Routes from Colombo Airport

Colombo Airport to Galle

Galle Fort, the walled old town on the south coast, is 153 km from the airport. Expressways cover almost all of the way, so the drive takes about two and a quarter hours.

  • 153 km by road from the airport
  • about 2 h 15 min driving time (Google)
  • from $56.62 one way, City car
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup

Fares to Galle

The first 100 km are in the starting price; the other 53 km are charged at the vehicle’s rate per km.

Fares to Galle Fort, 152.7 km by Google’s route, as the booking form works them out. Your hotel may be a little nearer or further: enter its address in the form for its own fare.

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The drive

From Katunayake the car heads south towards Colombo, goes round the city on the Outer Circular Highway and joins the Southern Expressway (E01) at Kottawa. The expressway runs inland, through rubber estates and paddy fields, and the car leaves it at the Galle exit, a few kilometres from the town.

Arriving in Galle Fort

The fort was built by the Portuguese and greatly enlarged by the Dutch in the 17th century; today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with hotels and guest houses inside its walls. Cars enter through the Main Gate, so most addresses inside can be reached by car.

The beaches nearby have fares of their own: Unawatuna is about 6 km past Galle, Hikkaduwa about 20 km up the coast. Further along the same expressway lies Mirissa.

Other routes from the airport