The Ultimate Guide to Getting from Colombo to Ella: Take the Train and Hire a Car with a Driver!

A Comprehensive Guide to Travelling from Colombo to Ella! Make the Most of the Railway and Car Hire with Driver!

A detailed guide to accessing Ella, one of Sri Lanka’s premier highland resorts.

This article introduces methods combining chartered vehicles and rail travel for each of Route 1: Via the Goal (via the South Coast) and Route 2: Via Nuwara Eliya (via the Highlands).

Travel times and costs are also included, so please use this as a reference when planning your itinerary. Now, let’s take a look at the best route from Colombo to Ella.

Route 1: Colombo to Ella via Galle

This route travels along the south-western coast towards the highland town of Ella.

Its appeal lies in the coastal railway (commonly known as the ‘Ocean Train’), offering views of the Indian Ocean, and the opportunity to pass through the World Heritage fortress city of Galle.

If time is of the essence, travelling directly by car from Colombo to Ella is recommended. For those wishing to savour the journey, the coastal train combined with a car is the preferred option.

Option A. Direct charter car from Colombo to Ella

The simplest and most time-efficient method is to travel directly from Colombo to Ella by private chartered vehicle. Meet your driver in Colombo city or at the airport, then proceed straight to Ella in the highlands.

Using the Southern Expressway (E01) reduces travel time to approximately 5 to 6 hours (covering roughly 300 to 350 kilometres). As all driving is handled by professional chauffeurs, you can travel with peace of mind even on your first trip to Sri Lanka.

Arranging and costs for chartered vehicles: Using the Sri Lankan government-approved taxi charter service LankaMe is particularly reliable. LankaMe provides a service where you can hire a dedicated vehicle with an experienced driver, covering everything from airport transfers to long-distance journeys. The pricing is a fixed-rate system quoted upfront for each itinerary, eliminating any worries about overcharging or additional fees.

En route stops and travel arrangements: The advantage of a private charter lies in the freedom to customise your itinerary. With ample time, you could include a stop at the World Heritage site of Galle Old Town or incorporate a safari to observe wild elephants in Udawalawe National Park. Flexible breaks and sightseeing can be arranged in consultation with your driver, ensuring even long drives remain engaging. Whilst the direct route to Ella often becomes the journey itself, take advantage of the mobility unique to a chartered vehicle to enjoy ‘sightseeing whilst travelling’.

Option B. Coastal train from Colombo to Galle + Chartered vehicle from Galle to Ella

First, take the coastal train from Colombo to Galle, enjoying the spectacular views of the Indian Ocean. After disembarking in Galle, meet your driver and travel inland by car to Ella.

The coastal train between Colombo and Galle is renowned as a scenic route offering views of the Indian Ocean’s blue waters and golden beaches. As soon as the train leaves the city, the tracks run along the coast, and in some sections, huge waves crash so close you could almost reach out and touch them from the window.

Tropical fishing village scenes with lush palm trees unfold one after another, offering uninterrupted photogenic views from the carriage windows.

In second and third class, windows and doors remain open, allowing passengers to savour the sea breeze while enjoying locally sourced fruits and fried snacks from the on-board trolley – a quintessential local train experience.

The train journey from Colombo Fort Station to Galle Station takes approximately 3 to 4 hours. With over ten services operating daily, running from the 6 o’clock hour in the morning until the evening, you can select a train at a time that suits your itinerary.

For sightseeing, we recommend securing a reserved seat in second or first class (first class is air-conditioned and quiet, but the windows do not open, making it unsuitable for photography. Second class operates on a reservation system, is relatively less crowded, and allows you to open the windows wide to feel the breeze).

Due to its popularity, seats fill up quickly, but booking in advance from overseas via an agency such as 12Go Asia offers peace of mind. After receiving your booking voucher by email, you can collect your actual ticket either at their Colombo city office or via hotel delivery (for a fee), allowing you to board smoothly without queuing.

Plan 1: Travel from Colombo to Bentota using a same-day ticket for unreserved seating, which may involve standing for the one-hour journey.
Plan 2: Have LankaMe arrange a ticket from Colombo to Galle. (This is a special route and will be more expensive.)

Upon arrival at Galle Station, you will proceed by chartered vehicle towards Ella in the mountainous region. Galle is a beautiful port town where the remains of a Dutch fortress can still be seen. If time permits, you may wish to stroll around and enjoy the World Heritage-listed streetscape before departing.

The direct distance from Galle to Ella is approximately 120km, but as the route involves mountain roads, please allow around 4 to 5 hours (the usual route involves taking the E01 motorway towards Matara before turning inland).

En route, you can incorporate a wildlife-spotting safari experience by travelling via Udawalawe National Park, and you can refresh yourself by taking a break at Lavana Falls (a famous waterfall near Ella).

Around £120 (approximately €140) ※Can be reduced to £55–£70 (€60–€80) when using the entire itinerary

Chartered vehicle and train costs: The charter fee between Goa and Ella is approximately £100 (around €115). However, as mentioned earlier, using it throughout the entire itinerary can reduce the cost to £55–£70 (€60–€80) per day. For trains, standard online bookings cost around £5–£10 (€7–€12), but for special arrangements, expect to pay three to five times this amount.

Route 2: From Colombo to Ella via Nuwara Eliya, enjoying the Tea Train

Next is the route through the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka to Ella. Its greatest appeal lies in incorporating a journey aboard the world-famous Tea Train, a highland railway.

The railway journey, offering views of rolling hills dotted with tea plantations, mist-shrouded mountain ranges and cascading waterfalls, is hailed as “the world’s most beautiful train ride, one should experience at least once in a lifetime” and is immensely popular with travellers from Europe and America.

First, we shall travel by chartered car from Colombo to the hill town of Nuwara Eliya. Nuwara Eliya, situated at an altitude of approximately 1,900 metres, is an English-style resort town also known as ‘Little England’. The journey time from Colombo is approximately 4 to 5 hours by car (distance approximately 170 kilometres).

The journey ascends through mountain passes (jungle-clad mountain roads) and rolling hills dotted with tea plantations, so the scenery outside the window changes constantly. In a spacious private vehicle, you’ll find the cool, refreshing air of the highlands increasingly pleasant as the altitude rises.

The base station for Nuwara Eliya tourism is Nanu Oya Station. Ask your driver to take you to Nanu Oya Station, where you will transfer to the Tea Train of the Highland Railway.

Trains to Ella run several times a day (approximately one or two in the morning and one or two in the afternoon). It is advisable to book tickets in advance, but as they are in very high demand, early arrangements are necessary.

Second-class reserved seats and third-class reserved seats, which are particularly suitable for viewing the scenery through open windows, sell out immediately upon release.

If you cannot book via the official website, consider using online booking services such as 12Go.Asia.

The train journey from Nanu Oya station towards Ella offers ever-changing scenery: the green of tea plantations, jungle groves, and distant waterfalls and mountain ranges.

The train travels leisurely through the mountainous terrain, so the journey between Nanu Oya and Ella takes approximately 3 to 4 hours (the full route from Kandy to Ella is a lengthy journey exceeding 7 hours).

The Nine Arch Bridge, a stone railway bridge completed in 1921, is world-renowned as a scenic spot symbolising the tea train, its nine arches beautifully spanning the deep green valley.

If you’re going to do it, you’ll want to experience crossing this bridge while still on the train, won’t you? For that, I recommend a plan where you deliberately skip getting off at Ella station and instead travel on to the next station, Demodara.

The Nine Arch Bridge is situated between Ella Station and Demodara Station, and trains cross it immediately after departing Ella.

Consequently, if you alight at Ella, you’ll miss the opportunity to see the bridge from the train. The preferred way to enjoy it, as the locals do, is to ride to Demodara Station and then take a chartered vehicle back to Ella town.

After alighting at Demodara station, we rejoined our driver who had come to collect us and proceeded by car towards Ella town centre (the journey from Demodara to Ella takes approximately 30 minutes by car). Another unmissable experience near Demodara station is the rare sight of trains passing through the loop line within the station grounds.

The train departed from Demodara Station and immediately entered a tunnel, passing directly beneath the station from which it had departed as it descended into the valley.

This ‘Demodara Luup’ is a unique feature that railway enthusiasts will find utterly fascinating, and it is often mentioned in the same breath as the Nine Arch Bridge. Do take a look at it from the train window.

Chartered vehicle cost: The approximate cost for chartering a vehicle from Colombo to Nanu Oya Station is around £130 (approximately €150). Upon arrival in Ella, the same vehicle and driver can accompany you throughout your itinerary. We recommend continuing on to Yala National Park and the southwestern beach resorts afterwards. Utilising a chartered vehicle for the entire journey in this manner can be kept to £55 to £70 (€60 to €80) per day.

Summary: Head for Ella via your preferred route

We have provided detailed information on the two main routes from Colombo to Ella: the southern route (via Galle) and the highland route (via Nuwara Eliya).

Route 1 incorporates breathtaking coastal scenery and a World Heritage city, while Route 2 allows you to savour the charms of the highlands aboard the Tea Train. Both offer unique appeal for a Sri Lankan journey. If time is your priority, consider direct travel by chartered vehicle or partial train use. If you favour a more leisurely pace, extend your train sections. Combine the proposed itineraries to craft a journey perfectly suited to you.

One of the defining features of travelling in Sri Lanka is the ability to combine private hire vehicles effectively with your itinerary, enabling you to tour safely and efficiently even within a limited timeframe.

Using a reliable private hire service such as LankaMe ensures that a professional driver fluent in English accompanies you from start to finish, driving safely to deliver you to your destination. With transparent pricing, there’s no stress of haggling, making it a reassuring choice even for first-time visitors to Sri Lanka.

Ella is a highland paradise where beautiful nature and culture blend together. Including the journey from Colombo, we hope you enjoy your trip to the fullest in your preferred style. Sri Lanka’s magnificent scenery and heartwarming encounters are sure to create unforgettable memories. Have a wonderful trip!