UNESCO mountain range with a variety of routes, great for outdoor lovers

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Knuckles Mountain Range

Our handpicked Knuckles Mountain Range experiences in a UNESCO-listed mountain range, with a variety of routes for outdoor lovers to choose from.

Knuckles Mountain Range Experiences: Our Top Picks for Outdoor Lovers

Knuckles Mountain Range Experiences

8 AM: Starts trekking. You will walk through rice terraces, observe how the local farmers live. There is a great variety of birds, flowers, plants and trees along the way as the scenery changes from rice terraces to forest and tea plantations.

12 PM: Lunch. Continue trekking.


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Today you will trek for 15 km, through rice terraces forest and tea plantations.

Kandy - Hill Oya - Kandy

The Hill Oya trek (17km) goes through beautiful rice terraces where you can see the local farmers working. There is a great variety of birds, flowers, plants and trees along the way as the scenery changes from rice terraces, to the forest, ending in tea plantations. This is a beautiful trek that can be enjoyed by all.

Private trip with experienced local guide for personalized adventure.

Trek through diverse landscapes - rice terraces, forests, tea plantations.

Host's deep knowledge and passion for the area ensures an exceptional experience.

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Nature Walks

Take a 17km trek through Hill Oya near Kandy, crossing rice terraces, forest and tea plantations in a day. See local farmers at work along the way.

1 Day Kandy Tea Plantation Trek at Hill Oya

Explore lush rice terraces and tea plantations with a passionate local guide.

Wonderful trek one of my favourite experiences in Sri Lanka, guide was knowledgeable and kind it was a super experience

Wonderful trek one of my favourite experiences in Sri Lanka, guide was knowledgeable and kind it was a super experience 

The two day, one night hike with Nipuna Knuckles Trekking is one of the highlights of my three weeks in Sri Lanka. Everything was very well organised, we were led by a knowledgeable guide, who shared information about nature as well as culture of villages we were passing by. The accommodation is located in a stunning location on a side of hill and the food served during the trip was always incredible. Combined with the wonderful nature views, this was a great experience

2D1N Knuckles Mountain Camping w/ Summit Trek

The two day, one night hike with Nipuna Knuckles Trekking is one of the highlights of my three weeks in Sri Lanka. Everything was very well organised, we were led by a knowledgeable guide, who shared information about nature as well as culture of villages we were passing by. The accommodation is located in a stunning location on a side of hill and the food served during the trip was always incredible. Combined with the wonderful nature views, this was a great experience 

I booked last minute and experienced a well-organised trip with The guide Janaka. He was such a pleasant person with good knowledge about the nature. It’s a very nice experience, since you get to hike in an area where there aren’t too many people, getting the authentic feeling of nature.

I booked last minute and experienced a well-organised trip with The guide Janaka. He was such a pleasant person with good knowledge about the nature. It’s a very nice experience, since you get to hike in an area where there aren’t too many people, getting the authentic feeling of nature.

We booked this trek very last minute and were very impressed with the organisation and communication. Collected the next day by our guide Chamara and off we went. The trek was fantastic, despite all the rain. Chamara was an excellent guide with great knowledge of the local area, Flora and fauna. He was incredibly kind and attentive throughout the day. The camp was simply but comfy and we had a great night sleep through a huge storm. The food was a real highlight. Unbelievably generous portions and very tasty! The second day was just as good as the first. Great hike in the sunshine to the peak. What a lunch spot! 

All in all a fabulous experience. A great company. I would not hesitate to recommend. Nipuna even did our laundry which really was above and beyond.....

We booked this trek very last minute and were very impressed with the organisation and communication. Collected the next day by our guide Chamara and off we went. The trek was fantastic, despite all the rain. Chamara was an excellent guide with great knowledge of the local area, Flora and fauna. He was incredibly kind and attentive throughout the day. The camp was simply but comfy and we had a great night sleep through a huge storm. The food was a real highlight. Unbelievably generous portions and very tasty! The second day was just as good as the first. Great hike in the sunshine to the peak. What a lunch spot! 

All in all a fabulous experience. A great company. I would not hesitate to recommend. Nipuna even did our laundry which really was above and beyond.....

Booked this at the last minute, great communication from Nipuna, picked up the next day by Chamara and our adventure began. Can’t fault the organisation, professionalism and the trek itself. Day 2 was hard up to the highest peak but loved it and the views were amazing. Food was great and a campfire evening just made the day. 
 Definitely recomend

Booked this at the last minute, great communication from Nipuna, picked up the next day by Chamara and our adventure began. Can’t fault the organisation, professionalism and the trek itself. Day 2 was hard up to the highest peak but loved it and the views were amazing. Food was great and a campfire evening just made the day. 
Definitely recomend

Amazing experience from A to Z. Special thanks to Janika and the Chef. To the assistants who helped me alot in my way up and down the mountain.

Amazing experience from A to Z. Special thanks to Janika and the Chef. To the assistants who helped me alot in my way up and down the mountain.



This was one of the best guided trekking experiences I've ever had. It all started when Janaka jumped out of the jeep at our hotel and greeted us with his fantastic energy. His joy and enthusiasm never wavered throughout the two days, even when he was plucking leeches from my shoes. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the area, and knows his way around enough to customize the hike as needed (due to weather, scenery preferences, energy levels, etc.). Our stay at Basecamp was great - comfortable tents, flush toilets, electricity and yummy food. It definitely exceeded our expectations. Nipuna was quick to communicate and helped organize everything quickly, as this was a last-minute decision for us. I definitely recommend trekking with Nipuna and his team.
 **By the way, we were not asked to do a Tripadvisor review.

This was one of the best guided trekking experiences I've ever had. It all started when Janaka jumped out of the jeep at our hotel and greeted us with his fantastic energy. His joy and enthusiasm never wavered throughout the two days, even when he was plucking leeches from my shoes. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the area, and knows his way around enough to customize the hike as needed (due to weather, scenery preferences, energy levels, etc.). Our stay at Basecamp was great - comfortable tents, flush toilets, electricity and yummy food. It definitely exceeded our expectations. Nipuna was quick to communicate and helped organize everything quickly, as this was a last-minute decision for us. I definitely recommend trekking with Nipuna and his team.
**By the way, we were not asked to do a Tripadvisor review.

A very amusing journey at the knuckles. Nipona is very helpful and cheerful. A special thanks to janika and the chef who made wonderful tasting food. Janika is the man and I am honored to have him as a guide and a friend :)

A very amusing journey at the knuckles. Nipona is very helpful and cheerful. A special thanks to janika and the chef who made wonderful tasting food. Janika is the man and I am honored to have him as a guide and a friend :)



Simply the best guides and food ever. Chamara, Janika and Nipuna are super amazing people and very helpful and passionate about what they do. We went for 3 days 2 nights in the Knuckles, the camp was very comfortable and the food was delicious. The bone fire and the atmosphere is simply stunning. Would definitely recommend them for Knuckles trek.

Simply the best guides and food ever. Chamara, Janika and Nipuna are super amazing people and very helpful and passionate about what they do. We went for 3 days 2 nights in the Knuckles, the camp was very comfortable and the food was delicious. The bone fire and the atmosphere is simply stunning. Would definitely recommend them for Knuckles trek.



Had a great trek in the Knuckles Ranges with Janaka as the guide. One of the best guides I have ever trekked with and I have no hesitation of recommending Nipuna’s company for any of your trekking needs in the stunning Knuckles Ranges. Mat.

Had a great trek in the Knuckles Ranges with Janaka as the guide. One of the best guides I have ever trekked with and I have no hesitation of recommending Nipuna’s company for any of your trekking needs in the stunning Knuckles Ranges. Mat.



Really nice treck of 5 hours ! The views are beautiful and Nipuna explain us a lot about the flora. He also adapt the treck with level of people. The food was also very good !

Really nice treck of 5 hours ! The views are beautiful and Nipuna explain us a lot about the flora. He also adapt the treck with level of people. The food was also very good !



My husband and I did a 3 day trek with Nipuna Trekking in August 2019. We absolutely loved our time with Nipuna and our guide Chamra, it was one of the highlights of our trip.

They are both from a village inside the Knuckles themselves, which made it a different trekking experience than going with some of the bigger tour companies. They are such wonderful people I would really recommend people to go with them!

We slept at the base camp, which is simple but comfortable, and ate delicious Sri Lankan food! We even had a cooking class one night, and on the last day, as my husband loves to cook. The lunches during the treks were really good as well. At night they would light a bonfire, it was really nice to sit around under the stars in that beautiful place.

Chamra was so knowledgeable about the local plants, spices and fruits. On the first day we walked through rice terraces with buffalo grazing (it looked just like Bali but with no-one there!), and saw an abundance of local plants: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, pepper, tamarind, coffee, to name a few! We would smell the leaves and fruits and try to guess what trees they were, it was really fun. And there were lots of fruit trees too: banana, mango, guava, passion fruit ...

Chamra was so respectful of the natural environment, even for the leeches we met along the way. And good at pointing out local fauna - we saw many types of lizards and chameleons, and a deer that only lives in the Knuckles.

The views were stunning, each day the route was really different. On the last day we walked through the tea plantations and Chamra explained how the tea industry works. We also swam on two days, in rock pools and by a spectacular waterfall. It was incredible that there was no-one there! It felt much more remote from other trekking routes we’ve done.

Chamra was really flexible about where to go and what to do, one day we changed our route because we wanted to swim in a waterfall at the end. I only have good things to say about them - there are just two guides working for Nipuna, we met the third guide, Janaka, round the campfire in the evenings and he’s great too! Will definitely be recommending Nipuna to any friends travelling to Sri Lanka in the future.

My husband and I did a 3 day trek with Nipuna Trekking in August 2019. We absolutely loved our time with Nipuna and our guide Chamra, it was one of the highlights of our trip.

They are both from a village inside the Knuckles themselves, which made it a different trekking experience than going with some of the bigger tour companies. They are such wonderful people I would really recommend people to go with them!

We slept at the base camp, which is simple but comfortable, and ate delicious Sri Lankan food! We even had a cooking class one night, and on the last day, as my husband loves to cook. The lunches during the treks were really good as well. At night they would light a bonfire, it was really nice to sit around under the stars in that beautiful place.

Chamra was so knowledgeable about the local plants, spices and fruits. On the first day we walked through rice terraces with buffalo grazing (it looked just like Bali but with no-one there!), and saw an abundance of local plants: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, pepper, tamarind, coffee, to name a few! We would smell the leaves and fruits and try to guess what trees they were, it was really fun. And there were lots of fruit trees too: banana, mango, guava, passion fruit ...

Chamra was so respectful of the natural environment, even for the leeches we met along the way. And good at pointing out local fauna - we saw many types of lizards and chameleons, and a deer that only lives in the Knuckles.

The views were stunning, each day the route was really different. On the last day we walked through the tea plantations and Chamra explained how the tea industry works. We also swam on two days, in rock pools and by a spectacular waterfall. It was incredible that there was no-one there! It felt much more remote from other trekking routes we’ve done.

Chamra was really flexible about where to go and what to do, one day we changed our route because we wanted to swim in a waterfall at the end. I only have good things to say about them - there are just two guides working for Nipuna, we met the third guide, Janaka, round the campfire in the evenings and he’s great too! Will definitely be recommending Nipuna to any friends travelling to Sri Lanka in the future.


We loved this trek from the start to the finish. We chose to do a two day trek to climb the tall knuckle mountain and stay at base camp. Nipuna was excellent at communicating information on the trip and replied to all queries very quickly. We trekked with Janaka and we could not have asked for a better guide! He taught us alot about the flora and fauna we saw and his enthusiasm and sense of humour made for a very fun trek! Base camp was in a great location, warm tent set up and the food was unbelievable! A great small family business. Highly recommend!

We loved this trek from the start to the finish. We chose to do a two day trek to climb the tall knuckle mountain and stay at base camp. Nipuna was excellent at communicating information on the trip and replied to all queries very quickly. We trekked with Janaka and we could not have asked for a better guide! He taught us alot about the flora and fauna we saw and his enthusiasm and sense of humour made for a very fun trek! Base camp was in a great location, warm tent set up and the food was unbelievable! A great small family business. Highly recommend!



Very good hike with Janaka. Guide is very enthusiastic, speaks perfect English and knows a lot about the nature,spices and animals! Would highly recommend.

Very good hike with Janaka. Guide is very enthusiastic, speaks perfect English and knows a lot about the nature,spices and animals! Would highly recommend.



Highly recommended this service!! Itenary included being picked up from my hotel, given a nice breakfast near the start of the hike, dropped of to the start of the hike track with my lovely guide and dropped back to my hotel at the end. Highlights of the hike included being shown the waterfall, being able to swim in the waterfall, shown all the natural flora and fauna (see picture), have a lovely lunch provided in the middle, being taken to 2 of the knuckles peaks, all while being provided insights the whole way up by my very knowledgeable guide while always looking out for my safety. Definitely recommend to everyone!

Highly recommended this service!! Itenary included being picked up from my hotel, given a nice breakfast near the start of the hike, dropped of to the start of the hike track with my lovely guide and dropped back to my hotel at the end. Highlights of the hike included being shown the waterfall, being able to swim in the waterfall, shown all the natural flora and fauna (see picture), have a lovely lunch provided in the middle, being taken to 2 of the knuckles peaks, all while being provided insights the whole way up by my very knowledgeable guide while always looking out for my safety. Definitely recommend to everyone!

We had wanted to visit the Knuckles for a number of years and owing to this we looked carefully for a guide. Nipuna’s communication before our trek was speedy and efficient making preparations a breeze.
 On the day our guide was the incredible Jannika. Our day started with a lovely cup of tea together in the last town before the trek. Throughout the day we peeled back layer after layer of this fascinating man whilst he showed us the wonders of the Knuckles. He has superb English and a wonderful knowledge of the history and endemic species found here and a very keen eye - he spotted a well camouflaged leaf nose lizard hidden within the trees.
 We do a lot of walking and mountain climbing so we chose the hard trek. The trek was gentle for the first and last thirds - mostly flat with a few steep climbs. The middle section to climb the 1st and 2nd Knuckles was hard going but worth it! The terrain is quite challenging and sturdy footwear and good balance is required. Nipuna and Jannika are very good at assessing abilities and they say they have a range of options if the terrain becomes too challenging (or not enough!)
 This has been the highlight of this visit to Sri Lanka. Wonderful scenery and a very good price for 8/9 hours of guiding and 1 hour driving each way. 
 Crucially these guys were friendly, kind and fascinating people and this made the experience for us.

We had wanted to visit the Knuckles for a number of years and owing to this we looked carefully for a guide. Nipuna’s communication before our trek was speedy and efficient making preparations a breeze.
On the day our guide was the incredible Jannika. Our day started with a lovely cup of tea together in the last town before the trek. Throughout the day we peeled back layer after layer of this fascinating man whilst he showed us the wonders of the Knuckles. He has superb English and a wonderful knowledge of the history and endemic species found here and a very keen eye - he spotted a well camouflaged leaf nose lizard hidden within the trees.
We do a lot of walking and mountain climbing so we chose the hard trek. The trek was gentle for the first and last thirds - mostly flat with a few steep climbs. The middle section to climb the 1st and 2nd Knuckles was hard going but worth it! The terrain is quite challenging and sturdy footwear and good balance is required. Nipuna and Jannika are very good at assessing abilities and they say they have a range of options if the terrain becomes too challenging (or not enough!)
This has been the highlight of this visit to Sri Lanka. Wonderful scenery and a very good price for 8/9 hours of guiding and 1 hour driving each way. 
Crucially these guys were friendly, kind and fascinating people and this made the experience for us.

Today we were near from Kandy in the knuckels for trekking the knuckels are a big mountain area.... For trekking you need there a guide. Maby 4-5 houers for walking between the jungle... And our guide (Chamara) had informate us about a lot of plants,animals,histery and culture. He was very social and the time with him was great.
 We rest in the near of a waterfall and enjoyed a nice lunch. The lunch was organized from the guids. After lunch we had the possibility for take a cold bath in the creek.
 On each summit we could enjoy a fantastic view.
 All in all.... It was e perfect day!
 Thanks to Chamara and Nipuna!

Today we were near from Kandy in the knuckels for trekking the knuckels are a big mountain area.... For trekking you need there a guide. Maby 4-5 houers for walking between the jungle... And our guide (Chamara) had informate us about a lot of plants,animals,histery and culture. He was very social and the time with him was great.
We rest in the near of a waterfall and enjoyed a nice lunch. The lunch was organized from the guids. After lunch we had the possibility for take a cold bath in the creek.
On each summit we could enjoy a fantastic view.
All in all.... It was e perfect day!
Thanks to Chamara and Nipuna!

An absolute must when visiting Kandy. We were picked up punctually at the hotel and drove about 45 minutes to the starting point of the hike. Our guide was Chamara, who told us a lot about life, plants and animals in this area. For lunch we had a lovely rice, chicken and vegetable dish which we ate near a beautiful waterfall. Here we also had the opportunity to swim. All in all a wonderful and long remembered trip and highly recommended.

An absolute must when visiting Kandy. We were picked up punctually at the hotel and drove about 45 minutes to the starting point of the hike. Our guide was Chamara, who told us a lot about life, plants and animals in this area. For lunch we had a lovely rice, chicken and vegetable dish which we ate near a beautiful waterfall. Here we also had the opportunity to swim. All in all a wonderful and long remembered trip and highly recommended.



I came to Sri Lanka in January 2019 and the knuckles was on my list but I never had time to do it as most of my travels were in the south. Anyhow I came back to do some diving and booked a 3night/4day trek with Nipuna

I booked the trip from New Zealand and was impressed by the communication I received from Nipuna compared to other bigger companies I enquired through 

I was very excited about the trek as it was my very first and it exceeded all my expectations. Not only did I have the privilege of having Nipuna as my guide but due to the recent events in Sri Lanka I felt like we had the Knuckles to ourselves without any other tourists around

Nipuna is very knowledgeable in all aspects of what’s in the knuckles and I learnt things I never knew. We swam in freshwater swimming holes, climbed the highest knuckle and sat in the clouds, saw deer, eagles, lizards, insects and learnt what grew in the knuckles too

Pictures don’t do this place justice, around every twist and turn there is some spectacular view

So if you haven’t been to Sri Lanka and intend coming get your hiking boots on and book a trek with Nipuna.... if you have been to Sri Lanka and didn’t do the knuckles then you’ve missed out on a spectacular experience 

The places I stayed were awesome and just perfect for and end of day trek, the food was plentiful and delicious so Thankyou to the chefs

Well organised trek and well worth the money 

Sharon, New Zealand

I came to Sri Lanka in January 2019 and the knuckles was on my list but I never had time to do it as most of my travels were in the south. Anyhow I came back to do some diving and booked a 3night/4day trek with Nipuna

I booked the trip from New Zealand and was impressed by the communication I received from Nipuna compared to other bigger companies I enquired through 

I was very excited about the trek as it was my very first and it exceeded all my expectations. Not only did I have the privilege of having Nipuna as my guide but due to the recent events in Sri Lanka I felt like we had the Knuckles to ourselves without any other tourists around

Nipuna is very knowledgeable in all aspects of what’s in the knuckles and I learnt things I never knew. We swam in freshwater swimming holes, climbed the highest knuckle and sat in the clouds, saw deer, eagles, lizards, insects and learnt what grew in the knuckles too

Pictures don’t do this place justice, around every twist and turn there is some spectacular view

So if you haven’t been to Sri Lanka and intend coming get your hiking boots on and book a trek with Nipuna.... if you have been to Sri Lanka and didn’t do the knuckles then you’ve missed out on a spectacular experience 

The places I stayed were awesome and just perfect for and end of day trek, the food was plentiful and delicious so Thankyou to the chefs

Well organised trek and well worth the money 

Sharon, New Zealand

I’d thoroughly recommend this tour company, it was well organised from start to finish. Our guide Janika was fantastic throughout and he really made sure we were looked after over the two days! 

We loved the two day/ one night trek through the knuckles mountains. Day one we walked through rice paddies, tea plantations, pine forest and local villages. At lunch time we swam in a waterfall which was a lovely way to cool off. We also met some local people who lived in the villages around the mountains on our way to base camp. It was a long but very enjoyable walk. We slept overnight at the camp, which was a tent under a wooden shelter which kept us lovely and warm and had amazing views. There were western style toilets and showers too. We had lovely food and spent the evening playing cards. The next morning we headed up to the knuckles summit. This was hard work but very rewarding! On the way back to Kandy we stopped for some delicious egg hoppers at a local cafe which were the nicest we had all trip! 

Overall this was definitely our highlight of our two week trip. If you don’t have two days to spare then I’d still recommend the one day trip as day one was a great experience in itself!

I’d thoroughly recommend this tour company, it was well organised from start to finish. Our guide Janika was fantastic throughout and he really made sure we were looked after over the two days! 

We loved the two day/ one night trek through the knuckles mountains. Day one we walked through rice paddies, tea plantations, pine forest and local villages. At lunch time we swam in a waterfall which was a lovely way to cool off. We also met some local people who lived in the villages around the mountains on our way to base camp. It was a long but very enjoyable walk. We slept overnight at the camp, which was a tent under a wooden shelter which kept us lovely and warm and had amazing views. There were western style toilets and showers too. We had lovely food and spent the evening playing cards. The next morning we headed up to the knuckles summit. This was hard work but very rewarding! On the way back to Kandy we stopped for some delicious egg hoppers at a local cafe which were the nicest we had all trip! 

Overall this was definitely our highlight of our two week trip. If you don’t have two days to spare then I’d still recommend the one day trip as day one was a great experience in itself!

Nipuna Basnayaka is living in Rangala, a small village situated right by the Knuckles mountain range. He grew up in the area and learned to love and admire its unique beauty, wildlife and nature. In the last 9 years, he was working as a professional tour guide specializing in the Knuckles range treks. Guiding is his passion and he'll make sure every guest has a great experience in his home country.

Nipuna Knuckles Trekking

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Nipuna Basnayaka is living in Rangala, a small village situated right by the Knuckles mountain range. He grew up in the area and learned to love and admire its unique beauty, wildlife and nature. In the last 9 years, he was working as a professional tour guide specializing in the Knuckles range treks. Guiding is his passion and he'll make sure every guest has a great experience in his home country.

1 Day Kandy Tea Plantation Trek at Hill Oya

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