Flying from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB): what you need to know
10 hours 42 minutes is the average time for a direct flight from London Heathrow Airport to Bandaranaike International Airport. Colombo is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of London and is in the UTC+5:30 timezone.
Each week, there are 12 flights from London Heathrow Airport to Bandaranaike International Airport. To get going as soon as possible, take the 02:20 SriLankan Airlines flight. If you're keen to make the most of your time before flying, the last flight from LHR to CMB is 21:30 with SriLankan Airlines.
You can expect longer queues during popular months like July and other peak seasons. Arriving up to fours hours ahead of international flights and two hours for a domestic departure is a smart move.
Flying into Colombo (and discovering more of Sri Lanka!) is easy with SriLankan Airlines. This popular airline offers direct flights from London Heathrow Airport to Bandaranaike International Airport.
If you want a stopover for your flight from London Heathrow Airport to Bandaranaike International Airport, simply uncheck 'Direct flights only' and look through your options. These are the top stopovers between LHR and CMB:
Hamad International Airport
Abu Dhabi International Airport
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport
To find out whether you need a visa to enter Sri Lanka, check with your airline and the local consulate or embassy. They'll give you the most up-to-date details, including any other travel documents you may need after booking your cheap ticket from LHR to CMB.
How to find the cheapest flights from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB)
The best price we've seen for a one-way ticket from London Heathrow Airport to Bandaranaike International Airport is C$397. The cheapest price for a return flight is C$743. Bear in mind that fares could change due to availability at the time of booking.
To secure cheap flight tickets from LHR to CMB, reserve your trip 8 months ahead of your departure date.
Organize your trip for April. That's the cheapest month for flight tickets from London Heathrow Airport to Bandaranaike International Airport. If your travel dates are flexible, try out the 'Whole month' tool to see the cheapest airfare across each month.
Set up a Price Alert for cheap flight tickets from LHR to CMB. You don't need to check every day to find out if airfares have fallen. We'll update you as soon as there's a change in price.
Tailor your trip using filters. Choose your departure and arrival times, total journey duration and airlines. You can also sort your results by 'Fastest,' 'Cheapest' or 'Best' flights from London Heathrow Airport to Bandaranaike International Airport.
Handy information about London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
London Heathrow Airport is around 31 kilometres from central London. If you're catching a cab, driving or ride-sharing from the center, it'll take you 57 minutes or so to get there, depending on the traffic. If you're using public transport, expect the travel time to be around 1 hour and 1 minute.
Have an early flight from London Heathrow Airport to Bandaranaike International Airport? Avoid rushing to the terminal (and sneak in some extra precious sleep) by picking one of these stays close to LHR:
Arriving at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB)
If you're arriving on a late flight from London Heathrow Airport to Bandaranaike International Airport, few things beat the convenience of staying near the terminal. Grab your bags from the carousel and then be showered and snoozing soon after at one of these options near CMB:
Getting from Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) to central Colombo
Bandaranaike International Airport to the center of Colombo is around 39 minutes by car. It's approximately 32 kilometres away. See what options are available, such as car rentals, cabs or ride-sharing.
It takes roughly 1 hour and 31 minutes to get there using public transport.
When to fly to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB)
August is the busiest month for flights from London Heathrow Airport to Bandaranaike International Airport. To escape the crowds, head to Colombo in April.
When reserving your flight from London Heathrow Airport to Bandaranaike International Airport, consider the type of weather you enjoy. March is the warmest month in Colombo, with temperatures ranging from 24ºC to 33ºC.
January sees average temperatures of between 22ºC and 32ºC. Look for cheap flight tickets from LHR to CMB around that time if you like cooler conditions.
More about Colombo
If you're looking for somewhere to rest your head, you'll find the best stays in Colombo right here. Check out these hotels once you've booked your flight from LHR to CMB:
Every great adventure has to include some sightseeing. Gangaramaya Temple, Independence Square & Independence Memorial Hall and Viharamahadevi Park are among the things you can't miss in Colombo.
Complete your Colombo trip with hotels and a car rental
You've got your cheap ticket to Bandaranaike International Airport — next on the list is finding somewhere to stay, and perhaps even your own set of wheels. We've compared prices across hundreds of companies to bring you the best hotels and car rental deals in Colombo.