LK · Uva Province · 6.88°N 81.04°E

ella

Tea-covered hills, ridge walks and the Nine Arch Bridge in Sri Lanka's highlands.

Best time
June–September is the driest stretch on this side of the hills, and February–March is good too. October–December is the wettest, with slippery trails, and mist can roll in on any afternoon.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Fly direct from KL to Colombo (about 3.5 hours), then it's about 6–7 hours by road, so most people break the trip in Kandy or Nuwara Eliya. Sri Lanka is 2.5 hours behind KL.
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LK · Uva Provinceella6.88°N 81.04°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Tea-covered hills, ridge walks and the Nine Arch Bridge in Sri Lanka's highlands.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingEllaLK, Uva Province
KLella
≈ 2,324 km from KL, as the crow flies
Ella valley in Sri Lanka is at about 1000m elevation. The hills are covered with cloud forest, rain forest, farmlands, tea plantations, and rice fields.

Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Ella is a small hill-country village surrounded by tea estates, waterfalls and ridges. Stay a few nights for easy walks and slow mornings over tea, looking out at Ella Gap.

Makan

  1. Rice and curryHome-cooked spreads at the guesthouses are often the best food in town.Map ↗
  2. Kottu rotiThe main street does it every way, from egg to cheese.Map ↗
  3. Ceylon teaGrown on the slopes around you; a tea factory visit shows how it's made.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Little Adam's PeakAn easy walk of under an hour through tea bushes to a ridge-top view over Ella Gap.Map ↗
  2. Nine Arch BridgeA curving stone railway viaduct in the jungle, with trains crossing a few times a day.Map ↗
  3. Ella RockA longer, steeper hike with a bigger view. A local guide helps with the confusing paths.Map ↗
  4. Ravana FallsA tall waterfall by the road below the village, tied to the Ramayana legend.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Halal food is harder to find than in Colombo or Kandy, but vegetable and egg dishes are everywhere.
  • Trains between Nanu Oya (for Nuwara Eliya) and Ella have been running again since June 2026, so you can ride the best stretch of the hill line. Through trains from Kandy weren't running in late 2026.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.