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View all Ella toursElla to Kandy Transfer with the Hill Country Train Ride and Nuwara Eliya
Ella to Kandy with the famous hill train built into the transfer: ride the scenic section by rail while your driver takes the luggage, then continue by road via Nuwara Eliya and Ramboda Falls.
Highlights
- The Ella to Nanu Oya train, along the contours of the highest tea estates
- The Nine Arch bridge crossed on the way out of Ella
- Your driver takes the luggage by road and meets you at the station
- Nuwara Eliya, a tea factory and Ramboda Falls on the road section
- Drop-off at your Kandy hotel at the end of the day
Ella to Kandy Transfer with the Hill Country Train Ride and Nuwara Eliya: Key Facts
| Price | From $65.95 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 8 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Full description
The Ella to Nanu Oya railway is the best train ride in South Asia and the most common mistake people make with it is treating it as transport. It is slow, it is often full, and it goes to a station rather than to a town — but for two to four hours it runs along the contours of the highest tea country on the island, crossing the Nine Arch bridge on the way out of Ella, with the doors open and the valley dropping away below.
This transfer solves the practical problem. You ride the scenic section unencumbered while your driver takes the luggage by road and meets you at Nanu Oya. From there the day continues as a normal guided transfer: Gregory Lake and the colonial centre of Nuwara Eliya, a tea factory, and Ramboda Falls on the descent, before dropping into Kandy in the evening.
It is the best of both — the ride without the logistics, and the stops a train cannot make.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Pickup in Ella
Collection and the short run to Ella station.
The train
The scenic section to Nanu Oya.
Nanu Oya
Your driver is waiting with the luggage.
Nuwara Eliya
Gregory Lake and the town.
Tea factory
The process and a tasting.
Ramboda Falls
A stop on the descent.
Kandy
Drop-off at your hotel.
Detailed Itinerary
[{"time": "07:30", "title": "Hotel pickup, Ella", "description": "Timings depend on the day's train schedule, which the operator confirms in advance."}, {"time": "08:30", "title": "Ella station", "description": "The Nine Arch bridge is a few minutes out of the station."}, {"time": "11:30", "title": "Nanu Oya station", "description": "About 10 km from Nuwara Eliya town."}, {"time": "13:30", "title": "Tea factory", "description": "Closed on poya days."}, {"time": "17:30", "title": "Kandy", "description": "Drop-off at your hotel."}]
Includes
- Private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking driver-guide, hotel pickup in Ella, the road section with all its stops, drop-off at your Kandy hotel, luggage carried by road throughout.
Excludes
- Train tickets, which are bought separately and are subject to availability, meals and drinks, entrance fees, gratuities.
Important information
Meeting point
Hotel pickup in Ella; the exact address and time are confirmed after booking.
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts