Kandy to Ella
Loading seats data...
08:47
Kandy
15:14
Ella
4+
11:10
Kandy
17:11
Ella
4+
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Kandy Any Hotel
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Ella
4+
From Kandy to Ella by train
08:47
Kandy
15:14
Ella
4+
11:10
Kandy
17:11
Ella
4+
From Kandy Any Hotel to Ella by taxi
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Kandy Any Hotel
--:--
Ella
4+
Transportation from Kandy to Ella
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TrainsLKR 2,758
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FlightsLKR 26,591
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TaxisLKR 14,576
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Buses are not avaliable
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Ferries are not avaliable
Kandy to Ella destination reviews
CS
Cecilia Strain #1005 2nd Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Mar 27, 2020
Got a great itinerary through.
KN
Kelsey Ntrain #1005 2nd Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Mar 26, 2020
Brilliant service by 12go Asia. Was worried as I booked with them 3.months in advance and tickets for our journey can only be purchased 30 days before departure. I didn't need to worry as our tickets were confirmed and posted to our hotel in Kandy ahead of check-in, so they were waiting for us when we got there.
We loved the train journey, the views were great and we were on a newer comfortable train. Booked 2nd class reserved seats and had no problem. The journey didn't feel too long and it wasn't hot or stuffy in our carriage. The doors were locked closed so if you want them open you have to ask the guard, just be friendly and they'll happily help you, after that he kept coming to warn us when an amazing view was coming up, or a waterfall, and also warned us when our station was coming up.
AG
Allen Gtrain #1007 Observation class, Sri Lanka Railways, Mar 19, 2020
Train was over 1 hour late which meant the last hour was in darkness - suggest you warn travellers about this in future. Also, I cannot understand how you can charge 20USD for a ticket with a face value of 7 USD?
BT
Brenda Ttrain #1005 2nd Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Mar 19, 2020
We were very pleased to have our tickets delivered to our hotel to be picked up on our arrival. Booking on line was easy and most impressed with the service.
AC
Alvin Ctrain #1005 2nd Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Mar 18, 2020
The overall trip was not as nice as i would think it is. The nice views are only a short distance. Otherwise it smell like burning of plants/woods/rubbish and full of dust from the air. Probably i did not go on the right time. The booking with 12goasia was good though except for the part where the communication with the local travel agency in getting my train tickets deliver to my hotel. They did find me and ask for my acknowledgment whether i have received the tickets from my hotel. However, i was not in my hotel yet hence i asked them several questions on whatsapp as thats the way they contacted me but i got no reply at all. If they are busy, i will understand but there is no reply at all and a bluetick from the company. That part is abit saddening. Its not 12goasia’s fault but rather the local company.
I would suggest to take the train from Nanu-Oya onwards to Ella instead of this long journey as the scenery are nicer from this stretch. As for 2nd class reserved seat if anyone is wondering, there are no A/C which is fine with me and the doors of the train will occasionally be open from time to time. Will have to depend on the guard on duty. Hope this information is useful as i was searching for this information myself. Goodluck and enjoy Sri Lanka!
CJ
Caroline Jtrain #1015 1st Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Mar 18, 2020
Asia2go were great. I had our tickets sent to our hotel which worked a treat. My only criticism is that there is no immediate contact ie no telephone capability, one has to rely on email. We had a query and had to rely on our hotel contacting their friends for answers. This is a great feature in Sri Lanka, everybody knows somebody. We travelled 1st class which, although I wanted to downgrade for the experience, was a blessing. There was a breakdown on the track so we were stuck for two hours. Air conditioning was really welcome. Also, in 1st class the seats can be swivelled so you can always face forwards. I went into the corridor and met some lovely Sri Lankans who let me dangle my legs out the side with them. Fab experience. Chaps go up and down the train offering food and drink, samosas, chocolate, nuts, pringles etc. There’s plenty to eat. Travelling from Kandy to Ella is a long trip. The first half is spectacular. Seat numbers 29/30 are perfect!! Have a great experience.
HD
Hilary Dtrain #1007 Observation class, Sri Lanka Railways, Mar 14, 2020
The train left Peradeniya 45 minutes late and got later as other trains going back to Kandy always had priority. There were no refreshments and no food or drink seller's got on after the first station. Arrived at Ella 90 minutes late and so travelled the last hour of the journey in darkness and saw nothing.
The next day I tried to get a refund at Ella station for the return ticket that I did not need. But was told I could only get a refund more than 24 hours before (it was 16 hours before). Why? They will have sold the seats again!
DN
David Ntrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Mar 13, 2020
Train was 1.5 hours late which meant we arrived to Ella in the dark and didn't see the most scenic leg of the journey
KJ
Karen Jtrain #1015 1st Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Mar 12, 2020
All went as planned. Excellent journey.
RF
Rosemary Ftrain #1005 2nd Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Mar 10, 2020
Good, seats were comfy and fans helped to cool the carriage. Lots of space to move around the carriage!
FR
Florian Rtrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Mar 9, 2020
Unfortunately our seats were booked twice, so we had only two seats left for us. The friendly guy in the train told us that we will get the price for one seat back. That would be great. Thanks!
EF
Emily Ftrain #1005 2nd Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Mar 2, 2020
Tickets were purchased correctly and delivered to my hotel on time. Thank you.
JK
John Ktrain #1005 1st Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Feb 29, 2020
Everything was 100% good service. Tickets ready for us too pick up from hotel. Train ride was fantastic. All in all good service by yourselves.
SI
Simon Itrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Feb 27, 2020
Great trip. Tickets perfect
RP
Richard Ptrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Feb 22, 2020
Viceroy II is a great heritage luxury train carriage, a fun way to travel through Sri Lanka. The scenery from Kandy to Ella is spectacular and well worth the trip. Our favourite part of the journey was actually going into the other carriages where we could experience the “real” Sri Lanka train and benefit from the open windows and doors for the breeze and photos (Viceroy II has small sealed windows with AC)... if we did it again we would just buy a normal 2nd class ticket. But ViceroyII does exactly what is promised. Oh we were an hour late too... but who cares!
BC
Brendan Ctrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Feb 21, 2020
The train was late and got later, such that the last hour was in darkness. The exterior of the coach was shabby to say the least and appears to be under renovation.
Unfortunately the windows are ridiculously small so if you are on the "wrong side" of the carriage your view is negligible. We got off and joined the main train in second class and had a far better view all around! If you want to sit in comfort and chat without concern for the beautiful scenery then perfect! However, if you want to appreciate the wonderful landscapes then book the "cheap seats"!
JL
Jacqueline Ltrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Feb 6, 2020
The train was very late arriving at Peradenya and got later and later so the part of the journey which was important to us was in the dark - we saw nothing of the wonderful scenery we had heard so much about and eventually arrived at Ella 4 hours late at 10.30 pm. The driver had waited for hours for us to arrive and, when we arrived at our Hotel, it was too late for Dinner, which had been booked. All in all, a very disappointing and disastrous trip.
EJ
Edwina Jtrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Feb 6, 2020
The train was very late so missed the best views between Nuwara Eliya and Ella. Carriage very old and uncomfortable.
Staff and service were very good. Toilet was clean.
EB
Elzbieta Btrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Feb 4, 2020
Train was deleted and we arrived very late when was dark and I could’t see nice view
CS
Carina Strain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Jan 28, 2020
A train up ahead broke down and had to be retrieved with a new locomotive. The staff handled that situation excellently. We had to change the train set two hours from the destination but we got the same class we paid for. It’s an great way to travel, full service as well. Even a place where you can smoke during the ride!
JE
James Etrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Jan 25, 2020
Awesome trip. Let you switch carts to take more photos ????????
KH
Kathryn Htrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Jan 23, 2020
Unfortunately the viceroy carriage had needed to be sent for repairs but the replacement was extremely good and the trip was one of our highlights. The staff were very helpful and pointed out places of interest. Refunds were processed effectively. I would book again.
BB
Bue Btrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Jan 21, 2020
The train arrived to ella 1,5 hours late which made us make the most beautiful part of the ride in completely darkness
MS
Megha Strain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Dec 31, 2019
Food options were limited.
Also the unexpected delay didn't allow us to enjoy the view during the evening-night time.
JV
Jennifer Vtaxi Van 8pax, Stef Lanka Tours (Stef Lanka Tours), Dec 30, 2019
Our driver was super helpful and the van was clean and comfortable. The driver recommended a couple of spots for overview photos and even a visit to a tea plantation which we really enjoyed. It was a long drive along winding roads and he was very careful and a good, safe driver.
KA
Katie Atrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Dec 26, 2019
We took the VIP carriage as they were the last tickets available to pre-book. The guy who worked in the carriage was very accommodating and the train itself was definitely better quality than the regular trains and very comfortable. Lunch is not included in the price so bring snacks if you don’t want to pay a premium for what is available on board. We were quite happy with beer, coffee and potato chips though. We arrived 1 hour later but that’s to be expected.
TL
Thomas Ltaxi Comfort, Stef Lanka Tours (Stef Lanka Tours), Dec 22, 2019
Vijitha is an amazing driver and a lovely guy. He was very accommodating and patient, and made the best of a very testing journey with pouring rain and landslides. I would recommend him to anyone travelling to Sri Lanka.
JW
Julian Wtrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Dec 21, 2019
Nice trip with good service
JN
Jenny Ntrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Dec 21, 2019
Good train trip! Comfortable chairs, toilet and possibility to order something to drink. Not much snacks to chose from, i would recommend to pre-order lunch. Great way to travel with our 2,5 year old!
ML
Maria LBus Local, Browns Tours, Dec 19, 2019
Excellent driver
TH
Tyler Htrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Dec 19, 2019
We were expecting a little more luxury from the Viceroy II carriage and more than one cup of tea for the entirety of the journey. We had to pay for our 2nd cup of tea, which given the cost of the ticket we expected to be complimentary. However, it was a scenic journey and we're glad we had the experience.
AM
Annabel Mtrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Dec 17, 2019
Amazing
JC
Jie Ctrain #1005 1st Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Dec 15, 2019
Very beautiful train ride! But after speaking to some locals we decided to get in at halfway instead of Kandy to Elle. So we reduced the trip from 6 to 3 hrs which was perfect for us.
Booking process was very easy. We got the tickets posted to our hotel at a fee but they texted to make sure we got the tickets which was good. You pay a bit more than locals but very happy to do that for the convenience of it!
YS
Yahnasegaran Strain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Dec 14, 2019
Cabin looks very tired and dusty..... we had to change train as there was a landslide.... Viceroy 11 passengers including my family had no seats in 1st Class as all other passengers from other carriage had occupied in the new train ..... was total chaos and badly organised by JF Tours who runs the Viceroy 11.
MG
Miki Gtrain #1007 Observation class, Sri Lanka Railways, Dec 14, 2019
Amazing view. Bring your own drink and food. There were no cafeteria on the train.
MM
Maree Mtrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Dec 13, 2019
The scenery was amazing and the staff were extremely helpful and pleasant.
GT
Gourav Ttrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Dec 2, 2019
There weren’t any person at the Ella station to provide the tickets as mentioned on the eticket
LC
Lesley Ctrain #1005 2nd Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Nov 26, 2019
Booking on website was really easy & Tickets were waiting for us at hotel early as requested after prompt email responses, great service & really enjoyed the train ride
LC
Lexi Ctrain #1005 1st Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Nov 25, 2019
Train broke down and there was no communication whatsoever to the passengers. We just sat there for 45 minutes until I got fed up and started asking questions. Train was rickety and jumpy, thought it was going to jump off the tracks it was so all over the place! Nice views if you get a chance to hang out the door though
AW
Andreal Wtrain #1005 2nd Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Nov 23, 2019
Delivery service and communication were exceptional!! The train ride was just as everyone says, so beautiful and fun! Highly recommend reserving your train ticket. Less headache.
DH
Dijana Htrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Nov 13, 2019
Awesome landscape, hIghly recommended!
TE
Trevor Etrain #Viceroy II #1007 VIP AC, ViceRoy II by 12Go (Viceroy II by 12Go), Nov 13, 2019
Amazing train ride, do it!!!
PJ
Philip Jtrain #1007 Observation class, Sri Lanka Railways, Nov 12, 2019
first class needs improving maybe charge more and do some improvements. Other wise the scenery was spectacular but deserves a better observation car
KB
Karen Btrain #1005 2nd Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Nov 7, 2019
Great service! Paid for ticket from Kandy to Ella second class reserved seating on morning train. Also paid for ticket to be delivered to a local address before I arrived. Got exactly what I asked/paid for. Quick, efficient, simple.
IV
Ivana Vtrain #1015 2nd Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Nov 7, 2019
Beautiful ride and very special experience
JE
Julie Etrain #1005 1st Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Oct 30, 2019
We had a great experience. Booking was easily done and our tickets arrived st our homestay as planned. The train was a little late but our seats were together in first class with air con. We were able to walk around and look out from the door to get photos. The guard was really friendly and told us when sights were coming up to see. He pointed out fruit trees and told me about the places where the stations were. The scenery was jaw dropping even though we had rain. The train was delayed which made our journey just over 7hrs which was tiring but it was a special experience not to be missed.
MV
Merike Vtrain #1005 1st Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Oct 22, 2019
Great trip
MD
Mark Dtrain #1015 2nd Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Oct 22, 2019
Easy to book, tickets arrived as promised and the train trip fabulous / even if weather wet and miserable for half the trip. Must do trip.
RW
Robert Wtrain #1005 1st Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Oct 20, 2019
We booked three first class tickets on the Kandy to Ella train and picked up tickets on arrival in Colombo. Straight forward process. At station simply made way to platform and conductor took us to our seats. Our bags (backpack and two big suitcases) were all stored in cabin. Highly recommend both the rail journey and 12Go Asia.
KB
Kylie Btrain #1005 1st Class Seat, Sri Lanka Railways, Sep 30, 2019
Thanks so much for booking our tickets. They were waiting for us at our hotel when we arrived into Sri Lanka. The train trip from Kandy to Ella was amazing.
Popular Routes
Popular Routes in Sri Lanka
How to get from Kandy to Ella
When you want to get from Kandy to Ella, you have a few options to consider. Traveling between these destinations is possible by different means of transport:
- Flight
- Train
- Taxi
If you’re looking for a quick trip, it’s recommended that you use Flight+taxi. However, if you’d rather take your time with a slower, more affordable travel option, you can book a Train ticket.
The cost of travel will depend on the means of transport you choose for your trip. A taxi ticket is the most expensive option - it will cost you about LKR 40,303. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a train as a train ticket costs as low as LKR 2,693.
How far is Kandy from Ella?
If you’re traveling by land, it’s important to know the distance from Kandy to Ella. Your trip will be a total of 53 miles (85 km). The flying distance is 41 miles (65 km).
How long does it take to get from Kandy to Ella?
The travel time from Kandy to Ella can vary depending on the mode of transportation you choose. All things considered, the whole journey should take from 2 to 7 hours.
How much does it cost to get from Kandy to Ella?
The cost of the trip from Kandy to Ella varies according to what means of transport you choose for your journey. The most affordable operator is Sri Lanka Railways: travelling by train expect to pay as low as LKR 2,693 for your ticket.
However, if you’re after more upscale travel . The most expensive variant is to opt for a taxi - a one-way taxi ticket can cost as much as LKR 40,303.
Here is a chart of the average ticket prices and transportation options available from Kandy to Ella:
- Train tickets - LKR 2,758 to LKR 7,879;
- flight+taxi price: LKR 26,591 - LKR 29,545. From Kandy to Ella starting from 00:00 Hambantota Airport until 00:00 Hambantota Airport
You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from LKR 14,576 to LKR 40,378.
How many trips per day are there between Kandy and Ella?
Depending on your choice of transportation, the number of daily trips varies.
- 1 by flight+taxi from Kandy to Ella starting from 00:00 Hambantota Airport until 00:00 Hambantota Airport
- Trains always run on a set schedule - there are 1 trains per day.
Taxis are a good option to consider for this route, too. Book a cab to take you from Kandy to Ella any time of the day.
Which means of transport is the best for the route?
Taxi
Catching a cab is the easiest way to get from Kandy to Ella. It allows you to tailor-make your trip, plan all the detours and see all the places you want. You can choose the type and the size of your car as well to be as comfortable as you'd like to.
Depending on the route, it might cost as much as LKR 14,576.
Things to remember: It's a good idea to follow the route on Google Maps or any other GPS navigator.
Trains
Things to remember while choosing a train ticket:
Consider everything carefully while choosing the class of your train travel. In most cases, the second class is comfortable enough – it features 2 or 4 berths in each compartment and is often air-conditioned.
If you’re in for a premium experience, consider getting a first class ticket. The price of first class tickets may include Wifi, and a choice of snacks and drinks.
The most popular transport from Kandy to Ella
How to choose the most convenient way of travel from Kandy to Ella? In order to make your choice of transportation easier, we asked 1000 users to range their preferences for this route. Here are the results of the poll:
- 100% users enjoyed a train ride.
