Kandy Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Local transport

Taxi

Many long-distance taxi drivers hang around the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, waiting for work. Your guesthouse or hotel can organise taxi tours but you may be able to get a cheaper deal if you organise it through these chaps. Cars can generally be hired, with a driver and petrol, for approximately Rs 2000 to 2500 per day. For a whole van you should expect to pay around Rs 2800 per day.

Some guesthouses advertise day trips to all three Cultural Triangle destinations (Sigiriya, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa) but this is an exhausting itinerary for both driver and passengers, and one that encourages manic driving. At least one overnight stay in Anuradhapura, Sigiriya or Polonnaruwa would be a saner – and safer – option.

A taxi to Bandaranaike International Airport costs about Rs 4000 and to Colombo about Rs 3200.

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Land

Bus

Kandy has one main bus station (the manic Goods Shed) and a series of bus stops near the clock tower. It can be hard to work out which one to head to. A rule of thumb worth following is that the Goods Shed has long-distance buses, while local buses, such as to Peradeniya, Ampitiya, Matale and Kegalle, leave from near the clock tower. However, some private intercity express buses (to the airport, Negombo and Colombo, for example) leave from Station Rd between the clock tower and the train station. If you’re still confused, ask a passer-by.

Colombo

CTB buses run from the Goods Shed bus station every half-hour till 8.30pm (Rs 70, 3½ hours). There are also ordinary private buses (Rs 80 to 120, three hours), and air-con intercity express buses (Rs 140, 2½ to three hours); both services start at 5.15am and leave when full throughout the day (on average every 45 minutes). The express and ordinary buses leave from stand No 1.

Internationalairport & negombo

Private intercity express buses to Bandaranaike International Airport and Negombo leave from the Station Rd bus stop. CTB buses leave from the Goods Shed. The first intercity bus departs at about 6.30am and the last at about 5.30pm. They tend to leave when full, every 20 to 30 minutes. The fare for the three- to 3½-hour journey is Rs 64 for the CTB bus and Rs 140 for the air-con express bus.

Nuwara eliya & hatton

Private air-con buses go to Nuwara Eliya, and some go on to Hatton (or you can change in Nuwara Eliya for Hatton). They leave from the Goods Shed bus station every half-hour between 5am and 5pm. The fare is Rs 125.

Haputale & ella

Change buses at Nuwara Eliya for these destinations.

Ratnapura

Ordinary buses to Ratnapura leave from the Goods Shed every 45 minutes, from 5.30pm to 3.45am; the fare is Rs 67.

Anuradhapura

Buses leave from the Goods Shed bus station. Air-con intercity express buses start running at about 4.30am and depart roughly every half-hour until 6.30pm. The trip takes three hours and costs Rs 150. Ordinary buses take about 30 minutes longer and cost Rs 75. You can also catch an air-con Anuradhapura-bound bus to Dambulla, but you must pay the full amount regardless. The trip to Dambulla on an ordinary private bus costs Rs 40.

Polonnaruwa

Ordinary buses leave the Goods Shed bus station from 4.30am and go roughly every 20 minutes until 6pm. Tickets are Rs 90 and the journey takes three hours, with a change of bus in Dambulla (included in the ticket price). Air-con buses leave three times daily at 9.30am, 11.30am and 1pm and cost Rs 150.

Sigiriya

There’s a CTB bus to Sigiriya from the Goods Shed bus station at 10.30am, which returns at 5.30pm (Rs 45). There are a couple of ordinary private buses per day for Rs 52. You can also take one of the more-frequent Polonnaruwa-bound buses, then get off at the Sigiriya junction and take another bus the final 9km to Sigiriya.

Train

Tickets can be bought and reserved up to 10 days in advance at Kandy’s train station from counter 1, which is open from 5.30am to 5.30pm.

Seats are very popular in the 1st-class observation saloon on the Badulla-bound train, which originates in Colombo and after Kandy stops in Hatton (near Adam’s Peak), Nanu Oya, Haputale and Ella, yet the official allocation for Kandy boarding is limited to a mere four seats. If you’re unable to reserve a seat at the ticket window, it’s worth checking with the stationmaster, who has the authority to release further seating for tourists.

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