Tea is more than just a hot drink in Sri Lanka - it’s probably one of, if not the country’s most prided, symbolic feature; an essential source of foreign exchange and main form of livelihood for several local tea workers. Sri Lanka is the world's 4th largest producer of tea as the country’s weather and climate making it ideal for tea production. Some of its most popular teas include Ceylon tea and Lipton tea that began production in the country.
Visiting a tea factory is a unique and enriching experience which will allow you to understand the hard work behind the entire process. The main steps start with handpicking the tea leaves that are then washed, dried and shredded before finally being packed into tea chests. Most of the plantations are located in the central highlands - here are our top 5 recommended tea estates to visit!
Kadugannawa Tea Estate
A popular tourist destination, the town of Kandy is home to several tea plantations. The best one is Kadugannawa Tea Estate where you can learn about the production of black and green Ceylon tea. Located about 20 kilometres west of Kandy, the factory produces some of the best tea in the country. As part of the tour, you will also be able to do some tea-tasting and shop at a boutique for some beautifully packaged tea sets. The total duration of the tour takes around 30 to 40 minutes.
This factory is open from Mondays to Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm and it’s closed on Sundays!
Halpewatte Tea Factory
Apart from Kandy, another famous countryside place is Ella. It is a growing destination among tourists because of its incredible, scenic views. The Halpewatte Tea Factory is the largest tea factory here, in the Uva region. This factory provides great quality tea using the latest manufacturing techniques. The tour here lasts for 2 hours as you learn in-depth about the production of teas starting from the types of teas followed by a focus on the various stages and machinery involved in tea production. The tour here is a more hands-on approach.
The entrance fee for this factory is LKR 525 and it’s closed on Mondays!
Dambetenne Tea Factory
Dambetenne Tea Factory is the most famous factory in Ella. It was built by Sir Thomas Lipton in 1890 and this produces the iconic Lipton Tea. The tour provided at this factory is the most comprehensive tour of the production of tea. You will learn more about the process of fermentation, rolling, drying, sieving and the grading of tea.
The entrance fee to this factory costs LKR250 and it’s closed on Sundays!
Mackwoods Labookellie Tea Factory
Another extremely popular place to visit tea plantations is in Nuwara Eliya known as the tea capital of Sri Lanka. Mackwoods is a pioneer tea estate, providing a short tour on the overview of the production of tea.
The tea centre is located 2000metres above sea level, among the tea plantations which provides an absolutely scenic view. Mackwoods Labookellie Tea Factory was founded by Captain William Mackwood in 1841 and in the tea centre, you can also visit the museum to learn more about the history of the factory.
The tour provided here is free and comes with a tea tasting at the end!
Pedro Tea Estate
Lastly, a stop at the most famous tea estate in Nuwara Eliya is unmissable. With a focus on the production of light tea, at this factory, you can learn more about the process of tea manufacturing and its exportation around the world. Despite being well-known, Pedro Tea estate is usually less crowded, providing a more intimate setting. You can even try picking out the tea leaves at this factory.
The entrance fee to Pedro Tea Estate costs LKR 250 and do take note that photography is forbidden inside the factory!
