A leading exporter of some of the world’s finest tea for over a century, Sri Lanka offers incredible tea touring amid the iconic landscapes of the Hill Country in the UNESCO-listed Central Highlands. For travelers on our private Sri Lanka tours, we arrange exclusive tea experiences, including tea tastings, tea factory visits, guided hikes through tea estates, meetings with local tea planters and more.

The Hill Country, where high elevation and a cool, misty climate create ideal conditions for cultivating the region’s renowned tea, has been at the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea industry since commercial production began in the 19th century near Kandy. Originally a major coffee exporter, Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon), pivoted to tea as the dominant plantation crop after an epidemic of coffee rust in the 1870s devastated the once-thriving coffee industry.

Many of the Hill Country’s tea estates date to this era, when tea cultivation expanded rapidly during the British colonial period and Ceylon tea became widely recognized in global markets for its superior quality by the late 19th century. We arrange for our travelers to stay at Ceylon Tea Trails, a refined Relais & Chateaux property located on a historic, working tea estate.  

Offering an immersive experience of Sri Lanka’s tea culture and heritage, Ceylon Tea Trails features restored heritage bungalows originally built for British tea estate managers between 1888 and 1950. Scattered across a 550-acre estate amid rolling tea fields and landscaped gardens, the historic bungalows blend colonial charm with modern luxury and refined hospitality, including personal butler service.

Each bungalow has its own distinctive character, with elegant guest rooms and shared spaces including an expansive verandah, lounge, bar, library and dining room, where chefs serve gourmet meals tailored to guests’ tastes and dietary requirements.

Meals can be enjoyed throughout the estate, and guests have the option to hike or cycle between bungalows to dine in different settings.

Sweeping vistas of mountains and tea fields complement the interiors.

The surrounding gardens have swimming pools and offer space for croquet. Other amenities include tennis courts and spa treatments. 

Afternoon tea is a highlight, featuring traditional British classics combined with local flavors and high-quality tea grown on the estate.

The aromatic tea is sipped overlooking the surrounding tea fields and is traditionally enjoyed without milk to preserve the delicate flavors.

We also arrange private tours of the estate’s historic tea factory led by a resident planter who explains the history and production of tea in Sri Lanka.

Travelers can observe tea production firsthand, including drying, fermenting and final processing.

A private tasting of several teas offers travelers firsthand insight into differences in color, aroma, and flavor profiles.

We arrange guided hikes through the tea fields, where it may be possible to observe tea leaves being hand-plucked by estate workers, many of whom are from families involved in the industry for generations. We can also arrange a picnic lunch inspired by historic planters’ meals and transported in a traditional tiffin (a lunch box of stacked metal containers).

For more active travelers, we recommend longer hikes along sections of the Pekoe Trail, which stretches for nearly 200 miles through the tea plantations, forests, and villages of the Central Highlands.

Tea touring in the Hill Country combines well with private cultural touring in other favorite destinations in Sri Lanka, including Kandy, the Cultural Triangle, Galle and Colombo.

Contact Artisans of Leisure to begin planning a private Sri Lanka tour featuring the highlights of private tea touring in the Hill Country.