Nuwara Eliya — the cool “Little England” of Sri Lanka that’s all about colonial style bungalows, tea plantations and waterfalls.

Strangely a lot of people did not seem to be eager to visit this spot: turns out Nuwara Eliya is more popular among local Sri Lankans as a getaway than among foreigners.

On weekends it is quite packed but on a weekday, I found it quite charming if you venture further out, stay with a local family and hike to various viewpoints.

There’s no burgeoning cafe scene like Ella but I found hidden vegan spots with the most amazing pancakes; cool hikes and various short trips from Nuwara Eliya.

In fact, if there’s one place you should skip it is Kandy, and instead head to Nuwara Eliya.

Here’s what I recommend doing if you have 2-3 days in Nuwara Eliya.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. I only provide unbiased and completely honest recommendations.

How To Get To Nuwara Eliya

the view of nuwara eliya from where I was staying at villa de roshe

You can catch the train to Nanu Oya station from Ella station if you’re coming from that direction.

Otherwise, there’s a direct bus “local style” at the Pettah Private Bus Stand from Colombo which was a semi-luxury bus stand. It is a 5 hour journey but quite the fun local experience if you don’t mind roughing it out.

You could also opt for more transportation options from 12go.

Also Read: The Kandy To Ella Train Experience: Why Start From Nuwara Eliya Instead?

Where To Stay In Nuwara Eliya?

Villa De Roshe (great amazing homestay)
La Grande Villa (awesome place for families)
The Edgware Cabana (really cool A-frame villa)

The Best Activities in Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya: Tea Factory and Pickle Waterfalls Tuk Tuk Tour: Visit the two tea Factories, Damro Tea Factory and Blue Field Tea Factory, Two waterfalls are Ramboda Waterfalls & Puna Waterfalls.
Nuwara Eliya: All-Inclusive Private Sightseeing Day Tour: If you want to see temples and other parts, this could be an easy tour.
Coming from Ella but short on time? This is a recommended tour to visit Horton plains and Nuwara Eliya from Ella

Also Read: Hiking in Sri Lanka: 9 Best Trekking Trails With Maps To Explore

The Best Things To See in Nuwara Eliya In 2-3 Days

1. Visit Gregory Lake

A lake at the center of Nuwara Eliya that’s surrounded by pine trees and gorgeous tea fields.

A lot of locals tend to hangout here but I found that there are various scenic points along the way if you take a nice stroll in this direction.

You could even take a pedal boat for 30 minutes Rs 500 or do a pony ride (which I wouldn’t recommend!).

For me the best ways to see the flowers, enjoy the cool air and see some of the local buildings and observe their architecture plus chat up friendly Sri Lankans and ask them about their lives and how did they come to Nuwara Eliya.

2. Hike to the viewpoint of Single Tree Hill

hiking to the viewpoint of single tree hill

This was perhaps the highlight of our spot in Nuwara Eliya: Single Tree Hill.

We could reach this place by foot easily from the town and it takes you approximately 90 minutes with a sweeping view of the lake, the town and gorgeous tea fields.

Why was it called Single Tree Hill? This place got its name as Single Tree Hill because there was only one tree on top of this hill. Today, the tree is dead, but the remains of the dead tree can still be seen there.

We loved looking at the tea fields, enjoying the crisp air and had friendly dogs follow us. Right at the top is a Buddhist temple — half of it was under construction but it looked splendidly beautiful when you see the views.

There’s no continuation from here other than a unpaved route and a dead end reaching a telco tower.

3. Have the most amazing pancakes at Ayurveda Coffee Shop

tastiest and yummiest pancakes at the ayurveda coffee shop

If you want organic food and desserts and drinks in a nice setting facing a garden, the Ayurveda Coffee Shop is a lovely spot to take a breather.

Have the sugar-free pancakes made with Millet flour and the ayurvedic masala chai was amazingly spiced.

4. Visit the Moonplains & Tea Estate viewpoint

One of the most gorgeous places to have open views of Nuwara Eliya and the highlands: the Moonplains.

On a good day you can see Mount Pidurathalagala: the highest mountain in Sri Lanka. It’s akin to seeing the world’s end hike.

The best thing to do is to head in the morning at 7.30am where the views are clear. To have the safari experience, it costs around 3,000 LKR (10USD) per jeep and an additional 400 LKR (2 USD) per person.

Now if you don’t want to spend that kind of money if you’re a solo traveller — I found an alternate viewpoint which looked pretty nice too and you get the views of the tea fields.

You can head towards this viewpoint on foot if you wish to save money.

5. Eat homemade food at Tasta Foodcourt

The Tasta foodcourt is a nice hole in the wall spot at the edge of the town serving delicious curries and rice buffet for a very reasonable price.

You get so many options for $2 which is amazingly reasonable compared to the touristy spots.

6. Hike to the Lover’s Leap Waterfall

Not too far away from the town is the Lover’s Leap waterfall — while the falls are not so impressive, it’s the journey and climb through Pedro Tea estate that was worthwhile.

Don’t take the guard unless you wanna go for the steep route which can be quite difficult. It’s a nice little hike to getaway and see the views of Nuwara Eliya.

7. Stay in an amazing homestay

a typical colonial house and homestay in nuwara eliya

a dinner spread at our place in villa de roshe

The biggest charm of Nuwara Eliya was staying at this affordable homestay called Villa De Roshe.

On the day we arrived it rained, and it was so easy for the host Claude to cook us an entire feast that was so affordable. It felt like a fine dining setup for half the price.

We loved the views, how quaint the place was and just how easy it was to organise tuktuk rides anywhere.

8. Take the tuktuk to Ambawela farm

If you want to see the most prettiest parts of Sri Lanka, this 15km tuktuk ride to the Ambawela farm is set among Sri Lanka’s most stunning hills.

They’re known for their agriculture and dairy production. You get to see windmills, rolling hillsides, and the stunning greenery of this part of Sri Lanka.

The views are similar to New Zealand and it tends to be more well-known among locals. This is also in the same vicinity as Horton Plains national park — if you have time you could also plan ahead for some hikes.

The main trail at Horton Plains national park has 3 main attractions which is baker’s waterfall, mini world’s end and the world’s end viewpoints. It’ll take approximately 3-4 hours to complete and it’s around 9Km hike.

9. Visit the Galway’s Land National Park

If you’re looking for a walk to escape crowds and be among trees while understanding the biodiversity of Sri Lanka, this is an easy-ish walk in Galway’s Land National Park.

For 15$ you could see birds and explore another park of Sri Lanka. But I have to add, this is not the best national park in Sri Lanka and you should only visit if you’ve time to spare.

10. See the Bomburu Ella Waterfall

The Bomburu Ella waterfall is perhaps one of the most gorgeous spots in Sri Lanka. I really wanted to visit the waterfall but I had limited time.

It is a 2km hike to the waterfall and the entrance fee is 700 LKR for foreigners.

You could get a tuktuk to the spot as it is only a 30 minute drive from Nuwara Eliya town. The cascades, mist, rainbows and also some leeches is quite the adventure if you love exploring waterfalls over here.

Also read my other stories on Sri Lanka:

Sri Lanka

Nuwara Eliya: My Offbeat Things To Do in Sri Lanka's Cool Hillstation