Hiking Little Adam's Peak for the Best Sunset in Ella, Sri Lanka

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Ella has been gaining popularity with tourists over the years and has earned its title as one of the hottest hiking hotspots in Sri Lanka. I’m not exactly the fittest one in the lot, so I’m all about ROI’s when hiking. Yup, return on investment is extremely important when it comes to hiking. And Little Adam’s Peak in Ella has an extremely high ROI. Just a 20-30 minute easy hike up and you’re greeted with breathtaking views that you might even shed a tear or two (as I did). Find out how to get here and reward yourself with a sunset you’ll never forget.

How to get to Little Adam’s Peak from Ella

From Ella town, you can either walk about 1.5 kms to the start of the trail or get a tuk tuk to drop you off at Ella Flower Garden Resort. The trail starts right next to it.

Little Adam’s Peak Trail

Sitting 1,141m sea level, you get gorgeous views of Ella’s mountain range. The entire trail takes about 20-30 minutes depending on how quick you are. You’ll pass beautiful tea plantations and get stunning views of Ella’s mountain range so you’ll probably be stopping for photos every few minutes though so you might take longer! The climb itself isn’t tough and is a moderate incline on a dirt road until you reach a set of stairs that will take you to the top. We went just in time for sunset, and it was absolutely breathtaking; probably one of the best sunsets I had ever seen with my own eyes! And I Ioved how easy the hike was.

Once you reach the top, you will have the option of either heading East or West for some slightly different views. There’s a statue of Buddha on the Westside, and there were many cute little puppies hanging around!

The best thing is, entry is free!

Sunset at Little Adam’s Peak

Little Adam’s Peak is probably one of the best places you can watch the sunset in Ella. I would budget more time to reach the peak so you can enjoy both the easterly and westerly viewpoints. We only had time for the western viewpoint after we arrived in from the 7-hour train ride from Kandy.

I believe this is a popular way of planning your day as I recognized some other passengers from the same train ride as us! If you take the 8.47am train from Kandy, you will arrive into Ella around 3.45pm (barring any delays), which would give you enough time to grab a quick lunch, check in to your hotel and then start your hike up to Little Adam’s Peak by 5pm. We only set off from our hotel at 5.30pm so we were a little late! The sun usually sets around 6.15pm, but do check exact times for the time you are traveling.

We stayed on Little Adam’s Peak until the sky was dark, so we needed the flashlights on our phones on the way down as the path is not lit. It wasn’t too difficult too, and it was totally worth it!

More things to do in Ella

Swim on top of the 2nd highest waterfall in Sri Lanka! This was the highlight of my trip and I recommend you add it to your itinerary! Read more: DIYALUMA FALLS: Swim at the top of Sri Lanka’s 2nd highest waterfall

Where to stay in Ella

I stayed at Marvellous Inn, which is a cosy family-run B&B with stunning mountain views, and the friendly host, Malli was extremely warm and hospitable. You’ll feel like you’re right at home!

Where in the world was your favorite sunset? Or have you done the Little Adam’s Peak hike? Let me know in the comments below!

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