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The Pearl Edition

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Culture · Nuwara Eliya, Central Highlands

Private tea estate
& tasting

Walk the rows with estate pluckers, tour a working factory, and finish with a private tasting of single-origin Ceylon tea grown above 1,800 metres, some of the finest high-grown tea in the world.

$45–110Typically · per person
All yearBest season
Half dayTour length

The experience

Single-origin Ceylon, plucked by hand

High-grown Ceylon tea, cultivated above 1,800 metres in the cool Nuwara Eliya highlands, is prized for its delicate, fragrant character. This private tour walks the terraced rows alongside estate pluckers, who still hand-pick "two leaves and a bud" much as they have for generations.

Inside the factory, you'll follow the leaf through withering, rolling, oxidation and firing, ending with a guided tasting of several grades poured within sight of where they were grown.

Best forTea lovers, couples
Meeting pointEstate gate, by arrangement
Group sizePrivate, up to 6
Combine withElla, Adam's Peak
IncludesFactory tour, guided tasting

What to expect

From leaf to cup

Craft
Hand-picked leaf
Pluckers select "two leaves and a bud" by hand, the traditional standard for the finest grades of Ceylon tea.
Process
Working factory
Follow the leaf through withering, rolling and firing in a factory still using much of its original machinery.
Tasting
Estate-fresh cup
A guided tasting of several grades, poured within sight of the very hillside the leaves came from.

Good to know

Before you book

Best months
All year
The highlands stay cool and the estates operate year-round, so timing is flexible.
What to wear
Comfortable shoes
Terraced rows involve some walking on uneven, sometimes damp ground.
Photography
Ask first
Pluckers are working, a friendly ask before photographing is appreciated.
Buying tea
Factory shop
Most estates sell their own tea on-site, often at better prices than in Colombo.

Ready to book?

Let's add this to your itinerary

Pair a tea estate tour with Ella and Adam's Peak, our concierge team can build the full route around it.

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