4-Day itinerary for Ella, Sri Lanka

Here’s a 4-day itinerary for Ella, Sri Lanka, designed to balance natural beauty, adventure, culture, and relaxation. Ella is known for its scenic landscape and hiking trails. Day 1: Arrival and Exploring Ella Town 🛬 Morning: Arrival in Ella (via train from Kandy or Nuwara Eliya – one of the most scenic train rides in the world - See photo 12. Or bus from the south, a simple route if you’ve been visiting Yala National Park) Check-in to your hotel or guesthouse (suggested: 98 Acres Resort, The Chillout Ella, or a local homestay). 🌿 Afternoon: Ella Town Walk: Explore cafes, souvenir shops, and markets. Visit the R. M. Perera Tea Centre to learn about tea processing and enjoy a tasting session. 🌅 Evening: Dinner at Chill Café – a traveler favorite for good food and ambiance. Day 2: Hiking and Waterfalls 🥾 Morning: Little Adam’s Peak Hike (Easy, 1.5–2 hours round trip): Panoramic views of Ella Gap and surrounding valleys. You can head there for sunrise as I did as seen in the 10th photo, I woke up at 4am, had a short motorcycle ride to a car park, paid a small fee and walked 30 mins up to the summit. Stop by Flying Ravana Mega Zipline (optional) – great for a quick adrenaline rush on the way down. It isn’t just a zipline, they have swings, a pool and a bar if you just want to chill. 💧 Afternoon: Visit Diyaluma Falls: it’s about 1 hour from the town, I would recommend leaving before lunch and eat at Diyaluma Manusha Restaurant & Hotel when you arrive, the waterfall can be seen in photo 8. It’s super grand and an easy hike once you have ridden to the free car park at the top of the mountain. (Alternate option) Lunch near Ravana Zipline or at Cafe Chill again. Visit Ravana Falls: Beautiful and popular waterfall close to town. You can swim in the lower pools if conditions are safe. Optional: Visit Ravana’s Cave, tied to the Ramayana legend (moderate hike). 🍛 Evening: Dinner at Matey Hut – known for authentic Sri Lankan rice and curry. Day 3: Nine Arches Bridge and Tea Country 🌉 Early Morning: Walk to Nine Arches Bridge for sunrise (or time your visit for when the train passes). Magical photo opportunity. See cover photo and photo 9. 🍃 Mid-Morning: Visit a nearby tea plantation and factory – like Halpewatte Tea Factory (30 mins tuk-tuk from town). We saved this for Nuwara-Eliya but there are some gorgeous ones in Ella too, it depends if you have the energy for this after the early rise. 🍽 Afternoon: Attend a cooking class, photo 11. The one I went to was called Honey Bee Garden and I will do an entirely separate post about that as it was so amazing! 🎶 Evening: Explore live music or chill vibes at The Rainbow Café or Café UFO. Day 4: Ella Rock Adventure & Departure 🌄 Early Morning: Ella Rock Hike (Challenging, 4–5 hours round trip). Go early to avoid the heat and see a clearer sky. I made this mistake and went later, it was so hot and completely cloud covered. It still allowed for some amazing photos. See photos 2-6.