Kandy: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Kandy is a city of 111,701 people in Sri Lanka (Central Province), 500 m (1,640 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB), 84 km (52 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Kandy railway station.
Key facts
Daylight in Kandy runs from about 11 h 44 min a day in late December to 12 h 35 min in late June (computed for 7.29° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Kandy is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB), 84 km (52 mi) from the centre, whose 10,991-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Colombo Ratmalana International Airport (RML, 98 km).
Flights to Kandy: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Kandy railway station. Trains to Kandy
Buses to Kandy · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Tirunelveli, 362 km (India) — flights
- Colombo, 95 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Thoothukudi, 320 km (India)
- Sivakasi, 394 km (India)
- Nāgercoil, 366 km (India)
- Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, 98 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Maharagama, 92 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Kāraikkudi, 371 km (India)
- Jaffna, 273 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Moratuwa, 101 km — buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Solapur.
Common questions
Which airport serves Kandy?
Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB), 84 km (52 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Kandy?
About 111,701 people live in Kandy, across 29 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Kandy in?
Asia/Colombo, currently UTC+5:30.
What currency is used in Kandy?
The Rupee (LKR). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Kandy?
Tirunelveli (362 km), Colombo (95 km), Thoothukudi (320 km), Sivakasi (394 km), Nāgercoil (366 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.