12 Scenic Train Rides in Kandy: What to Book and What It Costs

1.Kandy to Ella Train Tickets – Reserved Seats

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 523 reviews · from $26Our pick

Take Sri Lanka’s famous blue train from Peradeniya near Kandy toward Ella or Nanu Oya, with a reserved second or third-class seat. Departures are listed at 8:47am and 11:03am. Tickets are usually delivered to your accommodation before departure, but hotel pickup is not included and seat class depends on availability.

“very good organisation and very quick responses. Everyrhing as planned. We heard some bad stories from other agencies, so this agency is recommended.”

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2.Train Tickets From Kandy to Ella

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 57 reviews · from $20

Take Sri Lanka's famous hill-country train from Kandy to Ella, passing tea plantations, mountain towns, and the Nine Arches Bridge. Reserved seats are arranged under your passport number, with tickets sent by email and WhatsApp. Book at least 32 days ahead if you want the best chance of getting your chosen train and class.

“train is easy to access from the platform albeit the step is quite high seats are comfortable & plenty of leg room also plenty of luggage space in o/head racks we were in a first class car”

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3.Nuwara Eliya by Train

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 15 reviews · 11 hours · from $80

Leave Kandy by private air-conditioned vehicle, catch a scenic train through tea country, and meet your guide at Nanuoya. You’ll explore Nuwara Eliya, Lake Gregory, Ramboda Falls, and Blue Field Tea Factory. Guides such as Indika and Menuka have earned praise for careful driving, local stories, and practical help when train plans change.

“driver was on time to pick up us from the hotel. he was very helpful, it was very good day. amazing views of the tea plantations from train.”

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4.Sri Lanka Private 2-day Tour:Train Trip, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 15 reviews · from $275

Spend two days traveling from Colombo through Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, combining a scenic blue-train ride with the Temple of the Tooth, Peradeniya Botanical Garden, a tea factory, and a Kandyan cultural show. Your private driver handles the long roads, while the guide’s English and attention to your wishes can vary.

“I got a completely different experience than almost every other review here. My guide wasn’t really a guide at all but more like a private driver. He didn’t really say a word the entire 2 days to me as he didn’t speak english well. But he was a great driver, always on time, and dropped me off and picked me up everywhere like clockwork. I accepted that I basically paid for a private chauffeur for two days which is fine. Still had a good time seeing all the sights, and as promised, they took care of all train tickets, hotel, etc.”

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5.First Class Scenic Train Ticket From Kandy To Ella

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 13 reviews · from $95

Travel from Kandy toward Ella in a prebooked first-class seat, with wide views of tea country, misty forests, waterfalls, villages, and mountain valleys. The train currently starts at Ambewela, so a complimentary shuttle from Kandy is provided. Book at least 30 days ahead.

“I recently took the First Class Scenic Train from Kandy to Ella, and it was amazing! The agent provided us with incredible seats, and they made booking super easy. Our driver was fantastic he helped us with our big luggage and brought us snRead more”

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6.From kandy Train, and Pool Club Day Tour with Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 9 reviews · 12 hours · from $75

Travel from Kandy toward Ella in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver, plus a short train ride when the route is running. You’ll see Ramboda Falls, climb Little Adam’s Peak, visit Nine Arch Bridge and Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory, and stop at Ravana Pool Club. Driver J is praised for managing tight train times, but the full schedule can feel rushed.

“O excursie pe care o recomand 100%. Am avut un sofer J. foarte implicat, care a reusit sa ne duca la timp sa prindem si trenul spre Ella. Multumiri !”

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7.Kandy to Ella train ride on (Train No: 1005 “Podi Menike”)

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7 reviews · from $45

Board the Podi Menike at Kandy or Peradeniya around 8:30 am for a six to seven-hour ride to Ella. You will pass villages, tea estates, and mountain scenery, with the best views between Hatton and Haputale. First and second class are offered, but hotel transfers, meals, and drinks are not included.

“The trainride is definitely worth it and a must-do if you visit Sri Lanka. We had reserved 2nd class tickets. The doors were opened regularly to make instragrammable pictures.”

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8.Kandy to Nanuoya (Nuwaraeliya) by Train – Reserved Seats

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $14Best value

Travel by reserved train from Kandy to Nanuoya, the rail gateway to Nuwara Eliya and Sri Lanka’s tea country. Choose a 2nd or 3rd class seat with opening windows, or request 1st class if available. Your journey begins at Kandy Railway Station and takes about four hours, with a paper ticket provided.

“We booked Tickets for a train which was already booked out. They organized really quick some new tickets for another train. Everything worked out in the end.”

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9.Kandy to Nanu Oya train ride on (Train No: 1005 “Podi Menike”)

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 5 reviews · from $40

Take Train 1005, the blue Podi Menike, from Kandy to Nanu Oya, the station for Nuwara Eliya. The roughly four-hour ride begins around 8:00 am and reaches Nanu Oya at about 12:45 pm. Choose first class air conditioning or second class seating, then enjoy tea country, waterfalls, and open carriage-end views.

“We booked this trip for 2 pax in reserved seating in second class prior to our trip to Sri Lanka. Despite the booking being paid for and confirmed, a number of weeks later they asked for additional information to purchase the tickets. When this Read more”

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10.Train tickets from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya or Hatton Station

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 4 reviews · from $14

Reserve a seat from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, Hatton, or Nanuoya and receive your train e-ticket by WhatsApp or email. The roughly three-hour ride passes through Gampola and Nawalapitiya before reaching Sri Lanka’s tea country. Choose a 17:20 departure if you are continuing toward Adam’s Peak.

“simple and uncomplicated way to get train tickets, very reliable, e-tickets are delivered the night before the journey via email and WhatsApp, no printing necessary”

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11.Kandy to Ella train ride on (Train No: 1015 “Udarata Menike”)

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · from $45

Ride Train 1015, the Udarata Menike, from Kandy or Peradeniya to Ella in about six to seven hours. You will pass tea estates, forests, farms, villages, and tunnels, with the finest scenery between Hatton and Haputale. The trip uses reserved first-class AC or second-class non-AC seats, with no meals or hotel transfers included.

“Viator buy up multiple tickets under the guise of doing travelers a service. This prevents people from buying tickets directly from the railways as they appear to be fully booked. Viator then sell them at greatly inflated prices. The railway priRead more”

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12.The World`s Most Beautiful Train Trip Kandy to Ella Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · from $150

You’ll leave your Kandy hotel at 7:30 am, reach the station by 8:00, and board the 8:40 train to Ella. Unique Lanka Tours arranges your seats for the best views, plus private air-conditioned transfers and hotel pickup and drop-off. Bring food and budget separately for the train ticket.

“Nok noget af det smukkeste natur jeg nogen sinde har set, turen igennem det bjergrige terræn, the plantager, skov og palmer i alle naturens grønne farver, en oplevelse man skal unde sig selv hvis man er i Sri Lanka. Det er ret svært at få billetter hvis man ikke bruger en guide eller et bureau.”

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