Best Time To Visit Ella > Weather, Temperature & Season

What is the best time to visit Ella?

January to September is the best time to visit Ella, which is wider than most of the hill country allows. Ella sits on the sheltered side of the mountains, so the southwest monsoon that soaks Nuwara Eliya largely passes it by.

January to March is the classic season, clear and cool with the busiest streets. June to September is the quiet alternative, and July is the driest month of the whole year here.

October to December is the wet season, with October the wettest month by a wide margin. Cloud sits in Ella Gap and the view that people come for is often not there.

Days run about 22°C and nights drop to around 13°C, so carry something warm in every month.

Monthly Weather in Ella

Month	High/Low (°C)	Rain
January	25°/ 16°	3 days
February	25°/ 16°	9 days
March	28°/ 16°	11 days
April	28°/ 17°	24 days
May	28°/ 19°	16 days
June	29°/ 19°	9 days
July	28°/ 18°	10 days
August	27°/ 18°	10 days
September	26°/ 18°	21 days
October	24°/ 17°	30 days
November	25°/ 17°	25 days
December	24°/ 17°	19 days

Ella Travel Packages

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7 Nights / 8 Days

Sri Lanka Highlights: 7-Night Cultural, Wildlife, and Beach Adventure

Habarana(1N) → Kandy(2N) → Ella(1N) → Tissamaharama(1N) &ra...

$400/person

8 Nights / 9 Days

Sri Lanka Ramayana Tour Package for 8 Nights 9 Days

Colombo(1N) → Trincomalee(1N) → Kandy(1N) → Nuwara Eliya(1N...

₹33,210/person

6 Nights / 7 Days

Legends of Ramayana - Sri Lanka

Kandy(1N) → Nuwara Eliya(2N) → Ella(1N) → Galle(2N)

$650/person

6 Nights / 7 Days

Heritage, Hills, Wildlife & Beaches – Sri Lanka

Kandy(1N) → Nuwara Eliya(1N) → Ella(1N) → Yala National Par...

$510/person

7 Nights / 8 Days

Sri Lanka Classic Tour for 7 Nights

Habarana(1N) → Kandy(2N) → Ella(1N) → Tissamaharama(1N) &ra...

₹ 70,500

14% off

₹60,500/person

6 Nights / 7 Days

7-Day Sri Lanka Tour: Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Galle ,Bentota & Colombo

Kandy(1N) → Nuwara Eliya(1N) → Ella(1N) → Bentota(2N) &rarr...

$324/person

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More about Best Time to Travel to Ella

Peak Season in Ella: January to March

January to March is the peak season. Clear mornings, cool nights and the most reliable weather for Little Adam's Peak and the Nine Arches Bridge.

It is also the busiest and priciest stretch. Book the guesthouses with a view a few weeks ahead.

Southwest Monsoon: Why June to September Works in Ella

June to September is Ella's quiet secret. The Uva basin is in the rain shadow of the southwest monsoon, so while the south coast and Nuwara Eliya are wet, Ella has its driest month of the year in July.

Expect wind through the gap and cloud that comes and goes. Prices are lower and the trails are almost empty.

Wet Season in Ella: October to December

October to December is the wet season, and October is the wettest month by far. This is the one stretch to avoid if the Ella Gap view is what you came for.

Rain here comes from the northeast rather than the southwest, which is why Ella is wet when the beaches around Galle are drying out.

Best Time of Day for Ella's Viewpoints

Start at first light, in any month. Cloud builds through the morning and Ella Gap, Little Adam's Peak and Ella Rock are all clearest between 6 and 9 AM.

For the Nine Arches Bridge, check the train times rather than the weather. Trains cross a handful of times a day and the walk in takes about twenty minutes.