HIKING LITTLE ADAM’S PEAK IN ELLA, [SRI LANKA]
FULL GUIDE FOR HIKING LITTLE ADAM’S PEAK IN ELLA. HOW LONG IS THE HIKE? IS THE HIKE DIFFICULT?
Little Adam’s Peak is located in Ella, a gorgeous region of Sri Lanka! Ella is one of our favorite places to visit in Sri Lanka for its natural beauty and cooler climate. We wrote a full post about Ella here.
In a Nutshell
– Little Adam’s Peak takes its name from a sacred mountain Adams Peak.
– Don’t confuse “Adam’s Peak” with “Little Adam’s Peak”. They are 2 different mountains in different locations.
– Hiking to Little Adam’s Peak is one of the best things to do in Ella.
– The view at the top is breathtaking with an exceptional panorama at 360 degrees!
– Little Adam’s Peak is 1,140 meters high.
– It takes 2 hours (round trip) to complete the hike to Little Adam’s Peak. The entrance is free.
Here is a short teaser about Little Adam’s Peak!
WHAT IS LITTLE ADAM’S PEAK?
- Little Adam’s Peak is 1,140 meters high. Don’t confuse Little Adam’s Peak with “Adam’s Peak”.
- Adam’s Peak is a sacred mountain for Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims. It is located in the Ratnapura region and culminates at 2,240 meters. It takes much longer to reach the top.
- Little Adam’s Peak attracts many travelers who come to Sri Lanka. The hike to the top of Little Adams Peak is easy and offers spectacular panoramic views.
- Location of Little’s Adam Peak: here
A bit of information about Ella
Ella is a charming little mountain village in Sri Lanka, perched in the clouds at 1,000 meters above sea level. Surrounded by hills covered with tea plantations, Ella is located in the southern part of Sri Lanka, 200 km east of Colombo.
Thanks to its altitude, Ella benefits from a climate that is cooler than the rest of the country. And that’s really nice after you visit another part of Sri Lanka under very hot and humid weather.
For us, visiting Ella is a must during a trip to Sri Lanka.
WHERE TO START LITTLE ADAM’S PEAK HIKE?
The hike starts in front of Ella Flower Garden Resort (here).
First you will cross tea plantations and the beautiful Ravana Pool Club (here). The Ravana Pool Club just opened in 2022. It’s a beautiful place if you want to relax in a pool with a cocktail and face tea plantation and the mountains around Ella. Check our their website (here).
It is not uncommon to come across women working in the tea fields at the start of the hike. Indeed, in Sri Lanka, the work of picking tea leaves is mainly done by women.
The trail is well-marked to reach the top. You can’t really go wrong from there. After a bunch of steep stairs, you will get to the top! The view is stunning! A fantastic place to admire the scenery around Ella.
In order to make the most of this place and its special atmosphere, we recommend starting early. First, you will avoid the crowds of tourists and second the temperature will be much more comfortable.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE SUMMIT?
A BIG WOW! Yes, the view is absolutely stunning. A breathtaking 360-degree panorama of the beautiful Ella region, one of our favorite places in Sri Lanka.
There are actually 2 peaks. Most people stop at the first one, where the view is already stunning. There are a few famous spots to take great photos there, such as the one above.
If you continue towards your left, you have to hike down a little and back up on a very steep path. The view is pretty much the same from both peaks. So if you are feeling tired already, you can skip the 2nd summit.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE LITTLE ADAM’S PEAK HIKE?
We spent a good 1-hour hiking to the top of Little Adam’s Peak from Ella by making plenty of stops to take photos. The hike is not that difficult, except towards the end as there were more stairs, it started to get hot as we started a bit late in the morning.
If you are going back to Ella after that, simply head down the same way. So in total count 2 hours to complete the hike.
However, most people will start with Little Adam’s Peak in the morning, and head to the Nine Arches Bridge from there. More on that later in this post.
GET SOME ADRENALINE RUSH BY TAKING THE ZIPLINE ON YOUR WAY DOWN
There is actually a faster way to go down from Little Adam’s Peak. Halfway through the hike, you have the option to go back down near Ravana Pool, by taking an exciting zipline ride above the tea plantations! How amazing is that!
The place is called Ravana Zipline. You can’t miss it. On your way up to Little Adam’s Peak, you will see people flying back down on top of your head!
You can book your ticket at a cheaper price here.
COMBINE LITTLE ADAM’S PEAK WITH A VISIT OF THE NINE ARCH BRIDGE
On the way back from Little Adam’s Peak, you can hike directly to the Nine Arches Bridge. The hike to get there is a bit long, so we opted for a short Tuk-Tuk ride, which was a good idea. The Tuk-Tuk driver will drop you off at the ideal location to start the visit to the Nine Arches Bridge.
You can find a few tuk-tuks waiting on your way down from Little Adam’s Peak near Ravana Pool Club at the junction which leads back to Ella on your left and Nine Arches Bridge on your right (location of the junction: here). The Tuk-Tuk ride is rather inexpensive and will make you save 1 hour of downhill hike.
READ: FULL GUIDE FOR VISITING THE NINE ARCHES BRIDGE
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ENTER LITTLE ADAM’S PEAK?
GOOD NEWS, it’s free!!
However, you can also opt for a guide that will take care of everything and explain more about the history of Little Adam’s Peak as well as the Nine Arches Bridges. This includes pick-up from your hotel by Tuk-Tuk. More details here.
COMBINE YOUR VISIT WITH THE HALPEWATTE TEA FACTORY
When hiking Little Adam’s Peak, you will see a huge white building on top of a neighbouring mountain. This is Halpewatte Tea Factory.
If you haven’t visited a Tea factory yet, then we highly recommend a tour at Halpewatte, one of the best things to see in Ella. The Tea factory is located just 2km from the town on top of a mountain surrounded by tea plantations.
During the tour in the factory, everything is explained in perfect English: harvesting, sorting, drying, different types of teas… Visiting a tea factory is a must in Sri Lanka.
OTHER THINGS TO DO IN ELLA
We have a full posts about the 20 best things to see in Ella, here.
Some of the best things to see in Ella include:
- Ravana Falls is easily accessible from Ella with a short Tuk-Tuk ride.
- Lipton’s Seat, a superb mountainous area south of Ella entirely covered with tea plantations. No words can describe the beauty of this place.
- World’s End located inside the Horton Plains National Park is another great sight near Ella. This national park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Nil Diya Pokuna caves believed to be part of the legend of King Ravana. 100m below the surface. The highlight of the place is the underground pond containing bright blue-colored water.
READ: 20 BEST THINGS TO SEE IN ELLA
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT ELLA AND HIKE LITTLE ADAM’S PEAK?
The temperature in Ella generally varies between 20° C and 28° C. Nestled in the heart of a mountainous region, this city is blessed with a cooler climate than in the lower altitude areas.
The recommended months to visit Ella are January, February, and March to avoid the rain. That said, we went there in March and we still got a bit of rain every day. In any case, Ella can be visited throughout the entire year.
IN CONCLUSION – IS HIKING LITTLE ADAM’S PEAK WORTH IT?
Hiking Little Adam’s Peak was one of the most memorable things we did in Sri Lanka. If you are in Ella it’s a must! It was also pleasant to spend a lot of time in Ella, which is a great place to stay with a chill vibe and a much cooler climate than the rest of Sri Lanka.
The view at the top of Little Adam’s Peak is not something you will forget easily! Simply stunning.
We wrote many posts about our trip to Sri Lanka, which you can find here.
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions, by leaving a comment below.
Enjoy your trip to this wonderful country!
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