Anuradhapura is 206 km north of Colombo. Trains run several times daily from Colombo Fort station; the journey takes around 4 hours on an intercity express. Buses from Colombo's Bastian Mawatha terminal are slightly faster and run throughout the day. From Kandy, buses go via Dambulla and take about 3 hours.
The railway station and main bus stand are both in the modern town, about 2 km east of the ancient city. Tuk-tuks between the two cost a fixed fare.