Check before you travel Hill-country railway: repairs after Cyclone Ditwah Checked 5 October 2026
Cyclone Ditwah damaged the hill-country railway in November 2025, and it is reopening in stages. Since 2 October 2026, trains run again from Colombo Fort to Peradeniya and Gampola, but Kandy station itself is not served yet. On 5 October 2026 earth and rocks fell onto the line between Kadigamuwa and Gangoda after heavy rain and derailed an early train; services restarted later the same day, but expect delays or short suspensions after heavy rain. Trains between Nanu Oya and Badulla, which stop at Haputale, Ella and Demodara, restarted on 20 June 2026. The section between Gampola and Nanu Oya is still under repair, so you cannot yet go by train from Colombo or Kandy all the way to Ella. Check the latest services before you plan a rail journey, and book reserved seats on the Sri Lanka Railways seat reservation site.
Horton Plains National Park is a high plateau of grassland and cloud forest south of Nuwara Eliya, in Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands. It is best known for World’s End, where the plateau stops at a sheer escarpment, and for Baker’s Falls. The park is one of the three parts of the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka World Heritage Site, inscribed by UNESCO in 2010.
Is it worth visiting?
Go if you enjoy walking and can start very early: the main circular trail takes about three hours, and the views from World’s End are clearest in the first hours of the morning.
Think twice if you can only arrive late in the morning or want a safari with big animals: cloud often covers the escarpment later in the day, and this is a park you explore on foot.
What to see
The plains were named in 1834 after Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton, then the British governor of Ceylon. The main trail starts at the visitor centre and runs as a loop of about 9 km, according to Sri Lanka Tourism, across open grassland and through a stretch of cloud forest.
- World’s End: the point where the plateau ends in a steep drop, with views over the valley far below on a clear morning. Stay behind the edge and on the marked path.
- Baker’s Falls: a wide waterfall in the forest on the same loop. The rocks around it are slippery, so keep to the viewing areas.
- Grassland and cloud forest: UNESCO lists Horton Plains among the montane forests that shelter threatened species such as the Sri Lankan leopard and the Horton Plains slender loris. Recent visitors (2025–26) report that sambar deer are the large animals most often seen, usually in the early morning.
In September and October 2025 the nelu shrubs (Strobilanthes) on the plains flowered en masse, an event that comes round about once every 12 years and drew large crowds to the park.
When to go
Sri Lanka Tourism advises visiting early, roughly between 6 and 10 am, before the clouds roll in. The weather is usually clearer from January to March, while fog often hides World’s End during the rainy months from April to September. Mornings are cold, so bring long trousers and a warm layer, plus a hat for when the sun comes out.
Tickets and rules
- Permits: the park is run by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, and visitors need a permit, paid at the prescribed fee. The total depends on the size of your group and your vehicle. The department does not publish a current fee list on its website, so check the price at the ticket office.
- No polythene: bringing polythene into the park is banned because it harms wildlife. Recent visitors (2025–26) report that bags are checked at the entrance and plastic wrappers removed, so pack food in paper or reusable containers.
- Stay on the trail: keep to the marked paths, take your rubbish with you and heed park staff and warning signs, especially near the escarpment and the falls.
Getting there
- By road: Sri Lanka Tourism lists three routes to the park: from Nuwara Eliya via Ambewela and Pattipola (32 km), from Haputale via Boralanda and Ohiya (38 km), and from Nuwara Eliya via Hakgala and Rendapola (38 km). Hire a car or tuk-tuk from Nuwara Eliya, Haputale or Ella.
- By train: the nearest station is Ohiya, about 10 km by tuk-tuk from the park entrance, on the hill-country line between Nanu Oya and Badulla. Trains on that section have run again since 20 June 2026 after Cyclone Ditwah; for the rest of the line, see the travel update at the top of this page. Check the official Sri Lanka Railways booking site.
- After Cyclone Ditwah: the cyclone in late November 2025 damaged access roads in the hill country, and for a few days the park let other traffic drive through it while other routes were blocked. From 7 December 2025 the roads through the park were again reserved for visitors with tickets. Check road conditions after heavy rain.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How long is the World’s End walk?
The main circular trail from the visitor centre is about 9 km and takes around three hours, passing World’s End and Baker’s Falls.
What time should I get to Horton Plains?
As early as you can. Sri Lanka Tourism recommends roughly 6 to 10 am, before cloud covers the view from World’s End.
Can I bring plastic into the park?
No polythene is allowed. Visitors report that bags are checked at the entrance, so use paper or reusable containers.
Can I get to Horton Plains by train?
Yes, to Ohiya, about 10 km by tuk-tuk from the entrance, on the Nanu Oya–Badulla section that reopened on 20 June 2026. For the rest of the line, see the travel update at the top of this page.
Is Horton Plains open after Cyclone Ditwah?
Yes. The roads through the park have been reserved again for visitors with tickets since 7 December 2025.
Sources: srilanka.travel, whc.unesco.org, dwc.gov.lk, en.wikipedia.org, news.mongabay.com, dailymirror.lk (Horton Plains roads closed to…), themorning.lk, english.newsfirst.lk, dailymirror.lk (Nawalapitiya Badulla train services to…), colombotimes.net and recent visitor reports. Header photo: Sameera Withanage / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
