Central Highlands, Sri Lanka – A historic 19th-century transport network once used for Sri Lanka’s renowned tea industry has been transformed into an extraordinary adventure trail, welcoming hikers to explore the island’s breathtaking highlands. The 186-mile (300 km) Pekoe Trail, officially completed in March 2024, is Sri Lanka’s first long-distance walking route, offering travelers a unique blend of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and tea history.

This pioneering initiative was spearheaded by sustainability consultant Miguel Cunat, with financial backing from the European Union and the U.S. Agency for Inte ational Development (USAID). The trail connects 22 sections of colonial-era dirt roads and railway tracks, originally constructed by the British for tea transportation, and has long been used by local trekking companies in segments. Now, for the first time, it has been unified into a single, comprehensive route.

The Pekoe Trail begins in the misty Hanthana mountain range near Kandy and winds through picturesque tea plantations, serene eucalyptus forests, and remote villages before reaching Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak), a sacred mountain revered by multiple religions. The trail then continues towards Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka’s tea capital, where travelers can witness the legacy of the country’s world-famous Ceylon tea industry.

A new mobile application has been launched to enhance the hiking experience, providing essential details on nearby landmarks, segment difficulty, emergency contacts, and real-time route information. Each section of the trail requires between three to six hours to complete, depending on terrain and difficulty, and hiking the entire route can take several weeks.

To ensure comfort and relaxation along the way, the trail features charming accommodations, including Teardrop Hotels’ contemporary bungalows and the newly opened Halloowella estate by Uga Escapes. This luxurious six-suite retreat, formerly owned by a British army major, has been redesigned by Sri Lankan architect Channa Daswatte, preserving its colonial charm while offering mode comfort.

The Pekoe Trail stands as a testament to Sri Lanka’s commitment to sustainable tourism and rural development, bringing economic benefits to small communities while offering travelers an immersive experience through the island’s diverse landscapes. As the country continues to embrace eco-tourism, this scenic trail is set to become a global trekking hotspot, putting Sri Lanka’s highlands firmly on the world map of adventure travel.

This is how time says. 

The Pekoe Trail

Up in the Sri Lankan highlands, a 19th-century transport network for tea is now conveying adventurers to remote communities and businesses. The 186-mile Pekoe Trail—completed last March and named for the high-grade black tea produced on many Sri Lankan estates—is the country’s first long-distance walking path, linking thousands of colonial-era dirt roads and railway tracks built by the British for exporting tea. Though local companies have led trekking tours along parts of the route for years, this is the first time all 22 sections have been connected as a single trail, an initiative led by Sri Lanka-based sustainability consultant Miguel Cunat and funded by the European Union and the U.S. Agency for Inte ational Development. For hikers, the path offers an intimate look at Sri Lanka’s diverse landscape and tea-entwined history: it unfurls from the mist-cloaked Hanthana mountains near Kandy, through tea plantations, eucalyptus forests, tiny villages and the holy peak of Sri Pada, to Nuwara Eliya, the country’s tea capital. A new app highlights nearby landmarks, segment details, emergency information, and more. Each stage takes about three to six hours to hike, depending on its difficulty, and traversing the entire route can take weeks. Charming stays—including Teardrop Hotels’ contemporary-chic bungalows and Uga Escapes’ newly launched Halloowella, a six-suite estate formerly owned by a British army major that has been redesigned by celebrated Sri Lankan architect Channa Daswatte—ensure that hikers are well-fed and rested along the way.

https://time.com/collections/worlds-greatest-places-2025/7263135/the-pekoe-trail