Sri Lanka

Things to do in Ella, Sri Lanka🚂

Milli Lloyd

03 Oct 2026 • 8 min read

Ella was one of our favourite places in Sri Lanka, we spent four days here, full of fun, hiking and exploring. I would highly recommend spending a few days, if you have the time, it really won’t disappoint you! If you’ve been to Pai in Northern Thailand, Ella will definitely remind you of there. It has a whole strip of restaurants and bars, giving you that hippy Pai vibe. There is also a lot of different activities to do here, which is why Ella has its own blog.

Kandy to Ella Railway

To get to Ella, you can either go down from Kandy or go up from Arugam Bay or another area in the South, like Weligama, which is what we did. However, to get to Ella or Kandy (vice versa), you must take the railway! It is a six to seven hour scenic train ride through Sri Lanka's central highlands, going through tea plantations, mountains, valleys and over historic bridges like the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella. It is one of the most famous journeys to do in Sri Lanka, and completely worth the time - the views you see are a huge highlight! All tourists choose to get the train, so they can get the iconic photos hanging out the open doors of the train. Obviously, only do this at your own risk though!

🏨Hangover Hostel

There are a variety of places to stay at in Ella, ranging from hostels, hotels and homestays, however, I would recommend staying at the Hangover Hostel. It is one of the more popular hostels, very sociable with lots of backpackers, has great dorms and is very close to the main strip of Ella.

Things to do in Ella:

Ella’s Rock

Ella’s Rock is one of the first hikes you should do to see panoramic views of Ella. You can do the hike for sunrise and throughout the day.

The hike takes up to one hour to complete, so be aware of that for sunrise. Make sure not to go up during the day when it is really hot as you will be knackered - we learnt this the hard way. The weather is also very temperamental, I would check the weather before you do the hike because if it is cloudy, I wouldn't necessarily go. For us the day started incredibly sunny and was a gorgeous day, however, as soon as we got to Ella's Rock, the clouds tumbled in and it was incredibly cold and we saw nothing. We waited for thirty minutes at the top for the clouds to shift and it did but only for ten minutes.

You can do the hike in a group or on your own, we went with some friends from the hostel. However, unlike others who started at the base, we read a blog online that the hike can start from Ella Railway Station. From here, you could walk and follow the train tracks to the base of the hike. It added an extra hour to the hike but we saw some beautiful clear views along the way!

Start off at Ella Train station and head towards Kitha Ella Station, which is a thirty minute walk away. You can follow and walk on the train tracks, just be careful and listen out to the ringing of a train that will be passing. Follow the tracks, until you reach the way marker of 166 - 166.5. There will be a small path that goes off the track, it can easily be missed so make sure to keep an eye out for the marker. Once you come off the track, follow the path until you cross a small footbridge, which will take you through the local tea plantations. The road until the main steep climb is pretty straightforward till then. When you start to incline, you will have only thirty minutes left of the hike. This last part will be pretty steep and will take you to the summit of the viewpoint.

Once you are at the top, you will need to pay for a ticket to access the viewpoint. The prices can vary for tourists, adults and children. We also went three years ago so the prices have changed since then. You then can spend as long as you want at the top to see the views over Ella. Whenever you feel ready, you can start the descent back down. We then went the same route back, taking the whole hike around five hours to complete!

Little Adam’s Peak Hike

It is recommended to do the hike mainly at sunrise, but you can do it throughout the day and at sunset as well! It’s about a twenty minute hike from the bottom, but once you reach the top you see 360 degree views all over Ella.

Nine Arches Bridge

You must go to Nine Arches Bridge also known as ’the Bridge in the Sky’ and watch a local train pass over. The gorgeous bridge is one of Sri Lankan’s most popular sights, only a short walk or tuktuk ride from town, it is a perfect activity to start your day with. There are multiple times throughout the day where you can see the train cross the bridge. I’d recommend asking the locals as they will know the most accurate times. When you are at the bottom, you can walk along the train tracks and see the bridge from all different angles. The best place in my opinion is on the opposite side, where you can watch the train pass. There are also a few restaurants and stalls where you can have a drink or eat whilst you are waiting.

Nil Diya Pokuna Underwater Cave

Another activity you should do is hiking to an Underwater Cave. We moped around forty minutes to the start, where you have to pay for a guide and safety equipment, this is mandatory to enter. The hike to the cave is another forty minutes but once you get to the hidden pool, it is all worth it! If you are scared of the dark and small spaces, then this activity is not for you, as we had to climb down some tight, rickety ladders into the cave.

Diyaluma Waterfall Hike

Diyaluma was a one and a half hour moped ride from Ella. You can do the hike yourself but when we went it was raining and we didn’t want to get lost so we got a guide between the six of us and it cost less than a pound. The hike to the waterfall is probably forty minutes to the top where you can swim and chill in the different pools. There are three levels to the waterfall, the top two you can swim and chill in and the third you can see views all across Ella. I would recommend going as early as you can, as the weather normally gets worse throughout the day. We were at the top of the waterfall for about thirty minutes before the weather started clearing up and we could see the mountains below.

Ravana Falls & Ziplining

Towards the bottom of Little Adam's Peak, you can also zip line down the mountains with Flying Raven. If the weather is good and clear, you can also see some incredible views along the way! This activity is more on the expensive side so if you don't have the budget it isn't worth doing. There is also Ravana Falls, which is an outdoor pool club that you can spend the day at lounging instead.

Lakfer's or Honey Bee Sri Lankan Cooking Class

One activity you should definitely do in Sri Lanka, is a cooking class. We went with Lakfer's, which was recommended to us in the Lonely Planet Guide. However, a friend we met also recommended Honey Bee Cooking Class. This activity took place in the evening for a few hours, where we learnt how to make traditional Sri Lankan curry, rice, vegetables and salad. We all worked together in different groups to make these dishes before having a sit down meal at the end. A really lovely way to spend one evening and meet other backpackers as well!

Food in Ella

Ella was the one place where we ate out every night. There are so many restaurants and food stalls to choose from, so it wasn't that expensive either, especially if you chose to eat the local street food rather than having a sit down meal. My favourite place was City Cafe Ella, which had the most delicious prawn and vegetable roti. The portions were huge and the price so incredibly cheap for the amount you get. It was so good we went back three times!