Kandy day trip from Colombo

How do you get from Colombo to Kandy?

There are five main ways. Times and prices are from October 2026. $1 is about 330 rupees.

By train (to Peradeniya only)

Cyclone Ditwah damaged the hill-country railway in many places, and trains stopped for about 10 months. Since 2 October 2026, about eight trains a day run from Colombo Fort to Peradeniya, and some go on to Gampola. The last part into Kandy needs a railway bridge near Peradeniya: the old “Black Bridge” over the Mahaweli River. It is still being repaired, and no date has been given for trains to reach Kandy again.

These trains suit a day trip (October 2026):

Reserved seats on these two trains cost 900 rupees (third class), 1,200 rupees (second class) or 2,000 rupees (air-conditioned). That is about $2.70, $3.60 or $6. Book them on the Sri Lanka Railways website, seatreservation.railway.gov.lk, or at a station. Seats can sell out, especially at weekends. Unreserved tickets cost less and are sold at the station on the day, but you may have to stand.

Colombo Fort station is about 2 km from Galle Face Green. From Peradeniya station:

• The botanic gardens gate is about 2 km away: a 25-minute walk or a short tuk-tuk (three-wheeled taxi) ride.
• The Temple of the Tooth is about 8 km away by road: 20 to 30 minutes by tuk-tuk or bus, longer in traffic.

By bus

Buses on route 1 leave from Bastian Mawatha bus station in Pettah, Colombo’s market area, about 3 km from Galle Face. They run often from early morning and take the A1 road to Kandy. The fare is 521 rupees (about $1.50), or 1,018 rupees (about $3) with air conditioning. These fares started on 6 July 2026 (National Transport Commission). Allow 3½ to 4 hours. Air-conditioned buses are more comfortable and stop less often.

The buses pass through Peradeniya, so you can get off there for the gardens.

By car with a driver

This is the most comfortable way. A driver picks you up at your hotel and waits all day. For a Kandy day of about 12 hours, drivers and travel sites asked about $90 to $125 a car in 2026. That is about 30,000 to 42,000 rupees. Vans cost more. Your hotel or a travel agency can arrange a car. We don’t recommend any company.

Prices usually include the car, the driver and fuel, and often parking and any tolls. Entry tickets and your own meals are extra. Agree on these before you go:

• Are parking and tolls included?
• How many hours does the price cover? What does extra time cost?
• Who pays for the driver’s lunch?
• Can you skip shopping stops?

A tip is not required, but about $5 to $10 is common after a good day.

By ride app

PickMe and Uber can take you to Kandy. In Uber, type your Kandy address and choose an Intercity car. In 2026, travel sites listed about 12,000 rupees ($37) one way for a small car. The car won’t wait for you, and a long ride back can be harder to book.

For a round trip, PickMe’s Rentals option keeps a car and driver with you for a set time. PickMe’s own example (from 2024) is 12 hours and 300 km in a small car for about 29,300 rupees. Prices have gone up since, so check the price in the app. Our guide to getting around Colombo explains how the apps work.

On a day tour

Hotel tour desks and big online tour sites sell Kandy day tours from Colombo. In October 2026, most cost about $70 to $175 a person, depending on the group size and what is included. Check if the temple and garden tickets are in the price. Ask how many shopping stops there are.

A Kandy day by car, step by step

This plan is by car. The train and bus plans come after it. Times are a guide. The road is slow, so the early start matters.

1. 6:30 AM

   Leave Colombo

   The A1 road climbs slowly into the hills. Stop for breakfast on the way.

2. About 9:45 AM

   Temple of the Tooth

   Arrive during the 9:30 AM ceremony, with drums and offerings. Your ticket also covers the temple museums. Allow about 1½ hours.

3. About 11:15 AM

   Kandy Lake

   Walk part of the flat path around the lake, next to the temple. The whole loop is just over 3 km.

4. About 12:15 PM

   Lunch in Kandy

   Rice and curry or something simple in town.

5. About 1:15 PM

   Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya

   About 6 km from the temple. See the orchid house, the giant bamboo and huge old trees. Allow about 1½ hours.

6. About 3:00 PM

   Drive back

   About 3 to 3½ hours, or more in heavy traffic or rain.

7. About 6:30 PM

   Back in Colombo

   A day of 11 to 12 hours, with 6 to 7 hours of it in the car.

By train: take the 5:55 AM train to Peradeniya. A tuk-tuk gets you to the temple in time for the 9:30 AM ceremony. After the lake and lunch, take a tuk-tuk back to the botanic gardens. From there, walk or ride 2 km to Peradeniya station for the 4:31 PM train. You are back at Colombo Fort at about 7:25 PM.

By bus: take an early bus, by about 6 AM. The car plan then works, but start back from Kandy by about 3 PM.

What to see in Kandy

Kandy was the last capital of the Sinhala kings, until the British took it in 1815. The old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a place the world has agreed to protect.

The Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa)

This is Sri Lanka’s most sacred Buddhist temple. It keeps a tooth relic of the Buddha inside seven golden caskets (boxes), one inside the other. You don’t see the tooth itself. During the ceremonies (called puja or thewawa), drummers play and people bring offerings. The doors of the shrine room open, and you can see the outer casket. Your ticket also covers the temple museums. Allow about 1½ hours.

Kandy Lake

This calm lake next to the temple was made by the last king of Kandy, starting in 1807. A flat path runs just over 3 km around it, about 45 to 60 minutes on foot. For a view over the lake and the city, take a tuk-tuk to a viewpoint on the hills above.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya

The gardens opened in 1821. They cover 147 acres (59 hectares) in a bend of the Mahaweli River, about 5.5 km west of Kandy. More than 4,000 kinds of plants grow here. Look for the orchid house, the spice garden, the giant bamboo, the fern garden and a huge Java fig tree on the great lawn. Allow 1½ to 2 hours.

Floods from the river covered parts of the gardens in November 2025 and badly damaged the hanging bridge. The gardens are open, but ask at the gate if any paths are closed.

Other stops

• Bahirawakanda Buddha: a large white Buddha statue, about 27 metres tall, on a hill above the city, with wide views.
• Kandyan dance show: drumming, dancing and fire-walking at about 5 PM in town. It only fits if you stay late or overnight.
• Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is near the road from Colombo, and many drivers suggest it. Animal-welfare groups have raised concerns about how the elephants are kept there, so we don’t suggest it.

Tickets and opening hours

October 2026 prices. They can change, so check at the ticket office or official website before you go.

• Temple of the Tooth: open every day from 5:30 AM to 8 PM. The temple says tickets or fees from anyone else are not valid. Bring rupees in small notes.
• The temple ticket went up from 2,000 to 3,000 rupees on 1 July 2026, so older guides show the old price.
• Peradeniya gardens: students pay 2,360 rupees with proof.
• Kandy Lake and the town are free.

What to wear and temple rules

The temple’s own rule is clear: “Visitors wearing shorts, sleeveless, or body-revealing attire are not permitted.” So:

• Wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. A scarf or sarong (a long wrap skirt) is useful.
• Leave your shoes and big bags at the booths at the entrance.
• Everyone goes through a security check.
• Don’t bring plastic bags.
• Be quiet and respectful: people come here to pray. Never pose for a photo with your back to a Buddha statue.

When is the best time to go?

• Best months: January to March, the driest time. March and April are good too (Sri Lanka Tourism calls them ideal for the hill country), but expect afternoon thunderstorms.
• Wettest months: October and November. From May to September the south-west monsoon (rainy season) also brings rain to the hills.
• Best time of day: the 9:30 AM ceremony fits a day trip well. Guides say the dawn ceremony is the quietest, and the evening one the busiest.
• Poya days: every full moon day (Poya) is a public holiday. The temple gets much busier with people coming to pray, and no alcohol is sold. Dates: 24 November and 23 December 2026, then 22 January, 20 February and 22 March 2027.
• Esala Perahera: Kandy’s great festival of night processions comes in July or August. In 2026 it ran from 18 to 28 August. The city is packed and roads close, so it is not a good time for a day trip.

The downsides

• Time in the car: about 6 to 7 hours in total, mostly on the busy A1 road.
• Landslides: the A1 climbs through hills at Kadugannawa. A deadly landslide closed the road there in November 2025, and falling rocks closed it for a night in August 2026.
• Crowds: on Poya days, festival days and rare special showings of the relic. More than 400,000 people came to a 10-day showing in April 2025.
• Fake tickets: only the temple’s own machines sell valid tickets.
• Shopping stops: spice gardens, gem shops, and batik and woodcarving shops on the Kandy road often pay drivers to bring you there. Prices there are high. You can say no.
• Late nights: the evening ceremony and the dance show are lovely, but you get back to Colombo at about 10 to 11 PM.

Day trip or stay a night?

A day trip works if you start early and want the temple, the lake and the gardens. A night in Kandy is more relaxed. You can see the evening ceremony and the dance show. You also split the 6 to 7 hours of driving over two days. If you stay, the Intercity trains are handy. In October 2026 one left Colombo Fort at 3:35 PM, and another left Peradeniya for Colombo at 6:25 AM.

Sigiriya is about 90 km from Kandy, so the two fit well together in two or three days. See our Sigiriya guide. For an easier day trip from Colombo, see our Galle guide.