Adam’s Peak Night Climb
The classic way up Sri Pada: a start in the small hours, the lit pilgrim stairway through the night, and sunrise from the 2,243 m summit as the peak throws its shadow across the plains. We handle the transport, the timing and the guide, from Ella, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya or Hatton.
- Overnight
- Strenuous
- From USD 230
- Private: just your group
- SLTDA-licensed guide
Transfer to Nallathanniya
You are collected from your hotel in the afternoon and driven to Nallathanniya, the village at the foot of the Hatton route, for an early night close to the trailhead.
The climb
A start in the early hours on the Hatton route, the shortest and steepest way up: about 5 km each way and around 1,000 m of climbing, almost all of it on stone and concrete steps with handrails. In pilgrimage season the path is lit all night and lined with tea shops and rest stops. Your guide sets the pace so you reach the top before dawn.
The summit and the shadow
At the summit shrine, the Sri Pada, you wait in the cold for sunrise, when the peak casts its triangular shadow across the western plains. After the descent you are driven back to your base.
Read more in our Adam’s Peak trail guide. Near the Hatton route: St. Clair’s Falls and Devon Falls.
Where it happens
Numbered pins match the list below. They mark places named on this page, not a trail line: your guide sets the route on the day.
- Hatton railway station: Nearest main-line station and a pickup point.
- Nallathanniya: The village at the foot of the Hatton route, where the climb starts.
- Adam's Peak (Sri Pada): The 2,243 m summit and its shrine, for sunrise.
On every trip
- Private: just your group and your guide, at your pace.
- Led by an SLTDA-licensed guide, who knows the route and the conditions on the day.
- Pickup and drop-off in Ella, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya or Hatton; ask us about elsewhere.
- A warm layer and a head torch are on the kit list: the summit is very cold before dawn.
Bring walking shoes with good grip, a rain jacket, water and sun protection. If weather makes a trail unsafe, we’ll move your day. See the packing list.
Price
From USD 230 per person. Includes your guide, private transport from your base and back, and a night in a guesthouse near the trailhead.
Prices are per person for two people sharing a private trip, in US dollars. Solo travellers can book online too; larger groups and premium hotels are quoted on request. Guide gratuities and anything marked as extra are not included.
When to go
Pilgrimage season runs from the December full moon (Unduvap Poya) to the May full moon (Vesak), and December to May is the time to climb: the path is lit and the shops are open. Poya days and weekends are extremely crowded, so we plan around them where your dates allow. Outside the season the lights are off and the weather is monsoonal; we will tell you honestly whether it is worth it.
Nearby places
Peaks, falls and viewpoints in the same area, each with its own guide. Not all are on the route of this trip: ask us about adding one.
Adam’s Peak
St. Clair’s Falls
Devon Falls
Aberdeen Falls
Bopath EllaBook with confidence
- Pay online in US dollars. We confirm your date by email, usually within 24 hours.
- If we cannot run your date, you get a full refund.
- If weather makes the trail unsafe, we move your day.
- Led by an SLTDA-licensed guide. Your group only, at your pace.
Full terms: refund policy.
Plan your climb
Tell us where you are staying, your dates and how many of you are climbing.