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The Pearl Edition

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Rail Journey · Nanu Oya → Ella, Central Highlands

The blue train
through cloud forest

One of the world's most photographed rail journeys, the line from Kandy to Ella climbs through tea terraces, misted valleys and the famous Nine Arch Bridge at walking pace, doors open the whole way.

$15–60Typically · per person
All yearBest season
~6.5 hrsJourney time

Line status, August 2026. The Kandy–Nanu Oya section is closed for cyclone repairs. Nanu Oya to Ella reopened on 18 July 2026. What is actually running →

The experience

Rated among the world's most beautiful rail journeys

Built by the British in the 1860s to move tea to the coast, the line from Kandy to Ella climbs from 500 to over 1,800 metres, threading through tunnels, tea estates and cloud forest. Blue-liveried carriages with open doorways let you sit with your feet hanging over the tracks as the hills unfold.

The journey's signature moment is the Nine Arch Bridge near Ella, a colonial-era viaduct built without a single piece of steel, crossed at walking pace with tea pluckers visible in the terraces below.

Best forPhotographers, first-time visitors
DepartsKandy railway station
ClassReserved 2nd class recommended
Combine withNuwara Eliya, Ella hikes
IncludesReserved seat, nothing else

What to expect

The journey, stop by stop

Landmark
Nine Arch Bridge
A 1921 viaduct built without steel, crossed slowly enough to watch tea pluckers working the terraces below.
Scenery
Tea terraces
Hillsides of tea unfold on both sides for hours, with pluckers visible working the rows as the train climbs.
Air
Cool mountain climate
As the train climbs past 1,500 metres, the tropical heat gives way to genuinely cool, misty highland air.

Good to know

Before you book

Booking
Reserve ahead
Reserved seats sell out weeks in advance in peak season, book as early as possible.
Seating
Right side is best
Sit on the left heading from Nanu Oya to Ella for the best valley views, and on the right coming back.
Doors open
Hold on
Carriage doors stay open throughout, thrilling but hold on, especially with children.
Alternative
Observation car
A few premium observation carriages with glass roofs run on select departures.

Ready to book?

Let's add this to your itinerary

Pair the train with stops in Nuwara Eliya and Ella, our concierge team can build the full route around it.

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