Disasters occurring due to landslide hazard have escalated in hill country districts in Sri Lanka. The present landslide risk management practices adopted in the country are heavily dependent on conventional engineering techniques. They are significantly expensive and offer modest eco-system compatibility. Hence, there is a growing need in finding cost effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly landslide risk management techniques which will provide better returns on investment. The Nature-based Solutions (NbS) fit in well into that concept. The importance of NbS is highlighted in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 as an effective tool to reduce disaster risk, adapt to climate change and strengthen community resilience. Plant species play an important role in NbS. Selection of plants to suit with given ecology and socio-economic scenario is vital. This paper elaborates the nature-based landslide risk management planning process adopted in Sri Lanka for selected sites with the landslide threat. The proposed planning process defines five major stages in integrating nature-based solutions for managing landslide risks. These stages can be followed during the pre-failure deformation stage as well as the post failure displacement stage in a landslide system. Quantitative and qualitative research coupled with literature surveys were engaged in proposing this planning process. Risk management practitioners can use the proposed planning process as a tool to develop landslide risk management plans using NbS that can be very effective as a long-term solution for landslide risk management while also offering other multiple benefits such as sustainable livelihoods, improved ecosystem services and overall enhancement of aesthetic appearance of the area.