Sri Lanka’s Pekoe Trail has been named one of TIME magazine’s 100 greatest places to visit in 2025, earning recognition as a must-explore destination for travelers.
The 186-mile trail, completed in March last year, transforms a 19th-century tea transport network into a breathtaking long-distance hiking route. Once a system of colonial-era dirt roads and railway tracks used by the British for tea exports, the Pekoe Trail now offers adventurers access to remote communities, tea plantations, and stunning landscapes.
The initiative, led by Sri Lanka-based sustainability consultant Miguel Cunat and funded by the European Union and the U.S. Agency for International Development, has finally connected all 22 sections of the route into a single, seamless trail.
The trail starts in the misty Hanthana mountains near Kandy and winds through tea plantations, eucalyptus forests, small villages, and the sacred Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) before reaching Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka’s tea capital.
Hikers can now use a new app providing essential information, including landmarks, route details, and emergency contacts. Each section of the trail takes between three to six hours to complete, while the full route can take several weeks.
For those seeking comfort after long treks, luxurious stays along the trail include Teardrop Hotels’ stylish bungalows and Uga Escapes’ newly launched Halloowella, a six-suite estate once owned by a British army major and redesigned by acclaimed Sri Lankan architect Channa Daswatte.
