By rail
Nanu Oya station, ~7 km from town
Indian Ocean Islands · Sri Lanka
Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
'Little England' among the tea estates
Getting there
By air
Bandaranaike (CMB), ~5 h by road
Best time to visit
February to April — dry, crisp days
Don't miss
Horton Plains National Park
Gregory Lake
Hakgala Botanical Garden
The Pedro tea estate
Things to do
Tea-estate walks
Horton Plains at dawn
Gregory Lake
Colonial-era bungalows
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: A.Savin · FAL
What to pack
Warm layers — the nights are cold
A quieter corner
Lover's Leap Falls, a short walk from town
Questions travellers ask
How cold does Nuwara Eliya get?
The nights are cold, so pack warm layers. February to April brings dry, crisp days.
Which railway station serves Nuwara Eliya?
Nanu Oya station, about 7 km from town. By road, it's about 5 hours from Bandaranaike (CMB).
What are the highlights around Nuwara Eliya?
Tea-estate walks (the Pedro tea estate is one), Horton Plains National Park at dawn, Gregory Lake, Hakgala Botanical Garden and the colonial-era bungalows.
What's a good short walk from Nuwara Eliya town?
Lover's Leap Falls, a short walk from town. Round off the day with high tea.
About Nuwara Eliya
- Hills
Where it is
Nuwara Eliya is a hill station in Central Province, Sri Lanka, at about 1,900 m in the central highlands, below Pidurutalagala, the island's highest mountain, and among the tea estates south of Kandy.
History
British colonists, among them the explorer Samuel Baker, developed Nuwara Eliya in the 19th century as a cool retreat from the lowlands, and its English-style houses, gardens and golf course earned it the name Little England. Tea planting transformed the surrounding hills from the late 19th century.
People
Nuwara Eliya's people speak Sinhala and Tamil, and many Tamil families on the tea estates descend from workers brought from southern India in the 19th century. Its markets sell vegetables grown on the cool terraces, such as leeks, carrots and cabbages, and each April, around the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, the town fills with holidaymakers for horse races and flower shows.
Known for
- Tea estates and tea factories
- Horton Plains and World's End
- Gregory Lake
- Colonial-era buildings and bungalows
- The April holiday season
Did you know?
At World's End in nearby Horton Plains National Park, the edge of the highlands falls away in a sheer cliff of about 870 m.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.