Shanthipura View Point, Nuwara Eliya

Shanthipura View Point is widely regarded as the highest village in Sri Lanka, perched above Nuwara Eliya in the heart of the island's tea country. The viewpoint sits at roughly 1,920 m (about 6,300 ft) above sea level on the Kikiliyamana road, and on a clear morning it gives you a near 360-degree sweep over the hills, the lake below and the tea slopes climbing back up the far side. Since early 2025 there is a new reason to come: the Sri Lanka Air Force has built a multi-storey viewing tower here, now known as Eagle's Viewpoint, with a cafe on the top floor.

It is an easy half-day add-on from town, about 4 km up a steep, narrow hill road. This page covers the altitude and the "highest village" claim, the new SLAF tower and Eagles' Lounge, the entry fees and opening hours, how to reach it, what you can actually see from the top, and the best time to go. For the wider area, see our Nuwara Eliya travel guide.

Shanthipura View Point at a glance

The SLAF Eagle's Viewpoint tower and Eagles' Lounge

The biggest change at Shanthipura in years arrived in January 2025, when the Sri Lanka Air Force opened a multi-storey viewing tower at the top of the village and branded it Eagle's Viewpoint. Before this, people simply pulled over on the road and looked out from the ridge. Now you climb a proper tower with railed decks on each level, which lifts you clear of the tree line for an unbroken view in every direction.

The top floor holds the Eagles' Lounge, a Barista cafe where you can get a coffee and sit with the panorama in front of you. This is also why Shanthipura is now a ticketed attraction rather than a free roadside stop: there is one charge for the viewing deck and a separate, higher charge if you want to go up into the tower and the lounge. Both are covered in the fees section below.

What you can see from the top

Shanthipura's whole appeal is the sightline. From the deck you look out over the Buddhist pagoda that anchors the village and, beyond it, a run of named peaks and landmarks that locals will happily point out:

• Pidurutalagala (Mount Pedro): Sri Lanka's highest mountain, directly across the valley.

• Hakgala: the forested ridge above the Hakgala botanical garden to the south.

• Adam's Peak (Sri Pada): the sacred cone visible far to the west on clear mornings.

• Lake Gregory: the reservoir on the edge of Nuwara Eliya town, in the valley below you.

• Kikiliyamana: the shoulder the road climbs to reach the village.

• The Saptha Kanya (Seven Virgins) range: the ridge line along the far side of the valley.

It is a rare spot where you can line up Hakgala, Adam's Peak and Lake Gregory in a single turn of the head.

Entry fees and opening hours

Shanthipura is open daily, roughly 9 am to 6 pm. Since the SLAF tower opened there are two tiers of ticket, bought at the counter on arrival (carry cash in Sri Lankan rupees):

Rates were last published for the 2025 season and the counter prices can change, so treat these as a guide and confirm at the entrance.

How to reach Shanthipura from Nuwara Eliya

Shanthipura is about 4 km from the centre of Nuwara Eliya, a drive of roughly 10 to 15 minutes. You head out on the Nuwara Eliya to Kandy road and then turn up the Kikiliyamana road, which climbs steeply through tea estates to the village. The last stretch is narrow and sharp in places.

A tuk-tuk from town is the simplest option and drivers know the viewpoint well; agree the fare before you set off, including waiting time. If you are driving yourself, a car handles the road fine in the dry but take it slowly in the rain. There is parking at the top near the tower.

Best time to visit and facilities

The clearest skies fall in the dry season from January to April, which is also the busiest stretch in the hills. Go early: at sunrise the valley is often still under mist that burns off as the sun climbs, and late afternoon gives you soft light for photos before the cloud rolls back in. Avoid the middle of the day when haze flattens the view. For a month-by-month breakdown, see our guide to the best time to visit Nuwara Eliya.

Bring a layer. Shanthipura sits high enough that it stays cold and windy even when the coast is warm, and rain arrives without much warning, so a light raincoat is worth packing. Facilities at the top now include the Eagles' Lounge cafe, toilets, parking and a small gift shop. Over 22 lakh travellers have booked Sri Lanka trips with TravelTriangle, and the hill-country circuit through Nuwara Eliya is one of the most requested legs.

A short history of Shanthipura

The village dates to the 1960s, when T. William Fernando, then a civic leader in Nuwara Eliya, set about founding a string of new hill villages. Shanthipura was one of them, and it endured where several others did not. In 1980 it was officially renamed Mudungala, though almost everyone still calls it Shanthipura. The name you will now see on signage and maps for the tower, Eagle's Viewpoint, is the newest layer on top of that history.

Verified by our Nuwara Eliya team

"Come up for the first tower opening at 9 am before the tour coaches arrive. The mist usually lifts by half past and you get the pagoda and Pidurutalagala in the same frame," says our Nuwara Eliya desk team. The altitude, fees and hours on this page are checked by our Sri Lanka desk against the SLAF Eagle's Viewpoint listing and local operator reports.

Planning the wider trip? Shanthipura pairs naturally with Victoria Park, Lake Gregory and the tea estates on a Nuwara Eliya day, and most visitors fold the hill country into a longer island loop. Browse our Sri Lanka tour packages to build an itinerary that includes it.