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Ella is easy to reach — but since Cyclone Ditwah tore out the Kandy end of the scenic railway in late 2025, how you get here has changed. The celebrated train from Kandy is not running and isn't expected back before 2027, so most people now arrive by road. The best-loved lower stretch of the ride survives, though — you join it at Nanu Oya and roll down through Ella. Here are the ways in: from Colombo and the airport, from Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, up from the south coast, and the short hops from Bandarawela and Badulla.
The famous train no longer runs all the way — plan your route in
The Kandy–Ella scenic line is suspended after Cyclone Ditwah and isn't expected back before 2027. You can still ride its best lower section by taking the road up to Nanu Oya (the station for Nuwara Eliya) and catching the train that now runs from there down through Ella. However you come, the long-distance buses run mostly by day, so plan your onward or return trip too — note the last departure toward where you're heading next:
Toward Nanu Oya — the surviving hill-country train: check the operator’s last departure.
Toward Kandy — by road: check the operator’s last departure.
Toward Colombo & the airport: check the operator’s last departure.
Toward Bandarawela & Badulla — the local hop: check the operator’s last departure.
Toward The south coast — up through Wellawaya: check the operator’s last departure.
Routes in and out
Buses arrive at: Ella town centre — buses pull in along the main road, a short walk from the railway station
From Nanu Oya — the surviving hill-country train
Operator
Sri Lanka Railways
Booking
Some buses reserved, some free-seatingReserved and observation-car seats on the popular runs sell out ahead and resellers grab them the moment they release — book through official channels. The ordinary second- and third-class carriages are turn-up-and-go but can be crowded.
Journey
roughly 2½–3 hours down to Ella
Fare
a few hundred rupees in an unreserved carriage; reserved and observation seats cost more
Last bus back
Toward Nanu Oya — the surviving hill-country train: check the operator’s last departure.
This is how you salvage the scenic ride while the Kandy leg is closed: reach Nanu Oya by road (buses and cars run there from Kandy and Nuwara Eliya), then catch the train that has run Nanu Oya → Ella → Badulla since 20 June 2026. You still get the most photographed lower stretch, including the Nine Arches Bridge. The post-cyclone timetable has changed more than once, so confirm the day's Ella times before you set off — see the ‘Is the Train Running?’ page.
From Kandy — by road
Operator
SLTB & private buses · car or van hire
Booking
No reservation needed
Journey
about 3½–5 hours by bus or car (135 km)
Fare
a public bus is cheap, often under LKR 1,000; a private car or van costs much more — agree the fare first
Last bus back
Toward Kandy — by road: check the operator’s last departure.
Some buses reserved, some free-seatingAir-conditioned intercity coaches can be booked ahead online; ordinary buses are pay-on-board with no reservation.
Journey
about 5–7 hours by road (200–235 km)
Fare
an air-conditioned intercity bus from around LKR 1,700; a private transfer is far more
Last bus back
Toward Colombo & the airport: check the operator’s last departure.
Badulla about 45 minutes; Bandarawela about 40 minutes
Fare
a local bus is very cheap — well under LKR 200
Last bus back
Toward Bandarawela & Badulla — the local hop: check the operator’s last departure.
Good to know
Frequent local buses on the Badulla–Bandarawela road pass through Ella all day — the easiest way in if you're already in the hill country, or if you've reached Badulla on the surviving train. They thin out after dark, so don't leave the last hop too late.
From The south coast — up through Wellawaya
Operator
SLTB & private buses · car or van hire
Booking
No reservation needed
Journey
roughly 3–5 hours from the Tissa / Yala area
Fare
public buses are cheap; a private car is far more — agree the fare first
Last bus back
Toward The south coast — up through Wellawaya: check the operator’s last departure.
Good to know
Coming up from the beaches or Yala, the road climbs the A23 through Wellawaya to Ella. This is the landslide-prone stretch at Malittagolla and Karandagolla that can close in heavy rain — check before travelling in the wet season (Disaster Management Centre, 117). See ‘Ella's Rains & Landslide Season’ and ‘Help & Emergencies’.
Booking
Sri Lanka Railways
Confirm the day's Nanu Oya–Ella–Badulla times and book reserved or observation seats through the official channels.
Public inter-provincial bus timetables and the official fare tables.
Through the seasons
The wet season can close the road up from the coast
Heavy northeast-monsoon rain, peaking around November, can close the A23 Ella–Wellawaya road at Malittagolla. If you're driving up from the south in the wet months, check with the Disaster Management Centre on 117 before you set off.
For now the train is only the lower stretch
Until the Kandy leg reopens — not expected before 2027 — the scenic ride is Nanu Oya down, not Kandy down. It still crosses the Nine Arches Bridge, but you have to reach Nanu Oya by road first.
Sinhala & Tamil New Year (mid-April)
Around the mid-April holiday, buses and services thin out for several days and some family-run guesthouses close. Plan arrivals and departures around it — see ‘When to Visit Ella’.
Check the operators
These are the routes and the usual patterns. For exact departure times, prices and to book, use the official pages — they are the authority:
These are the routes and the usual patterns. Exact departure times change with the season, so always confirm with the operator before you travel, and book the reserved routes ahead.
With the scenic train from Kandy suspended, people come by road. A direct Kandy–Ella bus runs (roughly once a day); otherwise take a Badulla- or Bandarawela-bound bus and change there. Many hire a car or van and break the drive at Nanu Oya to catch the train down for the prettiest stretch.
There is no reliable through train from Colombo since the cyclone. By bus, take a Badulla-bound service (route 99) from Colombo's main bus station and get off at Kumbalwela Junction, then a tuk-tuk or short local bus about 5 km into Ella. From Bandaranaike airport most people pre-book a car or an air-conditioned coach rather than change buses in Colombo.
Most Ella guesthouses will arrange a car, van or tuk-tuk transfer, including a lift up to Nanu Oya for the train down. Ride-hailing app coverage here is thin, so arrange a driver ahead rather than expecting to hail one.
Check the last bus out
Departure times change with the season — see the routes and operators.