The Pekoe Trail.
Sri Lanka’s first long-distance walking route — 186 miles through tea estates, cloud forest, hillside villages, and the colonial routes that once carried Ceylon’s harvest to the coast.
A 300-kilometer journey through Ceylon’s tea country.
The Pekoe Trail is a meticulously curated long-distance walking route that links 22 stages across Sri Lanka’s central highlands. It threads through working tea estates, montane forest, hillside Tamil villages, and the historic plantation paths that connect Kandy, Hatton, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, and Haputale.
It’s not a single sprint. Most hikers walk it stage by stage over multiple visits — picking the segments that match the season, fitness, and the views they want most. The map below shows every stage; the cards underneath link to our in-depth guides.
Every stage, plotted.
Click any pin to see distance, route type, trail maps, and directions. Search by village or estate name.
All 22 Pekoe Trail Stages
In-depth stage guides.
What to expect on each segment — elevation, terrain, what to pack, where to stop. New stages added as we walk them.
Hanthana to Galaha
Opens the trail above Kandy with the Hanthana range, tea-estate ridgelines, and a long descent into Galaha village.
Read the guide Stage 02Galaha to Loolkandura
Conquer the highlands — climbs through the estate that started Ceylon's tea industry and into the upper hill country.
Read the guide Stage 03Into the Jungle
The longest section of the early trail — exposed ridges, forest patches, and the transition from open tea to mid-elevation jungle.
Read the guide Stage 04Tawalantenne to Pundaluoya
Steep climbs and highland wonders — one of the most demanding stages, with payoff views over the Pundaluoya valley.
Read the guide Stage 05Pundaluoya to Watagoda
A journey through the heart of Sri Lanka's tea country — working estates, plantation railway lines, and the path into the Nuwara Eliya district.
Read the guideComing soon
Detailed guides for Watagoda onward — through Hatton, Ohiya, Haputale, and on to Ella — are being written as we walk them. Check back, or join a guided trek to walk them with us first.
In progressReady to take on the Pekoe Trail?
Pick a confirmed Pekoe trek, or ask us to plan a multi-stage expedition built around your dates. A real guide responds to every inquiry.