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Ella in December
Mixed month: December is outside the recommended season (January – April). Plan around: Peak Season Crowds. Christmas and New Year peak can fall this month.
The season opens in January, next month.
2 days in Ella in December · from ₹9,288 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
Before you book December
Closures, crowds and rules at Ella this month.
Worth knowing
Hill-Country Railway Disrupted
Landslides from Cyclone Ditwah (November 2025) cut the scenic Main Line through the hills; in 2026 the trains were reported starting at Nanu Oya (for Nuwara Eliya) rather than Kandy. Check eticket.railway.gov.lk before planning round the Kandy–Ella ride, and book reserved seats 30 days ahead when they open; a car to Nanu Oya and the train on to Ella still gives the best stretch.
Heads up
Peak Season Crowds
Late December to January is the busiest time on the south coast and in the hills: Galle Fort, Sigiriya and the Ella train are crowded and the best rooms sell out. Book rooms and reserved train seats early and climb Sigiriya at opening.
What’s on in December
Timing a trip around these changes what you pay and what you can book.
Christmas and New Year peak
The south coast's busiest and dearest fortnight: beach hotels set minimum stays and gala dinners on 24 and 31 December, the Ella train and Yala jeeps sell out, and Indian holiday-makers add to the European winter crowds. Book rooms and reserved train seats by October.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 2 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹9,288 for two
- Room a night₹2,300
- Food a day, each₹1,300
Mid-range
₹23,015 for two
- Room a night₹6,310
- Food a day, each₹3,000
Luxury
₹55,318 for two
- Room a night₹17,220
- Food a day, each₹7,000
What December does to prices
- The south coast's busiest and dearest fortnight: beach hotels set minimum stays and gala dinners on 24 and 31 December, the Ella train and Yala jeeps sell out, and Indian holiday-makers add to the European winter crowds.
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Sri Lanka yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Colombo (CMB), 131 km away
Then: Transfer · 6h (Car with driver / PickMe, per vehicle)
Flights from India: from 10 cities, one way from ₹9,000
Fly into Jaffna (JAF), 330 km away
Flights from India: from 1 city, one way from ₹7,000
Routes compared
Entry rules
E-visa before you fly for up to 30 days
- Before you fly, apply for the tourist ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) at eta.gov.lk. It is free for Indian passport holders since 25 May 2026, but still required: airlines check it at boarding. Approval usually comes by email; carry the approval.
- At immigration in Colombo or Jaffna, show your passport, the ETA approval and your return ticket. The visa is valid for 30 days from your first arrival and allows a second entry within those 30 days.
- To stay longer than 30 days, apply for an extension at the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Battaramulla (Colombo) before the 30 days end; a fee applies.
Carry: Passport valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive, with a blank page; ETA approval (email or printout); Confirmed return or onward ticket; Hotel bookings for the stay; Enough money for the stay (a card or cash).
The ETA is free for Indians only since 25 May 2026, under a scheme for 40 countries, after several changes since 2023. It is still compulsory, and on-arrival visas may no longer be sold, so apply on eta.gov.lk before you fly. Use only the .gov.lk sites (eta.gov.lk; the immigration department's own online arrival card is free and optional): look-alike sites charge for the free ETA and sell "arrival cards".
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Sri Lanka in December
Instead in season this month.
- Udawalawe · great month
- Bentota · good month
- Colombo · good month
- Galle · good month
- Hikkaduwa · good month
- Mirissa · good month
- Negombo · good month
- Tangalle · good month
Nearby in Kandy & the Hill Country:
Want this as a real plan?
Ella in December, day by day, priced for your group.