an hour.

• By train

  

  Approximately three kilometers from the arrival terminal is the railway station Katunayaka South (station on the map), from where you can get to Colombo, Negombo and Maravila. Moreover, if you are lucky with the departure of the train, you will arrive in the city even faster than by bus. The train passes there several times a day. You can check the schedule here - https://eservices.railway.gov.lk

  You can get from the terminal to the railway station Katunayaka South station by tuk-tuk for 200 rupees or 3 kilometers on foot. At the station, buy a ticket for the next train to Colombo and wait for it. All trains are passing here and are usually late. These are the cheapest commuter trains like our electric trains with seats without a guaranteed seat, but usually they run almost empty. The ticket price starts from 50 rupees.

• By plane

  From Colombo Airport you can get to other parts of the country on small propeller planes. There are two local airlines operating on the routes.

  • Cinnamon Air – regular flights
  • SimplyFly (Millenium Airlines) – charter flights

  If their offers do not suit you, but you still want to fly through Sri Lanka by plane or helicopter, you can use the flight from Ratmalana Airport, where you can take a taxi for $ 30. Companies operate flights from there:

  • HeliTours - regular flights three times a week, charter booking
  • FirstAir - charters only
  • SimplyFly (Millenium Airlines) - charters only

  However, it is fair to say that flights around the country are not very justified both in terms of cost and time. Given the size of Sri Lanka, in fact, in most cases it is faster and cheaper to get to the right place in the country by taxi than to fly. Flights by airplanes and helicopters are rather more interesting as sightseeing tours for sightseeing from a height.

• Rent a car

  There are rental offices at the airport, so you can get a car immediately upon arrival and go to the place of rest behind the wheel. To drive a car, you need an International Driver's License (IDP or International Driving Permit) in the form of a booklet, which can be obtained at home in addition to national rights. In Russia, IDUs are issued by units of the REO traffic police (traffic police) without re-passing exams and medical commissions, only valid national rights are needed. The easiest way to issue an IDP is through the website of the State Service, pay a fee of 3200 rubles there, after which it will only be necessary to arrive at the appointed time at the selected department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and immediately get an IDP on the spot.

  You can rent a car online and get it at the airport upon arrival at one of these reliable car rental search and booking aggregators: