The Pekoe Trail Stage 11 and 12

Overview

This two-day Lanka Trek experience combines two of the most dramatic and rewarding stages on The Pekoe Trail, taking you from the roof of the entire route all the way down to the charming hill-country town of Haputale. Pekoe Trail Stage 11 and 12 starts at the historic Farr Inn on the open grasslands of Horton Plains, the highest point on the whole trail, and descends through the famous Devil’s Staircase into the remote Udaweriya Valley. Day two picks up where the first left off, carrying you through abandoned villages, high-elevation rainforest, a 19th-century railway station, and a spectacular ridge walk before finishing in Haputale. For anyone seeking nuwara eliya hiking tours that go well beyond the usual routes, this two-day combination delivers something genuinely extraordinary. Overnight at the Acacia Inn, situated right along the trail, gives you time to rest and absorb everything the first day offered before heading out again. This is two days of walking that cover an extraordinary range of terrain, history, and scenery.

Basic Details

Day 1: Horton Plains to Udaweriya

• Region: Ohiya
• Duration: Approximately 7 Hours
• Live Guide: English
• Pickup Time: 6.30 AM
• Trail Start Point: Horton Plains
• Trail End Point: Udaweriya
• Difficulty Level: Moderate
• Hiking Distance: 14.30 km
• Elevation Gain: 340 m
• Elevation Loss: 650 m
• Maximum Elevation: 2,170 m
• People Interactions: High
• Overnight Accommodation: Acacia Inn

Day 2: Udaweriya to Haputale

• Region: Haputale
• Duration: Approximately 8 Hours
• Live Guide: English
• Start Time: 8.00 AM
• Trail Start Point: Udaweriya
• Trail End Point: Haputale
• Difficulty Level: Difficult
• Hiking Distance: 19.68 km
• Elevation Gain: 1,493 m
• Elevation Loss: 1,834 m
• Maximum Elevation: 1,975 m
• People Interactions: High

Highlights

• Start at the highest point of the entire Pekoe Trail, 2,170 meters above sea level at the historic Farr Inn
• Walk the famous Devil’s Staircase, the steepest descent on the whole trail
• Take in sweeping views across the Udaweriya Valley and, on clear days, spot Udawalawe National Park and the distant coastline
• Spend the night at the Acacia Inn, a comfortable base right along the trail
• Begin day two in the remote Udaweriya Valley, one of the most secluded spots in Sri Lanka’s tea country
• Walk through an abandoned village frozen in time, sitting between the lowlands and the Uva bowl
• Visit Idalgashinna Railway Station, a 19th-century engineering feat perched at 1,893 meters on a dramatic climatic divide
• Experience the surreal contrast between high-elevation rainforest and an unexpected pine forest
• End with an optional visit to Adisham Bungalow, a Tudor-style monastery with extraordinary views over the southern highlands

Full Description

Day 1: Horton Plains to Udaweriya

This tour starts from Nuwara Eliya or Haputale, and the drive to the starting point takes around one hour. Pekoe Trail Stage 11 and 12 begins at the Farr Inn, the old British colonial hunting lodge that now serves as the visitor center for Horton Plains National Park, a UNESCO-listed landscape managed by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The car park here is the same one used by visitors heading out to World’s End, but today you are heading somewhere far less crowded.

At 2,170 meters, this is the highest point on the entire Pekoe Trail, and the weather reflects that. Between May and December, clouds drift so close to the ground that you could almost reach out and touch them. In January and February, the sky clears and the sun bears down with surprising intensity. Whatever the season, dress for the conditions before setting off.

The stage follows the road toward Ohiya. At 4.8 kilometers, the trail exits through the park’s eastern gate and the road begins to wind downward. At 6.3 kilometers, a dirt track branches off to the right through a small section of woodland. This is the beginning of the Devil’s Staircase, the steepest descent on Pekoe Trail Stage 11 and 12 and one of its most talked-about sections. The name was almost certainly given by Scottish planters, borrowed from the long-distance footpath of the same name on the West Highland Way. The descent is dramatic, with views opening across the entire valley below and continuing to expand as the trail arcs around the mountain. On a clear day, Udawalawe National Park is visible in the distance, and if conditions are right, you can pick out the faint shimmer of the coastline beyond.

At around the 11-kilometer mark, the trail enters what the Lanka Trek team calls the hidden valley, sitting at 1,618 meters right at the southern edge of tea country. The topography here is genuinely unusual and the valley feels entirely set apart from everything around it. At 11.2 kilometers, the trail passes the Udaweriya Manager’s Bungalow before the old Udaweriya Tea Factory comes into view above, now largely a skeleton of steel beams standing quietly against the hillside. The path continues upward past neatly kept vegetable terraces and small local homes scattered across the valley floor.

At 12.4 kilometers, a small church marks the heart of a predominantly Christian community. The stage ends 400 meters further on, at the old and abandoned Ohiya Tea Factory, where your vehicle will be waiting to transfer you to the Acacia Inn for the night.

Day 2: Udaweriya to Haputale

Day two begins at the old, derelict Udaweriya Tea Factory, a fittingly atmospheric starting point for a stage that never stops surprising you. The first 1.7 kilometers take you through the heart of the Udaweriya Valley, climbing to a tea trail crossroads near an old house at 1,948 meters, the highest point of the day. The views out over southern Sri Lanka from here are as good as anything the Pekoe Trail has to offer.

From this high point, the trail begins its long descent toward Haputale. Along the way, you will come across an abandoned village sitting between the lowlands to the right and the sweeping Uva bowl to the left. Beyond the village, the trail narrows into a walking path historically used by locals traveling between Udaweriya, Idalgashinna, and Haputale. Watch your footing and stay attentive on this stretch.

Through Rainforest, Pine Grove, and Colonial Railway

At the 3-kilometer mark, the path enters a stretch of high-elevation rainforest before opening unexpectedly into a pine forest. The contrast between the two is striking and a little surreal. The jungle section can be slippery underfoot, and a few fallen trees require careful navigation near the 4.1-kilometer exit point. Stick closely to the GPS route here.

Idalgashinna Railway Station, built in 1893 and perched on a ridge at 1,893 meters, is one of the genuine highlights of the day. It sits right on the climatic divide between Sri Lanka’s southern and eastern regions, and for those exploring nuwara eliya hiking tours that connect the highlands to the south, it marks a deeply satisfying milestone. To the north, you can see Boralanda, Welimada, and Uda Pussellawa. To the south, the Beragala hills, the Hambantota coastline, and the distant plains of Udawalawe National Park spread out before you.

From the station, the trail follows the railway tracks for about a kilometer before a short 100-meter tunnel leads the path back onto the hillside, zigzagging downhill toward Beragala. A well-established trail then leads toward Haputale along the southern side of the ridge, with views that remain spectacular throughout. This section has very little shade, so sunscreen and a hat are essential. At the 13.5-kilometer mark, a small village offers a convenient exit point for anyone needing to cut the day short.

The Final Stretch into Haputale

The final stretch is a gentle 2-kilometer descent to the junction where the Pekoe Trail meets the main road into Haputale. At the 14-kilometer mark, the trail briefly rejoins the railway line before arriving at Haputale Station, where the stage officially ends. For those with a little energy left, Adisham Bungalow is well worth the short tuk-tuk ride from the trail junction at the 15.3-kilometer mark. Built in 1931 by Sir Thomas Villiers, the bungalow was designed in Tudor and Jacobean styles and today serves as a monastery and museum with its original furnishings largely intact. After the hike, your Lanka Trek vehicle will take you back to the pickup area, roughly 15 minutes away.

Why Walk This Two-Day Tour with Lanka Trek?

Pekoe Trail Stage 11 and 12 represent one of the most complete and memorable experiences The Pekoe Trail has to offer. The landscape shifts constantly over the two days, from open highland grasslands and dramatic descents to remote valleys, rainforest, pine groves, colonial railway stations, and sweeping ridge walks. For walkers looking for nuwara eliya hiking tours that combine natural beauty, deep history, and genuine adventure, these two stages deliver on every count.

The overnight stay at the Acacia Inn gives you time to recover and reflect before taking on the second and longer day. Our guides bring every section of this trail to life with the history, stories, and local knowledge that make the difference between a good walk and an unforgettable one. Lanka Trek takes care of all transport, accommodation, meals, and logistics so that your only job across both days is to keep walking and keep looking.

Ready to experience two of the most dramatic days on the Pekoe Trail? Book your place today and let the highland scenery do the rest.

A Note on Responsible Trekking

This two-day tour passes through a national park, remote highland valleys, fragile forest ecosystems, and living communities that depend on the land around them. Please stay on the marked route, respect the wildlife and the people who call these places home, and carry out everything you bring in. The Udaweriya Valley and the ridge above Haputale have remained largely unspoiled because so few people reach them. Help keep it that way.