Sri Lanka · ELLA TOURS

The 15 Best Ella Tours & Hikes

107 tours  ·  from $10

Everything in Ella is walkable except the things that are not. The 15 below sort Little Adam’s Peak, the Nine Arches viaduct, the Ravana falls and the long runs up to Horton Plains by cost, distance and how early they start.

Ella: Traditional Sri Lankan Cooking Class - Fresh ingredients and the Sri Lankan spice box
Cooking Classes, Cooking Classes in Ella, Ella Tours, Tour Reviews

Ella: Traditional Sri Lankan Cooking Class

1.Traditional Sri Lankan Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 788 reviews · 2 hours · from $19Our pick

Join Ranjani, also called Ranji, in an open-air kitchen in Ella for a two-hour Sri Lankan cooking lesson. You will prepare dishes such as dhal, curry, coconut sambol, string hoppers, hoppers, or honey roti, learn about spices and their health uses, then eat together from banana leaves. Recipes arrive by WhatsApp.

“This cooking class is great, very homely and we learnt lots about traditional Sri Lankan cooking with yummy food at the end! We learnt about local traditions and was overall a great hands on experience thank you”

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ELLA: Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa/Galle & Yala Tour - Leaving Ella before sunrise
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Ella: Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa/Galle & Yala Tour

2.Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa/Galle & Yala Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 518 reviews · 3 - 9 hours · from $10Best value

Leave Ella before dawn or at noon, ride a shared jeep through Yala for three hours, and look for leopards, elephants, crocodiles, sloth bears, buffaloes, monkeys, and birds. Guides such as Sasanka, Dilan, Ishan, and Chathura are praised for spotting wildlife and explaining what you see. Your air-conditioned transfer continues to Tangalle, Hiriketiya, Mirissa, Weligama, or Galle.

“Our safari was excellent and our guide Ishan make such an effort to make sure we got to see all the animals that were available including Leopards and Elephants!”

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Ella: Little Adam's Peak, Nine Arches Bridge & Waterfalls - Little Adam’s Peak and wide views over Ella
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Ella: Little Adam’s Peak, Nine Arches Bridge & Waterfalls

3.Little Adam’s Peak, Nine Arches Bridge & Waterfalls

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 402 reviews · 6 hours · from $37

Spend six hours exploring Ella by tuk tuk with an English-speaking local guide. Walk to Nine Arches Bridge, hike Little Adam’s Peak, visit Ravana Waterfall, and swim at Pallewela and Secret Waterfall. Guides such as Sugala, Sanka, Jegan, and Thela are known for flexible pacing, local stories, and helpful photo stops.

“Such a wonderful trip, Our guide ( Sanka) was truly the best!! Nothing was too much trouble for him. My dad is 70 and has limited mobility yet Sanka managed to get him half way up little Adam’s peak and down to a secret waterfall without and grumbles! He was so accommodating and friendly, we could not of asked for more, as a family of 7 people all various age ranges, we all felt so looked after and cared for whilst also learning so much local knowledge and having fun! What more can you ask for! Thank you Sanka and thank you to the tour company for making our time…”

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ELLA: Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa/Galle & Yala Tour - Leaving Ella before sunrise
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ELLA: Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa/Galle & Yala Tour

4.Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa/Galle & Yala Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 336 reviews · from $35

Travel from Ella, Haputale, or Bandarawela to Tangalle, Hiriketiya, Mirissa, Galle, and nearby towns, stopping at Yala National Park for a safari. Your air-conditioned transfer vehicle meets an open-sided jeep, with guides such as Sasanka, Tikiri, Muthu, and Yashara helping you spot wildlife. Expect a very long day, especially on morning departures.

“Sasanka was a great guide and showed us some great sights in Yala.”

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From Ella: Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa & Yala Safari - What the day may look like from Ella
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From Ella: Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa & Yala Safari

5.Drop to Tangalle/Hiriketiya/Mirissa & Yala Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 296 reviews · 4 - 10 hours · from $11

Combine your transfer from Ella with a roughly three-hour Yala National Park safari. An air-conditioned vehicle collects you in Ella, then a local jeep guide such as Sasanka, Dilan, or Ishan searches for elephants, crocodiles, monkeys, birds, and leopards before dropping you at Tangalle, Hiriketiya, Mirissa, Galle, or nearby towns.

“Sasanka was great- got us a leopard sighting and was very knowledgeable on everything- would recommend highly”

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Ella: Sri Lankan Cooking Class with Neranji at Homestay - From rice and coconut milk to a full plate
Cooking Classes, Cooking Classes in Ella, Ella Tours, Tour Reviews

Ella: Sri Lankan Cooking Class with Neranji at Homestay

6.Sri Lankan Cooking Class with Neranji at Homestay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 276 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $19Top rated

Join Neranji in her home kitchen in Ella for a two to three hour, hands-on Sri Lankan cooking class. You will prepare curries, sambols, salads, papadom, or coconut roti, learn traditional spice and coconut milk techniques, then eat the meal together. Recipes and selected spices are included.

“An amazing experience!! Absolutely fantastic from Start to finish, Neranji was so kind and welcoming and explained everything so well to us. We learned so much about Sri Lankan cuisine and the food was so well prepared and we were involved in everything. Definitely the best cooking class in Ella and you won’t be disappointed, such good value for money and you enjoy the food afterwards. A must try when in Ella!!”

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Ella : Cooking class with amazing Spice Garden Tour - From cinnamon and vanilla to the fireplace
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Ella : Cooking class with amazing Spice Garden Tour

7.Cooking class with amazing Spice Garden Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 239 reviews · 4 hours · from $32

Tour a family-run 2.5-acre spice garden with guides such as Sam, Senaka, or Upulu, then join a small-group cooking class in Ella. You’ll make coconut milk by hand and prepare rice, curries, sambol, banana chips, and papadam over a traditional fireplace before eating together.

“Very nice spice gardeb tour and interactive cooking workshop.”

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From Ella: Yala Safari with Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle Drop-off - The pre-dawn pickup from Ella
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From Ella: Yala Safari with Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle Drop-off

8.Yala Safari with Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle Drop-off

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 198 reviews · 9 hours · from $10

Travel from Ella to Yala National Park by air-conditioned car, spend about four hours on a guided 4x4 safari, then continue to Tangalle, Hiriketiya, Mirissa, Unawatuna, or Galle. Guides such as Isuru and Kavee are praised for spotting wildlife, while the direct transfer saves you a separate travel day.

“Everything is well arranged. just hoping the minibus could be upgraded, especially the front seat, because the tour is quite long and starts in early morning. Anyway, the guide Chutte really bring us excellent experiences, will recommend to friends!”

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Ella: Ella Rock, 9 Arch, Little Adams Peak, & Waterfall Tour - Ravana Falls brings folklore and easy scenery
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Ella: Ella Rock, 9 Arch, Little Adams Peak, & Waterfall Tour

9.Ella Rock, 9 Arch, Little Adams Peak, & Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 190 reviews · 1 day · from $34

Spend a full day exploring Ella with a local English-speaking guide such as Nuwan or Chathura. Visit Ravana Falls, Ella Rock, Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam’s Peak, and the Demodara railway loop. Hotel pickup, drop-off, water, and Ella Rock entry are included. The zipline and Calypso train cost extra.

“I had such a great time on this tour! Nuwan was just the best, he drove savely, took tons of pics of me and was so lovely to be around! It felt like going on a tour with a friend. He showed me some really nice views of Ella, the famous ones but also some other ones that i would’ve skipped if i went by myself. I would recommend this tour! :)”

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Ella: Shuttle to Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle w Udawalawe Safari - Leaving Ella early for Udawalawe
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Ella: Shuttle to Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle w Udawalawe Safari

10.Shuttle to Tangalle/Mirissa/Galle w Udawalawe Safari

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 166 reviews · 7 hours · from $48

Turn a long transfer from Ella into a wildlife outing. After hotel pickup, you ride to Udawalawe, change to an open safari jeep, and spend three hours looking for elephants, crocodiles, buffalo, monkeys, and birds. Guides such as Pathum, Koshala, and Mahesh are praised for patient animal spotting. Your air-conditioned vehicle then takes you to the southern coast.

“Everything punctual, well organized. We saw many elephants and one crocodile, many birds, buffaloes. I highly recommend this trip”

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From Ella: Yala National Park Safari Tour in a 4x4 - Leaving Ella before dawn
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From Ella: Yala National Park Safari Tour in a 4×4

11.Yala National Park Safari Tour in a 4×4

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 155 reviews · 8 hours · from $49

Leave Ella before sunrise for a private trip to Yala National Park. An air-conditioned transfer takes you to the park, where guides such as Sasanka, Dilan, Muthu, and Tikiri search for leopards, elephants, crocodiles, birds, and more from a sturdy 4x4. The advertised price is $49, but the park entrance fee is extra and payable in Sri Lankan rupees.

“Tikiri was a great guide. We saw 3 leopards, Elephants, Crocodiles and water buffalos. The Ride was a bit rough but so funny and just driving around in that beautiful Nature was perfect.”

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Ella Sri Lanka : Mom's Kitchen Cooking class - The first steps: ingredients, tools, and Sri Lankan flavor
Cooking Classes, Cooking Classes in Ella, Ella Tours, Tour Reviews

Ella Sri Lanka : Mom’s Kitchen Cooking class

12.Ella Sri Lanka : Mom’s Kitchen Cooking class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 113 reviews · 2 hours · from $20

At Mom’s Kitchen near Ella, Kamala and her daughter Irosha teach you to prepare several Sri Lankan curries, rice, coconut sambol, and papadum. You will chop, grind spices, cook over fire and gas, and eat the finished meal with views across the surrounding countryside. The small group is limited to six people, and recipes are shared for cooking at home.

“Would definitely recommend this experience to everyone that visits Ella! Truly authentic and Irosha and her mum were so kind and accommodating to our dietary requests! Traditional methods of cooking and gave us tips for cooking! The meal was delicious and we all had a part to play throughout the experience! A massive thankyou and would recommend to others!”

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Ella: Tea Factory, Train, and Nine Arch Day Tour with Pickup - Key points to know before booking
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Ella: Tea Factory, Train, and Nine Arch Day Tour with Pickup

13.Tea Factory, Train, and Nine Arch Day Tour with Pickup

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

You’ll travel from Colombo, Galle, Negombo, or nearby coastal towns to Ella for a full day of sights and activity. Expect a long road journey, a short train ride, Ravana Waterfall, Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam’s Peak, Halpewaththa Tea Factory, Ravana Pool Club, and an optional zipline. Guides such as Krish, Ranga, Dinesh, and Rukshan are named in past bookings.

“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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Ella Rock & 9 Arch Bridge, Little Adams Peak with Transfer - Ella Rock: the serious walk comes first
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Ella Rock & 9 Arch Bridge, Little Adams Peak with Transfer

14.Ella Rock & 9 Arch Bridge, Little Adams Peak with Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · 8 hours · from $50

Spend eight hours exploring Ella’s best-known sights with a private English-speaking guide. Walk through tea plantations to Ella Rock, visit Nine Arches Bridge, eat lunch at a local restaurant, then climb Little Adam’s Peak. Guides such as Dinu, Pubba, and Madu are praised for local knowledge, photos, and thoughtful pacing.

“Our driver Sanju was extremely efficient and friendly and we would not have been able to cover all three sites without his expert navigation. He went out of his way to check what time the train passed along the Nine Arch Bridge so we could get there on time and experience the moment. We had lunch at a local restaurant which was absolutely delicious (we were given the choice to order any dish off their menu).”

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Ella: Yala Safari with Drop at Tangalle/ Hiriketiya/ Mirissa - Four hours inside Yala: what the safari feels like
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Ella: Yala Safari with Drop at Tangalle/ Hiriketiya/ Mirissa

15.Yala Safari with Drop at Tangalle/ Hiriketiya/ Mirissa

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 74 reviews · 9 - 16 hours · from $11

Leave Ella early or late for a four-hour Yala safari, then continue by air-conditioned car to Mirissa, Tangalle, Hiriketiya, Galle, or Hikkaduwa. Your park guide searches for leopards, elephants, sloth bears, crocodiles, deer, and birds. The safari jeep holds up to six people. Park admission and food cost extra.

“There was proper communication from the beginning with our pick up and drop off locations being confirmed. The driver was good - from Ella to Yala and from Yala to Mirissa. A very friendly driver and a very warm personality. The safari itself was okay - we saw a leopard and elephants and some smaller animals. The jeep did get stuck in the mud (but this could happen to anyone) and definitely made this a memorable experience. The guide could perhaps learn a bit more about the animals and have more passion for the wild instead of just driving us and telling us a few facts about the animals. Also…”

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New in Ella Tours

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Nuwara Eliya Tours46Scenic Train Rides34Tea Plantation Tours44Waterfall Tours27Horton Plains Tours10Nine Arches Bridge Tours17Little Adam's Peak Hikes11
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