They say, the best way to see Sri Lanka is by taking the train, and you know what? That’s definitely true. Train travel in Sri Lanka is a beautiful and very affordable way to travel around the country, and the most scenic train ride in Sri Lanka is none other than the train that journey between Kandy and Ella. This train ride is 7-8 hours long (fret not as you can break up the journey!) and takes you through stunning landscapes of lush tea plantation, mountain valleys, lovely bridges, waterfalls and small villages.
This train network was initially conceived by the British colonial government in the 1800s to transport tea from the hill country to Colombo for export, but today, it is one of the cheapest and most important public transportation for the locals and a tourist attraction for foreigners like us.
Here’s what you need to know before planning your train ride:
How to get your tickets
Unreserved tickets
Unreserved tickets can only be booked on the day of travel and cannot be purchase in advance. This is purchased at the railway station by queueing at the ticket office. Unreserved tickets also can’t sell out as they do not set a limit for the number of passengers. As the name suggest, there is no seat reserved for you and it depends on your luck whether you are able to grab any seats on board. There are no unreserved seats for first class carriage.
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| A local family on board the train |
Reserved tickets
Contrary to the unreserved tickets, a reserved ticket cannot be purchased on your day of travel, and must be booked ahead of time, around 30 days before your departure date. You can either book this with a third part agent or book online (32 days before) at 12go Asia
Ticket Classes
Most trains have different classes to choose from:
1st class observation seat - only available on certain daytime trains, mainly on trains between Kandy and Ella. It provides a full view of the scenery and is usually at the rear of the train
1st class air-conditioned seats - available on occasional express trains
1st class sleeper - available on a few overnight trains, air-conditioned
2nd class seats - provided on all trains and are available as either unreserved seats or reserved seats
3rd class seats - available on most trains, is the cheapest and mostly crowded with locals, also available as either unreserved or reserved
The first class seats are the most comfortable since it is air-conditioned but you can’t open the window for any dramatic “dangling” shots and you would only be rubbing shoulder with other foreigners. The most recommended seat for the most authentic Sri Lankan railway experience if the second or third class seat. Second class seat is normally about double the price of third class seats but still very cheap. I have taken both the second class and third class seat and both are equally about the same with second class being just a tiny bit more comfortable.
First class seats ranges between 1000 LKR to 3000 LKR depending on which company you book it through, and the price changes immensely. It’s just simply not worth it.
Train Schedules, Duration and Costs
Train schedules changes occasionally so the best way to check the schedule is from the Sri Lanka Government Railway Information official web site
These are the latest train station (as at Feb 2020, the time of writing):
Southbound (from Kandy to Ella / Badulla)
From Kandy : 03:30am, 7.45am (ends at Ella), 9.05am*, 11:10am* (5 hours to Ella on express train)
From Ella to Badulla : 06:06am, 12.51pm, 2.44pm, 3.22pm*, 5:23pm*, 6.23pm (1 hour to Badulla on express train)
From Nanu Oya: 3.11am, 9.18am, 11.00am, 12.19pm, 1.00pm*, 2.53pm*, 4.03pm* (2.5 hours to Ella on express train)
Northbound (from Ella/Badulla to Kandy)
From Badulla : 05:45am*, 08:30am*, 1.35pm (8-9 hours on express train)
From Ella : 06:40am*, 09:24am*, 2.15pm, 2.46pm (7-8 hours on express train)
From Nanu Oya: 5.30am*, 9.22am*, 12.20pm*, 5.05pm, 6.55pm (5 hours on express train)
* express train (blue train)
Generally, people would advice against midnight train or late evening train as you would miss the view, but that’s more important for the stretch between Haputale to Ella as I find the stretch from Kandy to Nanu Oya less fascinating. More about that in the next section below.
Ticket Prices:
These are the latest prices as at February 2020:
Kandy – Ella: Second class LKR 270 | Third class LKR 150
Kandy – Hatton: Second class LKR 110 | Third class LKR 65
Kandy – Nanu Oya: Second class LKR 170 | Third class LKR 95 (we paid LKR 160 in April 2018 for second class seat)
Hatton – Ella: Second place LKR 190 | Third class LKR 105
Nanu Oya – Ella: Second class LKR 130 | Third class LKR 75 (we paid LKR 110 in April 2018 for second class seat)
Ella – Badulla: Second class LKR 50 | Third class LKR 25
Ella – Haputale: Second class LKR 50 | Third class LKR 25 (we paid LKR 25 in April 2018 for third class seat, no change in price since then)
The Best Seat
The best view is different depending on which direction you are taking the train and which stretch of the journey you are doing:
Southbound:
Kandy – Nanu Oya : Right side of the train
Nanu Oya – Ella: Left side of the train
Northbound:
Nanu Oya – Kandy: Left side of the train
Ella – Nanu Oya: Right side of the train
The Most Scenic Part
The whole train ride from Kandy to Badulla is pretty scenic, but the best parts are between Haputale and Ella. Here, you get the view of misty forests and beautiful moutains as the train runs along a narrow mountain ridge. We did this ride when we do a trip to Lipton Seat and we absolutely love it.
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| Best view from Ella to Haputale |
With that said, I suggest taking the first morning train from Ella to Haputale which is pretty empty. You won’t have any problem finding a seat and you can hop between windows and doors for the best photo angle snap away to our heart’s content without squeezing for space with other tourists. The doorway is also pretty much entirely yours.
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| We took the first train from Ella to Haputale |
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| Enjoying the window seat as there were almost all empty |
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| We changed seats throughout the journey to get the best view |
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| Taking a selfie with a moving train ain't easy |
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| How can everyone else take beautiful photos? |
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| The key is to wait for train to round the corner so that we can take one with its snaking tail |
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| Requires lots of practice and trial and error so i gave up |
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| I ended up with more selfie of myself in messy hair |
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| On our way back from Haputale to Ella we took a noon train |
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| This time it's crowded so we hog the doorway instead |
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| A good alternative to window seat to get a good view |
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| Just becareful not to fall off |
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| And hold your camera tightly |
Another scenic stretch is the one from Ella to Badulla. It is said that the train line has a Swiss-like ‘knot’, where the train loops back on itself and crosses its own path at a different level. It definitely sounds unique and since Badulla is only an hour ride away from Ella, you can extend your train ride there before returning to Ella if you have the time. I can’t attest to the view as I personally did not ride on this stretch.
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| Our Kandy to Nuwara Eliya ride |
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| I stood at the doorway for a long time as the seats are all occupied |
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| Really hard to get a nice photo |
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| The train moves at high speed and i'm so scared I'd drop my phone |
As for the stretch between Kandy and Nanu Oya, you will be passing through tea plantations and get a chance to see the tea pickers plucking tea leaves from the lush greeneries. It’s still beautiful but still not as stunning as the one between Haputale and Ella. Therefore, I would prioritise the train ride between Haputale and Ella and wouldn’t be too particular about the timing for the train ride between Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. That leaves you more flexibility in time to spend in either city when planning your itinerary.
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| View from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya |
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| Passing by lots of plantation |
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| This guy have been in many of my photos |
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| tea plantation everywhere |
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| It was getting dark as we approached Nanu Oya (Nuwara Eliya) |
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| One of my best shot that day |
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| and we saw those tea pickers in action |
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| I love this shot |
Breaking The Ride
The whole train ride from Kandy to Ella (or from Ella to Kandy) will take 7-8 hours if there is no delay or breakdowns. That’s a long time on a train where you would most likely be standing for some part of the ride if it gets crowded. Therefore, it’s recommended to break your journey. The most common stop that travellers do is Nanu Oya, the gateway to Nuwara Eliya. This way, you only need to be on a 5 hours ride from Kandy to Nanu Oya (still doable) and a more relax 2.5 hours ride from Nanu Oya to Ella later one.
Here’s some of the stations you can break your journey:
Nanu Oya (Nuwara Eliya)
Nanu Ouya is the station for Nuwara Eliya, the Little England of Sri Lanka. It is the gateway to the tea plantations and there are many old colonial villas and bungalows. There are plenty of things to do here including a visit to a tea centre, and a hike to Horton Plain’s World’s End.
More about it here
Haputale
Compared to Nuwara Eliya, I’d much prefer the more rural Haputale. There’s plenty to do here as well, but you cannot miss the Lipton Seat, which is my favourite place along this train line.
Hatton (Adam’s Peak)
Most people would like to attempt Adam’s Peak when visiting Sri Lanka, and I can definitely see why. Revered by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike, it is an important pilgrimage site and the 5,500 stairs to scale for sunrise at the top just sounds really attractive. Although we give it a miss considering how our holiday clashes with Wesak celebration (we wouldn’t want to be jostling with the pilgrimage), I highly recommend stopping here to do the hike.
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| Hatton for those going for Adam's Peak |
Safety First
Everybody likes taking the shots of time hanging out of the train doors. It sounds dangerous but it’s doable since the train move pretty slow at times. However, there’s not saying you should be reckless about it as safety should always be your priority. The train does ride over tunnels and occasionally branches, poles, wires could be in your way. This could hurt your or topple you out of the train and the worst case scenario? Death.
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| See how fast the train goes? |
And did I mentioned tunnels?
Don’t be that irresponsible tourists that put their life on the line just for the gram. It’s not worth it. Be aware of your surroundings and make sure your finish the train ride in one piece.
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| This is my only shot where I dangled out of the door |
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| The rest of the time I just stayed in for fear of hurting myself |
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| My life is more important than the gram |
Final Words
The train ride from Kandy to Ella is taken not only by tourists but also locals themselves which makes it such and enjoyable thing to do. Apart from the scenic view, you get to see families sharing a meal together, food vendor selling local snacks and some enthusiastic group of friends singing. This is the daily life for the people of Sri Lanka and it’s something you don’t see when you are visiting a tourist attraction.
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| Have a fun train ride! |
So go ahead and get a train ticket and enjoy the ride. This is the ultimate No.1 thing to do in Sri Lanka.
For other places of attractions in Sri Lanka, read my travel guide with sample itinerary and cost breakdown ➢ 12 Days Sri Lanka In Less Than RM2.2K - Visa Application, Sample Itinerary & Cost Breakdown
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