Hike Little Adam’s Peak

Just because it’s called Little Adam’s Peak doesn’t mean it’s any less amazing than the original Adam’s Peak it’s just easier to get to! There are actually three peaks on Little Adam’s Peak and it takes around 30 minutes to reach the furthest one. Little Adams Peak is the most accessible hike in Ella and well worth checking out for the amazing views!

Visit the famous Nine Arch Bridge for Sunrise

You can visit Ella on a day trip from Nuwara Eliya and see most of the highlights! Arguably the most famous attraction in Ella is the Nine Arch Bridge. This gorgeous bridge is surrounded by lush greenery and tea fields and has become the postcard of Sri Lanka

Flying Ravana Zipline

It is a great zipline with amazing views! One of the newest attractions in Ella is the Flying Ravana Zipline. It’s over 500m long and travels at over 80km per hour. It’s one activity that’s sure to get your heart racing! During the zipline, you can take in the stunning views around you as you zoom past the viewing deck of spectators. It’s also a dual zipline which means you can race your friend to the bottom or just sit back and enjoy the ride next to each other. The Ravana Zipline costs $20 USD for an adult and $15 USD for a child. The zipline is located at the bottom of Little Adam’s Peak and is a great activity to pair with the hike.

Take the train to Haputale or Kandy

Talk about breathtaking views! The train ride from Ella to Kandy is one of the most beautiful in the world. This famous route travels through the vast, and somewhat never-ending, tea plantations in Sri Lanka. The train to Kandy takes around 4 hours and there are three levels of classes available. If you value comfort, be sure to go with first-class, but if you want a local experience go with third it’ll be a train ride you won’t forget!

Visit Ravana Falls

This huge waterfall is really quite impressive to see. Ravana Falls is also one of the closest waterfalls to Ella, making it very easy (and cheap) to get to. Although you can’t really swim at Ravana Falls, it’s still a nice place to visit. Around the falls you’ll always see lots of monkeys and there are some juice bars and small shops on the highway near the falls too. During the dry season, you can also hike to the top of Ravana Falls to admire the stunning views from above. During our visit, there was too much water to hike the trail.

Visit Lipton Seat

Lipton Seat is a stunning viewpoint named after the pioneer of tea in Sri Lanka, Thomas Lipton. Although Thomas has since passed, his legacy of bringing tea to the working-class lives on. To this day you can visit his favourite viewpoint in Sri Lanka… Lipton Seat! The viewpoint overlooks the vast tea fields he once owned and no trip to Sri Lanka would be complete without a visit to Lipton Seat. Liptons Seat is located around an hour’s drive from Ella and is most commonly visited for sunrise. Once at Lipton Seat you can explore the many tea plantations or just enjoy a tea break at the Lipton Seat restaurant.

Visit a Tea Factory

You cant take photos inside the tea factory so this will have to do! You simply can’t come to Sri Lanka without visiting a tea factory. I mean, it’s like going to Italy and not eating pizza! There are a few tea factories in Ella but the most popular one to visit is the Halpewatte Tea Factory. This tea factory is actually the largest tea factory in Sri Lanka. If you’ve decided to visit Lipton Seat then your best option is to visit the Dambatenne Tea Factory near there.

Hike Ella Rock

Breathtaking views over mountains and tea plantations from Ella rock. If you’re after a more challenging hike than Little Adam’s Peak then Ella Rock is perfect. Although the trail has similar views to Little Adam’s Peak, it does take you much higher up for a more panoramic view. In fact, I’d say it’s the best viewpoint in Ella! The trail to the top and back took us 4 hours from Ella and is 8km long. It’s not overly hard but does involve some fitness (especially for the way up!)

Diyaluma Falls

A moody Diyaluma Falls! If you’re going to visit one waterfall in Sri Lanka then Diyaluma Falls is a great choice. It’s Sri Lanka’s second-largest waterfall and an epic place to explore. The falls are 220m tall and you can both swim at the bottom of the falls or the top with the top being the better option. The top part of the waterfall is made up of small pools you can swim in. Here you can enjoy the breathtaking views. During the wet season, it becomes far too dangerous to swim in the pools closest to the edge due to the amount of water rushing down the falls.

While Ella is a popular destination to visit all year round, June-August is the ideal time to go due to a number of factors such as the climate, cost of travel and accommodation, as well as avoiding peak holiday periods. The sun stays up the longest in Ella in July, so you’ll get the most out of your daytime activities if you visit around this time. On average it rains the most days in October, making it the wettest month of the year. Although it’s the wet season, it can often rain a little bit during the day or evening but have fine weather for a majority of the day too, so don’t let this put you off.

While Ella is a popular destination to visit all year round, June-August is the ideal time to go due to a number of factors such as the climate, cost of travel and accommodation, as well as avoiding peak holiday periods.

The sun stays up the longest in Ella in July, so you’ll get the most out of your daytime activities if you visit around this time. On average it rains the most days in October, making it the wettest month of the year. Although it’s the wet season, it can often rain a little bit during the day or evening but have fine weather for a majority of the day too, so don’t let this put you off.