Best time to visit Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

Our verdict

The best time to visit Nuwara Eliya is January

When’s the best time to visit Nuwara Eliya, you ask? Based on several factors like the weather and climate, cost of flights and hotels, peak travel seasons and much more, the best time to go to Nuwara Eliya is January.

The very hottest temperatures in Nuwara Eliya get to around 30℃ (87℉) in the height of summer. The average low temperatures in winter float around 16℃ (60℉), while the coldest it gets down to is about 11℃ (53℉).

The sun stays up the longest in Nuwara Eliya in July, so you’ll get the most out of your daytime activities if you visit around this time. The wet season in Nuwara Eliya falls around October, so if you prefer the dryer weather, you should look to visit in January instead.

Find out everything you need to know about when to visit Nuwara Eliya below, including detailed information about the weather and tools to help you find the best prices and book your trip.

Warmest month

May

Least rainfall

January

Most daylight

July

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Nuwara Eliya seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Nuwara Eliya as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Nuwara Eliya is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer June to August
Autumn/fall September to November
Winter December to February
Spring March to May

Average temperatures in Nuwara Eliya

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Nuwara Eliya for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Nuwara Eliya climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Nuwara Eliya for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Nuwara Eliya in January

  • Average temperature: 20℃ (68℉)
  • Average high temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average low temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average humidity: 84%
  • Average sunny days: 11 days
  • Average rainfall: 85mm (3") over 18 days
11 days
of pure sunshine
18 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Nuwara Eliya in January, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Nuwara Eliya in February

  • Average temperature: 20℃ (68℉)
  • Average high temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average low temperature: 16℃ (60℉)
  • Average humidity: 82%
  • Average sunny days: 11 days
  • Average rainfall: 158mm (6") over 16 days
11 days
of pure sunshine
16 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Nuwara Eliya in February, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Nuwara Eliya in March

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (71℉)
  • Average high temperature: 28℃ (82℉)
  • Average low temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average humidity: 80%
  • Average sunny days: 9 days
  • Average rainfall: 121mm (5") over 21 days
9 days
of pure sunshine
21 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Nuwara Eliya in March, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Nuwara Eliya in April

  • Average temperature: 22℃ (72℉)
  • Average high temperature: 28℃ (82℉)
  • Average low temperature: 18℃ (64℉)
  • Average humidity: 85%
  • Average sunny days: 2 days
  • Average rainfall: 273mm (11") over 27 days
2 days
of pure sunshine
27 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Nuwara Eliya in April, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Nuwara Eliya in May

  • Average temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average low temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average humidity: 86%
  • Average sunny days: 1 days
  • Average rainfall: 290mm (11") over 30 days
1 days
of pure sunshine
30 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Nuwara Eliya in May, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Nuwara Eliya in June

  • Average temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average low temperature: 19℃ (67℉)
  • Average humidity: 83%
  • Average sunny days: 1 days
  • Average rainfall: 113mm (4") over 25 days
1 days
of pure sunshine
25 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Nuwara Eliya in June, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Nuwara Eliya in July

  • Average temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average low temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average humidity: 81%
  • Average sunny days: 2 days
  • Average rainfall: 112mm (4") over 25 days
2 days
of pure sunshine
25 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Nuwara Eliya in July, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Nuwara Eliya in August

  • Average temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average low temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average humidity: 82%
  • Average sunny days: 1 days
  • Average rainfall: 136mm (5") over 27 days
1 days
of pure sunshine
27 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Nuwara Eliya in August, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Nuwara Eliya in September

  • Average temperature: 22℃ (72℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
  • Average low temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average humidity: 82%
  • Average sunny days: 2 days
  • Average rainfall: 182mm (7") over 25 days
2 days
of pure sunshine
25 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Nuwara Eliya in September, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.

Nuwara Eliya in October

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (71℉)
  • Average high temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average low temperature: 18℃ (64℉)
  • Average humidity: 86%
  • Average sunny days: 2 days
  • Average rainfall: 656mm (26") over 29 days
2 days
of pure sunshine
29 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Nuwara Eliya in October, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Nuwara Eliya in November

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (69℉)
  • Average high temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average low temperature: 18℃ (64℉)
  • Average humidity: 89%
  • Average sunny days: 1 days
  • Average rainfall: 416mm (16") over 28 days
1 days
of pure sunshine
28 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Nuwara Eliya in November, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Nuwara Eliya in December

  • Average temperature: 20℃ (68℉)
  • Average high temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
  • Average low temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average humidity: 88%
  • Average sunny days: 5 days
  • Average rainfall: 228mm (9") over 25 days
5 days
of pure sunshine
25 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Nuwara Eliya in December, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Nuwara Eliya is usually May, where temperatures tend to rise to around 28℃ (82℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Nuwara Eliya is generally around January. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in January first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Nuwara Eliya is generally around October, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of October too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Nuwara Eliya, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in July are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Nuwara Eliya map