Taxi in Hikkaduwa, private transfers at a fixed price
Taxi from Hikkaduwa from $32€28CHF 26AED 116Rs 10,000₹3,000¥210₽2,700 (Rs 10,000) per vehicle, not per person
Hikkaduwa was Sri Lanka's first backpacker beach and it has never quite stopped being one, which is either the appeal or the problem depending on what you came for. It is a long strip of guesthouses, surf shops and restaurants pressed between the Galle Road and the sea, about two hours from Colombo airport on the expressway and twenty minutes north of Galle. The coral sanctuary at the northern end gives it something the neighbouring beaches do not have: you can snorkel from the sand and see turtles without a boat.
- Fixed price, no surprises
- Free cancellation up to 24 h before pickup
- Only 50% now, the rest to your driver
- Secure card payment by Stripe
Taxi from Hikkaduwa at a glance
A private taxi from Hikkaduwa costs from $32€28CHF 26AED 116Rs 10,000₹3,000¥210₽2,700 (Rs 10,000) for the whole vehicle, with the driver, fuel, expressway tolls and parking included.
- Hikkaduwa → Colombo Airport (CMB): 125 km, about 2 h 15, from $65€55CHF 52AED 230Rs 20,000₹6,000¥420₽5,300 (Rs 20,000).
Book online with a 50% deposit, the balance is paid to your driver on the day. Free cancellation up to 24 h before pickup, deposit refunded in full.
Popular transfers from Hikkaduwa
Fixed price for the whole vehicle: driver, fuel and tolls included. Each one books in two minutes.
City to city: choose your hotel from the start
The price covers the journey between the two towns. Pick your hotel, guesthouse or beach directly in the pickup and drop-off search, or send the exact address on WhatsApp after booking. Anywhere inside the towns shown, the price stays the same.
Only the 50% deposit is paid to book — securely, by card — and the rest goes to your driver on the day. The price above is fixed and does not change.
Going somewhere else? We drive from Hikkaduwa to every town we serve — choose yours on the next screen.
Book a transfer from HikkaduwaHow booking works
1.Choose your transfer
Pick the destination and the vehicle. The price you see is the price you pay, for the whole car, whatever your exact address in town.
2.Pay the 50% deposit
Securely by card. It locks your driver and your price; the balance goes to the driver on the day, in cash or by card on board.
3.Meet your driver
You receive your driver’s name and phone number on WhatsApp 48 hours before pickup. Free cancellation up to 24 h before, deposit refunded.
What every price includes
What's included
- Fuel and all mileage
- Professional driver
- Expressway tolls (E01 / E03)
- Parking fees
- All taxes
- Air conditioning
- Bottled water
- 15 minutes free waiting elsewhere
What's not included
- Driver tips (appreciated, never required)
- Entrance tickets to sites and parks
- Meals and drinks along the way
- Driver accommodation on multi-day hires
- Extra stops not agreed in advance
Transfers to Hikkaduwa
Coming to Hikkaduwa from elsewhere? Same fixed prices, the other way round.
Where we pick up in Hikkaduwa
We pick up anywhere along the Hikkaduwa strip, from Wewala and Narigama at the southern end to the town centre and Thiranagama. Tell us the guesthouse name: almost nothing here is signposted by number, and every driver on this coast navigates by property name and the nearest landmark. If your accommodation is on the beach side with no vehicle access, we will meet you at the nearest point on the Galle Road and help with the bags, which is a two-minute walk in practice.
Getting to and from Hikkaduwa
The E01 expressway runs inland and exits at Pinnaduwa near Galle, so the last stretch into Hikkaduwa is on the old coastal road. That road is the town: everything sits on it, and it is busy, narrow and lined with parked tuk-tuks. Trains stop here on the coastal line and the ride from Colombo is famously scenic, though it is standing room only in season. Scooters are widely rented and widely crashed; the traffic on the Galle Road is not forgiving, and a driver for the day costs less than most people expect once you compare it with the alternative.
Travel tips for Hikkaduwa
The season is November to April, and Hikkaduwa in July is a different town: strong surf, closed restaurants, cheap rooms. Surf conditions suit beginners better than the reef breaks further south, which is why the surf schools are concentrated here. The main road is genuinely noisy at night, so ask for a room on the sea side or well back from it. If you want a beach with restaurants and life in walking distance but not the party volume of the main strip, stay at the Narigama end.
About Hikkaduwa
The coral sanctuary is the reason to be here, and it is best in the early morning before the glass-bottom boats churn the water. Turtles come in to feed close to shore at Narigama most days, without anyone needing to hold them. Beyond the beach, Galle Fort is twenty minutes away and worth a full evening rather than a rushed afternoon, and the Tsunami Museum and memorial at Peraliya, just north of town, is a sober and worthwhile stop for anyone curious about what happened here in 2004.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Colombo airport to Hikkaduwa?
About two hours and a quarter on the E01 expressway. The old coastal road takes three and a half and is only worth it if you actively want to stop along the way.
Is Hikkaduwa close to Galle?
Twenty minutes by road. Many people stay in Hikkaduwa and visit Galle Fort in the evening, which is the better order: the fort is at its best after the day-trip buses leave.
Can I snorkel straight from the beach?
Yes, that is the point of the coral sanctuary at the northern end. Go early; visibility drops once the boats start.
Do you serve the small guesthouses on the beach side?
Yes. Where there is no vehicle access we meet you at the nearest point on the Galle Road, usually a two-minute walk, and help with the luggage.
Staying more than a day?
Keep the same car and the same driver for the whole trip. 250 km a day included, and his room and meals are on us.
$80€70CHF 70AED 300Rs 25,500₹7,700¥540₽6,800 (Rs 25,500)a day
See private driver pricesBook your taxi from Hikkaduwa
from $32€28CHF 26AED 116Rs 10,000₹3,000¥210₽2,700 (Rs 10,000) per vehicle, not per person
A stop on the way, a wait, a child seat, a multi-day trip: ask us on WhatsApp and we reply with a firm price.