Horton Plains & World’s End at Sunrise
An early start onto the high plateau to reach World’s End, an 870 m sheer drop, before the cloud rolls in. The 9.5 km loop also takes in Baker’s Falls and the montane grassland found nowhere else in Sri Lanka. From Nuwara Eliya, Ella or Haputale.
- Day
- Easy to moderate
- From USD 140
- Private: just your group
- SLTDA-licensed guide
To the park gate
Pickup before first light and the drive up to the Pattipola gate of Horton Plains National Park, at over 2,100 m. Your park tickets are arranged.
The World’s End loop
The standard 9.5 km loop through the wet patana grassland to Little World’s End at the 3.5 km mark and Big World’s End at 4.5 km, then down through cloud forest to Baker’s Falls, a 20 m fall on the Belihul Oya, and back to the start. The trail is well marked and not technical, but mornings are cold: lows can reach 5 °C even in March.
Thotupola Kanda or Kirigalpotta
Add Thotupola Kanda, the third-highest peak in the country, on a short path near the Pattipola entrance; or, for a long day, Kirigalpotta, the highest summit in Sri Lanka the public can walk to, about 14 km there and back. Ask us whether the trail is open on your dates.
Read more in our Horton Plains guide, and the directory pages for Thotupola Kanda and Kirigalpotta.
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.
- Pattipola railway station: The station on the northern approach to the park.
- Horton Plains Visitor Centre: The park office and the start of the World's End loop.
- World's End: The 870 m cliff edge on the loop.
- Baker's Falls: The 20 m waterfall on the Belihul Oya, on the loop.
- Thotupola Kanda: Optional add-on: the third-highest peak.
- Kirigalpotta: Optional long add-on: the highest summit open to walkers.
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 Nuwara Eliya, Ella or Haputale.
- Park tickets arranged in advance. Single-use plastic is banned inside the park.
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 140 per person, including your guide, private transport and the national park ticket.
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
January to March is the best window. World’s End fills with cloud by mid-morning on most days even then, which is why we start at first light. Bring layers: the temperature ranges widely across the day.
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.
Baker’s Falls
Kirigalpotta
Thotupola Kanda
Pidurutalagala
Hakgala Rock
Great Western MountainBook 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.
Pick your morning
Tell us where you are staying, your dates and how many of you are walking.