Most of the hiking trails in Sri Lanka offers an adventurous mix of vibrant wildlife, abundant leeches (yes, brace yourself!) and tropical settings steeped in history — think ancient ruins, remnants of the civil war and endless tea plantations and banana trees.

The beaches are jaw droppingly gorgeous and touristy but the jungles are wild, untamed and also offers a great way to go off the beaten path especially if you hate crowds.

As someone who loves exploring back country hikes, fortunately Sri Lanka has developed some exciting trails where it is easy to go on your own (via AllTrails app) and in some parts have a guide with you.

I tried searching online for more trails but sometimes they’re not well-documented and going off the beaten path is also risky.

I have seen footage of people spotting leopards in the Horton plains national park and even Knuckles mountain range. Ofcourse it is rare for them to get attacked, but if you’re going in these mountains, it’s better to be as cautious as possible.

Should you take a guide or DIY?

taking a guide or diy when hiking in sri lanka?

If it is a day-hike and the path is clear enough and there has been enough documentation and updates on it from others like the ones near Ella, then yes it is fine to use AllTrails or Maps.Me to DIY.

However, if you’re in the Knuckles Mountains Range or Horton Plains — either one of them, I would highly recommend getting a guide.

It is so easy to get lost here and with more leopard sightings, it gets riskier if you’re not aware of what you’re dealing with.

“Fun Fact: The leopards found in Sri Lanka are the largest leopards in the world because they don’t have to compete with tigers. Males are at least 30% larger than females”

— WWF

Recently, there were 33 hikers who were lost in the Knuckles mountain range because of heavy rain and fog and you don’t want to risk getting lost here.

Here are the best hiking trails in Sri Lanka starting with the easiest ones.

9 Best Hiking Trails in Sri Lanka

1. Little Adam’s Peak, Ella

Difficulty: Easy
Distance & Duration: 2 km round trip, 30mins - 1 hour
Route: Gpx map here

This is perhaps the easiest hike to start in Sri Lanka in Ella itself and you get different views if you come here at sunset and at sunrise.

Most of the trail has steps and it changes into uneven ground as you go further up. The trek starts near the Ravana pool club and the Bali-esque swings which makes it look like you’re going for a holiday walk rather than a hike.

Soon the terrain changes and you come across stairs and trails with a view and opening of Ella rock. There’s even a second peak you can reach by climbing down and up towards a narrow ridge.

We saw couple of monks going all the way to the end which I think would be cool to follow their footsteps as long as you’re sure footed.

The hike is not long and takes you about an hour in total including stops.

2. Adam’s Peak

Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging
Distance & Duration: 8.9 km one way, 5-7 hours
Route: GPX map here
Tour Option: If you prefer a guide, you can get one from Kandy here.

If there’s a hike that’s been talk about among Sri Lankans and most famous for a pilgrimage, it is Adam’s Peak aka Sri Pada.

It is considered sacred because it is believed to bear the footprint of the Buddha by Buddhists, while Muslims, Christians, and some Hindus interpret it as the first footprint of Adam after being cast out of paradise.

The mountains stands at 2,243 metres and it takes about 4 hours to ascend and 3 hours to descend depending on how fit you’re.

This is a hike, yes but also it has stairs all the way through and you start the hike in the dead of the night at 2am hoping to make it by sunrise like how every pilgrim does it.

From December to May, it gets crowded with a lot of hikers completing their pilgrimage but it is January and February where the crowd is crazy. If you decide to do it, make sure it is a weekday.

To get to Adam’s Peak, you can take the train from Colombo, Kandy, or Ella to Hatton, then take a bus, tuk-tuk, or taxi to Dalhousie. Dalhousie is the closest town to Adam's Peak.

Some of the best places to stay are in Hugging Clouds or Daffodils Inn

3. Ella Rock

Difficulty: Moderate
Distance & Duration: 8 km round trip, 3 to 4 hours
Route: GPX map here

If you’re in Ella and up for an adventurous hike that’s tougher than the usual Adam’s Little Peak, Ella Rock offers a pretty cool hike.

It has gorgeous views on top and it is absolutely worth the effort to get up on top. The trail begins near the railway tracks and leads through open fields, tea estates, and dense forests.

The final stretch is a bit of a steep climb, but I think it is worth it once you take in the views of these valleys.

I recommend using the map on All Trails because there are a few tricky parts and the trail is not marked sometimes. It costs about 1000 rupees once you get to the top to cross over and see the view.

4. Lipton’s seat, Haputale

Difficulty: Easy
Distance & Duration: 7 km round trip, 2–3 hours
Route: Take the tuk-tuk to the top and hike for 1.5km

Who knew there would be a hiking trail crossing through these tea fields? Lipton’s seat is in Haputale and offers insight into Sri Lanka’s colonial past.

This was the spot where Sir Thomas Lipton would sit and admire his sprawling tea empire. The trail is lined with tea plantations, giving you a chance to observe tea pickers at work.

The viewpoint itself offers a 360-degree view that stretches as far as Uva, Sabaragamuwa, and even the southern coast on clear days.

You can start your hike from the Dambatenne Tea Factory and enjoy a guided tour to learn about tea production before heading to the trail.

If you’re coming from Ella, it is a long journey and takes about 1.5 hours through some winding roads but TukTuks do take you there.

5. World’s End, Horton Plains National Park

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance & Duration: 9 km loop, 3–4 hours
Route: You can follow this GPX file but if you want transport figured out for you, try this tuk-tuk tour from Nuwara Eliya or take this tour from Ella.

view of world’s end at horton plains national park

If there’s one trek that you should do if you’re looking for a daytrip, it is the World’s End. This is one of Sri Lanka’s most popular hikes because of its dramatic drop-off right at the end of the trail.

The best part of it is the 360-degree views of Sri Lanka — it is pretty epic when you take in all this views from this standpoint.

What I really like is the variety of grasslands, and cloud forests and sweeping mist that you see along the way. The highlight for me was the 870-meter cliff where there’s a sudden drop at the end with views of the entire valley below.

Another cool spot was the Baker’s Falls which was pretty amazing. The entrance to World’s End is about 550 rupees for each person.

The entry to the park is capped each day, so if you arrive early it would be better so you can avoid the mist that tends to obscure views later in the day.

6. Wangedigala

Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging
Distance & Duration: 6 km round trip, 3–4 hours
Route: Starting point for trail head is here

Wangedigala in horton plains national park - stunning green ridge walk

If you’re in Horton Plains national park and looking for a less commercialised experience that traverses through some pine tree forests, Wangedigala is one of those spots.

The height of the peak stands at 1,700metres and it is located in Kalupahana village, in the Badulla District.

The starting point for the trail begins from here and from here it is a walk through pine tree forests and it takes around 3 hours to reach depending on how fast you walk. The best thing is camping at the top here!

I would suggest staying at the guesthouses near the trail head and letting them arrange a guide for you if required to the peak. Some of the recommended places to stay is Eco Wild Glamping Bambarakanda and Hamadhi Guesthouse.

7. Kirigalpotta

Difficulty: Challenging
Distance & Duration: 11.7 km round trip, 5–6 hours
Route: GPX map here

Kirigalpotta, the second highest peak in sri lanka

If you’re looking for a challenging walk and seeing a different side of Sri Lanka instead of the usual Adam’s Peak, Kirigalpotta is one off-the-beaten-path kind of hike.

It is the second highest peak in Sri Lanka standing at 2,388m. The trail to the peak starts at the same place as the popular World's End trail in Horton Plains National Park.

The trail is 6-7 km long one way and passes through plains, bog, cloud forest and rock, finally climbing 250 meter to the sharp peak at the end of the trail. There are no leeches on this hike but it is incredibly muddy if it rains.

It also goes through some pretty dense forests and if you’re looking for a remote trek with nature to yourself, this is probably that spot. Make sure you start the trail before 11am and not too late as it gets shrouded in mist.

8. Knuckles Mountain Range

Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging
Distance & Duration: Varies (10–20 km), 5–10 hours
Trek Route: Option to do the 5 peak trails here or join the leopard trail tour (recommended!)

Some of the most gorgeous trails with opportunities to even spot leopards is at the Knuckles Mountain range.

This part of Sri Lanka is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the country’s most biodiverse areas. The origins of the name resemble the knuckles of a clench fist of these 5 undulating mountains.

There are atleast 34 peaks ranging from 900m to 1900m and the 5 common peaks in this area are known as Kirigalpoththa, Gombaniya, Knuckles, Koboneelagala and Dotulugala.

The most common route is to hike the 5 peaks in the Knuckles mountain range but sometimes these trails are not well-kept and if you’re in leopard territory, I strongly feel having a guide in these mountains are important.

You can totally book a stay here like staying at the Wild Glamping Knuckles to take safaris and organise a sightseeing trip. But if you want a proper hike, I would recommend doing the leopard trail trek or spice trails trek.

9. Pekoe Trail Hike

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance & Duration: Varies (segments range from 5–15 km)
Route: see below

I am leaving the longest hike in Sri Lanka for the last. The Pekoe trail is a new 300-kilometer curated long distance walking trail through the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka.

It is a 22-stage walking trail that starts from Kandy and you can make your way to Nuwara Eliya, passing through Haputale, Hatton and Ellaa

You can download the app here to view all the trails or you could even get all the stages on AllTrails.

Some of the trails are hard but some are not — it’s possible to do partial trails and not all of it.

The best way is to start from Kandy and ease your way into it. Here’s a breakdown of the best part of the trails and the first three days — the rest of it is available on Alltrails.

Stage 01: Hanthana To Galaha
Stage 02: Galaha To Loolkandura
Stage 03: Loolkandura To Tawalantenne

Also read my other Sri Lanka posts:

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