Pekoe Trail
A 300-kilometer waymarked long-distance trail through Sri Lanka's tea country, linking Hanthana, Kandy, Ella, and Nuwara Eliya across 22 stages.
Trails
1
Best Season
January–April and July–September (drier across the western and eastern slopes respectively)
How to Get There
Reach individual stages from the Kandy–Badulla railway line or by road from Kandy, Hatton, Nuwara Eliya, Haputale, or Ella.
Permit Information
No central permit. Some stages cross protected estate or forest areas where local arrangements or guides are recommended.
The Pekoe Trail is Sri Lanka's first dedicated long-distance hiking route, running roughly 300 kilometers across the Central Highlands in 22 stages. It links Hanthana near Kandy with the high tea estates around Hatton, Nuwara Eliya, Haputale, and Ella, and crosses plantations, forest reserves, and small estate villages. Most travelers walk a small selection of stages rather than the full trail, often using the railway and tuk-tuks to reach trailheads. Each stage is independently walkable, with stage maps and GPX files published by the Pekoe Trail organization.