If you are backpacking Sri Lanka, or completing a Sri Lanka Road Trip, then you have most definitely heard about the infamous Sri Lanka train journey between Kandy and Ella. I certainly had before I even arrived in Sri Lanka! This 7-hour train journey has been noted as one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world, and the most scenic train journey in Sri Lanka. Travelling through miles of tea plantations, offering views of waterfalls and valleys that you can not see from anywhere else, this train ride is one for the bucket list and it is definitely worth spending a day of your trip to embark on the journey. I did a shorter version of this trip, and I travelled to Nana-Oya, which is the town next to Nuwara Eliya, as this is the highest point in Sri Lanka and a town that I wanted to see. This train journey was also much shorter, travelling for approximately 4 hours but still offering the incredible views!
There are 4 train journeys departing from Kandy each day, and the price is advertised on the Sri Lankan Railways website as 50p for third-class tickets, £1 for second-class tickets and £2 for first-class tickets. However, when booking seat reservations through third-party sites, the prices do vary and are often very inflated. I will explain more on this in the tips below!
As I had rented a Tuk Tuk from Tuk Tuk Rental, I was really easily able to organise a driver from Tuk Tuk Rental to pick up the Tuk Tuk from Kandy, and drop it off at the final location. The timings were perfect, and Tuk Tuk Rental provided me with so much guidance and advice which made the trip seamless.
I touched on my experiences of visiting both Kandy and Nuwara Eliya in my Sri Lanka Road Trip Itinerary post. I only briefly stopped by Kandy and did not experience the city, as I arrived at night after pretty hefty day of travelling and I left in the morning! I stayed at Sky Lodge Kandy for 1 night, and it has to be one of my favourite hotels that I stayed in during my time in Sri Lanka. The views and the breakfast were to die for, and watching the monkeys have a morning swim in the hotels swimming pool was like watching a live wildlife show at breakfast!
Nuwara Eliya is often known as “Little England” because supposedly it has a strong resemblance to a traditional English town, a legacy of British colonial influence. During the British colonial period, Nuwara Eliya became a retreat for British planters that were seeking a cooler climate compared to the tropical heat in the lowlands. The average temperature in Nuwara Eliya ranges from 12°C to 20°C, much cooler than the rest of Sri Lanka which typically ranges from 26°C to 32°C. Nuwara Eliya is a popular spot for adventurers, as it offers plenty of hikes with stunning views of the tea plantations. Be sure to take a jacket, because the contrast in temperature does make it feel rather chilly!
After doing hours of research and speaking to both locals and other tourists whilst travelling Sri Lanka, I have combined all of the tips and advice that I have for this train journey. Specifically, I will be advising for the route from Kandy to Ella, but I’m sure a lot of them will also be helpful if travelling in the other direction from Ella to Kandy!
- Book a seat reservation in advance
As the train journey is a number of hours long, whether you are travelling straight through to Ella or stopping at Nuwara Eliya, you are probably going to want to sit down at some point! Train reservations can be booked up to 30 days in advance. However, these are not sold online so travel agencies purchase all of the seat reservations in-person at a train station and then sell them online for a much more inflated price, usually at around £21 a ticket for second-class. If you are booking a seat reservation whilst outside of Sri Lanka, this unfortunately this inflated price is something that you just have to accept. If you are unable to purchase a ticket in advance, you can purchase a third-class ticket from the train station as these never actually sell out! You just will not be allocated a seat on the train, and may have to stand for a good portion of the journey.
2. Embark the train from Peradeniya station rather than Kandy
If you are like me and you do not manage to get a seat reservation in advance, do not worry! Peradeniya station is one stop before Kandy, and it is often much quieter than Kandy. Not only is this a much nicer experience of boarding the train, but you are also going to be able to purchase a train ticket with minimal queues. Boarding the train at Peradeniya station meant that I was able to sit in the doorway of the train from the beginning of my journey – a spot that holds lot of competition and is almost impossible to grab when boarding the train with the crowds at Kandy!
3. Sitting in the doorway of the train
This is definitely what makes travelling via. train in Sri Lanka so unique and exciting. Sitting in the open doorway, hanging out of the door whilst holding onto the handles and dangling your legs out is such a great experience. An experience unique to train journeys in Asia! It feels like you’re getting an open-bus tour of the Sri Lankan valleys, only much faster! The doorway spots can be very competitive, and it’s important to let others have the experience and not remain in the doorway for the entire trip. Be careful not to let your legs hang out too far if sitting in the doorway – the branches will sometimes whip you which can feel a little sharp! The locals stand aside the railway tracks and wave as the train goes by. Smiling and waving to the locals was a highlight of my trip, it was very wholesome!
4. Sit on the right-side from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, and on the left-side from Nuwara Eliya to Ella.
I was very lucky to bag a doorway spot on the right-hand side from Peradeniya and stayed nearby for the majority of the journey to Nuwara Eliya. The views of the valleys, the waterfalls and the tea plantations were incredible, and I was experiencing so much gratitude for the experience. However, I was recommended to switch to the left-hand side of the train when travelling from Nuwara Eliya to Ella, as this is where the majority of the views will be for the second portion of the journey.
5. Do not travel in first-class
Due to how cheap the train tickets are for first-class, you might be feeling tempted to book a seat reservation in this class. However, if you want to fully experience the Sri Lankan train journey, I strongly recommend against this! Due to being an air conditioned carriage, the windows and the doors are permanently closed, therefore your views can only be seen through the windows – if you are lucky to have the window seat!
You can check out the video of the Kandy – Nana Oya train journey on my Tik Tok, along with many other video’s of my experiences in Sri Lanka!
Make sure to follow me on Instagram for more travel and wellbeing content.
