We spent a week in Sri Lanka, starting and finishing in the capital, Colombo. In the interim, we took a train up into the hill country of the island’s interior, staying at Nuwara Eliya. The city sits at almost 2,000 metres above sea level, surrounded by tea plantations. It was founded as a colonial hill station in 1846.
How to get to Nuwara Eliya
Nuwara Eliya is in central Sri Lanka, around 90 miles east of Colombo. It can be reached by road, but I would recommend the experience of taking the train. There are several daily trains from Colombo Fort to Nanu Oya, which is 5 miles from Nuwara Eliya. The journey takes approximately 7 hours, depending on the train service. The price varies according from class, with the options being 3rd, 2nd, 1st or Observation Class. Further details can be found on the Sri Lanka Railways website. Upon arrival, you will find plenty of taxis and tuk tuks available at the station.
Getting around Nuwara Eliya
Although the main attractions in my itinerary are a few miles apart, the scenery around Nuwara Eliya is spectacular, and walking is part of the attraction. We combined walking with catching a couple of tuk tuks. The walk from Pedro Tea Estate to Lover’s Leap is just over a mile, via a Viewpoint. From here to Lake Gregory is 3 less scenic miles. Note: Our experience of catching tuk tuks is that the driver will claim he knows where he’s going, even if he doesn’t. Keep an eye on the route and that you’re travelling in the right direction!
Where to stay in Nuwara Eliya
We stayed at The Tea Leaf Retreat. It’s a lovely boutique establishment on a hill overlooking a tea plantation. The bedrooms are clean and comfortable and have a balcony with a great view. The food is excellent too.
Nuwara Eliya in 2 Days Itinerary
| Day 1 | Colombo Fort Station Train to Nanu Oya Accommodation – Tea Leaf Retreat Dinner at Tea Leaf Retreat |
| Day 2 | Pedro Tea Estate Lover’s Leap Waterfall Dinner at Indian Summer Lake Gregory |
Nuwara Eliya Day 1
Today, we are going on a train trip to Nuwara Eliya amidst the hills and tea plantations of Sri Lanka’s interior. It consists of a 6 plus hour journey, an 1889 metre climb in elevation and a 13 degree difference in temperature.
Colombo Fort Station
Our journey starts at Colombo Fort Station, the city’s main railway station, which has been in operation since 1917.
Train to Nanu-Oya
We board our train, the 9.45 to Nanu-Oya. The rolling stock looks like it belongs in a museum. However, at 9.46 a whistle blows and we’re off. One minute behind schedule – not something that often happens in the UK…
We have tickets in Observation Class, which is supposed to offer a good view, but our seats are facing backwards, so looking out of the window for too long makes me feel dizzy.
Once out of Colombo, we start to climb, a total of 1889 metres in total. The scenery is stunning, but the journey is like something from a nightmare. We are crammed into a sweltering hot compartment with no refreshments; we drink all our water within the first two hours. There are lots of children, jumping from seat to seat, many have plastic horns which they blow constantly. We wind our way onwards with several unexplained delays.
By the time we reach our destination, Nanu Oya Station, over 7 hours later, and an hour behind schedule, I am tired, thirsty, grumpy and have a thumping headache.
Accommodation – Tea Leaf Retreat
Our hotel; The Tea Leaf Retreat, has sent a car to collect us. It’s a family run boutique hotel on a hill on the outskirts of Nuwara Eliya, overlooking a tea plantation. The room is lovely and there is a stunning view from the balcony across the tea plantations.
Dinner at Tea Leaf Holiday Inn
On arrival at our hotel, we are served drinks and a very tasty Sri Lankan curry. Then we retire for the night.
Nuwara Eliya Day 2
Today, we are starting with a tour of the tea plantation we can see from our balcony, then a walk to a waterfall, before heading into town.
Pedro Tea Estate
By the time we finish breakfast it’s 9 am and a blissfully cool 20 degrees. We walk to the nearby Pedro Tea Estate.
They have been producing tea here since 1885 and much of the original machinery can still be seen dotted around the plantation.
We take a guided tour of the tea factory. There’s no production taking place today because it’s Full Moon, which is a public holiday. Even when the factory is in operation, the process requires a cooler temperature, so usually only takes place at night. Nevertheless, we are taken through the factory to see how the process works. The tour finishes with a cup of homegrown tea in a teahouse overlooking the plantation.
Lover’s Leap Waterfall
We continue with a walk to Lover’s Leap Waterfall. We take a wrong turn, so it is a longer, significantly steeper walk than it should be. But it is a Sri Lankan holiday so we meet some very friendly locals along the way who point us in the right direction.
Dinner at Indian Summer
In the afternoon, we take a tuk tuk into town and have dinner at Indian Summer; a restaurant overlooking Lake Gregory. The food is excellent. Some Trip Advisor reviews complained about the small portions and the restaurant seems to have taken this to heart as they produce a veritable mountain of food. Even the old man has to admit defeat and leave some uneaten.
Lake Gegory
After dinner, we take a walk along the shores of Lake Gregory. A park runs along the southern shore, which is heaving with people walking, picnicking and taking boat rides. There is a carnival atmosphere with stalls and pony rides and bouncy castles and ice cream tuk tuks.
We decide to take a tuk tuk back to our hotel. The driver claims he knows where he’s going then promptly sets off in the wrong direction. 15 minutes of white knuckle ride later, he flags down another tuk tuk and asks for directions. The other driver doesn’t know either. The old man hands the other driver my iPhone, he passes it to his passenger and drives off! Luckily, this was an accident and they bring it back. We retrace our route for another 15 minutes of crazy driving, then the driver flags down another tuk tuk driver who does know where to go. We opt to transfer to the other vehicle and make it back to our hotel in one piece, if a little stressed.
- Trip Taken: April 2018
- Updated: November 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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