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Chauffeur Day Hire — Your Car and Driver, By the Hour
Sometimes the trip isn't A to B: it's meetings across Colombo, a slow day in Galle's fort streets, temple-hopping in Kandy, or a coast road with no schedule. Day Hire puts a private car and English-speaking chauffeur at your disposal — hourly, fixed, VAT-inclusive.
Updated September 2026 · prices verified against our live booking system.
Key takeaways
- Hourly chauffeur-car from $38.50/h (Economy) to $82.50/h (Minibus) — 2 h minimum, up to 12 h, one fixed quote.
- Includes 30 km per hour ($1.65/extra km): fuel, VAT and the chauffeur — city parking covered.
- The right tool for meetings across Colombo, temple-hopping at your pace, and hotel moves with errands.
- Day-hire + airport transfers live on one voucher; vans (8) and minibuses (16) for teams and families.
What day hire is for
- Business: airport pickup → office → client dinner → hotel, one car, receipts for all of it.
- Custom sightseeing: Sigiriya + Dambulla + Minneriya in one loop from Habarana; Kandy temples at your pace.
- Hotel changes with errands: checkout, bank, shops, new hotel — luggage in the boot, not on your back.
- Weddings, film crews, family events: minibuses (16) and vans (8) available with hours to spare.
How it works
Choose "hourly" in the booking flow, tell us the day's shape, and we quote a fixed total — vehicle, chauffeur, fuel, VAT and tolls included. Typical patterns: 4-hour city block, 8-hour full day, or 10–12-hour long loops (Sigiriya from Colombo is a big but doable day). Extras: child seat $5, extra stop $10, waiting beyond the booked block at the hourly rate shown at booking.
Hourly rates (from our live rate card)
| Vehicle | Seats | Rate per hour | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy Sedan | up to 4 | $38.50/h | 30 km/h; $1.65 per extra km |
| Standard Sedan | up to 4 | $49.50/h | 30 km/h; $1.65 per extra km |
| Premium Sedan | up to 4 | $71.50/h | 30 km/h; $1.65 per extra km |
| Van | up to 8 | $60.50/h | 30 km/h; $1.65 per extra km |
| Minibus | up to 16 | $82.50/h | 30 km/h; $1.65 per extra km |
Minimum 2 hours, up to 12 hours per booking. VAT, tolls and city parking for the chauffeur are included in the quoted total; child seat $5 · extra stop $10.
FAQ
What is chauffeur day hire?
A private car with a professional English-speaking driver at your disposal for a booked number of hours — you set the stops, we quote one fixed price including fuel, VAT and tolls.
Is day hire cheaper than multiple taxi rides?
For more than two stops in a day, usually yes — and the car waits with your luggage and air conditioning between them.
Can I combine day hire with airport transfers?
Yes — many guests book the arrival transfer plus a 4-hour city block the next morning; it all lives on one voucher.
Sources & method
Official airport taxi rates: airport.lk — AASL published tariff (air-conditioned sedan class). USD conversions: live interbank rate LKR 328.26 = $1 (open.er-api.com, 11 Sep 2026), re-checked monthly. LankaWayFinder prices include VAT, taxes, tolls and expressway fees; child seat $5, booster $5, extra stop $10. Drive times are typical expressway routings and vary with traffic.
About this guide: written by the LankaWayFinder operations team — LANKAWAYFINDER (PVT) LTD (reg. PV 00332800), based at Katunayake, minutes from CMB. Our chauffeurs drive these roads daily, and prices are benchmarked monthly against the official airport tariff. Questions: +94 77 405 2202 (WhatsApp) · About us
Popular transfers: Colombo · Negombo · Kandy · Sigiriya · Galle · Ella — all CMB routes →