Ella to Kandy Train – World’s Most Scenic Train Ride

Considered to be one of the most beautiful train trips in the world, the train taking you from Ella to Kandy (or the other way around) is a stunning 7-hour voyage that takes you through striking landscapes, rows of green and opulent tea plantations, gorgeous mountain ranges, small villages flooded with vibrant colors and children running at the trains pace when you reach the stations. This train journey is without doubt one of the top things to do in Ella and hopefully we are able to answer some of the questions you may have before embarking on the journey!

HOW TO BUY TRAIN TICKETS & COST

Due to the popularity of this stretch of railway it’s recommended to buy your tickets in advance as the trains usually get fully booked, especially on weekends. For most routes you can buy train tickets at any train station in Sri Lanka about 15-20 minutes before departure time, but for Ella to Kandy (or vice-versa) tickets for go on sale 30 days in advance but are usually purchased by travel agents and tour companies who grossly inflate the prices. To avoid the hassle and headaches of dealing with travel agencies and tour companies or running the risk of there being no tickets left at the Ella or Kandy railways stations, give Mindful Travels a shout and they’ll snap those tickets up for you hassle free! That’s what we did, and we secured ourselves some second class reserved seats for 1200 LKR each. They picked them up in Colombo and dropped them off to us in Weligama 2 weeks before we even embarked on the train in Ella.

If you think you can handle the booking on your own, you can now book tickets online at 12GO Asia. The prices are slightly more than if you bought them directly at the station but it is worth it to have tickets secured, especially if you have set travel dates and can’t afford to miss the train if it is fully booked as this does happen!

Other than getting reserved seating in advance, traveling by train in Sri Lanka is incredibly cheap. Although deemed unreliable at times as the trains tend to be late, the prices make up for the tardiness you can sometimes experience. First class tickets can hover around 200 rupees (which is $1.45 CAD), 2nd class is a little cheaper, and tickets can be found around 110 rupees (which is 80 cents CAD) and 3rd class, being the cheapest of the three, can be as low as 60 rupees! That’s an incredible 44 cents Canadian. 44 CENTS to travel and experience some of the most beautiful voyages that side of the world has to offer!!

WHICH CLASS TO SIT IN/PURCHASE

1st class has numerous options to choose from depending on the train or carriages picking you up. There’s a 1st class sleeper, with sleeping berths that are available on a few overnight trains. 1st class observation car on some day trains, which is primarily on the Main Line, and normally at the rear of the train. Then, there’s 1st class air-conditioned seats that are available on some intercity express trains.
We don’t recommend 1st class as the doors don’t open, and the windows are generally locked, or don’t open as well.

2nd class seating is available on all intercity trains, via unreserved or reserved tickets and is the class WE RECOMMEND you take when traveling. 2nd class unreserved gives you the ultimate Sri Lankan railways experience without the hectic crowds of 3rd class. You’ll be able to seat yourself comfortably and enjoy perhaps the most talked about and overdone thing locals and tourists do when traveling on the Sri Lankan railways; lean out of the train via the opened doors!

BEWARE OF 2ND CLASS RESERVED: Beware of booking reserved tickets for 2nd class as we didn’t have the ultimate experience when traveling from Ella To Kandy. The conductor who was managing our section of reserved 2nd class completely refused to unlock the doors for us to lean out and experience what so many people had done and spoken about before us.
After several complaints from people who wanted to experience the freedom of the open doors like us, he finally gave in and opened a door allowing us approximately 10 minutes to snap all the pictures we can. When we brought this up to Mindful Travels, they said it was the first they had ever heard of this, leading us to believe we just caught a conductor who had woken up on the wrong side of the bed

3rd class is available on most trains and have basic facilities. This tends to be the most crowded and noisiest of the carriages as the majority of locals will hop onto this section. We do recommend trying it out as well, as it is cheaper than the other 2 classes (although Sri Lankan railway travel is incredibly cheap to begin with) and the doors stay open the entire time!

WHERE TO SIT

The scenery along this route is out of this world! So you’re going to want to position yourself perfectly as to not miss out on the beautiful views you’re passing along the journey. When embarking the train at Ella station (and only if you have 3rd or 2nd Class unreserved) sit on the same side that you walked onto the train from. When the train takes off, you’ll realize this is the LEFT side of the train relative to the direction the train takes off in. This is a good reference in the odd event that you don’t get on at Ella station (as tickets can be sold out) so you maximize your viewing experience!

The views eventually balance out and become equally beautiful on both sides of the train, however, there is a stretch between Ella and Nuwara Eliya where the views are so spectacular that you cannot afford to miss it! Beautiful colorful villages, mountains ranges lined with green shrubbery out of a Jurassic Park movie, waterfalls in the distance and stunning sights and sounds only a ride this popular can provide! Lean out the train like a true local and soak in the culture in its purest form as you smile at the person leaning out of the train just like you in the next cart over!

EXPERIENCE & WHAT TO EXPECT

Travel by train in Sri Lanka is a journey and tourist attraction in itself. Sitting with locals and tourists alike, you get to experience the culture in its truest form.
At each station along the way, the cabins get flooded with mobile vendors selling local specialties like freshly cut fruit, freshly made rice and curry and chili fritters just to name a few, as well as water and other local beverages. If you don’t have, or haven’t developed the stomach for the curry-drenched spices of Sri Lanka yet, then it may be best to prepare yourself some snacks for the journey.
Also, keep in mind, the restrooms aren’t completely equipped with all the amenities, so you may want to have either some tissue, toilet paper or even wipes should you need to.

WHERE TO STAY IN ELLA

Ella Ridge View
98 Acres Resort & Spa
Morning Dew Hotel