One of the nicest things to do when you are in Sri Lanka’s tea country is to take a walk. A walk amongst the tea plantations is very atmospheric, and walking to see them from a distance is glorious, and views into the valleys even better. One of the best walks in Ella is to Little Adam’s Peak and this is an easy walk, you don’t need to be superfit to do it. If the weather is nice there are stunning views down the valley, and over to Ella Rock. It’s also a short hike so you won’t be hiking for hours, you’ll only need a couple of hours to hike Little Adam’s Peak. Here’s how to do the Little Adam’s Peak Hike in Sri Lanka.
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The hike to Little Adam’s Peak everyone says starts at the 98 Acres Resort, but as you also have to get there, then I consider it starts in Ella itself from wherever you’re staying. You’ll need to walk along the road (it’s not busy) to get to the 98 Acres Resort. There’s also a partly unmade road to the 98 Acres Resort before you start the short but steep climb up to the peak.
Before I start, however, I’d say if the weather is bad (wet or foggy), then I wouldn’t bother with this hike. There are stunning views from the top, but not if it’s socked in as you can’t see anything. So, if you’re ready, I’ve covered the details of where to stay, what the hike is like, and what you should bring with you for hiking Little Adam’s Peak.
#1 THING TO DO
Hike Little Adam’s Peak with a Guide
Get to see the great views from Little Adam’s Peak + See Nine Arch Bridge in Ella too
The Little Adam’s Peak Hike
Unlike its namesake – Adam’s Peak (which I wrote about here), Little Adam’s Peak is an easy hike. So easy we actually hiked it on the same day as Ella Rock. And we’ve also hiked it twice, on both times that we visited Ella. And I consider it one of the best things to do in Ella.
If you do just one hike here in Ella, then you should do this one. The hike to Ella Rock is a LOT harder, and this hike to Little Adam’s Peak will give you a great view of Ella Rock.
If you’d like to go hiking around Ella, then I recommend this trip, which includes hiking to Ella Rock AND Little Adam’s Peak along with a visit to the famous Nine Arch Bridge.
The actual trail starts at the entrance of the 98 Acres Resort. So head out of Ella itself towards the 98 Acres Resort, walk past, leaving the resort on your right, and get to the main gate where all the tuk-tuks park.
I’ve marked on the map where the entrance is and once you get there it’s easy just to follow the trail. While there won’t usually be crowds of people there are likely to be some other visitors walking this trail so it’s easy to find.
Go past the zipline entrance and start walking up. The hike should take around one hour to there and back and it’s a lovely walk.
As with other places in the Ella area and Sri Lanka generally, you’ll find stray dogs. They’re usually well-behaved (and if you want to help them out then go to the Rainbow Café in Ella that looks after them, so frequent it, and you’ll be helping).
The trail here is really easy to follow and I’d go so far as to say that you don’t need a map, it’s that obvious, but if you do want a trail map, then the AllTrails map is the best
There are two viewpoints at the top, and you’ll get to see the valley, Ella Rock, Ella Gap, Newburg Tea Factory, and Rawana Falls. It is a glorious view and it’s easy to see why this is one of the best hikes in Sri Lanka.
It’s only the steps at the top that are reminiscent of Adam’s Peak itself, and now that’s a distant memory, so these are rose-tinted glasses that I’m wearing now.
The view from the top of Little Adam’s Peak is glorious. On our first trip here, the rain clouds in the distance only added drama more than anything. The bright sunshine on our next day just meant sunhats.
If you’re short on time when you’re visiting Ella, then you can wrap together seeing Little Adam’s Peak, Ella Rock, and the unmissable Nine Arch Bridge with transfers between them as well as with an English-speaking guide. Here are the best options.
- Ella Rock, Little Adam’s Peak, and Nine Arch Bridge with transfer
- Little Adam’s Peak and Nine Arch Bridge Hiking
You can stop off at the Ravana Pool Club on the way down these days, or one of the tea plantation workers (or their children) will sell you coconut and other snacks and drinks. On our first trip here, we had our first ever wood apple juice. The taste is gloriously Moorish, especially considering the fruit itself has the consistency of a cricket ball.
Map for Hiking Little Adam’s Peak
You can see the full map for Hiking Little Adam’s Peak here.
Key Tips on Hiking Little Adam’s Peak
Thinking of hiking Little Adam’s Peak? Here’s the key information that you’ll need to prepare for this fabulous Sri Lanka day hike.
How long does it take to hike Little Adam’s Peak?
It should take you around an hour to go to Little Adam’s Peak. This is an easy day hike, although if it’s a hot day you’ll want to set off early. Equally, if it’s rainy and foggy, then consider whether it’s worth it, as you won’t see much at all and on clear days the views are stunning from Little Adam’s Peak.
The first time we hiked to Little Adam’s Peak we also hiked Ella Rock on the same day. You can read my guide to hiking Ella Rock here. The second time, we hiked Little Adam’s Peak and then went to Nine Arch Bridge. You can do that too, with a local guide here.
What should you wear to hike Little Adam’s Peak?
We hiked in shorts, t-shirts, and wearing our Merrells (my guide to the best budget hiking boots for men is here). We’ve done this hike twice now, both times in glorious sunshine and in December. We wore sunglasses and a sunhat too.
Do you need Hiking Poles to trek to Little Adam’s Peak?
I took a set of poles for coming back down, as since breaking my wrist a few years back I prefer to have something that I can lean on in steep descents. While I did use them for other hikes in Sri Lanka, I didn’t use trekking poles on Little Adam’s Peak. However, it was dry when we hiked. If you’re hiking Little Adam’s Peak after rain, then some of the steps are quite steep, and if it’s wet then they’ll be pretty slippery.
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What’s the trail like to Little Adam’s Peak?
The trail starts with a rough road past the glorious 98 Acres Resort and the Ravana Zipline. This is really easy walking. And then it’s a well-made trail. And then its steps. The steps are a little steep, but there aren’t many of them.
If you’re looking for another easy hike, then heading to Horton’s Plain National Park and hiking to World’s End is an easy option. I wrote about it here.
How hard is it to hike Little Adam’s Peak?
Hiking Little Adam’s Peak is easy. The steps at the end are a little steep, but they’re not difficult. You don’t need to be super fit to do this hike.
What’s the elevation gain hiking Little Adam’s Peak?
The elevation gain is only about 70 meters (230 feet).
Where to sleep in Ella, Sri Lanka
Ella has some excellent accommodation options. Much like in the rest of the country, you can eat your meals at the hotel or guest house. Bear in mind that Ella is a bit of a sprawl these days and its built on hills. So you might find a glorious place to stay, but it could be quite a distance from “town”. These are the best places to stay in Ella:
98 Acres is by far the best hotel in Ella, Sri Lanka, with beautiful bungalows each with their own balcony and plunge pool, and fantastic views of the valley. You can check availability here.
The Rock View Hostel is a more budget-friendly option. It has plain but clean rooms, all with a view. We stayed here on our first visit to Ella and the reviews have just got better. Get a room here.
As the Rock View was full when we stayed in Ella the second time, we stayed at the Ella Odyssey Inn, which we really enjoyed. There are sofas in the rooms and the Sri Lankan breakfast was superb, different every day, and absolutely LOADS of it. The shower was also a welcome very warm one! Check the availability of this fabulous place to stay in Ella here!
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Final Words on Hiking Little Adam’s Peak
The hike to Little Adam’s Peak in Ella is an easy day hike. It won’t take you much more than 2 hours to do the round trip walk from Ella’s main street. And the saunter through the tea plantation is lovely. The views from the top are glorious and you shouldn’t miss it when you’re in Ella.
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