Kandy to Ella Train: Review & Tips to Not Be Disappointed

Is it worth it?

Ok, let’s start with our honest opinion on this because the journey is either going to be a tick for big bucket list item that you’ll love or it will be a ten-hour sweaty nightmare depending on your travel style and how prepared you are.

Let’s break it down:

If you are prepared and book your tickets in advance, you are grand!

If you have not booked tickets and are hoping to wing it (which is exactly what we did), you likely won’t have such a lovely time.

You will have to fight to get on the train and to get a seat. You probably won’t see much of the view, and you’ll be an irritable, sweaty mess standing in the aisle with someone’s armpit in your face for ten hours.

EVERYONE (and I mean everyone) who goes to Sri Lanka as a tourist wants to take this journey and it can all just get a bit much. Everyone is fighting to get to the door so that they can hang out and get that perfect photo. You’ll hardly see locals on this train because, well, why the hell would they want to be caught in the middle of this circus?   

Yes, the views of the lush Sri Lankan rainforests are spectacular, but do you need to be on a ten-hour slow train to see the views? Not really.

I think it’s important to ask yourself this question: would I normally voluntarily sign up for a ten-hour train journey?

Because, yes, the views are great, but it’ll all start to seem the same after a few hours. And if you hardly even get to see the views because you’re stuck in the aisle under said armpit, well, what was the point?

And there are so many tourists taking this train now that it is not unheard of for tourists to get hurt or even die (the last death was in Feb 2025) while hanging out the doors for THE photo.

The moral of the story is to book your tickets well in advance.

Having said all of this, how do you best prepare to get the best experience on the Kandy to Ella train and not be disappointed? The rest of this guide will give you all the top tips and nuggets of golden info to give you the best chance of actually enjoying the journey and not make the same mistakes we did!

Train Schedule & Route

The Kandy to Ella train actually starts in Colombo and ends in Badulla so you can jump on for any section of the journey.

The route and stops:

Colombo – Peradeniya – Kandy – Hatton – Nanu Oya – Haputale – Ella – Demodara – Badulla

However, these are the current timings for the classic Kandy – Ella route:

The train websites also have an arrival time at your final destination listed, but I’m not even going to write it down because it is almost irrelevant.

The train will get there when the train gets there. It could take anywhere from seven hours to ten hours to even more if there are delays.

So keep your day very open and approach this travel day with a huge amount of flexibility and tolerance.

Types of Tickets

Air Conditioned Saloon (AKA First Class)

These sell out quickly (to be fair all of the reserved tickets sell out quickly!) because a long journey without aircon through a tropical country is a no-go for a lot of people.

BUT I actually think you miss out on SO so much if you get these tickets because you can’t open the windows. Now, the reason that you’re getting this train is because it is Sri Lanka’s most scenic journey, so you want to be able to see and photograph all the views.

And you cannot guarantee that the windows are going to be clean, your view will likely be less clear, and photos through a window are just never as good as a straight photo anyway. Doors are also closed.

You will however have an assigned seat and will not be sweaty. So it depends on what you’re looking for, but bear that in mind.

Second Class Reserved ✅

You’ll get an assigned seat and there are fans. Windows and doors are open so you can get good photos.

Third Class Reserved ✅

You’ll get an assigned seat but there are no fans. Windows and doors are open so you can get good photos.

Second Class Unreserved ❌

There is no guarantee that you’ll get a seat and you might be standing for the entire journey. There are fans, and open windows and doors. This was the ticket we went for and I do not recommend it!

Third Class Unreserved ❌

Again, there is no guarantee you’ll get a seat. There are no fans. Windows and doors are open.

Getting Tickets

You can buy tickets in advance or you can just turn up to the station on the day ready with your elbows out to get yourself a seat. Sri Lanka’s busiest period is between November and April so the train crowds will be larger and the tickets sell out quicker then.

Buying on the Day

If you haven’t managed to get your tickets in advance, you can still ride the train but you’ll have to work a little harder.

Top tip is to not actually get on the train at Kandy (which is the mistake we made). Everyone gets on at Kandy, so if you can get on at the stop before Kandy, you have a better chance of snagging yourself a seat!

Buying in Advance

Getting your tickets in advance is the only way to actually reserve a seat for yourself. You can buy through the Sri Lankan Railways website or through a transport site such as 12Go if you feel more comfortable with a familiar site.

12Go has extra options such as stating whether you are ‘flexible’ with your dates/ticket class or not. This means that if what you have requested is sold out, they’ll try to get you the next best thing.

They also have a ticket delivery service that you can add on so that you get your tickets sent to your accommodation in Sri Lanka, which is super helpful.

Kandy to Ella or Ella to Kandy?

Kandy to Ella is the classic route, so you should see slightly smaller crowds if you travel Ella to Kandy. The Ella to Kandy trains leave earlier which means that if there are delays, you should still be arriving during daylight hours unless there is some severe problem.

Jump Off Early to Break Up the Journey

If seven to ten hours of train doesn’t float your boat, you can break the journey up by getting off somewhere along the route.

What to Bring for the Journey

Snacks, drinks, and loo roll! There are some food sellers who will wander up and down the train with local snacks like vada and roti.

They’re super affordable, often vegetarian, tasty, and they’re usually served in either newspaper or old sheets of homework!

But for a seven hour journey, you’ll probably need something more than snacks, so I’d recommend packing some with you.

Alternatives to the Train

The bus! Jump on a local bus from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, spend a night or two there to see the tea plantations and waterfalls, and then jump on another bus to get you to Ella.

It breaks up the journey, is much less crowded, is a local experience, and you still get stunning views!

Otherwise, you can book a spot in a minivan or taxi to drive the journey.

Where to Stay in Ella

Eminence Ella (£)

📍 Wemullahena, 90090

Eminence Ella has a steep hill to get there. We walked with our 20kg backpacks (which was killer), but you can just get a tuktuk. It’s dead close to the centre and the best restaurant in town – Matey Hut – but it has phenomenal views still because of the steep walk to get there.

Totally worth it though! It’s super affordable and the breakfast/coffee is delicious.

🛏️ Plan your Stay 🛏️

bdndn