Tourist information about Dalhousie

General information about Dalhousie

Dalhousie (Dalhousie or Delhousie)is a small village in Sri Lanka known as one of the most popular starting points for climbing the Adam's Peak (Sri Padu). The village is also known as Nallathanniya. Located in the central mountainous part of the country, 130 kilometers from Colombo, 80 from Nuwara Eliya and 85 from Kandy (Dalhousie on the map of Sri Lanka).

There is not much to do or see in Dalhousie, so tourists and pilgrims usually stop here only for one night for the ascent of Adam's peak, and sometimes stay another night to rest after the ascent. Most often, the standard program of stay in Dalhousie is as follows: in the middle of the day, come to the village and check in at the hotel for rest; make a night climb; after rising, have breakfast at the hotel or one of the cafes; by lunch, check out and leave the village.

Dalhousie almost entirely exists at the expense of pilgrims and tourists, everything here is built for short-term stay and ascent. There are many cafes and restaurants, fast food shops, shops and markets selling souvenirs, an ATM. Pilgrims and tourists at the end of the Ascent can use free showers (located near the bridge over the river). The markets sell gloves, caps, jackets that you may need on top. There are also several small temples that are easy to visit while walking around the village, because it is very small in size: you can walk around it in 20 minutes.

• Buddhist temple
• Hindu temple
• View of Adam's peak
• Free showers

Accommodation in Dalhousie is quite expensive by Sri Lankan standards, but generally affordable. At the same time, during the peak season of pilgrims ' ascent, accommodation prices usually rise several times, while in the off-season, on the contrary, you can book hotels at a discount. Regardless of the price, you should not expect comfortable accommodation and service from local hotels and hostels for reasonable money, because everything here is designed only for a one-night stay. Among the cheapest options are rooms without windows, with shared showers on the floor, old sagging beds, dirty linens, etc.

In the search and booking systems for hotels, Dalhousie is listed as Nalatania, which is the same thing. So you can safely book accommodation in Dalhousie/On a date on one of these search engines hotels around the world:

• 🛌 Search for hotels near Adam's peak on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels near Adam's peak on Booking.com
• 🛌 Search for hotels near Adam's peak on Trip.com (💥 our choice)
• 🛌 Search for hotels on Ostrovok.ru

Weather in Dalhousie, tourist seasons

Visiting Dalhousie is tied to the seasons of climbing Adam's peak, since there is nothing else to do here. The pilgrimage season lasts from December to May (or rather, from the moment of the full moon in December to the full moon in April), and this is simultaneously the best season for a tourist visit. It is at this time that you are most likely to find clear weather at dawn or sunset, which is very important. In addition, in the off-season of pilgrimage, access to the shrine at the top can be completely closed, which, however, does not prevent you from enjoying the views and meeting the dawn, provided the weather is good, of course.

Current Dalhousie weather and forecast

How to get to Dalhousie

Despite the great importance of Adam's peak for all local residents, there is still no good transport connection to the village of Dalhousie. There are no direct bus flights from major cities, the nearest railway station is in the city of Hatton, so you will have to get here with transfers, sometimes several. In general, the main transport gateway for a trip to Dalhousie is the town of Hutton, where you have to change from a long-distance bus or train to a local bus to the village. However, despite the apparent complexity of the route, it can be done within one day.

From Colombo airport You will have to get to Hatton via Colombo. To do this, you first need to get to the bus or railway station of Colombo by bus or taxi, and then transfer to the appropriate transport to Hatton. See details, how to get to Colombo from the airport here...

Well, to get there quite comfortably and without problems, you can order a ready-made tourist transfer (taxi) from Colombo airport or other places through the search form from Kiwitaxi:

How does the transfer booking works  see more >

Find the route

Book your transfer online

The driver meets you at the airport or train station

All buses in Dalhousie arrive and depart from the bus station (station on the map). This is a conditional bus station, in fact just a parking lot for local buses. In the daytime, there are always buses to Dalhousie and Maskelia. From it to any place in the village is easy to reach on foot.

And now more about each of the ways to get to Dalhousie:

• By train

  The nearest railway station is in the town of Hutton. It is located on the railway line running from Colombo through the mountainous part of the country to Badulla, respectively, by direct train you can get here from Colombo, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Haputale, Badulla and other mountain cities. From other parts of the country, you will have to go by train with a transfer to Colombo.

  However, note that trains in mountainous Sri Lanka are very slow and it is best to leave on the earliest flights. You can check the train schedule on the official website of Sri Lanka Railways - https://eservices.railway.gov.lk

  Upon arrival in Hutton from the railway station you will need to get finally to Dalhousie. Tuk-tuk drivers are constantly on duty here, who offer a trip from 2500 rupees (approximately 8.29 USD, see currency of Sri Lanka) for the entire tuk-tuk in the pilgrimage season, and in low season you can bargain even for 1200 rupees.

  It is much cheaper to take the local state direct bus to Dalhousie. These buses depart after each arrival of the train directly from the exit of the railway station on the Left, cost 84 rupees (2019), the journey is about one and a half hours. If this bus is not available in low season, you can walk 10 minutes or take a tuk-tuk for 100 rupees to Hatton bus station, and then take a local bus to Maskelia, where you can change to a bus to Dalhousie. Buses on these routes run often in the daytime, so you can get there in 2 hours.

• By bus

  Unfortunately, there are almost no direct buses to Dalhousie from major cities and resorts in Sri Lanka. During the pilgrimage season to Adam's peak, there is one bus per day from Colombo (departing at 08:45 from Colombo and in the opposite direction), and sometimes there are direct flights from Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. In other cases, you need to go to Hutton or Maskelia, where you will need to change to a tuk-tuk or bus to Dalhousie.

  Hatton is a major transport hub with a large bus station, and here during the day there are frequent buses from Nuwara Eliya (95 rupees, 2 hours on the way, depart every 15-30 minutes), Colombo (from 380 rupees, 5-6 hours on the way, depart approximately every 30 minutes), Kandy, Negombo. There are flights from other cities, but we do not know the exact departure schedule.

  From the resorts of the south and West Coast (Hikkaduwa, Bentota, Mirissa, etc.), Hatton is most quickly reached by express buses on the new expressway Matara-Kaduwela (Kaduwela), which during the day often depart from Matara and Galle (buses cost from 460 rupees, very fast). In Kaduvela, at the bus station, you will need to change to a direct or passing bus from Colombo to Hatton.

  Upon arrival at the bus station in Hatton, Dalhousie can be reached by tuk-tuk for 2,500 rupees during the pilgrimage season, and in low season you can bargain for 1,200 rupees. Cheaper is the local state direct bus to Dalhousie. These buses depart after each arrival of the train at Hatton railway station and pass through the bus station, cost 84 rupees (2019), a journey of about one and a half hours. But there is no great point in waiting for a direct bus, and often you can get there faster by buses with a transfer in Maskelia. Buses to Maskelia and on to Dalhousie run frequently during the day, so you can get there in 2 hours.