Haputale to St. Catherine’s
14.60 km · Moderate · 4 hours · Badulla district · Lipton’s Seat ridge
Stage 13 climbs to Lipton’s Seat - the viewpoint from which Sir Thomas Lipton famously surveyed his tea empire - and traces the ridge through Nayabedda Estate to St. Catherine’s. The trail authority rates it Moderate in both directions, though the climb to 1,926 m still makes it a full day.
What you’ll walk through
Cool forest reserve at the start, then a steady climb through Thotalagala Tea Factory to the Lipton’s Seat ridge. The Kelburne Viewpoint mid-stage gives panoramas over Lake Richmond and the southern lowlands. The descent into St. Catherine’s is through Nayabedda Estate.
Landmarks on this stage
- Nayabedda Estate - The estate the trail crosses lengthwise.
- St. Andrew's Church - Mid-stage colonial church.
- Thotalagala Tea Factory - Working factory with on-site tea tasting.
- Lake Richmond - Visible from the Kelburne viewpoint.
- Kelburne Viewpoint - Panoramic view across the southern lowlands.
- Lipton's Seat - The Sir Thomas Lipton viewpoint - 1,970 m above sea level.
- St. Catherine's Seat - Stage finish - a smaller viewpoint with a Catholic chapel.
When to walk
Dry Season for clearest views from Lipton’s Seat. The ridge holds cloud in monsoon and the descent through Nayabedda gets boggy in rain.
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. You can also walk it with a guide as part of our five-day Haputale to Ella section, Stages 12 to 16.
Walk Stage 13 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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