Day trip prices & fees

How much does a day trip from Colombo cost?

From $22 for a 4-hour tuk-tuk tour of the city to $120 for a private Galle day; the big day trips start at $45 to $71 per person.

Every tour on this site, by from-price. The fourth column matters for couples and solo travellers.

What does per person mean on a private tour?

On most private tours the from-price is the per-person rate for the largest group. A couple or a solo traveller pays more each.

Viator shows these tours with a price that varies by group size. The figure on the card, $71 for Kandy for example, is what each person pays when the car is full. Enter two travellers and the per-person price goes up, because the car, the fuel and the driver's day cost the same. Always compare with your real headcount at checkout.

Three tours here charge a flat price per person: the all-included Galle tour ($120, at least two people per booking), the south coast trip ($85) and the cooking class ($80). For a couple, those numbers are what you pay.

Which entrance fees do you pay on a Colombo day trip?

The big ones are Sigiriya USD 35, the Lotus Tower USD 20, Pinnawala USD 17.70, the Temple of the Tooth LKR 2,000 to 2,500 and Dambulla about LKR 2,000. Galle Fort is free.

Foreign adult prices, 2026:

Children aged 6 to 12 pay about half at Sigiriya. Kosgoda's turtle hatcheries charge a small fee in rupees, included on the all-included Galle tour.

How do you pay entry fees: rupees, dollars or card?

Carry rupees. Sigiriya takes cards and US dollars and Pinnawala takes cards, but Dambulla refuses dollars and the smaller temples are cash only.

The shared Sigiriya listing spells it out: the cave temple "must pay by local rupees / card payment and USD cash not accepted", while Sigiriya can be paid by card or in dollars. The Kandy listing notes that Pinnawala accepts cards. Everything smaller, from the Temple of the Tooth to the shoe counter, wants rupees.

Draw cash in Colombo before you leave. If you need an ATM on the road, the shared tour asks you to tell the driver early so he can plan a stop. The expressway toll, about LKR 475 for a car from Kottawa to Galle, is the driver's business; the south coast trip includes it.

How much should you tip a driver-guide in Sri Lanka?

About LKR 2,000 (around $6) from a couple for a good full day is fair; tour companies suggest anything from LKR 1,000 to about 4,000 a day. Small notes for shoe minders and temple helpers.

Tips are excluded on most listings here, and wages are low, so they matter. Experience Travel Group and other operators put a driver-guide's tip somewhere between LKR 1,000 and 4,000 a day, depending on the service. Give it in rupees at the end of the day.

Expect smaller requests along the way: LKR 100 or so for the shoe counter at a temple, and local guides at spice gardens and temples who hope for a tip. You owe nothing for a sales talk you didn't ask for.

The least arithmetic of any day out: one price for the car, lunch and the entry fees of the package you choose.

★ 4.8 · 12 hours · from $120

Explore the all-included Galle day tour → Tour details

What are the sales stops, and can you skip them?

Gem shops, spice gardens, woodcarving workshops and tea factories. Entry is free, the pitch is not, and yes, you can skip them.

They are written into the itineraries:

• Galle, all included: Aida Gems & Jewellery (30 minutes) and the Meetiyagoda moonstone mine (45 minutes).
• Sigiriya shared: a woodcarving workshop (20 minutes) on the way home.
• Kandy private: a spice and herbal garden (30 minutes) and a tea factory (1 hour).
• Colombo by car: Premadasa jewellers (30 minutes) and the Laksala souvenir store.

One guest on the private Sigiriya tour wrote that drivers earn commission for bringing people into gem factories. Another, on the shared Kandy tour, felt obliged to buy. Say at pickup which stops you want to drop. A private driver will usually agree, and the time goes to the sights instead.

What does each day trip cost in total?

Per person, before meals: about $90 for Sigiriya on the shared van, about $100 for Kandy with Pinnawala, about $123 for the all-included Galle day, and $25 to $45 for Colombo by tuk-tuk.

Our estimate per adult, using the from-price, the gate fees above and a tip share of about LKR 1,000 ($3) each:

Private tours assume a full car; a couple pays more per head. Lunch on the road costs a few dollars at a local place and more at the tourist restaurants the vans stop at.

How can you save money on a Colombo day trip?

Fill a private car, drop the stops you don't care about, pay in rupees, and book with free cancellation so you can move the date when the weather turns.

• Fill the car: private prices per head fall as the group grows. Four friends in one car beat four seats in a van.
• Skip what you'd skip anyway: leaving out Pinnawala saves USD 17.70 a head, and Pidurangala (LKR 1,000) gives you the view of Lion Rock if Sigiriya's USD 35 is too much.
• Agree extras in writing: jeep safaris and boat rides are where guests felt overcharged.
• Check the visa: since 25 May 2026 the tourist ETA is free for 40 countries; see the free ETA post.
• Cancel for free: every tour here refunds in full up to 24 hours before.

Which trip to spend it on is in the best day trips guide.

Frequently asked questions