Hill Country Serenity & Ceylon Tea Heritage

Misty mountains, tea plantations and Sri Lanka's most beautiful train ride

Sri Lanka's central highlands feel like a different island: cooler air, rolling green hills covered in tea, waterfalls tumbling out of the mist and small towns that still keep their colonial-era charm. It is a region best experienced slowly – and one that fits easily into almost any Sri Lanka itinerary.

Ella's Legendary Train Ride

Sri Lankan train winding through emerald tea plantations near Ella

The scenic railway through the hill country, especially the stretch towards Ella, is regarded as one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. Carriages wind past tea estates, waterfalls, mountain villages and open-door viewpoints, with the famous Nine Arch Bridge near Ella one of the most photographed sights in Sri Lanka.

Ceylon Tea Plantations

Tea pickers in a Ceylon tea plantation in the Sri Lankan hill country

Ceylon tea has shaped the hill country for more than 150 years, and today the plantations around Nuwara Eliya, Haputale and Kandy remain working estates. Walk through the tea bushes, meet the pickers, visit a tea factory to see how the leaf becomes your cup, and finish with a tasting overlooking the valley.

Plan your own hill country escape

Dreaming of a slower, cooler side of Sri Lanka? Tell us how many days you have and what draws you – the train, the tea or the views – and we'll shape the hill country around you.

Plan My Journey

Breathtaking Mountain Views

Misty mountain views over the Sri Lankan hill country

From the cliffs of World's End in Horton Plains National Park and the short climb up Little Adam's Peak to the misty viewpoints around Nuwara Eliya, the hill country rewards early risers with some of the island's most spectacular panoramas. Walkers can also follow sections of the Pekoe Trail through tea country and remote villages.

We don't send you through the hill country on a fixed schedule. Tell us what matters most – the train, the tea, the hikes, or simply a quiet bungalow with a view – and we build the route, the pace and the stops around you.

More to Explore

Other experiences.