Hiking & nature
Sunrise on Adam's Peak, World's End on Horton Plains, Ella Rock and rainforest walks in Sinharaja.
© Eli Solidum · CC BY-SA 4.0
The hill country is made for walking: from easy strolls through tea estates and the short climb up Little Adam's Peak to the night pilgrimage up Sri Pada.
In the lowlands, the Sinharaja rainforest and the Knuckles mountain range offer guided walks for nature lovers.
Who it suits
From easy to demanding. We match walks to your fitness and always recommend local guides on longer trails.
Good to know
Where to experience it
Cultural TriangleSigiriya
The lion rock above the forest
A fifth-century royal citadel on top of a 200-metre rock, with water gardens below and wide views from the summit.
2–3 nights
Hill CountryNuwara Eliya & tea country
Cool air and endless green
A highland town among tea estates, waterfalls and misty hills, with colonial-era bungalows and fresh mountain air.
1–2 nights
Hill CountryElla
Hikes, bridges and hill-country views
A relaxed mountain village with short hikes, tea estates, waterfalls and the famous Nine Arches Bridge.
2–3 nights
Hill CountryHaputale
On the edge of the highlands
A quiet ridge-top town with tea estates, Lipton's Seat viewpoint and some of the widest views in the hill country.
1–2 nights
Hill CountryAdam's Peak (Sri Pada)
A night climb to a sacred sunrise
A pilgrimage mountain climbed by night on thousands of steps, to watch the sunrise and the peak's shadow from the summit.
1 night
Hill CountryHorton Plains
Highland plains and World's End
A high plateau of grassland and cloud forest, with a loop walk to the dramatic cliff known as World's End.
On the way
South CoastSinharaja
The last great rainforest
A UNESCO-listed tropical rainforest full of endemic birds, giant trees and streams, explored on foot with a local naturalist.
1–2 nights