How To Get From Colombo Airport To Ella
When you have just arrived in Sri Lanka at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), and Ella is next on your agenda, you will have one of the best travel days that Sri Lanka has to offer. Ella is nestled among the tea plantations, the mist-covered peaks and the kind of landscapes that make you forget you have been on the road for hours.
But it’s also one of the most popular destinations from the airport, about 200-230 kilometres by air distance, depending on the route taken, and there’s no one “easy” way to reach there. The key is not whether the trip is short; it’s which form of long they’d rather have to deal with.
This trip can be done by hiring a private taxi or by arranging an airport transfer, by train or by public bus.
There are pros and cons to each, in terms of comfort, cost and time of day.
We’ll explore each one in detail below and even include a comparison chart to help you make comparisons before you choose which is best for your trip.
By Taxi / Private Transfer (Recommended)
If you ask us, for most travelers from overseas arriving after a long flight, the best thing to do is to hire a private taxi or any pre-arranged airport transfer service. The airport is located in Katunayake, which is on the western coast, while Ella is deep in Uva Province, so you will be looking at a 6-7.5 hour drive depending on the route and if you stop along the way or not.
There are two common driving routes. The first passes through Ratnapura and Wellawaya, passing south across the lowlands before ascending to the hills, which is generally the faster route, and will bypass the congestion around Kandy. The second head is longer, but much more beautiful, passing through Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, cooler and greener hill country, and through tea plantations and waterfalls. The Kandy route is recommended even for the journey alone, if you have the time, but if you are late in your arrival or simply need to get settled in Ella, Ratnapura is the best option.
Flexibility is the primary benefit of going private.
You are not restricted to a train timetable or a bus timetable, which may not be available on the day required. A smart motorist will also know where to stop for a decent meal or a perspective or a quick break at a waterfall without it being a detour. This is more important than people realize on a trip this distance – even if the car is comfortable, having no break is tiring.
That’s where a platform like Sri Lanka Driver Guide comes in handy. You don’t need to start in a random airport taxi and hope for the best; you can look around and choose the drivers that are verified, read through the reviews, see what types of vehicles and languages they use, and choose someone that is familiar with this route. Most of the drivers mentioned are repeaters of this trip and do not make many wrong turns, have better recommendations for stopping along the way, and know which viewpoints are worth the 5-minute detour and those that are not.
From a price point of view, the price of a private car to travel this distance would vary between $60-$100, depending on whether you’re renting a car for a one-way transfer or a car for a few days and then going around the hill country later. When travelling as a couple or small family, it can cost you roughly the same as the train tickets without connection hassles.
Another thing to note: There is no direct road to Ella, and even with a private car it will take a decent length of time to get there through winding hill roads which have hairpin bends, particularly beyond Bandarawela. It isn’t a quick journey, but it is a comfortable one, and you are free to stop for photos, food or just to stretch your legs. Most visitors to Colombo Airport arrive with their bags,s and having a driver at the arrivals gate to greet them after a long day is well worth the rupees.
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By Train
When you ask any experienced traveller to Sri Lanka about how to get to Ella, it’s likely that the first word that comes to their mind will be train, and that’s for a great reason. From the moment you start the train ride from Colombo to Ella, you are on what is generally regarded as one of the world’s most scenic train rides, and it’s easy to see how that is, with the windows down and hills whizzing by on either side.
The trick is, the airport does not have a railway station, so you have to travel from CMB to Colombo Fort Railway Station first. This is usually a 45-minute to an hour-long taxi or tuk-tuk ride depending on the traffic, so try to estimate this time in your total travel time, and not just include the train journey.
There are several trains on a daily basis from Colombo Fort to Badulla which stop at Ella. The two most popular options are the Udarata Menike and the Podi Menike, which make the trip in about 9-10 hours, depending on the day (and delays, which are not too uncommon on this line, especially during the busy tourist season). For those who prefer to sleep through part of the trip and be woken up near the hill country, there is also an overnight option (available on booking), but you will need to book a sleeper berth far in advance.
The seating is classed in three. Third Class is the least comfortable and least expensive class, and has very simple seating with no reservations, so you may have to get on as soon as the train starts and jump for seats, sometimes standing for several minutes if it is full. Most of the time,e Second class has a reserved seat and is a good compromise for comfort and cost. First class, which some services have, has air conditioning and seating that overlooks the cabin, and tourists seem to be drawn to it when they want to see the view, such as around the Nine Arches Bridge and Ella Gap.
People underestimate the importance of booking. During peak season (December to March and July to August), reserved tickets are booked weeks ahead of time, particularly in the Front and Rear sections of first and second class trains, so if train travel is a must for your trip, make sure to book in advance via the official Sri Lanka Railways website or a trusted booking platform. If it’s third class, show up on the day and see if you can get a seat, but if it’s more comfortable than that, it is a risk.
The tickets are not expensive at all, from about three dollars in third class up to about 10-15 dollars for a reserved seat in first class. The tunnels run through mountain passes, tea pickers work the hills, and the waterfalls flash by — it’s all a matter of seeing through the scenery, and it’s actually a much better deal than the ticket price implies. Simply enter and realize this is a full-day event that isn’t a quick hop, and bring snacks, water, and patience for possible delays.
By Bus
The cheapest method for travelling this distance is by bus, which is the preferred mode of transport for most locals, but it requires the most patience from all three travel methods. Unlike the train, the bus does not go from the airport to the destinations, so you have to travel into Colombo, typically to Bastian Mawatha or Pettah bus terminal, about an hour’s drive from CMB by bus, depending on the traffic.
From there, it’s intercity buses to Badulla or Wellawaya, as the bus running the exact route from Colombo to Ella doesn’t necessarily run there. A number of services also stop at Ella, but many stop at junction points such as Wellawaya or Kumbalwela, and the last leg of the journey is completed by local bus, shared tuk-tuk or a short taxi trip. After all, it’s not rocket science, but it also is not easy, and if you are traveling with lots of bags, it can be exhausting.
The total duration of the bus journey, including the airport to Colombo part, is normally between 8 and 10 hours, sometimes longer depending on the traffic on the route from Colombo to the airport or if there is a break needed between buses. Private intercity coaches are less frequent, but tend to be more comfortable (many are air-conditioned) and may not be as crowded as the government buses (CTB), so they’re worth searching out if you can, as often the government buses don’t run on a fixed schedule, and if you board mid-route, you may find yourself standing for considerable periods.
The good news: the answer is simple: cost. The fare for this bus ride is about $5-$10 in total, the very lowest of any other transportation that can be found between the airport and Ella. Where budget is not an issue, and you’re willing to put up with a long, sometimes bumpy road to the destination with several transfers in between, this is an entirely feasible proposition – and lots of backpackers make it happen every day. Simply add time, bring bags with you, and don’t plan on a precise schedule working as intended, particularly as you hit the hill roads outside Colombo.
Comparison Table
| Mode | Total Duration | Approx. Cost (USD) | Comfort Level | Best For |
| Private Taxi / Transfer | 6 – 7.5 hours | $60 – $100 | High — door-to-door, flexible stops | Comfort, families, tired travellers, flexible schedules |
| Train | 10 – 12 hours (incl. airport-to-Fort transfer) | $3 – $15 | Moderate to high (class-dependent), scenic | Scenery lovers, budget travellers with time to spare |
| Bus | 8 – 10 hours (incl. airport-to-city transfer) | $5 – $10 | Basic, crowded at times | Tightest budgets, backpackers |
In comparison, this is quite straightforward. The taxi is most expensive but also fastest and most comfortable. Every day the train is a winner because of the scenery and overall experience, but on the day that includes the airport transfer and a possibility of delays, it loses that one. The bus is the only one that is actually the cheapest but requires the most patience, transfers and wear and tear during a long travel day. All of these are legitimate, “right” answers; it depends on what you are trying to optimize for on this particular leg of your journey.
The taxi is a no-brainer if you have an overnight flight in and simply want to drop off at your hotel without additional arrangements. If you have time and the train journey was a major reason for your trip to Sri Lanka, make the most of the extra time. Backpackers on a budget who are willing to make a long day will find the bus a good way of getting there, for the cost of a coffee back home.
The distance between Colombo Airport and Ella was not going to be a short trip – the geography does not permit it – but it didn’t need to be a stressful one either. You can arrive in one of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful hill towns with a little view earned by taking a private transfer, the views through a train window, or the no-frills economy of a public bus.
When you’re already jet-lagged after your long flight and don’t want one thing more to worry about, a platform such as Sri Lanka Driver Guide will make arranging a private driver before you even hit the ground a breeze, you know your driver, your vehicle and your route even before you’ve landed. But regardless of how you travel, the time spent on the road is all worth it once you get to Ella’s cool air, rolling hills of tea, and first sight of the Ella Gap.
Editorial Staff is at Sri Lanka Driver Guides are Sri Lanka travel experts.
