Author : Lavanya
The Pekoe Trails - one of the World’s Greatest Places is right here in Sri Lanka
Walking fuels the brain. Ask William Wordsworth, who walked a total of 180,000 kilometers during his life and wrote poetry that we still read and teach to this day. Or other great thinkers and writers like Henry David Thoreau, Mark Twain, and Rebecca Solnit, who attest to walking’s magically creative and healing powers. Walking can also be various other things, like an experience to notice the small things around us, an adventure through an exciting landscape, and a gateway into a local culture’s lifestyle. But wait, what if it could be all of those things at once?
Too good to be true? Not if you ask TIME magazine, who just declared The Pekoe Trails in the heart of Sri Lanka as one of the Greatest Places in the World anyone can visit in 2025. Long before we know, it will start getting featured in travel listicles about the best places to visit in Sri Lanka. And we can already attest it to be an absolute once-in-a-lifetime experience. Read on to know more about the trail, why it’s one of the best adventure places in Sri Lanka, and everything you need to know about planning the greatest walking trip of your life.
Stages of The Pekoe Trails
According to the trail organiser’s website, The Pekoe Trails “is a 300-kilometer, meticulously curated long-distance walking trail that winds its way through the enchanting Central Highlands of Sri Lanka—often regarded as one of Asia’s best-kept secrets.” The trail is further divided into 22 walkable stages. They are listed here:
Trail | Start and end points | Distance | Difficulty |
Stage 1 | Hanthana to Galaha | 12.84 km (7.98 mi) | Easy |
Stage 2 | Galaha to Loolkandura | 14.70 km (9.13 mi) | Difficult |
Stage 3 | Loolkandura to Tawalantanne | 18.11 km (11.25 mi) | Difficult |
Stage 4 | Tawalantanne to Pundaluoya | 15.53 km (9.65 mi) | Difficult |
Stage 5* | Pundaluoya to Watagoda | 14.31 km (8.89 mi) | Moderate |
Stage 6* | Watagoda to Kotagala | 14.97 km (9.3 mi) | Easy |
Stage 7* | Kotagala to Norwood | 6.48 km (10.24 mi) | Moderate |
Stage 8* | Norwood to Bogawantalawa | 15.93 km (9.89 mi) | Moderate |
Stage 9 | Bogawantalawa to Dayagama | 17.13 km (10.64 mi) | Hard |
Stage 10* | Dayagama to Horton Plains | 15.88 km (9.86 mi) | Difficult |
Stage 11* | Horton Plains to Udaweriya | 14.30 km (8.88 mi) | Moderate |
Stage 12 | Udaweriya to Haputale | 19.68 km (12.22 mi) | Difficult |
Stage 13 | Haputale to St. Catherine’s | 14.60 km (9.07 mi) | Hard |
Stage 14 | St Catherine’s to Makulella | 9.36 km (5.81 mi) | Moderate |
Stage 15 | Makulella to Ella | 9.61 km (5.97 mi) | Moderate |
Stage 16 | Ella to Demodara | 9.50 km (5.90 mi) | Easy |
Stage 17 | Demodara to Hali Ela | 13.15 km (8.17 mi) | Moderate |
Stage 18 | Hali Ela to Etampitiya | 14.68 km (9.12 mi) | Hard |
Stage 19 | Etampitiya to Loonuwatte | 21 km (13.04 mi) | Difficult |
Stage 20 | Loonuwatte to Udapussellawa | 13.63 km (8.46 mi) | Moderate |
Stage 21 | Udapussellawa to Kandapola | 16.90 km (10.50 mi) | Difficult |
Stage 22 | Kandapola to St Pedro | 11.30 km (7.02 mi) | Moderate |
* = Stage with Specific Walking Hours. As the trail passes through protected areas such as the Horton plains, the corresponding stages are open only for particular hours of the day. It’s best to check with the trail organisers to get more details and plan ahead.
How much does it cost?
Walking through the trail comes with a nominal fee of $10 per stage. This contribution helps in giving back to the community and maintaining the trail so that walkers don’t come across any issues. That means, the least you’d end up spending is $10, if you chose to walk through any one of the stages. And if you’re brave enough to go through all 22 of them, the most you’d spend is $220.
Different difficulty levels
The stages have been divided to suit all sorts of travellers. If you’re a hardcore adventure seeker, we already know you’ll be walking the entirety of the trail. But if you’re a newbie who wants to just walk an easy stage, we urge you to take a step and walk through Stage 1 or 22 – a couple of the easiest stages in the trail. Some people say that Stages 10 and 11 are the hardest but equally rewarding ones as they pass through protected areas that are relatively undisturbed and offer some spectacular sights too. So, if you’re someone who has a limited amount of time but still wants to experience the best of one of the greatest places in the world, you can walk through those stages.
Reaching Kandy and beyond
The first stage of the trail begins almost 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) away from Kandy bus stand. To enjoy the true culture of the country and interact with locals with ease, we suggest you rent a tuktuk from Colombo to reach Kandy, rest for a night, and then head over to Hanthana, where the trails start.
But if you only want to walk through one or two stages of the trail, you can rent a tuktuk to reach the starting points of those specific stages from Kandy (or even Colombo). This way, you’ll also get to experience the immense beauty of the area at your own pace, driving your own tuktuk.
An alternative to walking
We believe being unable to walk through the area shouldn’t let anyone stop you from experiencing it. Most of the walking trails either run parallel to roads or intersect them at various towns. So, if you can’t walk through the area, or have dependents that won’t be able to walk as much as you, we suggest driving on the route from Kandy to Ella to Nuwara Eliya. Not only will you be gearing yourself up for some breathtaking sights of the country’s hillside but also make memories that last for a lifetime.
Renting a tuktuk from us might just be the best decision you can take in this case. Just saying. This would not only help make the area more accessible but also help you plan your journey at your own pace and help you connect with the locals at a much deeper level than renting a taxi and simply buzzing through the area like most tourists.
After the walk
First of all, congratulations on completing the walk! (Or driving through the hilly terrain!) Now it’s time to unwind. And what’s the best place to relax? The beach, duh! And do you know which place has the most spectacular beaches? The southern coast of Sri Lanka, of course.
So, if you have a few days after you’ve walked though one of the greatest places in the world, we suggest you head south to places like Mirissa, Weligama, and Matara. If you have some more adventure spirit left in you – wow, what’s your secret, buddy? – we suggest you visit Arugam bay – the surf capital of Sri Lanka. You can pair either of these trips with a yoga retreat, an ayurveda retreat, or simply, some healing meditation
But how exactly do you reach those places?
Rent a tuktuk
With rates as low as $15 per day, renting a tuktuk fits almost every budget, whether you’re a solo backpacker, or travelling with friends or family. And it remains the best way to explore the country’s hidden charms. Don’t trust us, but the BBC did call us a unique travel experience to have in Sri Lanka just a couple of months ago. Trust them.
Additional Help
You may visit the trail organiser’s website here: The Pekoe Trails. You may even join the Pekoe Trail Hikers Facebook group with over 17 thousand active members as of this piece’s publication with any queries or general anxieties related to walking any part of the trail. You’ll always find kind people there to help you with those doubts. People also post about their finished journeys, so you’ll also find all the inspiration you need to take the next step out of your office desk. But as always, be cautious of scammers and only book your travel, walking, and renting a tuktuk plans through official channels (like us!)
To conclude, in Solnit’s own words, ‘Walking itself is the intentional act closest to the unwilled rhythms of the body, to breathing and the beating of the heart.’ So what are you waiting for? Book your tickets and passes, and rent a tuktuk to reach and explore the heartlands of Sri Lanka.
If you have any doubts about renting a tuktuk or need help planning your itinerary, remember: we’re just a call away.
PS: as a treat, here’s a great New Yorker piece about why walking makes us think. We hope it inspires you to walk a bit more.
FAQs
The Pekoe Trails starts near Sri Lanka’s cultural capital Kandy, and ends near Nuwara Eliya. It crosses 2 districts and 3 provinces.
The Pekoe trail is 324 kilometers long. It covers 22 stages that go through five areas: Kandy, Hatton, Haputale, Ella, and Nuwara Eliya.
Only if you want to! Otherwise, you can walk as little as one stretch too. We enjoy watching people enjoy even the smallest of their wins.
The trail is strictly walking only. But you can drive the tuktuk through most of the areas through which the trail also passes, which makes renting a tuktuk a more accessible option.
Anywhere in Sri Lanka! You can go to the beaches in the south or south-east, or north towards the tip of the country.
You might also consider downloading the Tuktukrental Travel App. It features offline maps, offbeat recommendations and even helps fellow tuktuk-ers on the road connect for information or just a few post drive beers – or the local Sri Lankan arrack if you are feeling adventurous!
