Airport hub guide
Colombo Bandaranaike CMB: the complete layover guide
One international terminal, lounges that never close, a transit hotel sitting right above the gates, and a beach town 15 to 20 minutes from the door. Here is how to handle a layover at Colombo without the guesswork.
Layover verdict Good for 2 to 6 hour layovers. Every international flight uses the same building, the lounges and restaurants run around the clock, and a connection here never involves a terminal change. Overnights are survivable too, thanks to the airside Serenediva Transit Hotel.
Best lounge play The Lotus First Class Lounge on the upper level near gates 6 and 7 runs 24 hours, takes Priority Pass, and allows a stay of up to 6 hours, which covers most Colombo connections comfortably.
The one thing to know Skip Colombo city on anything under 8 hours. Negombo beach sits 15 to 20 minutes from the terminal by taxi, while Colombo Fort is about an hour each way even on the expressway.
Last reviewed 20 May 2026
Quick facts
Colombo at a glance
| Terminals | 1 international terminal handles everything; a small separate building takes domestic flights. Terminal 2 is under construction, with opening targeted for 2028 |
| Airside transit between terminals | Not needed. All international arrivals and departures use the one terminal, so a connection means a transfer security check and a walk, nothing more |
| Free wifi | Yes, in designated areas rather than wall to wall; sessions have historically been time limited at around 3 hours (current limit to be confirmed) |
| Sleep friendliness | Fair. No rest zones and landside seats have armrests; the calmest free spot is airside near gates 5 to 8, and the transit hotel sells rooms in 6 hour blocks |
| Lounge count | 7 in the international terminal: two SriLankan Airlines rooms, the airport run Lotus, Araliya and Executive lounges, the Emirates Lounge, and the pay per use Palm Strip |
| Nearest in terminal hotel | Serenediva Transit Hotel, airside on level 2 above the main pier, 32 rooms sold in 6 hour blocks, reachable without clearing immigration |
Orientation
How Colombo is laid out
CMB is a one terminal airport in Katunayake, about 32 km north of Colombo, and that single building is the whole story: every international flight you will ever connect through here uses the same pier.
The layout is simple and vertical. Check in and arrivals sit on the ground floor, departures and the gate concourse run along level 1 above, and the transit hotel plus the Serenediva Lounge occupy level 2. After the escalators on the departures level, a long duty free corridor leads toward the gates, which run up to gate 14 along a single pier. Colombo duty free has a famous quirk: alongside the perfume and whisky you will find shops selling washing machines and refrigerators to returning Sri Lankan residents. It is the most honest duty free in Asia and worth a stroll even if you buy nothing.
Connections are about as easy as international transfers get. You step off, follow the transit signs, pass a transfer security screening, and you are back in the same concourse you will depart from. There is no terminal change, no bus, no train. A 90 minute connection on one ticket is genuinely fine here when your inbound runs on time. The pinch point is the transfer security queue when several wide bodies arrive together, which at CMB tends to happen in the small hours, since much of the long haul schedule clusters around midnight to 4 am. That overnight rhythm is also why nearly everything in the terminal, lounges included, runs 24 hours.
Landside, the cheapest route to the city is bus 187 E3 from the airport to Colombo Fort, running via the expressway in about 50 to 60 minutes for a few hundred rupees, with services around the clock. The official taxi counters in the arrivals hall are the simple option and take roughly the same time on the expressway, longer once Colombo traffic gets involved. The smarter short layover move points the other way entirely: Negombo, a proper beach town with a long sand strip and good seafood, sits 15 to 20 minutes north by taxi. Five to six hours on the ground at CMB buys you a swim. Colombo does not offer that trade.
Entry paperwork in one line: most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorization from eta.gov.lk before leaving the airport, and since 25 May 2026 the 30 day tourist ETA is free for nationals of 40 countries, but rules shift, so verify before travel.
Terminal by terminal
What each terminal gives you
Terminal 1, where everything happens
The only terminal that matters for a layover, and dense with options for its size. SriLankan Airlines runs two lounges: the Serendib Lounge on level 1, just right of the escalators after immigration, open 24 hours for SriLankan business class passengers, and the Serenediva Lounge up on level 2 for oneworld Sapphire and Emerald members plus FlySmiles Platinum and Gold, also around the clock, with a free 15 minute Ayurvedic massage that is better than it has any right to be. The airport itself operates the Lotus First Class Lounge near gates 6 and 7, the Araliya business lounge that serves contracted carriers, and an Executive Lounge. Emirates keeps its own lounge opposite gate 10 for its premium passengers, with paid entry sometimes sold at the door. The Palm Strip in the central concourse takes walk in payment. Add the Serenediva Transit Hotel on level 2 and a strip of 24 hour restaurants, and a long wait here passes faster than the building's age suggests. Two practical notes: prices in the terminal run high by Sri Lankan standards, and travelers consistently mention mosquitoes overnight, so pack repellent if you are sleeping rough.
The domestic terminal
A small separate building beside the main terminal handles the thin schedule of domestic flights. There is no airside link, so a domestic to international connection means walking out, moving between buildings landside, and clearing security from scratch. If your itinerary includes a domestic leg, give the switch a full hour and treat anything less as optimism.
Terminal 2, the one on the way
The long promised expansion is real but slow. The Japanese funded Terminal 2 project, built by Taisei with JICA financing, covers roughly 180,000 square meters with two new piers and is meant to lift the airport's capacity to 15 million passengers a year. After nearly a decade of delays, construction was reported to restart in June 2026 with opening targeted for March 2028. Treat both dates with healthy skepticism. Until it opens, everything in this guide describes the existing terminal.
Your layover, planned
The CMB guides
Colombo layover guide, hour by hour
What 3, 5 and 8 hours actually buy you at CMB, including the Negombo beach run that makes this airport better than its size suggests.
Every CMB lounge and how to get in
The full lounge table for the terminal: both SriLankan rooms, Lotus, Araliya, Emirates and the rest, with access methods and hours.
Sleeping at Colombo airport
The honest sleep map: the quiet seats near gates 5 to 8, what the Serenediva Transit Hotel charges per 6 hour block, and the mosquito problem.
Check lounge access for CMB
Seven lounges operate inside Colombo's single terminal and several sell entry to any traveler regardless of airline or cabin, including a 24 hour Priority Pass option. Compare current access routes, prices and hours before you fly.
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FAQ
Colombo layover questions
Can I sleep overnight at Colombo airport?
You can stay in the terminal overnight and the airport runs 24 hours, but there are no rest zones and most landside seating has armrests. The best free option is the seating around gates 5 to 8 airside. For real sleep, the Serenediva Transit Hotel above the gates sells rooms in 6 hour blocks, and you do not need to clear immigration to reach it.
Which lounges at CMB take Priority Pass?
The Lotus First Class Lounge, on the upper level near gates 6 and 7, takes Priority Pass and runs 24 hours with a maximum stay of 6 hours. Reports on Araliya Lounge access vary, so check your Priority Pass app for the current list before you fly.
Do I need a visa for a layover in Colombo?
If you stay airside for a same day connection you do not normally need a visa. To leave the airport you need an Electronic Travel Authorization from eta.gov.lk; since 25 May 2026 the 30 day tourist ETA is free for nationals of 40 countries. Rules change, so verify before travel.
Is wifi free at Colombo airport?
Free wifi is available in designated areas of the terminal rather than wall to wall, and sessions have historically been time limited at around 3 hours. The lounges and the transit hotel run their own networks, which are more reliable for calls.
How do I get from CMB to Colombo city?
Bus 187 E3 runs from the airport to Colombo Fort via the expressway in about 50 to 60 minutes and operates around the clock for a few hundred rupees. The official taxi counters in the arrivals hall are the simple alternative and take roughly the same time, traffic depending.
Can I visit a beach during a CMB layover?
Yes, and this is Colombo airport's best trick. Negombo beach sits 15 to 20 minutes away by taxi, so a layover of 5 to 6 hours comfortably buys you a swim and a seafood lunch. Colombo city needs about an hour each way, so save it for layovers of 8 hours or more.
Nearby
Related airports
Male Velana (MLE)
The Maldives gateway one short flight south. CMB is the standard connection point for Maldives trips on SriLankan and oneworld itineraries, so these two airports pair constantly.
Chennai International (MAA)
The closest major Indian hub, under 90 minutes flying time from Colombo, and a frequent alternative routing when CMB fares spike.
Kochi Cochin (COK)
A short hop across to Kerala on one of the busiest routes out of Colombo. If your itinerary connects through South India instead, start with our COK guide.
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