Where to Sit Down: The 12 Best Kandy Tea Tours

1.Kandy to Nuwara Eliya Day Trip – Little England & Tea Country

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $30Our pick

Leave Kandy by private car with a driver-guide such as Adhil, Irfan, Ilham, or Shukry. Visit Sri Baktha Hanuman Temple, Ramboda Waterfall, Bluefield Tea Gardens, Gregory Lake, Victoria Park, and Nuwara Eliya Racecourse. The 10-hour trip offers flexible photo stops, bottled water, and hotel pickup.

“Adhil was great, there was nothing he would not do for us. He was very knowledgeable and gave us a great day. It’s a long but very beautiful drive. I would recommend this trip to anyone.”

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2.From Colombo or Negombo: Pinnawala, Kandy & Tea Factory Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 15 reviews · 8 hours · from $46

Travel with an English-speaking driver, often Janaka, from Colombo or Negombo to Pinnawala, Kandy, and a tea factory. You’ll see elephants by the river, visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, enjoy Kandy views, and stop at spice, gem, wood-carving, batik, and tea workshops. Expect a long day, plenty of driving, and flexible sightseeing for up to 10 people.

“Trip was excellent and tour guide Janaka was just the flavour of our trip. Everything went smoothly and I would recommend highly to use this tour company. Driver was super flexible and did over and above for us.”

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3.Kandy & Pinnawala & Tea Factory Full Day Tour From Negombo

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 11 reviews · 14 hours · from $49

Travel from Negombo to Kandy in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide. Visit Pinnawala, a tea factory, Royal Botanical Garden, Temple of the Tooth, Kandy Lake, and hilltop viewpoints. The day also includes optional shopping stops, museums, and cultural sights. Expect about 14 hours on the road, with entrance fees paid separately.

“It was a substantial and manageable programme. I did not imagine that we would be able to complete the predicted 14 hours. Our guide gave good ideas, which added to the enjoyment. Well structured sequence with the right amount of time. Our guide was prepared and did his best to provide us with cultural and historical information despite the circumstances. He guided us in a kind and calm manner. Considering the Sri Lankan driving we felt safe with him, even though the last 100 km drive home took us nearly 3 hours, we didn't want any more bends and curves!”

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4.From Negombo: Ambuluwawa Tower & Tea Factory,Kandy Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 15 hours · from $69

Travel by private air-conditioned vehicle from Negombo to Ambuluwawa Tower, Pinnawala, a tea factory, and Kandy. Your English-speaking driver-guide, sometimes named Jaminda, helps you choose between major stops when time gets tight. Expect dramatic views, temple visits, shopping stops, and a late return.

“Had a brilliant day out on this tour. A great day with a packed itinerary. Started with a gratis king coconut juice at a roadside vendor. Elephant orphanage was an amazing experience, especially washing the elephant. Ambulawawa Tower has amazing views of a beautiful landscape. Tea factory is really interesting (assuming one likes tea of course) and gives a good overview of the tea making process. At Kandy, we got great views over the lake and visiting the Temple of the Sacred Tooth is a must. Our driver was really informative and a good guide, especially at the Temple with his knowledge as a practising Buddhist. We skipped over several…”

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5.From Colombo: Kandy, Pinnawala and Tea Factory Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews · 1 day · from $38

Leave Colombo, Negombo, or Katunayake at 6:30 AM for Pinnawala, Kandy, Mawanella, and Pilimathalawa. You’ll see elephants, visit the Tooth Relic Temple, learn about spices, gems, wood carving, and tea, and return by air-conditioned car. Guides such as Susa and Dilip are praised for careful driving and thoughtful local insight.

“animal welfare is not a priority at Pinnawala. my driver was too eager to get back to the hotel, making his driving reckless. enjoyable, but certainly not worth the price”

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6.Kandy: City Tour with Temple of the Tooth & Tea Garden

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 1 day · from $3Best value

Spend a small-group day exploring Kandy by tuk-tuk with English-speaking guide Harsha. Visit the Temple of the Tooth, Royal Palace, botanical garden, university, tea garden, and hilltop viewpoints, with local food, river scenery, and a traditional dance show along the way.

“We truly enjoyed spending the day with Harsha! From the very beginning he was warm, kind, and professional. He made our day in Kandy special, taking great care to ensure everything was comfortable and enjoyable. We loved his enthusiasm and passion for sharing the history of Sri Lanka and Buddhism. We highly recommend him to anyone visiting Sri Lanka, he’s a wonderful person and you’ll be in excellent hands. 10/10!”

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7.Kandy to Nuwara Eliya Private Day Tour: Tea Factory& Gregory Lake

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $28

Travel privately from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya by tuk-tuk or van, stopping at Ramboda Waterfall, Bluefield Tea Factory, the red-brick post office, Gregory Lake, and Hakgala Botanic Gardens. The 10-hour trip includes pickup and a flexible private setting. Guides named in guest feedback include Rohan, Tony, Asham, Hemanta, and Disa.

“Our driver was Rohan he was very nice, he drove really careful and very well. I can recommend him to anyone. The tour itself was beutiful, informative and overall amazing.”

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8.Kandy privet day tour with pinnawala and Tea plantation

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 4 reviews · 1 day · from $47

Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle from selected Sri Lankan hotels to Pinnawala, a spice garden, tea factory, Peradeniya gardens, the Temple of the Tooth, and Bahirawakanda Temple. English guiding, bottled water, hotel transfers, and flexible route changes are included. Entry tickets, meals, and personal costs are extra.

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9.From Negombo : Pinnawala & Tea Factory & Kandy Full Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 15 hours · from $47

Travel from Negombo to Kandy in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide. Visit Pinnawala, a tea factory, Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth, the Royal Botanical Garden, museums, craft workshops, and a city viewpoint. Several entrance fees are extra, so budget carefully before booking.

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10.From west coast: Kandy, Tooth temple, Botanical & Tea garden

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 3 reviews · 1 day · from $84

Travel from Sri Lanka’s west coast to Kandy with a private guide, visiting the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden, a spice garden, tea country, and central Kandy. Hotel pickup, transport, and guiding are included. Temple and garden entrance fees, plus food, cost extra.

“A friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful guide. I recommend this tour.”

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11.Nuwara Eliya Highlights: Waterfall, Tea & Picturesque Train Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $133

Start in Kandy with a private driver and spend about 13 hours in Sri Lanka’s hill country. Visit 108-meter Ramboda Falls, tour Pedro Tea Factory, eat lunch, relax at Gregory Lake, then ride the scenic train toward Kandy. Guide Kajun is named in one review. Transport, tickets, lunch, and bottled water are included.

“This Nuwara Eliya tour was everything I didn’t know I needed lush waterfalls, cozy tea plantations, and that dreamy train ride through the hills? Seriously, wow. It felt like we were in a movie the entire time.”

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12.Private day tour kandy to nuwara eliya tea plantation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $110

Travel from Kandy by private air-conditioned car with a driver-guide, visiting Peradeniya’s Royal Botanical Gardens, Blue Field Tea Factory, Gregory Lake, Ramboda Falls, and Shree Bhakta Hanuman Kovil. The $110 private tour lasts about 8 to 10 hours, includes hotel pickup, drop-off, and two bottles of water, but admission fees and taxes are extra.

“My two friends and I organised a ten day tour with Ishan. He was super easy to communicate with over WhatsApp and gave some good suggestions for the itinerary.”

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