Hike Sri Lanka’s Pekoe Trail

Begin in the lakeside city of Kandy. In the central highlands, wrapped by verdant hills and considered the cultural capital of Sri Lanka, it’s the ideal place to start our Pekoe Trail adventure. Around 6pm, say ayubowan to your tour leader and fellow travellers at our hotel, where we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. That’s followed by an orientation tour around the city, before your tour leader ensures a big Sri Lankan welcome by arranging dinner. Want to explore Colombo? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative. Upgrade to a room with a balcony today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Our hiking begins today, though not before we set the scene with a visit to the Ceylon Tea Museum. Within the old Hanthana Tea Factory (a 15-minute drive from the hotel), the four-floor museum dives deep into the history of tea production in the central highlands, providing a fascinating backstory to our adventures ahead. The museum is also the start point of the Pekoe Trail, so it’s here we set off to walk Stage 1. This relatively easy stretch is an excellent warm-up for our days ahead, a scenic hike through tea estates and patches of forest with views over Kandy Valley. Reaching Galaha, the end of Stage 1, we take a transfer (1hr 15min) back to our hotel for a chance to relax. Upgrade to a room with a balcony today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Pick up where we left off yesterday, driving back to Galaha to begin Stage 2. Today’s hike can be broken into two. The first section takes us to Deltota, through the scenic Deltota Estate to the hill country town of Deltota itself, which has a lively market and green mosque. The second section runs through an old pine forest and another tea estate before reaching an abandoned village. Having walked 6mi (10km), we hit the Loolecondera Estate, where we find the cottage of Scottish tea planet James Taylor, who introduced tea farming to Sri Lanka. Finishing in Loolkandura, we take a transfer (1hr 30min) back to Kandy for a late lunch. After, we visit the Temple of the Tooth, which houses the most important Buddhist relic in Sri Lanka. The Tooth of Buddha was taken from the funeral pyre in 543 BCE and only found its way to Sri Lanka in the fourth century CE. Upgrade to a room with a balcony today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Sri Lanka has some of the most scenic train journeys in the world, and we experience this today, enjoying a three-hour ride from Kandy to Watagoda. If the train schedules change (or the train is significantly delayed) we may drive instead to ensure there is time to complete our walk. Stage 6 of the trail starts from Watagoda railway station, so we begin hiking immediately. The route takes us past highland lakes, through classic tea trails and to the Holyrood Estate. We also cross small villages and railway lines as we head to Talawakelle, the hub of the Dimbula tea planting district, stopping for lunch en route. Ending in Kotagala, it’s just a 15-minute transfer to our next hotel in Hatton.

Returning to Kotagala, we pick up the trail to hike Stage 7. Our route takes us through deep tea country, passing the colonial-era Chrystler’s Farm Tea Factory. We climb a hill for views over the hill town of Hatton, visit Singamalai Lake, which provides drinking water for the surrounding regions, and gaze over Castlereagh Reservoir, a picturesque body of water considered one of Sri Lanka’s best-kept secrets. We return to our hotel after reaching Norwood and have the rest of the day to relax. From the full moon of December to the full moon of May, you have the option of joining the many pilgrims hiking up Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) tonight. Those interested are picked up around midnight and transferred (1hr 30min) to the base of the peak. From here, it’s a four-hour climb (3,208ft/978m) to the top for sunrise. Overall, the hike is around 6mi (10km) and you will lose an entire night’s sleep which will likely mean you wish to opt out of tomorrow's walk.

After breakfast, we transfer (1hr 30min) to Dayagama to tackle Stage 10. At the end of the Agarapatana Valley, this village is one of the most remote in the tea country, a special chance to see a part of Sri Lanka few ever visit. Our route takes us along wide tea trails and into dense foliage, and we enjoy a picnic lunch along the way. It ends in the cloud forest of Horton Plains and we transfer (1hr 30min) to our next hotel.

It’s a walking day today, but not on the Pekoe Trail, as we take the opportunity for an adventurous walk up Kirigalpotta. First, we hop on the train for another scenic ride, this time a 30-minute journey to the village of Ohiya. After a short transfer to the trailhead, we begin our hike up Kirigalpotta, the highest trekkable mountain in Sri Lanka. Our trail winds through mystical cloud forest to the windy summit. On a clear day, we’re rewarded with panoramic views, although more often the summit is cloaked in mist, giving it an ethereal beauty. A delightful picnic will be waiting for you at the base; if we’re lucky, we may spot sambar deer grazing in the distance, a common yet special sight. At the end of this adventurous day, catch a transfer (1hr 30min) back to our hotel to relax and prepare for tomorrow’s adventures.