Sri Lanka is an incredible tourist destination with high cultural significance. The serenity and divinity of the temples and shrines combined with the breathtaking views from the mountains, peaks, and forts, compel people to visit this beautiful and bountiful nation.
Furthermore, Sri Lanka is also known for its diverse wildlife, ranging from the majestic Sri Lankan elephant to the shy leopard and is home to 123 species of mammals, 183 species of reptiles, 122 species of amphibians, 2227 species of birds, 93 freshwater fish species, and a hefty 601 species of spiders.
Visitors from all over the world arrive in Sri Lanka to witness these highlights. The fastest route to reaching Sri Lanka is by plane, and the majority of the visitors arrive through the central hub Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake, 30km north of Colombo. In order to make travel planning a little easier for you, we have provided some information on flights from major international countries below.
It is important to note that only a few countries fall into the Sri Lankan visa-exempt category. As such, we have also shared resources where you can apply for a Sri Lanka Tourist ETA.
While there are no direct flights from the United States to Sri Lanka, there are plenty of one-stop options to Colombo from several US cities including Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington DC. Premier airlines such as Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways, SriLankan Airlines, and Qatar Airways offer connecting flights from these cities to Sri Lanka. Depending upon the airlines and the travel duration, the fare for Colombo ranges from $2500 to $3700.
No airline flies non-stop from Canada to Sri Lanka, but Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Qatar Airways, and Emirates provide connecting flights, where you can change flights at Istanbul, Maldives, Qatar, or Dubai. Flights for Sri Lanka leave from one Canadian city, Toronto. The cheapest flight tickets cost almost $3000, and an additional 500 bucks might get you there faster.
There’s one non-stop flight from Australia to Sri Lanka offered by Sri Lankan Airlines, this flight leaves from Melbourne. Apart from the non-stop flight, connecting flights for Colombo leave from three Australian cities; Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. Air India, IndiGo, and SriLankan Airlines are some select airways that offer connecting flights with at least two stops. These flights cost around $4500, even the cheapest flight costs somewhere around $4200. The average flight time for Australia to Colombo is 14 hours and 30 minutes.
As of now, SriLankan Airlines is the only airline that offers non-stop flights to Sri Lanka from London’s Heathrow airport. Etihad Airways, Emirates, British Airways, Air India, Indigo, and Srilankan Airlines provide connecting flights from London to Colombo. The flight tickets price varies from $1900 to $3000 based on how quickly you want to reach Sri Lanka. Flights for Colombo also leave from Birmingham and Manchester airports.
Visitors interested in travelling to Sri Lanka can procure a quick Electronic Travel Authorization commonly known as ETA.
By applying for the ETA, you are applying for a Sri Lanka visa online. Once you have applied for the ETA, you can collect your 30-day short visit visa at the Sri Lankan Port of Entry.
ETA is generated through an online system and therefore doesn’t require any documents such as passport copies or photographs. Carry the ETA approval paper with you, which you can show along with your original passport at the entry port to gain clearance. Head over to Sri Lanka’s Official Visa website to start the procedure for the Sri Lankan visa application process.
The website also provides a detailed fee structure required to procure an ETA.
Additionally, you can reach the Sri Lankan High Commission Office at mail@slhc-london.co.uk.
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