Mirissa to Ellaby shared taxi
About 3h 9min by road (172 km)
AlsoGoing is where travellers already crossing Sri Lanka post a trip, or find one to join. Free, always.
2 trips open right now across Sri Lanka
The platform
How it works
Three taps from here to a seatHow AlsoGoing works
Find someone going your way
Search a route and see who has already booked a car, van or tuk-tuk with room to spare.
Agree in the chat
Message them, settle where and when to meet. Nobody commits before they have spoken.
Split what it costs
The same journey, divided between you. Nobody pays for empty seats.
The route
Why this route
Mirissa is one of the south coast's main beach towns, known for whale watching and its curve of sand. The route down from Ella's hills crosses the island rather than following one line of road or rail, which is why so few buses run it directly.
Your options
Getting there
The two rail lines don't connect without a long detour through Colombo, so there's no practical direct train. The bus alone can take most of a day; by road it's a couple of hours.
By taxi it's about 3h 9min (172 km). A taxi is paid for the car, not the seat, so shared between four travellers each pays a quarter. How sharing a taxi works
There's no fixed fare on AlsoGoing. What you share, if anything, is agreed between you in chat before you travel.
On the day
Where to meet
In Mirissa
Mirissa railway station is about 2 km inland from the beach, on Udupila Road. If you are staying near the beach, the Udupila junction bus stop is the one for that area, so say which you mean.
In Ella
Ella has no bus station. The railway station and the two main bus stops are all on the main road through town (the A23), the stops at its junction with the Passara road, so any of them is an easy place to name.
Before you go
Common questions
Can I share a taxi from Mirissa to Ella?
Yes. Travellers post the trips they are taking, often in a taxi they have booked with seats left, and you ask for a seat. You agree the split between you and settle it in person. Nothing is paid through AlsoGoing.
Is there a train from Ella to Mirissa?
No practical direct train. The two rail lines don't connect without a long detour through Colombo.
How long does it take to drive from Mirissa to Ella?
About 3h 9min by road (172 km).
Other routes
The other way
Ella → Mirissa
Heading back from Ella? The same road, the other way.
Colombo ⇄ Kandy
Colombo is where almost every visitor arrives, by air or by sea.
Kandy ⇄ Ella
From Kandy the road climbs into tea country.
Ella ⇄ Arugam Bay
Arugam Bay is one of Sri Lanka's best-known surf towns, on the east coast.
Colombo Airport ⇄ Kandy
Almost every visitor lands at Colombo Airport (CMB), at Katunayake north of the city, and many skip Colombo and head straight inland.
Colombo Airport ⇄ Sigiriya
Sigiriya's rock fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is at the heart of what's called the Cultural Triangle, with Dambulla's cave temples and the ancient cities of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura within reach.
Going somewhere soon?
Post the trip and let people find you, or answer someone already on the road.