Little Adam’s Peak Sunrise Hike and Nine Arch Bridge

On the second day of our sojourn in Ella, we decided to visit two of the area’s most renown sights: Little Adam’s Peak and the Nine Arch Bridge. These are located in very close distance from the village center and from each other, so that both can easily be visited on foot within a matter of a few hours. In our case, we also had a scooter so we got to reach them both even faster.

Little Adam’s Peak

Little Adam’s Peak is a very popular viewpoint located right to the east from Ella center. The peak is pretty much constantly crowded with tourists at all hours of the day and all times of the year. Many people choose to climb the peak at either sunrise or sunset; both in order to enjoy the vivid colorations of those times and for better chances to see any views at all, as the mountains will most often be veiled in fog during the afternoon hours.

We preferred the sunrise because the crowds tend to be sparser than at sunset, as well as because a short hike is just a great way to kick one’s day off. We left our accommodation at about 5 am. The sky still was downright dark and the air chilly, so that we had to wear jackets and drive with the scooter lights on.

We followed the main road leading east from Ella towards Ballaketuwa. Less than 1 km after the main junction in the village, off a sharp left turn where Middle Earth Ella guesthouse is located, at 6.8709/81.0567, there forks out to the right a small dirt road which leads to Little Adam’s Peak.

It takes about 2 km to reach the peak from that point on. The way was straightforward to find, especially with the aid of the ubiquitous directing signs. With the motorbike we were able to drive almost the entire way to the peak, having only to walk the last couple of hundred meters. The furthest point you can drive by scooter is right where the office of Flying Ravana is, right by the foot of the peak. Those guys operate a zipline. I didn’t do it myself but I’m pretty sure it must be a very cool thing to do.

The colors of dawn had taken over the previously black sky by the time we parked the bike and started on our short hike to the peak. Less than 10 minutes later we’d reached the top. We found quite many folks there and more kept coming as time progressed. Other than tourists, on the top we also found a small Buddhist shrine and a guy selling coconuts.

From the main peak, one may continue further ahead a trail moving along the ridge and up to the next peak. That’s exactly what I did, as very few of the other folks had also done that, and the sunrise view is actually better from over there.

I took a comfy seat on a rock and waited for the sun to rise. It did so soon enough and bright, warm light diffused the broad, green valley below. The advent of this new day was absolutely gorgeous; exactly the kind of a beginning that’s needed to initiate a lovely day.

We loitered there for quite some time, enjoying the views and talking with other travelers, and headed back down for the Nine Arch Bridge. But before I move on with the story, let me first take up a few more common questions people have before hiking Little Adam’s Peak.

Little Adam’s Peak ticket price

There is no entry fee involved with climbing Little Adam’s Peak. You can freely climb up there at any time you wish.

Little Adam’s Peak hike duration

Little Adam’s Peak is located about 4 km away from the main junction in Ella, 2 km from the point you leave the main road, and just about a couple of hundred meters from the furthest point you can drive by scooter. So the hike should take an average of 2 hours, 1 hour, or 10 minutes respectively from those 3 starting points.

Little Adam’s Peak elevation

Little Adam’s Peak reaches an elevation of 1,151 AMSL.

Little Adam’s Peak guide

You definitely don’t need a guide to climb Little Adam’s Peak. This is just a short stroll; not anything like a mountain hike. The way is ridiculously easy to find without having any hiking experience whatsoever. There will anyway be lots of other people, whom you may just follow, walking up there concurrently with you at any time you choose to go. If you anyway, for any reason, insist to get a guide, every second person you ask in the village will either gladly guide you up there or find you someone else who will do that.

Little Adam’s Peak on flip flops

The trail is very short and smooth. It is totally alright to do it on flip flops, or even barefoot if you are used to that.

Little Adam’s Peak snakes

There are lots of poisonous snakes in Sri Lanka but it’s very hard to spot them even when that’s exactly what you try to do. They are very meticulous to keep their distance from people. Especially in places such as Little Adam’s Peak, where there are crowds of them, no chance snakes will stay to hang around.

Little Adam’s Peak & Nine Arch Bridge Route Map

Asphalt Road, Dirt Road, Trail

From Little Adam’s Peak to the Nine Arch Bridge

In order to reach the Nine Arch Bridge from Little Adam’s Peak, you go back down to the main road the same way. From there you can choose either of two paths: one starts from a point less than a km to the right, at 6.8721/81.0604, beside Sri Kanaser Temple; the other, from a point less than a km to the left, at 6.8733/81.0543, beside Forest Homestay. Either way, it should take you roughly 2 hours on foot to reach the Nine Arch Bridge from Little Adam’s Peak.

We drove there by scooter and chose the latter way. This trail isn’t one meant to be driven by a scooter, but with a little imagination, assuming that the scooter may well perform the task of a dirt bike, we did drive most of it.

We only parked it and continued on foot when we encountered a concrete stairway. From there on, it only took a few minutes of walking through a beautiful thicket to reach our destination.

Right before you come down to the bridge itself, the trail passes by a really nice viewpoint of the bridge with a small impromptu bench. Down on the bridge, there is always a large number of tourists and vendors. A little cafe operates by the bridge’s western end. That’s where the road coming from the north terminates and whence you need to come if you want to drive all the way. A mob of tuk-tuk drivers is always stationed by the cafe.

The bridge itself is a very picturesque spectacle to behold at. As its name suggests, it lies on top of nine arches and describes a 91-meter curve over the densely vegetated ravine below, at a 21-meter maximum height. It was constructed in the early 20th century in order to increase the British households tea supply efficiency. The project was undertaken by local builder P. K. Appuhami, after only consulting British engineers. The bridge’s most unique feature is that it’s made entirely out of brick, rock, and cement; not a single steel rod for reinforcement. A popular story states that steel had initially been assigned by the British for the project but they reallocated back to the homeland when World War I broke out. The locals then decided to carry on with building the bridge anyway. Still standing and operating after almost a century proves that they did a really good job.

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