Right in the middle of Sri Lanka’s Cultural triangle is the wonderful town of Sigiriya! Heading from Negombo to Sigiriya is a great way to start your Sri Lanka trip. In this guide, we’ll show you how to get from Negombo to Sigiriya by bus and a few tips on where to stay in Sigiriya and where you can go next!
This is also the best budget-friendly way to get from the airport to Sigiriya, as the airport is closer to Negombo than Colombo.
There’s no wonder why almost 1 million tourists visit Sigiriya every year. UNESCO named it one of the 8 wonders of the world, and for good reason!
Many people come to Sigiriya to visit the famous Sigiriya rock, also known as Lion Rock. 1000 steps, 349 meters of elevation and 1500 years old, keep reading to find out how to get to Sigiriya by bus!
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How to get from Negombo to Sigiriya by bus in 2024
Arriving in Sri Lanka
The chances are, that you have recently landed in Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and are looking to plan your first big adventure in Sri Lanka! Let’s get you started with some quick tips straight from arrival!
Here’s our travel guide with the best things to do in Colombo if you’re spending a day in the city before heading to Sigiriya from Negombo.
Also, a quick reminder to check the rules of the country before flying. However, you can still get from Negombo to Sigiriya by bus.
How to get a SIM card in Sri Lanka
Once you have made your way into the arrivals area, you will see 4 stands selling sim cards by the exit, 2 x Dialog, 1 x Airtel and 1 x SLT Mobitel.
They all offer competitive prices and bundles, after a quick search we found on the web that Dialog is meant to have very good coverage across the whole of the island, so we purchased a 35GB package at the cost of 1600 LKR / £5.84 / $7.91.
The sales team were really helpful and answered any questions we had!
PickMe
An easy-to-use rideshare app where you can order tuk-tuks and cars, just like on Uber. We have found this app really useful if you don’t feel comfortable bartering in person as you get the price pre-determined in-app before you order.
Tuk tuks are very affordable in Sri Lanka, we were able to get from Colombo airport to our accommodation in Negombo in around 30 minutes for 580 LKR / GBP £2.12 / USD $2.87. We stayed on the northern side of Negombo, so going to the centre will be even cheaper!
Public Buses
Colourful interior with local music playing overhead with larger speakers. Not too loud that we weren’t able to have a quick kip. Usually arranged with seats of two down the left side, and seats of three down the right side. This may vary from bus to bus.
➤ Find out what you need to know before visiting Sri Lanka!
How to get from Negombo to Sigiriya by bus
You’re here to find out – how to get to Sigiriya. In short, you will need to catch 3 different public buses, totalling around 5-7hrs transit time. Don’t let that put you off, buses are an amazing way to get around Sri Lanka.
In total, the whole journey should cost around 360 LKR / GBP £1.31 / USD $1.78, which is amazing if you’re on a budget on your Sri Lanka trip!
How do you pay for a bus ticket in Sri Lanka?
On all of these buses, there will be a ticket person who makes sure everyone has paid. You will notice that they have a ticket machine wrist strapped to their arm or they’re carrying cash.
They usually shout out of the door at each stop to see if anyone is boarding. If you want to get from Negombo to Sigiriya by bus, you will need to bring Sri Lankan rupee with you! Make sure to take some out at the airport when you arrive. It’s a good idea to have smaller changes too.
Important note: None of the public buses have toilets on board, so be sure to time your toilet break within the bus changeovers.
Where does your baggage go on a bus in Sri Lanka?
Your luggage belongs at the front of the bus in the designated area next to the driver. This means that your bag doesn’t take up an extra seat on the bus. These buses can get busy! It’s very safe to leave your bags at the front, and we didn’t have any problems on multiple bus rides in Sri Lanka.
We always keep our day bag with us and there are sometimes rails overhead for smaller items.
How to get from the airport to Negombo – (How to get from the airport to Sigiriya)
It’s likely you’ll be on a long-haul flight to Sri Lanka and you’ll be arriving at Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport. If you want to go to Sigiriya from Negombo, you may want to consider spending the night in Negombo and rest before the long bus journey. We recommend getting a tuk-tuk to your accommodation and leaving the next day.
However, if you arrive early enough, you can choose to head straight from the airport to Sigiriya. If you want to do this you’ll need to head from the airport by tuk-tuk to Negombo Bus Station and follow the route we’ll explain in this guide.
The 3 public buses from Negombo to Sigiriya
Bus 1 of 3: Negombo Bus Station to Kurunegala – Public bus 34
Duration: Approx 3 hours
Cost: 162 LKR / GBP 0.59 / USD 0.80 per person
Address: Negombo Bus Station, Archbishop Nicholas Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Negombo
Negombo Bus Station is relatively small and all of the buses are numbered on the front and back of the vehicle. They should also state their final destination to make this easier. We double-checked many times so that we knew public bus 34 was the correct bus to get from Negombo to Sigiriya.
There’s no doubt that some of the bus drivers will ask you where you are going as soon as you walk near them, don’t hesitate to ask them for help as they will point you in the right direction.
There is also an AC bus to Kurunegala, we were told these are a little faster taking around 2 hours and the obvious bonus is that they have AC. You can expect this journey to cost around 230 LKR / GBP 0.84 / USD 1.14
We happened to hop on the first bus available to us, which was a standard public bus. Despite not having AC, it was surprisingly comfortable as they leave all of the windows open to keep a steady breeze coming in so we didn’t regret it one bit!
Bus 2 of 3: Kurunegala to Dambulla – Public bus 504/549
Duration: Approx 2 hours
Cost: 133 LKR / GBP 0.49 / USD 0.66 per person
Address: Kurunegala Bus Terminal
Be prepared, this bus station is huge and has many buses coming and going. It took us around 5-10 minutes to find the correct bus after asking someone for help.
The bus you need to get will be going further than the stop you need, so it may not say Dambulla on the front of the bus, but just ask anyone for Dambulla and you should be okay, just look out for 504/549.
Kurunegala is a busy place with lots to offer! We were pretty hungry, so we chose to break up our journey with some lunch at Shanti Vegetarian. It’s only a few minutes around the corner from Kurunegala bus station and offers some amazing Masala Dosa at only 150 LKR each!
Damballa is usually a passing stop for most bus routes, as opposed to a terminus station so be sure to follow along on Google maps and listen out for the ticket person to call out the stop.
Bus 3 of 3: Dambulla Main Bus Station to Sigiriya – Public bus
Duration: Approx 1 hour
Cost: 55 LKR / GBP 0.20 / USD 0.27 per person
Address: Dambulla Main Bus Station, Kandy – Jaffna Hwy, Dambulla
You have almost made it! This will be the shortest journey of the day, keep your eyes peeled, you will likely see monkeys as you enter the jungle on this bus ride!
This part of the journey may get a little confusing, the bus drops you off a few minutes away from the bus station and it’s where all of the tuk-tuk drivers wait and some of them will be persistent.
They offer tuk-tuk rides for around 1000 LKR (which is 10x more than the bus ride for 2 people!). Sadly, they tried to lie to us and told us the bus was more expensive and that the next one wasn’t for a few hours.
Although it’s not that pricey to catch a 30-minute tuk-tuk to Sigiriya from Dambulla, we really wanted to catch the bus so after saying no many times we walked to the bus station and there was a bus waiting there which cost only 55 LKR per person.
If you decide to take the public bus to Sigiriya you want to head over to Dambulla Main Bus Station, just under 10 minutes away from where you were likely dropped off. As we mentioned earlier, Dambulla is a passing stop so that’s why it doesn’t drop you off at the station.
Now that you have made it to the bus station, each bus stop will be labelled with its final destinations. If you walk to the end of the row, you should see ‘Sigiriya’ labelled at the top. We confirmed with the ticket person as we got on the bus to confirm Sigiriya was the final stop, always best to double-check!
Getting a bus or tuk-tuk from Dambulla to Sigiriya is totally your choice, we happened to have the spare time to go with the slower and cheaper route.
Here’s the 3 week Sri Lanka route we took and we also have a South Coast Sri Lanka Itinerary. Plan the rest of your trip!
Arriving in Sigiriya
Once you arrive in Sigiriya after your long bus journey from Negombo to Sigiriya, you can walk to your accommodation or catch a tuk-tuk. You can arrange a pick up with your accommodation beforehand or just grab someone on the street! We walked as it was only 20 minutes away.
Where to stay in Sigiriya?
Budget Accommodation in Sigiriya
Sigiriya River Side Home Stay – 10/10
This was one of our favourite homestays on our Sri Lanka trip, once we figured out how to get from Negombo to Sigiriya by bus, the family gave us the warmest welcome and we even met some amazing friends there! You’re right in the jungle with authentic Sri Lankan breakfast and dinner, it’s an amazing value in Sri Lanka! Find the accommodation here on Booking.com – Siriya River Side Home Stay ($).
Mid-Range Accommodation in Sigiriya
Palmyra Nature Resort Sigiriya
If you want a swimming pool on your visit to Sri Lanka to cool off after your journey from Negombo to Sigiriya by bus, then this is the place for you. It’s close location to the main street area and near Sigiriya Rock. Find the accommodation here on Booking.com – Palmyra Nature Resort Sigiriya ($$)
Luxury Accommodation in Sigiriya
Hotel Sigiriya has one of the best views of Sigiriya Rock that a hotel can have. It also has a pool and a spa for you to relax whilst enjoying the jungle. Find the accommodation here on Booking.com – Hotel Sigiriya ($$$)
What to do in Sigiriya?
As we mentioned in the beginning, the most popular reason people visit Sigiriya from Negombo is to see and climb the spectacular Sigiriya Rock. Now that you know how to get to Sigiriya by bus, there is plenty more to do!
1. Start your first morning with a sunrise hike up to Pidurangala Rock (500 LKR/person) for breathtaking views of Sigiriya rock and the jungle around you.
2. From Sigiriya, you can visit national parks such as Minneriya National Park or Kaudulla National Park and you can see elephants!
3. We took a day trip to Polonnaruwa with our rented scooters and managed to spot wild elephants on the side of the road! Polonnaruwa is a very historic town to visit and you can see ruins
4. A short ride back to Dambulla gives you the opportunity to visit the Dambulla Cave Temple (1000 LKR). It’s the best-preserved and largest cave temple complex in Sri Lanka and there are over a hundred Buddha statues!
Visiting Polonnaruwa from Sigiriya on a Day Trip
A day trip to Sri Lanka’s Ancient City is definitely possible! You can rent scooters from your accommodation or Sigiriya town, you can catch a bus or you can catch a tuk-tuk ride. The journey will take about 1 hour from Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa.
Once you arrive in Polonnaruwa you will need transport to get around the ancient ruins, you can use a tuk-tuk driver or go by yourself on a bicycle. You can also hire a guide for the day to help you learn more information about the ancient city.
Polonnaruwa ruins are in much better condition than the ruins of Anuradhapura, just in case you’re trying to figure out which one to visit.
The ticket price for the paid ruins is 4500 LKR / $25).
Where to stay in Negombo?
Serendib Village Guest House
- 9-minute walk from the beach & has a pool
- Easy to get to from the airport & a short tuk-tuk ride away from Negombo Bus Station
- Find on Booking.com here – Serendib Village Guest House
- Average price – 4939 LKR / £18 / US$24
Guesthouse Winston Sea Front Villa
- Walkable to Negombo Bus Station & it’s on the beach!
- Easy to get to from the airport by bus or tuk-tuk
- Find on Booking.com here – Guesthouse Winston Sea Front Villa
- Average price around – 4939 LKR / £18 / US$24 (including taxes)
If you’re interested in travel guides and more tips for visiting Sri Lanka, be sure to check out our other posts. We also have an eco-friendly travel products guide to help you reduce plastic when travelling.
- Here’s our 3 Week Sri Lanka Itinerary
- Spend 3 days exploring Ella
- Visit the capital of Sri Lanka and visit Colombo!
- South Coast Sri Lanka Itinerary
- Sri Lanka Travel Tips
Now you know how to get to Sigiriya from Negombo and even how to get to Sigiriya from the airport. Have a safe trip! Let us know if there’s anything else you’d like to know in the comments section or find us on Instagram @thesunrisedreamers! Look out for more Sri Lanka posts in the future!
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Amazing photos and the transport is so cheap and colourful. Lots of super helpful info. Wish I there! x
Aww thank you so much! Sri Lanka is affordable to travel, especially with using public transport!
Hi, thanks for the info. We couldn’t find the second bus so we took the number 48 from Kurunegala and drop us in Deambulla 👌
hey! thanks for letting us know that! 🙂 enjoy your travels!