7 Best Things to do in Ella, Sri Lanka
1. Hike Little Adam’s Peak
Just because its called Little Adam’s Peak doesn’t mean its any less amazing – it’s just easier to get to!
To reach the top from Ella it takes around an hour, however, if you want to shave some time off the hike then consider getting a tuk-tuk to the start of the trail at Ravana Zipline.
From here its only 20 minutes to the top.
Once you’re at the top you can then walk the ridgeline and explore. There are actually three peaks on Little Adam’s Peak and it takes around 30 minutes to reach the furthest one.
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 ride, you can take in the stunning views around you as you zoom past the viewing deck of spectators. As it’s a dual zip line which means you can race your friend to the bottom or just sit back and enjoy the ride together.
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.
3. Visit Ravana Falls
The first waterfall on our things to do in Ella list is Ravana Falls. This huge waterfall is really quite impressive to see. Ravana Falls is also one of the closest waterfalls to Ella. This not only makes it very accessible but also cheap.
The waterfall located around a 10 minutes’ drive from town along the main highway. Every tuk-tuk driver or taxi will know where it is and if you’re heading out on your own then just look for it on google maps or maps.me.
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. A tuk-tuk to the falls and back should cost around 600 rupees.
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 – from first to third. 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!
The train from Ella leaves for Kandy a few times a day. You can book tickets in advance two ways. One is on 12Go Asia and the other is on Viator. My choice would be Viator for the simple fact they are cheaper and well trusted however either is fine.
5. Visit Lipton Seat
Lipton Seat is a stunning viewpoint named after the pioneer of tea 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 favorite 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.
Lipton Seat is located around an hour 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.