Dayagama to Horton Plains
15.88 km · Difficult · 5 hours · Nuwara Eliya district · Horton Plains National Park
Stage 10 climbs to the high plateau - Horton Plains National Park, at 2,138 m the highest point on this stage and among the highest anywhere on the trail. The stage gains nearly a kilometre of elevation across 15.88 km and is rated Difficult, but the payoff is the dense montane cloud forest of the plains and the gate to World’s End on the following stage.
What you’ll walk through
Wide tea trails ascend through Dayagama West and Dayagama East estates for the first half. The trail then enters the dense high-elevation rainforest of Horton Plains, where wind and cloud are common even in the Dry Season. The Park Office and Warden’s Bungalow at the day’s finish are the only buildings inside the plains.
Landmarks on this stage
- Dayagama West Estate - The first estate the trail climbs through.
- Dayagama East Estate - Connects to the park boundary.
- Agra Upa Falls - A small waterfall just inside the park.
- Horton Plains National Park - The high plateau itself - at 2,138 m the highest the trail goes.
- Park Warden's Bungalow - Trail authority overnight.
- Horton Plains Park Office - Permit gate and stage finish.
When to walk
Horton Plains is at altitude and gets cold (sub-10 °C nights even in March). Cloud cover is heavy in monsoon. The Dry Season (January-March) is the only sensible window. Permits required for park entry - handle in advance.
Walk it with Hike Lanka
You can pick this stage as a day hike, link it with the adjacent stages as a section trek of three to seven days, or walk the entire 22-stage end-to-end trek with our small-group fourteen-day guided expedition. We handle lodging, permits, transport, and the on-the-ground logistics; you walk.
Walk Stage 10 with us
Pick this stage as part of a custom section trek, or join the full end-to-end Pekoe Trek. A real guide responds to every enquiry.
Browse every Sri Lanka hiking tour we run, from Kandy day hikes and the Knuckles traverse to the full 22-stage Pekoe traverse.
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