So you’ve just landed in Sri Lanka ready for the adventure of a lifetime, and now you need to know how to get from Colombo to Ahangama.
Thankfully your search ends here. In this post, you’ll find all of the different ways to get from Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo to the beautiful surf town of Ahangama. With options to suit all budgets, all time constraints and all comfort levels.
The distance between Colombo and Ahangama is approximately 158.5 KM and journeys by car, train and or bus take as little as 2 hours and no more than 4 hours.
Thankfully no matter how you decide to travel to Ahangama, the journey is pretty quick and painless (as long as there is no traffic or train delays along the way).
Ahangama is one of the most stunning beach towns on Sri Lanka’s south coast and is one of my favourite places to visit in Sri Lanka. I’m SO GLAD you are planning to head there too and I hope you fall in love with it just as much as I did.
So how do you get from Colombo to Ahangama? Read on below to find out!
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What options do I have to choose from when travelling from Colombo to Ahangama?
When thinking about travelling from Colombo to Ahangama there are 3 main options to choose from:
- Private taxi
- Public bus
- Train
Getting a taxi from Colombo to Ahangama
The easiest and fastest way to get to Ahangama from Colombo is to book a private taxi. As I mentioned earlier in this post the distance between Colombo and Ahangama is approximately 158.5 KM.
The journey in a taxi should take no more than 1 hour and 50 minutes (give or take).
A taxi should cost around £50 which is roughly 20,000 Lkr.
After spending a month in Sri Lanka I never experienced much traffic on the roads outside of Colombo. This means once you get out of the city the journey should be pretty smooth sailing, and you shouldn’t experience too many hiccups along the way.
Unless your taxi driver accidentally runs over a cat on the way, but that’s a story for another time😂.
How to book a taxi in Sri Lanka
Unfortunately, there is no Uber in Sri Lanka, however, they have their own version called Pick Me. Pick Me is a reputable ride-hailing app where you can order taxis and Tuk Tuks.
Alternatively, you can find some reputable taxi recommendations here.
Personal taxi recommendations
During my month in Sri Lanka, I used one taxi company time and time again, whenever I needed to travel a long distance between towns.
The service was great and by the end of my time in Sri Lanka, it felt like I had made a new friend.
If you are looking to travel from Colombo to Ahangama by taxi then I’d highly recommend booking with this company.
Looking for more Sri Lanka inspo? Check out my other guides.
Getting the train from Colombo to Ahangama
One of the easiest ways to get from Colombo to Ahangama is by train. This journey is not only straightforward but incredibly picturesque, travelling adjacent to some of Sri Lanka’s beautiful coastline.
You’ll be pleased to know that there are direct trains between Colombo Fort Station and Ahangama Station.
Daily, there are 7 direct trains from Colombo to Ahangama. The first train leaves at 6:30 am and the last train leaves at 6:15 pm.
Make sure you are at the train station at least 30 minutes before the train departure time.
Don’t forget to give yourself enough time to purchase tickets too if you haven’t booked in advance (ticket booking is discussed in more detail below).
Train Times From Colombo
| Departure | Arrival |
| COLOMBO FORT 06:30:00 | AHANGAMA 10:10:00 |
| COLOMBO FORT 08:35:00 | AHANGAMA 11:34:00 |
| COLOMBO FORT 10:30:00 | AHANGAMA 13:20:00 |
| COLOMBO FORT 14:34:00 | AHANGAMA 17:21:00 |
| COLOMBO FORT 15:44:00 | AHANGAMA 17:59:00 |
| COLOMBO FORT 16:44:00 | AHANGAMA 19:16:00 |
| COLOMBO FORT 18:15:00 | AHANGAMA 21:20:00 |
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Please note that train times are always subject to change so you can check Sri Lankan Rail Website for the most up-to-date schedule information.
Also, some trains do not run on Saturdays or Sundays so please be mindful of this if you plan on travelling on a weekend.
The train journey time in Colombo and Ahangama ranges between 2 hours and 40 minutes to 3 hours and 20 minutes. Train tickets start from 260 Lkr (£0.70).
Booking train tickets
It’s important to know that when travelling by train through Sri Lanka there is a tiered class system and there is a difference in the type of ticket you can get whether you book in advance or book on the day.
If you would like to secure an assigned seat for the train journey then you must book a reserved ticket which has to be done prior to the day of travel.
You can either go to the train station a day or two before your planned journey, or you can book them online.
Alternatively, if you are not precious about where you sit (or even getting a seat) then you can turn up on the day and buy an unreserved ticket.
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The different class systems are below:
- First Class
- Second Class unreserved
- Second Class reserved
- Third Class unreserved
- Third Class reserved
Each class will see you having a different experience. The first class will offer a quiet area with comfortable seating and aircon. The third class will be quite lively, fairly cramped and slightly uncomfortable with wooden seating.
On a personal note, I DO NOT think you book first class. I mistakenly did this on my recent trip to Sri Lanka and regretted it.
I didn’t feel like I was getting that “authentic” Sri Lankan train journey experience. First class felt quite cut off from the rest of the train and all the windows and doors were shut on the carriage.
After just 30 minutes sitting in my first class seat, I actually ended up walking down to second and third class to be able to mingle with the locals, hang my head out of windows and take in some of that beautiful scenery.
It was such a fun experience with the locals singing and playing instruments and even sharing their food.
Getting the bus from Colombo to Ahangama
Unfortunately, If you plan on catching the bus from Colombo to Ahangama there is no direct route and you will have to take 2 separate buses (or a bus and a taxi/tuk-tuk).
First, you will have to travel from Colombo to Galle and then from Galle to Ahangama.
You have 2 options when it comes to taking buses. Either you can take a local bus which will be super cheap but a generally longer and less comfortable journey, or you can book an express coach.
Express Bus
You can catch the express bus from Colombo Makumbura Multimodal Centre to the town of Galle. This journey is roughly 1 hour and 20 minutes and costs £5 if you book online here.
There are 13 express buses a day leaving on the hour, every hour between 6 am and 6 pm.
Once you arrive in Galle you have a couple of options:
- Catch a public bus from Galle to Ahangama. This should take no more than 30-45 minutes and a ticket should cost you less than £1
- Catch a Tuk Tuk from Galle To Ahangama. As the journey between Galle and Ahangama is short, this is a fairly easy journey to take in a Tuk Tuk. Again should take you no more than 30-45 minutes but will cost you around £5-7.
- Get in a Taxi. You can hop in a taxi for the last part of your journey. This should be roughly 30 minutes and will cost you around £10-12.
Public Bus
First, you will need to get yourself to Colombo Fort Bus Station and catch the public bus to Galle. This bus is super cheap (around £1) but the journey can be uncomfortable and sometimes take up to 3 hours.
Once you arrive in Galle you have a couple of options:
- Catch a public bus from Galle to Ahangama. This should take no more than 30-45 minutes and a ticket should cost you less than £1
- Catch a Tuk Tuk from Galle To Ahangama. As the journey between Galle and Ahangama is short, this is a fairly easy journey to take in a Tuk Tuk. Again should take you no more than 30-45 minutes but will cost you around £5-7.
- Get in a Taxi. You can hop in a taxi for the last part of your journey. This should be roughly 30 minutes and will cost you around £10-12.
If you are heading to Ahangama to surf and are transporting your own surfboard with you, please note that on occasion you will not be allowed to take this with you on public buses.
Where to stay in Ahangama
Now that you have successfully completed the journey to Ahangama, I’m guessing you’ll need somewhere to stay.
Here are some of my top recommendations:
Alternatively, you can search for more hotels using the map below.
What to do in Ahangama
There are so many incredible things to do in Ahangama from surfing, to yoga, to partying the night away.
You can read my full guide to the best things to do in Ahangama here.
Where to eat in Ahangama
The food scene in Ahangama is pretty special, considering it’s a small town. From local delicacies to western cuisines there is a whole host of restaurants here to cater to your palette.
You can read my full guide to the best Restaurants in Ahangama here
Happy Travelling
I hope you have a safe journey from Colombo to Ahangama and that this blog was useful in helping you decide what journey to take. Have a wonderful time exploring Ahangama!
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions
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