Horton Plains National Park
UNESCO World Heritage plateau at 2,100-2,300m elevation in the Central Highlands, home to World's End cliff dropping 870m and the 20m Baker's Falls.
Duration
Half day (4-5 hours including 9.5km trail)
Entry Fee
$25 USD
Difficulty
moderate
Budget
moderate
About Horton Plains National Park
Horton Plains National Park covers 3,160 hectares of montane grassland and cloud forest at elevations between 2,100 and 2,300 metres, making it the highest protected area in Sri Lanka. The park is part of the Central Highlands UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 2010. The main circuit trail is 9.5 kilometres, leading past Baker's Falls (20 metres high) to World's End, a sheer escarpment dropping 870 metres to the southern lowlands. On clear mornings the view from World's End extends to the south coast, roughly 80 kilometres away. The park is home to endemic species including the Sri Lanka leopard, sambar deer, bear monkey (purple-faced langur), and the Sri Lanka whistling thrush. Mist typically rolls in after 10am, obscuring the views, so an early start from the park gate is essential.
Highlights
- World's End — 870-metre sheer cliff drop
- UNESCO Central Highlands World Heritage Site (2010)
- 9.5km circuit trail through cloud forest
- Baker's Falls (20m) on the circuit
- Endemic Sri Lanka leopard habitat
Practical Tips
Enter the park at 6am when the gate opens — mist closes in by 10am and World's End disappears completely.
Entry fee for foreign visitors is USD 25 (LKR 7,500) per person as of 2024.
The trail is 9.5km with minimal shade — carry at least 1.5 litres of water and wear layers as temperatures can be below 10°C at dawn.
The park road from Ohiya station is unpaved and best handled in a 4WD or tuk-tuk.
Explore by Interest
Best Time to Visit
Best time of day: January to April (north-east monsoon dry period); avoid May to September when south-west monsoon brings heavy mist and rain
Location
Planning Info
- Crowd level
- Moderate
- Physical difficulty
- moderate
- Setting
- outdoor
- Child friendly
- Yes
- Senior friendly
- No
- Budget level
- moderate
- Photography
- ★★★★★
Plan Your Visit
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ALSO IN THE AREA
Nearby Destinations
Lover's Leap Waterfall
A 30-metre waterfall on the Laxapana River in Nuwara Eliya, accessible via a short walk through a tea estate, named after a colonial-era legend.
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Seetha Amman Kovil
A Hindu temple in Sita Eliya near Nuwara Eliya, built at the site where Ramayana's Sita is believed to have been held captive by King Ravana.
Explore →
Gregory Lake
Colonial-era reservoir built in 1873 in Nuwara Eliya at 1,868m elevation, offering boating, lakeside cycling, and views of surrounding tea hills.
Explore →
PLAN YOUR VISIT
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