Sri Lanka's first long-distance hiking trail
The 22 Stages of the Pekoe Trail
Walk the tea country in the central highlands — 300 km across 22 connected stages, from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya.
Explore the stages
The Pekoe Trail
Experience the True Essence of Sri Lanka's Highlands
The Pekoe Trail is a 300+ km walking trail traversing the central highlands of Sri Lanka. The trail is the first in a series of walking trails by Serendipity Trails designed to allow visitors to discover the varying terrain, history, culture, food and local communities across Sri Lanka by foot.
As the first of hopefully many long-distance walking trails in Sri Lanka, it is made up of 22 stages, which can be completed in short sections, or as part of a multi-day experience taking visitors through an eclectic mix of hill towns, tea plantations, remote villages, sanctuaries, viewpoints and forests.
The interconnecting trail demonstrates the island's diversity, encourages sustainable travel and brings economic opportunity to rural communities in order to promote a more holistic traveller experience that embraces adventure, nature, wellness and sustainability.
The stages
22 stages across five areas
Walk a single stage as a day hike, or string them together for a multi-day journey through the highlands.
Stages 1 - 4
·
Kandy Area
Loolkandura ⇌ Tawalantenne
Distance
18.11 km (11.25 mi)
Duration
6 hours
Difficulty
Difficult
Tawalantenne ⇌ Pundal Oya
Distance
15.53 km (9.65 mi)
Duration
5 hours
Difficulty
Difficult
Stages 5 - 8
·
Hatton Area
Stages 9 - 11
·
Ohiya Area
Bogawantalawa ⇌ Dayagama
Distance
17.13 km (10.64 mi)
Duration
4 hours
Difficulty
Difficult
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Horton Plains ⇌ Udaweriya
Distance
14.30 km (8.89 mi)
Duration
4 hours
Difficulty
Moderate
Stages 10 - 13
·
Haputale Area
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Dayagama ⇌ Horton Plains
Distance
15.88 km (9.87 mi)
Duration
4 hours
Difficulty
Difficult
Haputale ⇌ St. Catherine
Distance
14.60 km (9.07 mi)
Duration
4 hours
Difficulty
Difficult
Stages 14 - 20
·
Ella Area
St. Catherine ⇌ Makulella
Distance
9.36 km (5.82 mi)
Duration
1 hour 52 minutes
Difficulty
Moderate
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Closed
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Ettampitiya ⇌ Lunuwatte
Distance
21.00 km (13.05 mi)
Duration
6 hours
Difficulty
Difficult
Lunuwatte ⇌ Uda Pussellawa
Distance
13.63 km (8.47 mi)
Duration
4 hours
Difficulty
Moderate
Stages 21 - 22
·
Nuwara Eliya Area
Uda Pussellawa ⇌ Kandapola
Distance
16.90 km (10.50 mi)
Duration
5 hours
Difficulty
Difficult
Plan your walk
Visiting the trail
Open hours
Most stages are open from 6am to 6pm. Some stages are open for shorter hours, especially in wildlife corridors and protected areas.
Tickets
Apart from the trail passes, certain stages may require additional tickets or permits, such as protected areas and private lands.
Safety and guidelines
Please make sure you have read through all the trail terms, conditions and safety guidelines before setting out.
Get your pass
Please make sure to obtain the Official Pekoe Trail pass and support the trail.