Things To Do Around Nuwara Eliya Sri Lanka


Nuwara Eliya is a scenic city perched in the spectacular central highlands of Sri Lanka known for highly vegetated mountain regions filled with a plethora of gorgeous green tea plantations. Known as Little England for its still existent colonial infrastructures and outfit of greenery, Nuwara Eliya, one of the best tourist destinations in Sri Lanka, has various interesting attractions, like tea plantations, lakes, falls, national park and plains.

Being the heart of the country, getting to Nuwara Eliya is pretty much easier. All types of transportation, like bus, taxi, and train, are available to the region from all other important cities of Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya is positioned around 60 Kilometers away from Ella and 75 Kilometers away from Kandy. It can be reached by both road and rail in less than three hours. Visiting these hillsides, going for the trains is the best-suggested transportation option for the mesmerizing experience popular among the travelers.

From Colombo, there are two road routes other than rails to reach Nuwara Eliya - via Hatton and Kandy. It shall take you around 5 hours to cover you the distance of 173 Kilometers.

Nuwara Eliya observes a consistent climate throughout the year and weather isn't a major consideration while visiting this hill station. Temperature can be lower and precipitation can be expected all year with varying amounts. The hottest months shall be months from May and April. The ideal time to visit the reason with a view to roaming around shall be from February through May due to the decreased precipitation.

Here, you can read the best 15 things to do around Nuwara Eliya and its primary tourist attractions!

Gregory Lake

The beautiful stretch of Gregory lake is located right in the heart of Nuwara Eliya flanked by well-mowed meadows on either side. Both tourists and locals gather around the lake for relaxing and having fun on the shore in the evenings. Activities like boating and jet skiing are available for you. Hiring a swan shall be a romantic experience to spend time in the lake with your partner or fellows feeling the serenity of the lake and the positiveness of the ambiance. Roaming around the lake, its food stalls, and the park shall indulge your whole day.

Victoriya Park Nuwara Eliya

A calm place to get away from the busy zone of Nuwara Eliya! The Victoria Park is quite beautiful with stone-paved spacious walkways cutting across the large stretches of meadows where trees and plants are positioned here and there. You can stroll around the pleasing gardens of the park and relax on the benches studded across the shaded path. There are coffee shops and restaurants near the park to quench your appetite. The small museum nearby shall showcase you time-old photos of Nuwara Eliya and its colonial time.

Red Post Office

Built in 1894, the Red Post Office located in the center of Nuwara Eliya is one of the oldest post offices in Sri Lanka. Set in two stories roofed by red shingles, the building has a clock spire with all the British-infrastructure vibe infused in the looks and posture, which is even more visible throughout the city with red telephone boxes. Roaming in the city of Nuwara Eliya, visiting this colonial-style edifice shall be a cherishable experience for antique-loving travelers.

Nuwara Eliya Market

Shopping in Nuwara Eliya is fun due to the various bazaars in the vicinity of the city. Bale Bazaar, the winter market in Nuwara Eliya, is the famous street for purchasing all sorts of winter products, especially clothing. Nuwara Eliya is the only city in the country with a winter climate. Hence this winter market in the heart of the city is the key aspect of Nuwara Eliya. You can drift from shops to shops purchasing articrafts, clothes, and foods. Moving towards the golf club, on the A5 Express Highway, the city has its central market that sells a range of farming products like vegetables, fruits, and flowers cultivated in the unique climate of the city.

Single Tree Hill

Located in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, Single Tree Hill (One Tree Hill) is the 10th tallest mountain in the country towering over with 6890 feet, 2100 meters above the sea level. The title was incurred due to the appearance of the single tree on it. Single Tree Hill offers a beautiful experience of natural hiking of two hours, that starts from the city of Nuwara Eliya. The hiking route cuts through tea plantations and adjacent to a Buddhist temple. On the summit, there are vantage points to look over the surrounding landscapes of Nuwara Eliya - Gregory Lake, Race Course and mountain ranges.

Seetha Amman Temple

Seetha Amman Temple, located five Kilometers from the Nuwara Eliya town on the Kandy road, is the only temple dedicated to Sita who, according to Indian epic Ramayana, was the spouse of Lord Rama. She was abducted to Sri Lanka by Ravana, King of demons and hidden in the Ashoka forest of Nuwara Eliya's hill stations. This sacred spot along with a Hanuman temple is positioned on a quarter-acre strip of land in the backdrop of countryside vegetation beside a stream.

Sita Temple is more like a modern edifice with a multi-colored dome studded with mythological figures. Statues of Rama, Laxmana, and Sita have been stationed inside. On the riverside, there is a small shrine that features three darkened idols excavated a century ago.

Race Course and Golf Course

Thanks to the evergreen landscape of Nuwara Eliya and its unique pleasing climate, the golf club and the horse race track are two important attractions of Nuwara Eliya with a rich colonial history and tradition.

The golf club in Nuwara Eliya is an 18-hole golf course founded by British planters back in 1889 for their recreation. Being one of the oldest golf clubs in very Asia, the golf club that stretches over around 100 acres of land, has so much to tell about a rich colonial history and tradition.

Boasting of one of the highest sea-level positions for any other racecourse in the world, Nuwara Eliya Racecourse is the only horse racing venue in Sri Lanka. Perched amidst the mountain ranges and surrounded by flower beds and pavilions, this picturesque sporting venue has a circumference of 1800 meters with a straight distance of 333 meters. During mids-April, horse raids are conducted here. Tourists shall enjoy pony rides in here for a fee.

Labookellie Tea Factory

For many, Nuwara Eliya is the last word for the mind-blowing hillside beauty which is contributed by its tea plantations that run over vegetated mountain ranges. Founded in 1841, Labookellie Tea Factory occupies 26,000 acres of land at an altitude of 2000 meters. The company shall allow you to take a tour in the field, enter its museum and give you free tea and coffee for tasting. The gift shop and outlet here are the places where you can get its tea products, souvenirs, and sweets for a price. Never miss out on its pure chocolate variants. The Mackwoods Labookellie Tea Factory, the second oldest mercantile firm of Sri Lanka, shall be reached by special shuttle buses from Nuwara Eliya; or you can ride your own vehicle or rent a taxi.

Galway’s Land National Park

Galway's Land National Park is one of the prominent animal sanctuaries in Sri Lanka located in the heartland of Nuwara Eliya. Comparatively small in size, the Galway's National Park spans over 27 acres of vegetated land forming a vibrant bio-diversity with the montane ecosystem. Featuring two significant birding sites, the forest is home to 20 rare exotic bird species and 30 domestic species. You can take a walk in this friendly woods and spend your time in its serene atmosphere. Accommodation is possible in the Galway Forest Lodge located close to the park.

Bomburuella Waterfall

Contributed by around ten small falls, Bomburu Ella located within the Sita Eliya Kandapola Forest Reserve, is one of the wildest waterfalls in Sri Lanka, whose elegance is multiplied due to its perching in the most scenic hillside location of the country, Nuwara Eliya. Positioned at an altitude of 2000 meters, the cascade covers 50 meters height before reaching down amidst the greenery. Getting to the base of Bomburu Ella Falls (also known as Perwella Falls) shall be a mini-hiking experience for you. On the summit, the weather is fine and the views are stunning. Take a bath or get some photos. Camping is not allowed here. From Nuwara Eliya, the falls is 14 Kilometers away on Welimada road.

Ramboda Hanuman Temple

As the ancient stories say, Ramboda is the place where the brigades of Lord Rama from India assembled to fight against King Ravana who abducted Sita, the spouse of Rama. Rather a modern edifice, the Ramboda Temple, dedicated to Lord Hanuman, was built by the Chinmaya mission of Sri Lanka. Hanuman was the monkey king of Rama's army and he searched in the region for Sita. Perched on an impressive location that looks out towards Kotmale valley, the Ramboda Temple has a statue of Hanuman of 16 feet height and small idols of Rama, Sita, Laxmana, Vinayakar, and Dhyaneshwar.

Located around 27 Kilometers away from Nuwara Eliya on the A5 highway (Perandenyia - Nuwara Eliya Road), the Ramboda city is in possession of the longest tunnel road in the country with 225 meters long. The Ramboda falls is another attraction in the region.

Ambewela Farm (New Zealand Farm)

Located just a few Kilometers away from Nuwara Eliya, these are two important animal husbandries that meet the diary requirements of Sri Lanka with pure quality products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and dairy sweets. The New Zealand Farm is a part of Ambewala Farm (Ambewela Livestock Company Ltd) distanced by about 4 Kilometers. Guests can take a tour of the farm at the New Zealand Farm (Pattipola Livestock Company Ltd), not at Ambewela.

With lush green grasslands of the highest quality (ryegrass seeds) that spreads over 1500 acres at an altitude of 6000 feet, these dairy farms rear over 2000 heads of pure-bred Ayrshire and Holstein Friesian cows. Both farms have restaurants, cafes and sales outlets that sell fresh farm products to welcome the visitors.

Horton Plains and Moon plains

Mingle with the unadulterated wildlife of Sri Lanka at Horton Plains National Park, the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nuwara Eliya, that spreads across two of the highest mountains in Sri Lanka at an altitude of 2300 meters! With a total area of 3160 hectors, the reserve is home to three major rivers in the country, lakes, peaks, and vantage points and houses stunning biodiversity that involves a wide variety of flora and fauna. Hiking to the Ella town from the Horton Plains shall be a stunning activity through the thick forest.

Located in the vicinity of Nuwara Eliya, the Moon Plains is a vast stretch of plain land wrapped in the vegetation where visitors shall enjoy activities like sightseeing, hiking, cycling, and driving through the park. There is a high chance of meeting varied species of birds and wild animals including leopard here. The featured activity at Moon Plains is to climb the Mini World's End which is a sharply-dropping cliff at where seems to be the end of the plain. The vistas are stunning over the landscapes beneath.

Lovers Leap Water Fall

Lover's Leap Waterfall, situated around 3 Kilometers away from Nuwara Eliya town, is a magnificent falls that has tragic folklore attached to its name. Originating from the highest mountain in Sri Lanka, Piduruthalagala, the fall plummets down a sharply steep single cliff surrounded by typical highland vegetation, covering a total height of 30 meters before kissing the rocky floor. Getting on to the summit, travelers shall catch the incredible views of tea plantations. The folklore has it that once upon a time a prince lost his way in here and he was assisted by a damsel with whom he fell in love with. Sensing the rage of her father, the two young lovers committed suicide from the top of the fall. You can either hire a tuk-tuk to reach here or take the 400-meters hiking trial from the city.

World's End Nuwara Eliya

Located within the Hortons Plains in Nuwara Eliya, the World's End is a sudden steep of 1200 meters from the summit of thickly vegetated plain land, literally giving you a feeling like 'the world ends here'. Climbing the Mini World's End is the featured activity at Horton Park. On the apex of the so-called 'end', you shall enjoy a 360-degree view of the surrounding peaks, landscapes, and towns beneath. Witnessing to the spectacular golden sunrise from here is one-of-a-kind rapture that you can't reenact anywhere else in the world. Click some photos and lose yourself in the charm of Sri Lanka's Mini World's End.


Share :

We accept these payment methods

  • visa
  • mastercard