SFO CMB
Flights from San Francisco to Sri Lanka
Everything worth knowing before you book this route — how far it is, how long you will be in the air, whether a nonstop exists, and what the fare is doing right now.
How long is the flight from San Francisco to Sri Lanka?
The great-circle distance from San Francisco International (SFO) to Sri Lanka is 9,041 miles. Flown nonstop, that works out at roughly 16h 17m in the air, including taxi time at both ends.
Expect the return leg to differ. Flying westbound on the way out, you are pushing against the jet stream, so the outbound and inbound block times on this route typically differ by around 45 minutes. Airlines schedule for this — it is not a delay.
Can you fly San Francisco to Sri Lanka nonstop?
Expect at least one stop
Almost nothing flies this far nonstop on scheduled service from the United States. Plan on one connection as the baseline; the routing you pick matters more than the airline, because a well-timed single stop can be quicker than a badly-timed "shorter" one.
When to book
Sri Lanka's two monsoons — southwest (May–Sept) and northeast (Oct–Jan) — mean there's no single "best" month for the whole island. December through March is when the southwest coast, cultural triangle (Sigiriya, Anuradhapura), and hill country are all in good shape simultaneously — the closest thing to a universal best window. This is also peak season; prices rise and popular guesthouses book out. January and February are peak of peak.
April and early May hit the sweet spot before the southwest monsoon arrives: dry on the southwest coast, manageable in the hills, and prices below December-January highs. The east coast (Arugam Bay) flips opposite — May through October is its dry and surf season, while the west is wet. Experienced travelers use this to island-hop between coasts based on season.
Landing in Sri Lanka
You gain 11 hours flying out. Westbound is the kinder direction — staying up later comes more naturally than going to bed early — so most travelers feel normal within a day or two.
| Airport | CMB — Bandaranaike International Airport, 19 miles north of Colombo city center. Metered taxi to Colombo Fort: ~$15. PickMe (Sri Lanka's Grab equivalent) is cheaper: $10–$12. Airport buses run to the city for about $1 but take 90 minutes. |
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| Visa | US citizens need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) in advance — apply at eta.gov.lk for $35, approved within 24 hours. 30 days, extendable. Do not pay third-party sites; use only the official government portal. |
| Currency | Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR). $1 ≈ LKR 320. ATMs available in Colombo, Kandy, and tourist towns. Card acceptance is improving but bring some cash for rural areas, tuk-tuks, and smaller guesthouses. |
| Language | Sinhala and Tamil. English widely spoken in tourism contexts, hotels, and Colombo — Sri Lanka has very high English literacy by regional standards. |
Sri Lanka from other US cities
Other destinations from San Francisco
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