What to Do in Ella, Sri Lanka

If you’re planning your trip to Sri Lanka, make sure to add Ella to your itinerary. This cute town is an excellent base to explore the area and the tea country. In this guide, you’ll find information to help you plan your stay in Ella as well as the best things to do while you’re there.

Note that we stayed two nights in Ella and we both agreed on the fact that we should have stayed in the area longer. Why? It’s a good base and some of the interesting places to visit are a bit far from the city. That said, if we had more time, we could have explored further. Since our time was limited, we stayed only two nights.

We arrived in Ella from Nuwara Eliya. Our following destination was Udawalawe National Park.

 

Where is Ella?

 

Ella is a small town located inland towards the south of Sri Lanka. As you can see on the map below, it’s not too far from Kandy, Nuwara Eliya as well as Udawalawe and Yala National Parks.

 

 

How long do you need in Ella?

 

As I mentioned above, we stayed two nights in Ella and we felt like it wasn’t enough time to explore the area. Depending on what you are planning to do in the area, I’d recommend at least three nights and possibly four if you’re planning on getting outside the city to see Diyaluma Falls, Lipton’s Seat, Horton Plains National Park or Adam Peak.

 

Is Ella worth visiting?

 

Absolutely! Ella was one of our favorite destinations in Sri Lanka. We love nature, the breathtaking scenery, the options for hiking, the food and more importantly our hotel. We stayed in a small guesthouse with amazing views. It made our stay in Ella very special. Keep reading to find out the name of the hotel.

 

Best Things to Do in Ella, Sri Lanka

 

Let’s talk about what to do in Ella. Since our time was limited, we visited most of these places, but there’s also a few more that we wish we had time to visit.

 

Ella Gap

 

Ella Gap refers to the gap between Ella Rock and Little Adam’s Peak. Our hotel was located perfectly to enjoy the views of Ella Gap. Waking up and having breakfast with this view was fantastic. For those staying in Ella town, you could take a tuk-tuk or rent a scooter and head in this direction to look at the views. 

 

ella gap

 

Little Adam Peak

 

While the “big” Adam Peak is located outside Ella, there’s also Little Adam Peak right in Ella. You can save the location here. Little Adam Peak is one of the best things to do in Ella and most travelers will head there during their stay. It’s a short hike (about 20 to 30 minutes) and there’s no entrance fee. You can go all the way to the top and walk around the area while admiring the views. 

The hike is easy and short but I’d recommend you head there early or for sunset time. We were there around 10 AM and already the sun was shining. We got a “nice” sunburnt and it felt so hot already. 

 

adam little peak ella

 

There’s also a lot of activities available on the mountain. There’s a zipline (since 2019), a climbing spot as well as quad bike tours. We opted for the quad bike trip. The staff told us it was easy, but I thought it was quite tough. Since you’re basically driving around the tea plantations (on a hill) some of the turns were pretty steep. It was a lot of fun though.

 

quad bike ella

 

To reach Little Adam Peak you can take a tuk-tuk or rent a scooter.

If you like hiking, you could also consider hiking Ella Rock and/or Adam Peak. If you have more time, you could also get to Lipton Seat to enjoy the panoramic views over the tea plantations.

 

Nine Arch Bridge 

 

One of the most photographed spots in Ella is definitely the Nine Arch Bridge. After our adventures at Little Adam Peak, we walked to the Nine Arch Bridge (it wasn’t that far, we followed the indications from 98 Acres Resort & Spa. The trails brought us here.

 

nine arch bridge ella

 

Then, we walked down to the Nine Arch Bridge, drank a coconut and we took a lot of photos of course. 

To reach Nine Arch Bridge you can either walk there from Little Adam Peak or you can get a tuk-tuk driver. There’s no entrance fee.

If you’re planning on taking photos of the famous blue train, you can expect to see it at these times 9:30, 11:30, 15:30, 16:30 and 17:30.

 

nine arch bridge ella

 

Ella Spice Garden Cooking Class

 

Since we love to do cooking classes, we had read about the cooking class offered by Ella Spice Garden. Since this cooking class is quite popular, several shops are trying to “steal their name”. For example, there’s another place called Ella Spice and Herbs Garden to confuse travelers.

The cooking class by Ella Spice Garden costs LKR 2000 per person. We started our class with a cup of tea to meet the other participants. Then, we walked into the spice garden to learn about the different spices. During the class, we cooked potato curry, garlic curry, dhal curry, papadam, and coconut sambol. 

To book this cooking class, you must head to the Ella Spice Garden directly and you must pay the full amount or a deposit. Since you won’t be able to book online or over the phone, as soon as you arrive in Ella, you should head there to book your spot. When it’s the peak season, they offer a class for lunch and for dinner. The class takes about three hours.

To get there, you can walk from Ella Town or you can take a tuk-tuk.

 

cooking class ella

 

Ravana Falls

 

During our stay in Ella, we went to Ravana Falls by tuk-tuk. It’s about 20 minutes drive. We were back in town about one hour later. Ravana Falls is nice, but it’s not the biggest waterfall in the area. If you have more time, you should head to Diyaluma Falls instead. 

 

Ravana Falls Sri Lanka

 

Where to Stay in Ella, Sri Lanka

 

During your stay in Ella, you can opt for different spots. We stayed in a small guesthouse called Blooming Rose Ella. As I said above, the views were amazing and the couple who owns the guesthouse was lovely.

Otherwise, you can stay in Ella Town or around the Nine Arch Bridge.

Here are a few options for every budget:

Budget: Ella New Super Hostel / The Travel Corner / The 1964 Boutique Hostel

Mid-range: Blooming Rose Ella / Leisure Dream Inn / Saffron Eco Cottage

Luxury: The One Ella / Chill Ville / EKHO Ella

 

BEFORE YOU GO TO SRI LANKA

 

☑ Book your flight: If your flight isn’t booked yet – check out the flights on Skyscanner or via Google Flights. My top saving tip is flexibility. If you’re flexible, you should be able to find a cheaper flight.

☑ Book your accommodation: I always use Airbnb and Booking.com. If you’d rather stay in a hostel, you should take a look at the options on Hostelworld. If you click on the Airbnb link and you don’t have an account yet – you’ll get a $30 discount on your first booking.

☑ Protect your cute face: Oh, you may want to protect your cute face with a travel medical insurance. I would suggest SafetyWing as they offer the best rates, especially for long-term travelers. Otherwise, you can also take a look at World Nomads.

☑ Pack the essentials: You can consult this list when it’s time to pack your bag! Do not leave without a universal charger, a power bank and your passport!

☑  Do you need a visa? If you aren’t sure if you need a visa, it would be a smart idea to take a quick look before you go. You can use iVisa – it’s super useful and easy to use. Read more about the visa for Sri Lanka here.

 

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