Best of Asia · Train journeys
The 10 most scenic train journeys in Asia
Tea plantations, Himalayan foothills, jungle gorges and coastlines you can almost touch from the window. These are the rail journeys worth planning a trip around.
- Type: Best of Asia
- Reading time: 5 min read
- Updated: Updated 26 October 2026
By The GoTourRide team · Published 26 October 2026
The short answer
- Sri Lanka's hill country line to Ella is the most famous scenic train ride in Asia. As of November 2026 only the Nanu Oya to Ella section is running, daily at 9:00 am and 2:30 pm.
- India has three UNESCO-listed mountain railways: Darjeeling, Kalka to Shimla and the Nilgiri line to Ooty.
- Vietnam's Hue to Da Nang section over the Hai Van Pass is the best coastal ride.
- For most of these routes, book seats as early as you can. The scenic trains sell out in high season.
The journeys
We've ranked these by what you see from the window, how easy they are to ride as a visitor and how well they fit into a trip. Two are in Sri Lanka, our home, and we've added how to plan those with a driver.
1Sri Lanka
Plan it with GoTourRideNanu Oya to Ella (the Kandy to Ella line)
Blue and red carriages climbing through tea estates, waterfalls, pine forests and tiny hill stations, with the doors open and people leaning out to wave. The full line from Colombo and Kandy is closed for now after Cyclone Ditwah, but the most spectacular part, from Nanu Oya (for Nuwara Eliya) to Ella, runs every day at 9:00 am and 2:30 pm and takes about three hours.
A favourite way to do it: your driver drops you at Nanu Oya station, takes your luggage by road and meets you on the platform in Ella. You get the views without carrying bags or spending a whole day on the train.
- About 3 hours from Nanu Oya
- Daily at 9:00 am and 2:30 pm
- India · West BengalDarjeeling Himalayan Railway2
India · West Bengal
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
The original 'toy train', running on narrow tracks since the 1880s and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It loops and zigzags up to Darjeeling, through bazaars and past tea gardens, with views of Kanchenjunga on clear mornings. Short steam rides from Darjeeling to Ghum, past the Batasia Loop, are the easiest way to try it.
- UNESCO site
- Steam joy rides
- India · Himachal PradeshKalka to Shimla3
India · Himachal Pradesh
Kalka to Shimla
Another UNESCO mountain railway, built to carry the British government up to its summer capital. In about 96 km the narrow-gauge line passes through more than 100 tunnels and over hundreds of bridges, climbing through pine and deodar forest.
- UNESCO site
- About 5 to 6 hours
- India · Tamil NaduNilgiri Mountain Railway4
India · Tamil Nadu
Nilgiri Mountain Railway
From Mettupalayam up to Ooty, this line uses a rack-and-pinion system to haul trains up a steep section through jungle, tea estates and the Nilgiri hills. It's the third of India's UNESCO-listed mountain railways and the slowest, in the best way.
- UNESCO site
- Rack railway
- VietnamHue to Da Nang over the Hai Van Pass5
Vietnam
Hue to Da Nang over the Hai Van Pass
A short section of Vietnam's north–south Reunification Express, where the line hugs cliffs above the South China Sea, through tunnels and past empty bays. Sit on the sea side and it's one of the best few hours of train travel in Asia.
- About 2.5 to 3 hours
- Coastal views
6Sri Lanka
Plan it with GoTourRideColombo to Galle by the sea
For long stretches the tracks run just metres from the waves, past fishing boats, palm trees and beach towns like Bentota and Hikkaduwa. It ends at Galle, a short walk from the old Dutch fort. It's a great way to travel one way while your driver brings the bags.
- 2.5 to 3.5 hours
- Sit on the sea side
- ThailandThe Death Railway at Kanchanaburi7
Thailand
The Death Railway at Kanchanaburi
Built by prisoners of war in the Second World War, this line west of Bangkok is both beautiful and moving. The train crosses the bridge over the River Kwai and creeps along the wooden Wang Pho viaduct, clinging to a cliff above the river.
- Day trip from Bangkok
- History
- Japan · KyotoSagano Romantic Train8
Japan · Kyoto
Sagano Romantic Train
A slow, open-sided sightseeing train along the Hozugawa river gorge near Arashiyama. It is short, but spectacular in spring blossom and in autumn, when the hillsides turn red and gold. Seats sell out quickly in both seasons.
- About 25 minutes
- Best in spring and autumn
- India · West coastKonkan Railway9
India · West coast
Konkan Railway
Running down India's west coast from near Mumbai towards Goa and Mangalore, this line cuts through the Western Ghats with long tunnels, high viaducts, rivers and rice fields. It's most beautiful in and just after the monsoon, when everything is bright green.
- Mumbai to Goa
- Greenest after the monsoon
- Malaysia and SingaporeEastern & Oriental Express10
Malaysia and Singapore
Eastern & Oriental Express
Asia's most famous luxury train, with wood-panelled cabins, fine dining and a piano bar, travelling through the rainforests and plantations of the Malay Peninsula. It's a splurge, and routes change, so check the current journeys before you plan around it.
- Luxury sleeper
- Multi-day
How to ride the hill country train to Ella
It's the most popular train in Sri Lanka. As of November 2026, trains are not running from Colombo or Kandy to Ella because of Cyclone Ditwah damage. The Nanu Oya to Ella section runs every day, leaving at 9:00 am and 2:30 pm.
- Drive from Kandy to Nanu Oya (about 2.5 to 3 hours) and catch the morning or afternoon train.
- If you can't get a reserved seat, unreserved second class is fun and has the open doors everyone photographs, but it can be crowded.
- The morning train gives you the afternoon free in Ella; the afternoon train suits a slow drive up from Kandy.
- Trains are often late. Don't plan anything tight in Ella on the day you arrive.
- Keep a hand on the rail and a phone strap on your camera when leaning out of doorways.
- Your driver can carry your luggage by road and meet you at the station, so you only need a small day bag.
Sri Lanka by train and car in 7 days
- Colombo Airport
- Kandy110 km · 3 to 4 hours
- Nuwara Eliya75 km · 2 to 2.5 hours
- Ella55 km · 1.5 to 2 hours
- Mirissa175 km · 4 to 5 hours
- Galle35 km · 1 to 1.5 hours
- Colombo125 km · 2 to 2.5 hours
110 km · 3 to 4 hours
Day 1: airport pick-up and the drive to Kandy. Spend 2 nights.
75 km · 2 to 2.5 hours
Day 3: tea country by road, with a stop at a tea factory.
55 km · 1.5 to 2 hours
Day 4: the train from Nanu Oya to Ella. Your driver brings the bags and meets you. Spend 2 nights.
175 km · 4 to 5 hours
Day 6: down from the hills to the south coast.
35 km · 1 to 1.5 hours
Day 7: Galle Fort in the morning.
125 km · 2 to 2.5 hours
Day 7: ride the coastal train to Colombo while your driver brings the bags, or drive the whole way.
Trip length
7 days · about 575 km
Car and driver
About $462 ($66/day)
Family or group (minivan)
About $721
For the whole vehicle, not per person. Average day rates of drivers on GoTourRide; your driver confirms the final price before you book.
Drivers who know this trip
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Questions people ask
What is the most scenic train ride in Asia?
Sri Lanka's hill country line to Ella is the best known, for its tea plantations and mountain views. As of November 2026 only the Nanu Oya to Ella section is running. India's Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and Vietnam's Hai Van Pass section are close rivals.
Is the train from Kandy to Ella running?
Not as of November 2026. Trains from Colombo and Kandy to Ella stopped after Cyclone Ditwah. The Nanu Oya to Ella section runs every day at 9:00 am and 2:30 pm and takes about 3 hours. By car, Kandy to Ella takes about 4 to 4.5 hours.
Should I take the train or a car from Kandy to Ella?
Do both. For now this is the only way to ride the train: drive from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, visiting tea factories and waterfalls, then take the train from Nanu Oya to Ella while their driver takes the luggage.
Which side of the train should I sit on from Nanu Oya to Ella?
Both sides have great views at different points, so don't worry too much about it. Doorways and the space between carriages are where people go for photos.
Do I need to book the Sri Lanka train in advance?
It helps in busy months, from December to April and in July and August. As of November 2026 the Nanu Oya to Ella trains leave at 9:00 am and 2:30 pm, and unreserved tickets are sold at the station on the day.
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Drive distances and times come from our road data for Sri Lanka and include normal traffic, not stops. Prices are averages from drivers on GoTourRide and change with the season and vehicle.