Little Adam’s Peak and the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella are two of the most popular places to visit in Ella and the good news is is that both of these Ella attractions are pretty much next to each other and they are in walking distance from Ella Town.
In fact, they are so close together that it would be silly to see the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella one day and Little Adam’s Peak the next day as you’ll be wasting your time, you should do them both in one day in Ella.
So here is my Ella Travel Guide and Ella Travel Blog to show you how to visit Little Adam’s Peak in Ella and how to visit the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella together!
Little Adams Peak and Nine Arch Bridge Ella
Keep Reading to see how to do the Little Adams Peak and Nine Arch Bridge Walk in Ella!
Which one do you visit first in Ella?
Well, it doesn’t matter too much as you walk in a loop to see both from Ella Town, however, I would say that the best time of day to visit Little Adam’s Peak is in the morning or evening when the weather cools down. Although the climb is not too hard, there are still quite a few steps which won’t be as enjoyable in the midday heat.
Sunrise is also a popular time of day to hike Little Adam’s Peak although note that you will need to walk quite far in the dark in order to be up there for sunrise.
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Start of the Little Adam’s Park and Nine Arch Bridge Walk in Ella Town
The starting point for the walk to Little Adam’s Peak and the Nine Arch Bridge is from Oak Ray Ella Gap Hotel, one of many Hotels in Ella, which is just down the road and up a side street from the row of restaurants along Ella’s main street. You’ll see a sign on the building saying Ella Gap, look out for this and continue to walk up the street.
Ella Travel Tip – I use maps.me and have done for years, it’s a really good map app that you can use offline once you have downloaded the country with wifi. I found it particularly helpful in Ella as it has lots of points saying ‘Nine Arch Bridge Viewpoint’, ‘Start of the Ella Rock Walk’ etc so I would recommend downloading it if you haven’t already.
Let’s say we’re seeing Little Adam’s Peak first, carry on walking all the way up road B113 which is the street that Ella Gap is on, once you get off the main road you’ll be taken along a smaller road through some of Ella’s many tea plantations.
Tuk Tuk’s are allowed a lot of the way up here so if you’d rather not walk you can get a tuk-tuk but the walk is pretty relaxed and the views of Ella’s mountains and Ella Rock are amazing!
This is the track you need to look out for with amazing views!
How to Visit Little Adams Peak
As you get further up the road you will start seeing signs for Little Adam’s Peak and also the zip line that runs from the base of the mountain. It’s run by Flying Ravana and is Sri Lanka’s first ever zip-line making it a really fun activity in Ella, especially for families and children!
As you reach the Flying Ravana zip line office you’ll see a sign pointing you up some steps, this is where the hike to the top of Little Adam’s Peak starts, however, if you’re wondering how hard is it to climb Little Adam’s Peak? You’ll be pleased to know it’s not too taxing, there are quite a few steps but it is no way as hard as climbing Big Adam’s Peak near Ella!
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Follow this footpath after going up the steps.
After some steps and a track, you’ll start to see the top. Little Adam’s Peak actually has 3 peaks. The first one that you’ll reach has incredible views and as you walk up, behind you there is a little temple area with some Buddha statues which is nice to see.
From the first peak, to get to the second peak you need to go down a steep track and back up another steep track, and then you need to do that again to get to the third peak of Little Adam’s Peak.
Remember this is not the actual Adam’s Peak. That is much bigger, here’s a Dalhousie Adam’s Peak Guide to help you if you wish to climb this too.
Don’t miss seeing this Buddha!
Is the walk to the second and third peak of Little Adam’s Peak worth it?
Personally, I don’t think so. I started walking down the track and because the ground was so dry stones were rolling beneath my feet and I had a feeling I’d end up on my bum at some point, and the track up looked tough too!
As I was sitting on the first peak I asked a couple who has just returned from the second if the walk was worth it and they said no, the view is pretty much the same and the walk is tough. I also saw this on a few youtube videos, so to make the walk easier, don’t fee bad about visiting just the first peak.
The second peak is visable in the distance but you need to walk down and back up to it!
I was happy with the views from the first peak!
Little Adam’s Peak to the Nine Arch Bridge Walk
Head back down the way you came until you reach the zip line office. From here look out for the sign to the Nine Arch Bridge, follow this road all the way until you come to the main road. You’ll be taken through a Hotel and Spa complex first called 98 Acres Resort & Spa.
You’ll still be walking alongside all of the tea plantations in Ella which are beautiful. I did notice as I walked through the 98 Acres Hotel that many women were hanging around with their tea bags asking tourists passing by if they wanted a photo, if you do take a photo with them or of them, note that they will ask for money.
Look out for this handy sign near the zip line office.
How to Visit the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella
When you reach the road, turn right and continue up the road past Newburgh Tea Factory on the right and follow the road round to your left, you’ll then see a few snack shacks, guesthouses, probably some tuk tuks and a sign pointing you in the direction of the Nine Arch Bridge.
You’ll now be on a much smaller road, this path splits off in two pretty quickly and you need to take the left path.
(Remember to screenshot and save this blog post to your phone so you have the details when you do the walk!)
Another handy Nine Arch Bridge sign leading off of the road.
As you walk down the hill and around some corners you’ll see a blue cafe on your left, you walk down the side of this, essentially behind it and there’s a tiny path taking you down some steps onto a footpath. It doesn’t seem like the best way to walk to the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella, but it is!
The footpath down the hill to the Nine Arch Bridge is pretty thin and windy in places but you’ll soon see Ella’s famous Bridge in the distance between the tree’s!
As you get down to the train track turn left and walk towards the bridge, remember that you can walk on the train tracks in Sri Lanka and if a train is coming, you’ll hear it!
This is the angle you will see it first as you walk from Little Adam’s Peak.
Ella’s Nine Arch Bridge is pretty impressive, it’s a beautiful structure. The history of the Nine Arch Bridge is that it was built in 1921 during the British Colonial Period in Sri Lanka from rocks, bricks and cement, no steel was used to build this bridge and connects Demodara and Ella railway stations.
There are many sellers on each side of the bridge, they are mostly selling coconuts rather than food but there is a small cafe near the tunnel side of the Bridge.
What time does the train go over the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella?
To be honest, I found this hard to find out because I couldn’t see the online train schedule for the trains that go over the Nine Arch Bridge.
From what I heard, there is one around sunrise, another at 9:20, 11:50, 12:50, I think 13:50 and one later on in the day.
I was there to see the 11:50 train after walking up to Little Adam’s Peak earlier in the morning which worked well.
The best thing to do is to ask your hotel or guesthouse for the timings as I believe they do change. Also, note that the trains can be late so be sure to stick around a little bit longer if a train doesn’t go over the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella at the time you think it will.
It is fun seeing the train, it will either be a red or blue train and all the passengers will be looking out at the bridge too. However with that being said, if you get to the bridge and there isn’t a train for another few hours, I do not think it is worth the wait and there’s not much else to do as you wait at the bridge.
What is the best side to wait for the train along the Nine Arch Bridge?
I personally felt that waiting on the side of the bridge away from the tunnel was the best side to stand on, the tea plantation is below you which looks good in photos of the bridge and the tunnel is in the distance.
To SEE the train go over the bridge and what it looked like from this side, have a watch of my YouTube video!
I personally preferred seeing the train from this side opposite the tunnel.
Get to the bridge earlier than the planned train and have a coconut while you wait!
Nine Arch Bridge to Ella Town Walk
When you have finished at the bridge, head towards the tunnel but don’t go through it, instead, walk up the track on the left, it isn’t the most obvious track but this footpath will take you through the forest and onto the main road after about 10-15 minutes. Turn right and walk down the road and you’ll soon come back onto the road where the Ella Gap Hotel is and Ella’s main tourist street!
Easy!
These are two of the many things to do in Ella for tourists and I love them because they are so easy to see in just a few hours direct from Ella town and unless you want to or need to, there really is no need to get a tuk-tuk to the Nine Arch Bridge or Little Adam’s Peak.
To SEE Ella and my Little Adams Peak and Nine Arch Bridge walk have a watch of my YouTube video!
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