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Cheapest time to fly from London to Colombo

Flexible with dates? We find the best price for the week of the day you select *Prices may vary after you search.

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week: 5 Jan - 11 Jan

Flights from just £683

£1,104

£1,380

£1,345

£1,025

£683

£854

£819

£1,062

£1,108

£997

£789

DecemberJanuaryFebruary

Flight Duration18 h and 55 mFlights between London and Colombo take, on average, 18 h and 55 m minutes, but the time can vary according to other factors

Cheapest flight£278Cheapest price for a flight between London and Colombo found by our customers in the last 72 hours

Departing AirportGatwickThe airport Gatwick is the departure airport operating flights between London and Colombo

Arriving AirportKatunayake InternationalFlights departing London with Colombo as destination arrive at Katunayake International

High seasonJulyAccording to search data from our customers, July is the busiest time to fly from London to Colombo

Airlines flying this routeSrilankan AirlinesAirline(s) with flights between London to Colombo

Best time to bookJulyAccording to real data July is the most popular time to book a flight to Colombo when departing from London

Airlines that fly from London to Colombo

Saudi Arabian Airlines

365£

Gulf Air

373£

Currency and price comparison

TrainLocal, one-way ticket

97%Trains in Colombo are 97% cheaper than in London.

London£3.50

Colombo£0.12

MealMid-priced restaurant

82%A meal in Colombo is 82% cheaper than a meal in London.

London£20.00

Colombo£3.52

TaxiStandard daytime start rate

92%A taxi fare in Colombo is 92% cheaper than in London.

London£4.20

Colombo£0.32

CoffeeRegular cappuccino

53%Coffee in Colombo is 53% cheaper than in London.

London£4.01

Colombo£1.87

Exchange rate

1 GBP = 411.47 LKR

1 LKR = 0.01 GBP

Last checked on Fri 05/12

Distance: 5413 miles

London airports

Gatwick (LGW)How far from city centre: 25 miles

Heathrow (LHR)How far from city centre: 14 miles

Luton International (LTN)How far from city centre: 27 miles

Stansted (STN)How far from city centre: 30 miles

London City (LCY)How far from city centre: 7 miles

Southend (SEN)How far from city centre: 35 miles

Colombo airports

Katunayake International (CMB)How far from city centre: 17 miles

Useful information for the flight from London to Colombo

How long is the flight from London to Colombo?

The flight duration on a direct flight from London to Colombo is around 10 hours and 30 minutes.

What are the most common stopovers?

The most common stopovers for flights from London to Colombo are Bangalore, Doha, and Dubai. There is also a flight path to Colombo via Male in the Maldives.

What documentation do I need to fly to Colombo from London?

You will need to obtain an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) for your holidays Sri Lanka. You can apply directly for an online ETA by visiting the following website: www.eta.gov.lk. When applying, you will need your passport details, flight ticket details, and the name and address of the first hotel or address you will be heading to upon arrival in Sri Lanka.

Is there a time change from London to Colombo?

Sri Lanka is located on an island in the Indian Ocean, south of India. Srilankan time is five and a half hours ahead of London's Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT).

Which airlines fly from London to Colombo?

There are several airlines with departures from London to Colombo including:

British Airways, the country's national airline.
SriLankan Airlines, the only airline that offers a domestic flight service to Colombo.
Qatar Airways, a leading airline of Qatar.
Emirates, an airline based in Dubai.

How to find cheap flights from London to Colombo?

The best way to find discount airfares from London to Colombo is to simply enter your destination and dates of travel in Opodo's speedy search engine. The results will allow you to compare the prices on flights and select the best deals. By travelling with stopovers and different airlines, you can find cheaper fares. The cheapest time to go to Colombo is May, though August or December are also affordable. The Opodo website allows you to filter your choices by airports, airlines, schedules, and many other options.

When are the best times to fly from London to Colombo?

January to March is the best time to fly to Colombo as the weather is mostly sunny in this season. The Duruthy Perehara festival, a religious celebration with beautiful processions through the city, is also celebrated in January.
April to October is the monsoon season in Colombo. If you don't mind the rain however, this is a great time of the year to soak up the natural beauty of the city without being bothered by large crowds of visitors.

Airports in London

London has 4 airports providing passenger services to Colombo: Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London Luton Airport, and London Stansted Airport.

Useful information about Heathrow Airport:

Heathrow Airport is located 15 miles of west of central London and is easy to access by car or with public transportation.

How to get to the airport:

By underground - with the Piccadilly line.
By taxi - 30 to 60 minutes depending on traffic.
By bus - National Express. Runs every 15-30 minutes.

Services: open 24/7, free Wi-Fi, baby care facilities, outdoor smoking areas, cafes and duty-free shops.

Useful information about Gatwick Airport:

Gatwick Airport is located 29.5 miles south of central London.

How to get to the airport:

By train - the Gatwick Express from Victoria station runs every 15 minutes.
By taxi - 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic.
By bus - the easyBus to central London runs every 15 minutes.

Services: open 24/7, 90 minutes of free Wi-Fi, baby changing facilities, restaurants, cafes, and bars.

Useful information about London Luton Airport:

London Luton Airport is located 28 miles north of Central London.

How to get to the airport:

By train - approximately 25 minutes from St Pancras International station.
By taxi - 45 to 60 minutes depending on traffic.
By bus - the Green Line coach service 757 runs from Victoria Coach Station twice hourly every day.

Services: open 24/7, 4 hours of free Wi-Fi, numerous cafes, restaurants, bars, and shops.

Useful information about London Stansted Airport:

London Stansted Airport is located 42 miles north-east of central London.

How to get to the airport:

By train - the Stansted Express from London Liverpool Street runs every 15 minutes.
By taxi - 45 to 70 minutes depending on traffic.
By bus - National Express coaches offer 24-hour bus services.

Services: open 24/7, free Wi-Fi, shopping, restaurants, and cafes.

Airports in Columbo

Colombo International Airport is the only airport in Columbo.

Useful information about Colombo International Airport:

Colombo International Airport is located about one hour's drive north from Colombo's city centre.

How to get from the airport to the city:

By taxi - 45 to 90 minutes.
By bus - the Srilanka Express Bus departs every 30 minutes. The last bus to the airport departs at 8.30pm.

Services: Open 24/7, Wi-Fi in designated areas, lounges, showers, and rest zones.

What to do and visit in Colombo

Visit the Gangarama Vihara temple.
Spend a day at the Dehiwala Zoological Garden.
Enjoy the buzzing night-life, chill-out bars, and trips to casinos.
Indulge in a massage at one of Colombo's spas.
Witness the charm of Colombo with fantastic city breaks.

Frequently asked questions about flights from London to Colombo

Is it possible to purchase a flexible ticket for my flight from London to Colombo?

At Opodo we want to make sure that your travel plans are not affected by any cancelation as well as any possible restrictions Sri Lanka may apply when travelling from London. Is your flight cancelled? We've got your back! With our flexible ticket guarantee you can decide if you want to book another flight - free of rebooking fee - or get a full refund!

How can I find cheap flights from London to Colombo at Opodo?

The cheapest price for a flight from London to Colombo is 278 £. At Opodo we use different machine learned based methodologies to find our costumers the best option available, considering airline combinations, stopovers and direct flights as well as different criteria for inbound and outbound journeys.

Is Colombo expensive to visit compared to London?

If you compare transportation prices, the taxi ride in Colombo costs an average of 0.32 GBP, 92% cheaper than London, with a fare of 4.20 GBP,

While train tickets costs 97% less in Colombo: 0.12 GBP against 3.50 GBP in London.

If you compare the price of a lunch meal, however, you can find it from 3.52 GBP in Colombo, 82% less than the 20.00 GBP in London.

The price of the coffee is around 53% cheaper in Colombo, with an average of 1.87 GBP, while in London the coffee costs 4.01 GBP.

When is the best time to book a flight from London to Colombo?

The most popular months to book a flight from London to Colombo are January, December and February, based on the searches of our customers.

When is the best time to travel from London to Colombo?

The best time of the year to go to Colombo when flying from London depends on several preference factors like climate, seasonality and, of course, price. When it comes to popularity, July is the top 1º month to fly to Colombo from London in terms of searches from our customer, followed by August and December. If you prefer to avoid high peaks of turism, however, and escape a crowded period, September, May and June are the months with less volume of searchs for the route London - Colombo.

How long does the flight take to go from London to Colombo?

The total flight time between London and Colombo is of around 12:23 hours on average, considering an average distance of 9,513 km, for both direct and indirect flights for the route (which may have 1 or more stops in other cities in between).

How is the weather in Colombo compared to London?

While in London the temperatures can reach an average of 29.01 ºC in summer, with precipitation levels up to 9 mm ,Colombo's temperatures can go up to 34 ºC during the hot season, with 3 mm average of rain rate . In winter, however, weather indicators show around 20.54 ºC in Colombo, compared to the -3.09 ºC average degrees reported in London. During the winter period, London can register 6 mm precipitation, while Colombo have an average of 6 mm rain level.

Which airports have flights between London and Colombo?

The main airport route flying between London and Colombo is: Gatwick (LGW) to Katunayake International (CMB). This route is covered by the following airline(s):

British Airways.

Turkish Airlines.

Qatar Airways.

Alternatively, you can find London - Colombo flights between Heathrow (LHR) to Katunayake International (CMB) with the following airline(s) flying the route: Srilankan Airlines.

Air India.

Which are the airlines with flights from London to Colombo?

Airlines with direct flights departing from London to Colombo are:

Srilankan Airlines.
Emirates.
Qatar Airways.

Emirates, stopping in Dubai for 60 minutes minimum.

Etihad Airways, with 75 minutes scale in Abu Dhabi.
Gulf Air, with 95 minutes scale in Bahrain.

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