The reason many people come to Ella in the first place. The seven-hour ride to Kandy through the Hill Country is one of the great rail journeys of Asia — tea estates on every slope, dripping forest, mist drifting up the valleys, vendors selling vadai and tea through the windows at every station. Second-class reserved seats book out weeks in advance in high season but are worth the planning; third class is unreserved and crowded but lets you hang out of the open doors for the photographs.
The most spectacular stretch is between Ella and Nanu Oya (Nuwara Eliya), so even a shorter ride is rewarding. Tickets can be booked online through Sri Lanka Railways or, more reliably, through the booking offices at Colombo Fort or the larger Ella guesthouses.