Top places to visit in Nuwara Eliya

• Horton Plains National Park (World's End)

  Nature · 4.6 rating · about 5 h · entry LKR 10,000

  A windswept highland plateau of cloud forest and grassland with the dramatic World's End escarpment (a 870 m sheer drop) and Baker's Falls, on a 9 km loop trail.

• Victoria Park

  Nature · 4.4 rating · about 1.3 h · entry LKR 500

  A beautifully kept Victorian-era town park, prized by birdwatchers for Himalayan migrants and ablaze with seasonal flowers.

• Hakgala Botanical Garden

  Nature · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h · entry LKR 3,000

  A high-altitude garden on the slopes of Hakgala rock, with terraced beds of roses, ferns and a Ramayana-linked Sita Eliya setting.

• Seetha Amman Temple

  Temple · 4.6 rating · about 0.5 h

  A colourful Hindu temple at Sita Eliya believed in the Ramayana to be where Sita was held captive, beside a stream with curious "footprint" marks.

• Moon Plains

  Nature · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h · entry LKR 1,500

  A scenic grassland plateau reached by 4x4, with a "mini World's End" viewpoint over five provinces and free-roaming deer and buffalo.

• Gregory Lake

  Nature · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h · entry LKR 200

  A colonial-era reservoir at the centre of town with pedal boats, jet-skis, pony rides and a lakeside promenade — the hub of Nuwara Eliya leisure.

• Single Tree Hill

  Viewpoint · 4.4 rating · about 1 h

  The highest viewpoint around Nuwara Eliya, an easy walk to a lone tree with sweeping views over the town, lake and tea valleys.

• Pedro Tea Estate

  Cultural · 3.7 rating · about 1 h · entry LKR 500

  A working hillside tea estate and factory just outside town offering guided tours of the plucking-to-packing process, ending with a fresh cuppa.

Things to do

• Horton Plains & World's End Guided Trek Nature · 5 h · from LKR 42,200 per person
• Gregory Lake Boating & Pony Rides Water Sports · 1 h · from LKR 8,800 per person

Day trips and tours

• Nuwara Eliya & Horton Plains Day Tour 10 h · from LKR 49,300

Where to stay in Nuwara Eliya

• Town Centre about LKR 16,000 per night

  Central Nuwara Eliya with colonial hotels, the racecourse and easy access to markets and tea estates.

• Gregory Lake about LKR 18,000 per night

  Lakeside area for boating, pony rides and family-friendly stays just south of town.

Hotels

• Heritance Tea Factory 5-star · LKR 35,000 to LKR 62,000 per night
• Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya 5-star · LKR 30,000 to LKR 55,000 per night
• Jetwing St. Andrew's 4-star · LKR 28,000 to LKR 48,000 per night
• Araliya Green Hills Hotel 4-star · LKR 24,000 to LKR 42,000 per night
• Oak Ray Tea Bush Hotel 3-star · LKR 12,000 to LKR 22,000 per night
• Laughing Leopard Hostel

Where to eat

• Grand Indian Indian · about LKR 2,500 per person
• Milano Restaurant Sri Lankan, Chinese · about LKR 1,800 per person
• Salmiya Restaurant Sri Lankan · about LKR 1,200 per person
• The Hill Club Dinner British, International · about LKR 5,000 per person

Getting around

• Car With Driver main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Tuktuk main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Walking

  Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.

Safety and scams to avoid

• Overpriced Horton Plains taxi

  Nuwara Eliya

  Drivers quote very high one-off fares for the early Horton Plains run, exploiting the dawn start.

  How to avoid it: Arrange the trip through your guesthouse the night before at a fair rate (~LKR 6000-9000 return per vehicle).

More in Sri Lanka

• Sigiriya
• Kandy
• Ella
• Galle
• Colombo
• Polonnaruwa