Hill Country
The last royal capital of Sri Lanka, set around a lake in green hills and home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
One to two nights. One night covers the Temple of the Tooth, the lake and an evening cultural show; a second night adds the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, a tea or spice visit, or simply a slower pace before the hill country.
Kandy was the capital of the last independent Sri Lankan kingdom until 1815. The city wraps around a lake in a bowl of forested hills, with the gilded roof of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic on its shore. The temple houses a relic of the Buddha and is one of the most important places of Buddhist worship in the world; the sacred city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kandy is also the gateway to the hill country and the starting point for the famous train journey towards Nuwara Eliya and Ella.
For the living ritual of the Temple of the Tooth, Kandyan dance and drumming, one of Asia’s great botanical gardens, and a cooler climate than the plains.
Visit during a puja (ceremony), when drummers play and devotees bring offerings of flowers.
Avenues of palms, a giant Javan fig and an orchid house, just outside the city.
An evening performance of traditional dance and drumming.
An easy stroll with views of the temple.
Learn about Sri Lanka’s spices and the start of tea country on the drive into the hills.
Kandy – Nanu Oya – Ella · 3 – 7 hours depending on section
Hill country · 1 – 2 hours
Kandy · 1 hour
Kandy, Sigiriya, Ella or Galle · 2 – 3 hours
One to two nights.
Kandy is pleasant year-round, with the driest weather roughly January to April. The Esala Perahera procession usually takes place in July or August — spectacular, but book well ahead.
About 3–4 hours from Colombo or the airport by road, 2 hr 30 min – 3 hr from Sigiriya; also on the main railway line.
City hotels near the lake, and quieter boutique properties in the hills above town with views.
| From | Approx. time by road | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Colombo / Airport | 3 – 4 hrTraffic dependent | Traffic dependent |
| Sigiriya | 2 hr 30 min – 3 hr | |
| Nuwara Eliya | about 3 hrWinding hill roads | Winding hill roads |
Typical daytime driving estimates; traffic, weather and stops vary.
Wear white or light, modest clothing at the Temple of the Tooth; shoulders and knees covered. Traffic in central Kandy is heavy, so hotels just outside town can be calmer.
It usually takes place over about ten nights in July or August, set by the lunar calendar. Accommodation fills early.
The Kandy–Ella train is one of the world’s great rail journeys, but seats are limited. We advise which section and class to aim for, without guaranteeing tickets.
Updated . Travel conditions change — we confirm details when we plan your trip.
8 days · Best first trip
Negombo · Sigiriya · Dambulla · Minneriya & Kaudulla · Kandy · …
Eight days that string together Sri Lanka’s greatest hits — Sigiriya, Kandy, tea country, the Ella train and a Yala safari — at a pace that still leaves room to breathe.
Private tour · price on request
10 days · Culture, hills, safari & beach
Negombo · Sigiriya · Dambulla · Polonnaruwa · Minneriya & Kaudulla · …
Ten days that add breathing space and a beach finish to the classic route: two nights each in Sigiriya and Kandy, the tea country train, a Yala safari and the south coast.
Private tour · price on request
14 days · Two weeks, the whole island
Negombo · Anuradhapura · Sigiriya · Polonnaruwa · Kandy · …
Two weeks to see Sri Lanka properly: both great ancient capitals, Sigiriya, Kandy, the hill country, a Yala safari, quiet southern beaches and Galle Fort.
Private tour · price on request
8 days · Temples and places of the epic
Negombo · Kandy · Nuwara Eliya · Ella · Colombo
Eight days visiting temples and landscapes that tradition associates with the Ramayana — Munneswaram, Seetha Amman Temple, Divurumpola and the Ravana sites around Ella.
Private tour · price on request
8 days · Private and unhurried
Sigiriya · Kandy · Dambulla · Nuwara Eliya · Ella · …
Eight days of sunrise viewpoints, tea-country hideaways and a quiet beach — a honeymoon that balances special moments with plenty of time for just the two of you.
Private tour · price on request
10 days · Elephants, trains and beaches
Negombo · Sigiriya · Kandy · Nuwara Eliya · Ella · …
Ten days designed around children’s energy levels: shorter drives, pools at every stop, elephants, a train ride, easy hikes and the beach.
Private tour · price on request
Half day · from Kandy
Kandy’s highlights in a half day: the Temple of the Tooth, the lake, the Royal Botanical Gardens and a cultural show.
Full day · from Kandy
Ride the hill-country train from Kandy to Nanu Oya, with your driver meeting you for a tea-country afternoon.
Share your dates, interests and pace. A Meth Travels consultant will design a route around you — and keep adjusting it until it is right.
