Overview in Negombo

Negombo, Sri Lanka · Outdoors, Day Trips, Classes, Food, History · USD 140

Private Kandy to Ella day trip from US$140 per car: drive to Nanu Oya, ride the most scenic train section to Ella, see Nine Arch Bridge and drive back. Our private Kandy to Ella day trip combines a scenic drive into the hill country with the most beautiful part of Sri Lanka’s famous railway. We pick you up from your hotel in Kandy, drive you to Nanu Oya near Nuwara Eliya, and put you on the train for about three hours of tea estates, mountain tunnels and valley views to Ella. Your driver meets you in Ella for Nine Arch Bridge and Little Adam’s Peak, then drives you back to Kandy. This Ella day trip from Kandy is just for your group, with your own air-conditioned car or van and an experienced English-speaking driver. By driving the first part of the way, you skip the slower section of the line and spend your time on the train where the views are best. Kandy to Ella by train: how does it work? The full Kandy to Ella train journey takes 6 to 7 hours, which leaves little time in Ella on a day trip. On this tour you drive about 3 hours from Kandy to Nanu Oya and take the Kandy to Ella train ride from there, about 3 hours on the most scenic stretch. The drive back from Ella to Kandy takes 4 to 4.5 hours, so it is a long but unforgettable day of about 15 hours. Want more time in the hills? See our 3 nights Ella train and hill country itinerary, with nights in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Ella. More day trips from Kandy Ella is one of many day tours from Kandy that we run with hotel pickup. If you have another free day, here are more private trips you can join from your hotel in Kandy. See all day trips from Kandy → Highlights - Ride the most scenic part of Sri Lanka’s hill-country railway, from Nanu Oya to Ella - Pass tea estates, mountain tunnels and Pattipola, the highest station in Sri Lanka - See the famous Nine Arch Bridge, and maybe a train crossing it - Optional easy walk up Little Adam’s Peak for views over the Ella Gap - Private air-conditioned car or van with an experienced English-speaking driver - Hotel pickup in Kandy at 7:00 or 7:30 am Itinerary Your driver meets you at your hotel, guesthouse or homestay anywhere in Kandy, and you head south into the hill country through Gampola and the winding Ramboda Pass. Climb past tea estates and waterfalls, with short photo stops along the way, including Ramboda Falls beside the road, before reaching Nanu Oya station near Nuwara Eliya in time for your train. Board the famous blue hill-country train for the most scenic part of the line. For about three hours you wind past endless tea estates, misty mountain tunnels, Pattipola, the highest station in Sri Lanka, and Haputale, before the line loops down to Ella. Your driver drives ahead and meets you at Ella station. Visit the Nine Arch Bridge, a colonial-era stone railway bridge set in jungle and tea fields, one of the most photographed places in Sri Lanka. If the timing works, you can watch a train cross the bridge. If you still have energy, take the easy walk up Little Adam’s Peak, about 1 to 1.5 hours return, for wide views over the Ella Gap and the tea-covered hills. You can skip it and relax in Ella town instead. Relax on the drive back through the hills, and be dropped off at your hotel in Kandy at around 10:00 to 10:30 pm. What’s included Included - Private air-conditioned car or van for the whole day - Experienced English-speaking driver - Hotel pickup and drop-off in Kandy - Drop-off at Nanu Oya station and pickup at Ella station - Help booking train tickets, based on availability - Fuel, parking fees and highway tolls - Bottled water Not included - Train ticket (paid by you; class depends on availability) - Lunch and personal expenses - Entrance fees, if any - Tips for your driver (optional) FAQs Yes. On this tour you drive from Kandy to Nanu Oya, take the scenic train to Ella, visit Nine Arch Bridge and Little Adam’s Peak, and drive back to Kandy the same evening. It is a long day of about 15 hours. The full train journey from Kandy to Ella takes 6 to 7 hours. Starting at Nanu Oya gives you the most scenic part of the line in about 3 hours and leaves time to explore Ella. No. The train ticket is paid by you. We help you book tickets based on availability, and the class depends on which seats are available on your travel date. As early as possible, especially from December to April, when the scenic trains sell out quickly. Send us your date and we will check ticket availability for you. You can choose a 7:00 am or 7:30 am pickup from your hotel in Kandy. You are back at your hotel at around 10:00 to 10:30 pm. No. It is an easy walk of about 1 to 1.5 hours return on a good path with some steps. It is optional, and you can relax in Ella instead. Bring a light jacket for the cool hill country, comfortable shoes, sunscreen, water and some snacks or a packed lunch for the train. The tour is private for 1 to 7 people, with one price for 1 to 3 people in a car and another for 4 to 7 people in a larger van.