Bunk Station Hostel
A sociable, highly rated hostel a kilometre from Ella, with a female-only dorm, kitchen and themed nights.
- Budget
Little Adam’s Peak
Ella’s easiest big-view hike, a gentle climb through tea plantations to a ridge with views across the valley.
- Budget
- Experience
Tomorrowland Hostel Ella
Ella’s best-loved social hostel, with tea-country views, tents and open dorms, nightly DJs and a fire-pit beer garden.
- Budget
- Party
- Live music
- Mountain views
Ravana Falls
A tall, tiered waterfall right beside the road below Ella, linked to the legend of King Ravana.
- Budget
- Experience
Nine Arches Bridge
Ella’s famous colonial-era railway bridge, curving through the jungle and tea, best seen as a train crosses.
- Budget
- Experience
Hive Ella Hostel
A newly renovated hostel in the centre of Ella with free breakfast and an easy walk to everything.
- Budget
Isle of Gelato, Ella
A gelato and specialty coffee bar on Ella’s main street, with flat whites made from a Sri Lankan single origin.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Flat white
- Single origin
- Sri Lankan coffee
Beyond Nomad Hostel
A luxury hostel in Ella built for backpackers and remote workers, with free breakfast and a short walk to town.
- Mid-range
- Poshtel
- Remote work
- Free breakfast
Ella Rock
Ella’s most rewarding hike, a steeper half-day climb to a summit with views over the whole valley.
- Budget
- Experience
Hangover Hostels Ella
A clean, central and social hostel a few minutes’ walk from Ella’s station, buses and restaurants, with tea-plantation views.
- Budget
Pepper Hills Hostels
An eco-friendly hostel inspired by village architecture in the hills outside Ella, with free breakfast and big views.
- Mid-range
Ella Escapade Hostel
A peaceful hostel on the Ella Rock side of town, with meals included and easy access to the Ella Rock hike.
- Budget
The Hill Country Train to Ella
One of the world’s great train rides, through tea plantations, tunnels and mountains. In 2026 it runs between Nanu Oya and Ella.
- Budget
- Experience
Wild Bee Hostel
A design-led eco-hostel in the jungle hills above Ella, with panoramic views, sky beds for stargazing and free shuttles to town.
- Mid-range
- Eco-hostel
- Mountain views
- Free breakfast
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About Ella
Ella is the hill country’s favourite village: cool air, tea estates on every slope and some of the island’s best short hikes. Little Adam’s Peak and Ella Rock give big views for modest effort, and the Nine Arches Bridge is a short walk through the tea.
The famous hill-country train is running between Nanu Oya (for Nuwara Eliya) and Ella in 2026, while the line from Kandy is being repaired after Cyclone Ditwah; check the latest status before you travel. Ella has one of Sri Lanka’s liveliest hostel scenes, from party spots to quiet eco-lodges.