The 15 Ella Tours from Colombo That Repay the Early Start

1.Ella: Tea Factory, Train, and Nine Arch Day Tour with Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 98 reviews · 16 hours · from $140Our pick

Travel by air-conditioned vehicle from Colombo, Galle, Negombo and other pickup towns for a full day in Ella. Expect Ravana Waterfall, a short train ride, Nine Arch Bridge, a 45-minute Little Adam’s Peak hike, tea tasting and an optional zipline. Guides including Krish, Dinesh and Ranga have led past departures.

“Krish was a fantastic tour guide! He has a bubbly, friendly attitude and his attention to detail to personalise the itinerary to make the most of the day was second to none. I had a great day and saw everything I wanted to. Even when I was nervous to go down the zipline, his encouragement got me through! Overall, this day is going to be a highlight of my trip! Highly recommend”

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2.Ella Private Day Trip with Train Ride & Tea Factory-All Inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · from $190Top rated

Travel from selected south coast towns to Ella by private car with a driver-guide, stopping at Rawana Falls, Little Adam’s Peak, Nine Arch Bridge and Demodara. The day also includes a scenic train ride, lunch, entry fees and a guided visit to Kelliebedde Tea Factory. It is a long, early-starting trip, with a private pace and hotel pickup.

“A wonderful day trip exploring the sights around Ella. This let us experience the beauty of Sri Lanka away from the coast. Pradeep was our driver and guide for the day and was superb at his job. He was friendly and made sure everything was jRead more”

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3.03 Days Highlights Of Sigiriya,Kandy,Nuwara Eliya ,Ella & Udawalawe

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · from $265

Leave Colombo early for a fast-paced, two-night circuit through Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella and Udawalawe. An English-speaking driver-guide handles the transport and overnight stays; you pay separately for major sights and the safari. Drivers vary, with past tours led by guides such as Aaron, CJ and Chathu.

“The scenery throughout journey the punctuality of the driver and his skilful driving we highly recommend Roxanne??he would do anything for you and very professional service”

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4.Ella Private Day Tour – Departing from Any Location in Sri Lanka

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · from $195

Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle to Ella’s Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam’s Peak and Rawana Falls, with an optional stop at Udawalawe’s Elephant Transit Home. A driver-guide handles the route, and you can tailor the day. Expect an early start from distant pickup points; tea-plantation visits are also described, so confirm the final plan before booking.

“What an amazing tour we booked. From start to finish everything was perfect. We had the most amazing tour guide Laksham who was very patient with us and took great care of us on this tour and took us to all the scenic sites and explaRead more”

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5.Sri Lanka Ella Private Day Tour Nine Arch & Elephant transit home

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 22 reviews · from $190

This private 10 to 14-hour trip from Kalutara links Ella’s Nine Arch Bridge, a hike up Little Adam’s Peak, Ravana Falls, a tea plantation and Udawalawe’s Elephant Transit Home. You get an air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water, snacks and a licensed guide in several languages. The ETH fee and meals cost extra; ask ahead about adding a safari.

“We did a private day tour to Ella and visited the Elephant Transit Home. The trip was very well organized and comfortable. Ella was beautiful, and seeing the elephants was a special experience. The guide and driver were friendly, helpful, and professional throughout the day. We truly enjoyed the tour and highly recommend Hai Sri Lanka Tours. 🌿🐘”

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6.Ella Private Day Tour with Train Ride and Visit to Nine Arch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $145

Set out from Bentota at 6:00 am in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking licensed guide. The day includes Little Adam’s Peak, Nine Arch Bridge, an organic tea garden, Rawana Falls, and a one-hour train ride. Tickets, snacks, and water are included. Confirm your guide and private-group arrangements before departure.

“I booked a private tour with Sindu based on the reviews. Unfortunately the night before I was informed there would be another passenger. When I queried this I was offered another guide. After my day I would have to say that Armuna is not Read more”

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7.7 Day Colombo Galle Yala Ella Kandy, Sri Lanka Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews

Take a private seven-day road trip from Colombo Airport through Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Kandy, tea country, Ella, Yala and the south coast. Sujeewa, also called Sujee, is associated with the tour, and the route combines ancient sites, village life, mountain walks, wildlife and beaches. The $523.19 group price covers up to two people, but accommodation, many admissions and several activities cost extra.

“we had an amazing time. sujeewa took us to as many places as we told him and he knew. we partied, took videos and photos. we toured all over sri lanka hahahaha now sujeewa is not just a simple guide but family and I highly recommend yRead more”

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8.Nuwaraeliya (Nanuoya) to Ella Reserved Train Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 10 reviews · from $20

Book a reserved seat on the daily train from Nanuoya, the station serving Nuwara Eliya, to Ella. Choose from two departures; your seat is in second or third class, depending on availability, and the paper ticket is delivered to your hotel before the trip. Expect opening windows, tea country views, and a ride of about two to three hours.

“Very good views and it was a memorable ride. Seats were comfortable. A little anxiety for not receiving the physical tickets earlier but it was still on time. It was confusing to find the seat numbers but we reached out to the uniformed staff to ask. Overall, the train ride really opened up our hearts to see endless hills and beautiful scenary of Sri Lanka.”

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9.Colombo to Kandy,Ella & Yala 3 Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $5Best value

Travel from Colombo through Kandy, the tea country and Ella toward Yala in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver. The plan includes the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, a train ride toward Nanu Oya and Ella’s waterfalls. One account names guide Terens, but guide assignments are not guaranteed.

“In this three day trip excellent tour in my life and the friends also enjoyed well and good hotels. Guide also supported us well. Good all arrangements. I recommend it more friends.”

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10.Udawalawe Safari Day Trip from South Region & Transfer to Ella

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $180

Travel by private vehicle with a driver-guide to Udawalawe National Park, then explore by safari jeep for about three to three and a half hours. Look for wild elephants, deer, monkeys, crocodiles, and birds before visiting the Elephant Transit Home. Transport, entry fees, lunch, and bottled water are included. Confirm the final drop-off in Ella before booking.

“Easy pick up from right outside the cruise ship then smooth transfer onto the jeeps. Great lunch afterwards then onto the elephant orphanage… all smooth and very professional”

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11.From Ella: Diyaluma Falls Full-Day Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 8 reviews · 8 hours · from $70

Travel from Ella to Koslanda with an English-speaking guide, then hike to the upper pools of Diyaluma Falls, Sri Lanka’s second-highest waterfall. Expect broad valley views, time for photos and a swim, and lunch included. Guides such as Pubba and Sanju have led trips, though your guide may vary.

“Pubba, our guide, was one of the best people we met in Sri Lanka, so friendly, wise, and genuinely concerned for us. We didn’t receive driver/car details, but he arrived on time in a tuk tuk. Although outside his work, he stopped at Rawana Falls and Little Adam’s Peak to have our pics taken from a distance. He helped us throughout the hike and took tons of great photos of us. He let us enjoy two natural ponds for as long as we wanted. For lunch, he brought us to Somasiri Bakery Ella, which is where we got to know him at a way deeper level, which I truly cherish.…”

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12.Arugam Bay: Yala Safari & DropOff in Ella – Safari + Transit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 10 hours · from $84

Travel from Arugam Bay to Yala National Park for a guided 3 to 4 hour jeep safari, then ride on to your hotel in Ella. Look for leopards, elephants, crocodiles and birds with a licensed tracker. Guides have included Ishan and Sasanka. Park entry tickets and food are extra.

“Sasanka était notre conducteur Super moment passé avec lui, il prend le temps de bien expliquer les choses Nous avons pu voir éléphants, buffle d’eau, crocodile et le léopard tant espérer Je recommande”

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13.2 Day Tour of Yala & Ella with Hill Country Scenic Train Ride – All Inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $340

Bentota Travel Mart’s private two-day tour pairs a four-hour morning safari in Yala with Ravana Falls, Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam’s Peak, an overnight stay in Ella, a 60 to 70 minute hill-country train ride, and a tea factory visit. Private transport, meals, tickets, and a driver-guide are included.

“This was one of the best tours I’ve ever been on! Our driver Ishan was an expert and super friendly and helpful. They even got me a cake for my birthday! Every experience from the safari to the train ride was excellent. The communication and coordination of the tour agency was perfect. I can’t wait to come back to Sri Lanka, thank you so much!”

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14.3 Days Private Tour of Yala Safari/ Ella/ Kandy – All Inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $495

Travel by private air-conditioned vehicle from a wide range of coastal hotels, with a driver-guide, two hotel nights, breakfasts and dinners, attraction fees, a Yala jeep safari, and a reserved-seat train ride when seats are available. The route links Yala, Ella, Nanu Oya, and Kandy. No guide name is provided, and lunch is not included.

“The River safari in bentola as well as the excursion to Yala, it was excellent. On the other hand, visiting places such as the jewelry store, the mask shop and the place of remembrance of the tsunami are a little too commercial for our taste. The driver was very nice and acceded to all our requests.Auto-translated”

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15.03 Days Highlights Of Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya , Ella & Udawalawe

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $442

Set out from Negombo at 8:00 am in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking chauffeur. Over three days, visit Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella and Udawalawe, with two hotel nights, breakfasts and dinners included. Admission fees and the Udawalawe safari jeep cost extra, so budget beyond the $442.62 price.

“This was a good tour, I will just point out that this private trip your driver is just your driver, not a guide.”

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