Ella is truly heaven on earth. It first became popular when local university students, as soon as they got a vacation, would trek through these hills and spend time exploring the area. Unexpectedly, some of these students began welcoming tourists who loved trekking and nature. From those humble beginnings, Ella has now grown into one of the most visited destinations in Sri Lanka.
This charming hill country destination offers stunning landscapes, popular hiking trails, tea plantations, waterfalls, and cozy cafés with a relaxed village feel. From early morning hikes at Little Adams Peak to scenic train rides and quiet evenings in nature, Ella is the perfect place to enjoy Sri Lanka’s natural beauty.
At SL VOYO, Sri Lanka’s first travel platform, we help travellers discover Sri Lanka through experiences that go beyond basic sightseeing. Whether you are joining our Sri Lanka tours or planning your own adventure, this is our friendly guide to the top things to do in Ella.
Ella is famous for its treks, and almost everything around the town is centred on hiking and outdoor experiences. From early morning climbs to scenic viewpoints, Ella is all about walking through nature, surrounded by misty hills and tea plantations. Trails like Ella Rock and Little Adam’s Peak make it a favourite stop for travellers who enjoy active mornings in the mountains.
Ella is a small town in the Badulla District of Sri Lanka’s Uva Province, governed by the Ella Pradeshiya Sabha. It is located about 200 kilometres east of Colombo and sits at an elevation of 1,041 metres above sea level, giving it a cool and refreshing climate. The area is rich in biodiversity, with dense greenery, varied plant life, and wildlife spread across the surrounding forests and valleys.
After a morning of trekking, afternoons in Ella are all about slowing down and relaxing in the heart of the town. Visitors often spend time in cosy cafés and relaxed restaurants, enjoying local food, fresh air, and mountain views. With nature always close by, Ella offers the perfect balance between adventure-filled days and peaceful, laid-back evenings.
Little Adam’s Peak, also known as Mini Adam’s Peak, is one of the most popular and easiest hikes near Ella. The trail offers beautiful panoramic views of misty mountains and tea plantations and is named after its resemblance to the larger Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada). The hike usually takes about 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on your pace, and is suitable for most fitness levels. It is free to enter and best enjoyed early in the morning or around sunset.
When you reach the top, the first thing you will notice is a large tree near a cliff on the right-hand side. Close to it is a small peak with a Buddha statue, from where you can enjoy a lovely view of Ella town below. If you want a slightly more challenging, intermediate trek with even better views, continue towards the left side of the tree. This path goes up and down another hill to the endpoint of Little Adam’s Peak, and although it requires more effort, the views are truly worth it.
Along the way, you’ll find local street vendors selling snacks and drinks like achcharu, lime juice, and king coconut, perfect for a quick refresh. You can also buy small souvenirs made from wood carvings and coconut shells.
If climbing the steps feels difficult, there is now an all-new Skywalk built about 100 metres above the ground, offering an easy and comfortable pathway to enjoy the views without taking the stairs. The entrance fee is LKR 2,000 for adults and LKR 1,500 for children. Along the way, you’ll also find fun activities such as the Flying Ravana Zip Line, adding a bit of adventure to your hike. When climbing down, don’t miss stopping at Ravana Pool Club, where you can relax with a cocktail or enjoy a good meal while taking in the beautiful Ella Gap view.
📌 Address | Little Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka |
⏰ Opening Hours | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
💸 Entrance Fee | Free |
The Nine Arch Bridge is located in Ella, a small hill town in the Badulla District of Sri Lanka’s Uva Province. It lies between the Ella and Demodara railway stations.
The construction of the bridge is generally believed to have been carried out by a local Sri Lankan builder, P. K. Appuhami, in consultation with British engineers. The bridge was designed by a British engineer named Harold Cuthbert Marwood. A special feature of this bridge is that it was uniquely constructed without using steel, relying only on bricks, rock, and cement. According to sources, construction work was completed in 1919. Because of its height and the sky visible through its arches, it is also known as the “Bridge in the Sky” (Ahas Namaye Palama in Sinhala).
You can travel part of the way by a rented bike and park it near the Mountain Bridge Juice Bar. From there, you need to walk along a small path for about 20 minutes to reach the bridge. The path is surrounded by trees and vines on both sides. Along the way, you can relax and enjoy the beautiful mountain views, and you also have the opportunity to stop at a café for a cup of tea.
The bridge is made up of nine large arches. Although it was built during a less developed era, trains still travel across this massive bridge today. You can watch trains crossing over the Nine Arch Bridge and take photographs from the railway track. However, since it is an active railway line, visitors must be very careful. There is a deep gorge below the bridge, which is covered with dense trees.
Trains cross the Nine Arch Bridge at approximately:
6:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 3:30 PM, 4:30 PM, and 5:30 PM
When you arrive at Ella Railway Station, ask the station staff for the latest train timings
If you are already at the Nine Arch Bridge, ask the locals or the police for updated information
Try to arrive at least one hour early, as train timings in Sri Lanka are not always exact.
Ella Rock is a popular hiking destination in Ella, Badulla District, Sri Lanka. The trail to the summit starts near Ella town and takes about 2–3 hours to reach the top. There are three main viewpoints at Ella Rock, and two main trails lead to the summit.often recommended for intermediate to professional trekkers.
The hike begins on a small path that passes through tea plantations. The area is consistently cool and shaded. Visitors need to purchase a ticket at the ticket counter before hiking to the summit. The trail to the top is moderately challenging, with some steep sections and obstacles along the way.
From the top of Ella Rock, you can see Little Adam’s Peak. You can also enjoy panoramic views of waterfalls, mist-covered hills, cultivated land, and nearby roads with passing vehicles. Photographs can be taken from these viewpoints. Along the trail, there is a small tea shop where you can rest and enjoy a cup of tea while taking in the beautiful surroundings.
At Ella Rock, visitors must pay an entrance fee at the top viewpoint, and the foreign adult price is LKR 980. While at SL VOYO we don’t really see the point of charging for the viewpoint, complaining aside, the view at the top is the most important part of the hike and it is absolutely worth it in the end.
The Dhowa Rock Temple, over 2,000 years old, began in the 1st century BC when King Walagamba took refuge from invaders in a cave. He established it as Kumbaltissa Ariyagala Vehera. Later, the temple was developed with Kandyan-style art, including Jataka tales and a famous.
Inside the shrine room, you can see Jataka stories showing the past lives of the Buddha, along with lotus and floral designs. These paintings are special because they use strong colours such as red, yellow, and white. On both sides of the shrine, there are two small temples dedicated to God Vishnu and God Kataragama.
A small stream flows along one side of Dhowa Temple, and a meditation area has been created near the stream for visitors. At this temple, you can also see a large standing Buddha statue carved into a massive rock. This statue was never fully completed, making it a unique and impressive sight.
Dhowa Rock Temple is located about 6 km from Ella town on the Ella–Bandarawela main road. The easiest way to get there is by tuk-tuk, which takes around 15 minutes. It is also a simple stop if you are travelling by car or tour vehicle between Ella and Bandarawela.
The Kumbalwela Temple, officially Sri Satbudu Maha Seya Viharaya, is a modern branch of the Mahamevnawa Meditation Monastery network, established around 2007 under Venerable Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero, situated on a scenic mountain peak in Ella, Uva Province, offering Theravada Buddhist practices and pilgrimage opportunities.
As this temple is situated on the summit of a hill, it offers a stunning viewpoint from which visitors can enjoy mist-covered mountain ranges, flowering trees, paddy fields, and small reservoirs visible in the distance.
A man-made water stream has been creatively constructed through the center of the staircase leading to the temple. One of the unique features of this temple is the construction of a stupa above the shrine room.Inside the shrine room, memorial representations of all the Buddhas have been created.The temple premises are beautifully landscaped with ornamental flowering plants, which are maintained in an orderly and well kept manner.
Visitors can take part in the daily religious activities held at the monastery. The Buddha pooja and the offering of alms to the monks usually take place at 10:45 a.m. Evening chanting and recitation are held at 6:00 p.m.During the Buddha pooja, you can see traditional Sri Lankan drummers beating drums and blowing conch shells as a mark of respect to the Buddha. The monastery also has meditation huts for those who wish to practise meditation, and visitors are welcome to use them.
The monastery is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
According to legend, it is said that Ravana (who was the king of Lanka at the time) had kidnapped princess Sita, and had hidden her in the caves behind this waterfall, now simply known as the Ravana Ella Cave.
Apart from its impressive height of 25 meters, Ravana Falls is also known as the widest waterfall in Sri Lanka, flowing down like a curtain over an oval shaped concave rock formation.
You can enjoy viewing a beautiful waterfall flowing between two natural mountain ranges, and you can also take photographs from this spot. During the rainy season, a large volume of muddy, brown-colored water flows down the waterfall. Therefore, visitors are kindly advised to follow safety precautions while observing the waterfall.
Demodara’s importance lies in its iconic railway loop, an engineering marvel in Sri Lanka’s highlands. It allows trains to navigate steep terrain by looping under the station through a tunnel, creating the famous “looping the loop” effect, with the station positioned directly above it. This makes it a significant tourist attraction and a testament to early 20th-century railway engineering.
During the British colonial period, a railway was constructed to transport tea from Badulla to Colombo. However, at a place called Demodara, the steep terrain was too difficult for a train to pass directly. When it was impossible to extend the railway forward in a straight line, a Sri Lankan devised a solution: he designed the railway to loop around the hill, gradually reducing the elevation, and constructed an underpass beneath the station, allowing the railway to continue forward. This unique design is what makes the Demodara railway station special.
From this station, you can enjoy beautiful views of the surrounding tea plantations, and photographs can be taken from the station
The Blue Water Pond is a hidden underground pond located in the Karandagolla area of Ella, Badulla District.
To reach this pond, visitors must walk through a small path of about five feet in the middle of a forest, where vines and wildlife can be seen along the way. From a small wooden staircase with an opening of about 2–3 feet, one must descend approximately 200 feet underground along a steep path leading to the pond. This path was created by the arrangement of large rocks resting on one another.
Since sunlight cannot enter the tunnel, the environment inside is very dark. For a long time, white-colored quartz stones have been scattered on the upper rocks, giving the tunnel a unique appearance. Travelling through the tunnel is somewhat risky, as visitors need to navigate large rocks, branches, and vines along the way. However, at the end of the journey, seeing the astonishing Blue Water Pond makes all the difficulties disappear. The water is extremely clear and shines with a deep blue colour.
Visitors also have the opportunity to descend into the pond and enjoy themselves if they wish. Additionally, photographs can be taken from the pond area.
Dunhinda Falls is located about 5 km from Badulla town in the Uva Province. The waterfall is 210 feet high. The mist (water vapor) that spreads around the base of the waterfall is the reason for its name, “Dunhinda.” The Badulu Oya, which flows through Badulla town, creates the Dunhinda Waterfall.
There are several legends about the origin of Dunhinda Falls. According to one popular story, during the reign of King Kumarasinghe, the regional king of Badulla, there was a narrow gorge between Dunhinda Plain and Kosgolla. Over time, this gorge became blocked with mud and debris, which stopped the flow of the Badulu Oya. As a result, Badulla town was flooded. The king ordered his men to clear the blockage and promised rewards to the person who succeeded. When the blockage was removed, the water rushed down from that point, and Dunhinda Falls was formed.
Visitors must park their vehicles near the main road and walk about 1 km to reach the waterfall. This walk usually takes between 30 and 45 minutes. The path is not dull, as there are small shops along both sides of the road. However, some parts of the path are very narrow, so visitors should be careful. Along the way, there is another small waterfall known as “Kuda Dunhinda” (Little Dunhinda). During the walk, visitors can refresh themselves by drinking a glass of belimal tea with jaggery or a fresh king coconut.
Bathing near the waterfall is very dangerous. At the end of the path, a safe viewing platform has been built for visitors to enjoy the waterfall. Even though the journey is long and the path is difficult, all the tiredness disappears when you reach the waterfall because of its natural beauty. When you visit Dunhinda Falls, do not forget to take photographs and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding environment.
Entrance Fee for Tourist – around 300-500 Lkr
Ella is a small town in the Badulla District of the Uva Province in Sri Lanka.
Ella is famous for its beautiful mountain views, tea plantations, waterfalls, and hiking spots.
The best time to visit Ella is from January to April, when the weather is pleasant and clear.
The easiest way to travel to Ella is through the southern Highway.
Two to three days are usually enough to explore the main attractions in Ella.
Popular attractions include Ella Rock, Little Adam’s Peak, Nine Arches Bridge, Ravana Falls, and tea factories.
Yes, Ella is a great place for hiking, especially Ella Rock and Little Adam’s Peak.
Yes, Ella is suitable for families, couples, and solo travellers.
Ella offers hotels, guesthouses, hostels, and eco-lodges for different budgets.
Yes, Ella has many restaurants and cafés offering local and international food.
What is it?
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Discover authentic culture and make a difference by helping local communities.
