Train Journey

There’s nothing quite like Sri Lanka train rides through the islands beautiful hill country. Enjoy the refreshing embrace of the cool hillside mist as you make your way past countless waterfalls, tea plantations and picturesque landscapes. This unique experience is a must-do if you’re visiting Sri Lanka.

The railways were initially built to transport coffee and tea from the hill country estates to Colombo, they are now mainly used to transport passengers. Sri Lanka luxury train carriages like Expo Rail and the Rajdhani Express offer a more comfortable train ride from Peradeniya in Kandy to other popular tourist destinations like Nuwara Eliya, Hatton, Badulla, Haputale and Ella.

There are two trains that operate daily in these routes:

Podi Menike

The morning train, departs Kandy at 8:54 a.m. assuming the train arrives on time. The Podi Menike train is the best option if you can reserve seats. For train journeys that would last from 2 hours to 7 hours, getting on the morning train saves a lot of time to relax and also provides the best views.

Udarata Menike

The afternoon train, departs Kandy at 12:45 p.m. is the next option if you’ve missed the morning train. Although the travel times are the same, taking the afternoon train would not guarantee you the best views as it gets too dark before the end of the journey.