Itinerary
- Day 1
Kandy
You'll arrive in Kandy, Sri Lanka's cultural capital located in the central highlands. Your tour leader will meet you and your fellow travelers around 6pm at the hotel. After settling in, you'll have an orientation tour of the city to get your bearings, then gather for a welcome dinner arranged by your leader.
- Meals
- Dinner (Sri Lankan welcome dinner arranged by tour leader)
Included Activities
- Orientation tour of Kandy
- Group meeting and briefing
Optional Activities
- Pre-tour hotel nights in Colombo
Landmarks/POIs Kandy 
- Day 2
Kandy
Start your day at the Ceylon Tea Museum inside the historic Hanthana Tea Factory to learn how tea production works in the central highlands. Then you'll begin Stage 1 of the Pekoe Trail, a scenic warm-up hike through tea estates and forest with views across Kandy Valley. The trail ends at Galaha, and from there you'll transfer back to the hotel to rest.
Included Activities
- Ceylon Tea Museum visit
- Pekoe Trail Stage 1 hike (approximately easy difficulty, scenic route through tea estates and forest patches)
Landmarks/POIs Ceylon Tea Museum Hanthana Tea Factory - Day 3
Kandy
Continue with Stage 2 of the Pekoe Trail starting from Galaha. You'll hike through the scenic Deltota Estate to the hill country town of Deltota, then pass through an old pine forest and more tea estate to reach an abandoned village and the historic Loolecondera Estate, where James Taylor, a Scottish tea pioneer, first introduced tea farming to Sri Lanka. After finishing in Loolkandura, you'll transfer back to Kandy for a late lunch. Later, visit the Temple of the Tooth, which holds the most sacred Buddhist relic in Sri Lanka.
- Meals
- Lunch (Late lunch in Kandy)
Included Activities
- Pekoe Trail Stage 2 hike (6 miles/10km, through tea estates, pine forest, and villages)
- Temple of the Tooth visit
Landmarks/POIs Deltota Estate Deltota Loolecondera Estate Temple of the Tooth - Day 4
Kandy to Hatton
Take a scenic three-hour train journey from Kandy to Watagoda (or drive if train schedules change or delays occur). You'll start hiking Stage 6 of the Pekoe Trail right from Watagoda railway station, passing highland lakes and classic tea trails, including the Holyrood Estate. After crossing small villages and railway lines, you'll stop for lunch before reaching Talawakelle, the hub of the Dimbula tea district. End the day in Kotagala and transfer to your hotel in Hatton.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch on trail during Stage 6 hike)
Included Activities
- Train journey Kandy to Watagoda (scenic three-hour ride, or alternative drive if train unavailable)
- Pekoe Trail Stage 6 hike (through highland lakes, tea trails, and villages)
Landmarks/POIs Watagoda Holyrood Estate Talawakelle Kotagala - Day 5
Hatton
Return to Kotagala to pick up the Pekoe Trail and hike Stage 7 through deep tea country. You'll pass the colonial-era Chrystler's Farm Tea Factory and climb for views over the hill town of Hatton. Stop at Singamalai Lake, which supplies drinking water to the surrounding regions, and look out over Castlereagh Reservoir. After reaching Norwood, you'll return to the hotel for the rest of the day to relax. If the season is right (December full moon to May full moon), there's an optional hike of Adam's Peak tonight with other pilgrims.
Included Activities
- Pekoe Trail Stage 7 hike (through tea estates, villages, and scenic viewpoints)
Optional Activities
- Sri Pada (Adam's Peak) night hike (December full moon to May full moon only, approximately 6 miles/10km, four-hour climb to 3,208ft/978m, midnight pickup with 1hr 30min transfer to trailhead, sunrise viewing)
Landmarks/POIs Chrystler's Farm Tea Factory Hatton Singamalai Lake Castlereagh Reservoir Norwood Sri Pada (Adam's Peak) - Day 6
Hatton to Bandarawela
Transfer to Dayagama, one of the most remote villages in tea country, to tackle Stage 10 of the Pekoe Trail. You'll hike along wide tea trails and into dense foliage through the Agarapatana Valley, breaking for a picnic lunch along the way. The stage finishes in the cloud forest of Horton Plains, and then you'll transfer to your next hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Pekoe Trail Stage 10 hike (through remote tea country, Agarapatana Valley, and into cloud forest)
- Picnic lunch on trail
Landmarks/POIs Dayagama Agarapatana Valley Horton Plains - Day 7
Bandarawela
Take a scenic 30-minute train ride to the village of Ohiya, then transfer to the trailhead for an adventurous hike up Kirigalpotta, the highest trekkable mountain in Sri Lanka. You'll hike through mystical cloud forest to the windy summit where, if the weather cooperates, there are panoramic views (though the summit is often covered in mist). Enjoy a picnic lunch at the base and watch for sambar deer grazing. Transfer back to the hotel afterward to relax.
- Meals
- Lunch (Picnic lunch at base of trail)
Included Activities
- Train journey to Ohiya village (scenic 30-minute ride)
- Kirigalpotta hike (highest trekkable mountain in Sri Lanka, through cloud forest)
- Picnic lunch at base of trail
Landmarks/POIs Ohiya Kirigalpotta - Day 8
Bandarawela to Ella
Drive to Haputale to hike Stage 13 to St Catherine's through a cool, humid forest reserve with an uphill climb along tea trails and paths with valley views. Then begin Stage 14 immediately at St Catherine's, a tea plantation workers' village where you can see local life and watch tea pickers at work. You'll hike past vegetable plots, eucalyptus forest, and along plateau paths past village homes to Makulella. Transfer to your hotel in Ella.
Included Activities
- Pekoe Trail Stage 13 hike (through forest reserve and tea trails to St Catherine's)
- Pekoe Trail Stage 14 hike (through tea workers' village, vegetable plots, eucalyptus forest, and plateau paths)
Landmarks/POIs Haputale St Catherine's Makulella 
- Day 9
Ella
You'll hike two stages today. Start Stage 15 at a Buddhist temple in Ella, heading through eucalyptus forest, tea bushes, and jungle patches as you climb to Ella Rock for great views of Ella Gap, Little Adam's Peak, and the town itself. Then descend steeply and complete the stage along scenic railway track back into Ella. After lunch, move on to Stage 16 to Demodara, one of the shortest and most popular stages passing through tea plantations and the Nine Arches Bridge (Bridge in the Sky) with multiple viewpoints. Return to Ella by road or scenic train (ticket not included, 2,000 rupees/US$6.70, depending on train schedule).
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch in Ella)
Included Activities
- Pekoe Trail Stage 15 hike (from Buddhist temple through forest to Ella Rock with valley views, descending to Ella)
- Pekoe Trail Stage 16 hike (to Demodara past tea plantations and Nine Arches Bridge)
Optional Activities
- Scenic train return from Demodara to Ella (ticket not included, 2,000 rupees/US$6.70, subject to train schedule)
Landmarks/POIs Ella Rock Ella Gap Little Adam's Peak Ella Nine Arches Bridge Demodara - Day 10
Ella to Nuwara Eliya
Say goodbye to Ella and transfer to the small but lively town of Udapusellawa near Nuwara Eliya, bringing a packed breakfast with you. Begin Stage 21, the second-to-last stage of the Pekoe Trail, hiking along tea trails through an area also known for growing carrots and leeks. You'll enjoy beautiful valley views and stop for lunch in a village on the trail. End in Kandapola and transfer to Nuwara Eliya where the rest of the day is yours to relax.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Packed breakfast), Lunch (Lunch in a village on the trail)
Included Activities
- Pekoe Trail Stage 21 hike (along tea trails through area cultivating carrots and leeks, with valley views)
Landmarks/POIs Udapusellawa Nuwara Eliya Kandapola - Day 11
Nuwara Eliya to Colombo
Return to Kandapola for the final stage of the Pekoe Trail and the last hike of your adventure. The route wraps around Court Lodge Tea Factory, one of the oldest tea estates in the area, along scenic tea trails through estates and villages as a fitting end to your time in Sri Lanka's tea region. You'll finish at the Pedro Tea Estate, then drive five hours to Colombo to prepare for your flights home.
Included Activities
- Pekoe Trail Stage 22 (final stage) hike (around Court Lodge Tea Factory, through tea estates and villages, ending at Pedro Tea Estate)
Landmarks/POIs Kandapola Court Lodge Tea Factory Pedro Tea Estate Colombo - Day 12
Colombo
Your adventure ends today and your return journey home begins. If you're interested, you can speak with your sales representative about extending your stay to explore more of Sri Lanka.
Optional Activities
- Extended stay in Sri Lanka (arrange with sales representative)
