Tea Plantation Tour in Ella, Sri Lanka
5
Tea Plantation Tour in Ella, Sri Lanka
By Halpewatte Tea Factory Tour
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About
Our operations start around 8.00 a.m. and go until 4.30 p.m. Between those times, you can come and take your tour. Also, one tour normally takes around 40 minutes to 1 hour to complete.
When taking the plantation tour, you must participate in the tea-picking session. Before the session, we performed the customary worship of Lord Ganesh at a small kovil close to the plantation.
You will also receive your basket to harvest tea, as well as a small mottu. If you decide to take part in the tea plucking activity, you could perhaps wear the customary tea plucker attire of a wraparound saree or sarong.
Relax amidst the breathtaking views of endless greenery, tea estates, and surrounding countryside at our Sky Café from a mountain top of 300m above ground/1300m above sea level.
Indulge in a unique tea-tasting experience and discover how and why Ceylon tea comes in different grades and flavors to suit diverse palettes worldwide.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 1-80, max of 10 per group
Duration: 1h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Gratuities
- Entry/Admission - Ella
- Start:
- Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory Tour, Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory, Badulla Road, Hela Halpe, Ella, Sri Lanka 90090, Sri LankaTravelers need to come to Uva Halpewatte Tea factory, following the google map location and come to sky café which is in roof top to purchased the tickets to go for plantation tour.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 234013P3- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 234013P3
From
$10.00
per adult
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory, Badulla Road, Hela Halpe, Ella, Sri Lanka 90090, Sri LankaTravelers need to come to Uva Halpewatte Tea factory, following the google map location and come to sky café which is in roof top to purchased the tickets to go for plantation tour.
- 1We pride ourselves on being one of the best tea manufacturers in Sri Lanka and awarded for being one of the largest producers of Ceylon tea. Surrounded by lush green tea fields, the factory offers a number of activities, from trekking through lush green tea gardens, tea picking, and learning the tea manufacturing process to finally savoring your own cuppa to complete the tea journey.
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- adamlN5679GZ0 contributionsEngaging and Informative Tea Factory Tour with NethmiWe had a wonderful experience at the Halpewatte Tea Factory. Nethmi was an excellent guide—knowledgeable, kind, and clearly passionate about her work. She explained every step of the tea-making process in a way that was easy to understand and engaging. Her enthusiasm made the tour truly enjoyable for us.Written February 9, 2025
- dominicbX4964FX0 contributionsAn Amazing ExperienceHad an amazing morning, a fascinating tour given by Nethmi. Her knowledge and ability to share and enthuse the tradition of tea in Sri Lanka was incredible. The whole experience from start to finish was most enjoyable and educational. Would highly recommend the whole experience to anyone who visits the area. I won't drink a cuppa in the same way againWritten February 8, 2025
- paulfH2706UE0 contributionsOutstanding host and guideOur guide Silva was exceptional in his knowledge and obvious passion for his work and to share his expertise. Added to his excellent language skills he was the perfect guide and host. Thank You Paul & Jane Manchester, UKWritten February 8, 2025
- Charlie C0 contributionsReally interesting and lovely tour guidesSuper interesting, obviously amazing location and our tour guide ‘Rajha’ was amazing. Tours run throughout the day not just at 8am (slightly unclear on website)Written February 4, 2025
- rehanm3400 contributionsRajha is the best!Rajha was a phenomenonal tour guide. He was enthusiastic, funny, and informative. Our group had many questions and he addressed each quickly and thoroughly. We learn a ton about the teas they cultivate, and appreciated the side-by-side comparison tea tasting at the endWritten February 2, 2025
- biaf23100 contributionsGreat experienceWe received a lot of information regarding the tea and we also had the chance to pick up tea ourselves. At the end we tasted many tea sortiments and eere explained the difference between them.Written February 1, 2025
- graycec20250 contributionsHand made tea tourWe had a tour with Nethmi and she was brilliant! Her English was amamzing and she explained everything perfectly and made the experience very fun and enjoyable. We did the had made tea tour so we picked our own tea and made it and we were talked through the whole process and shown the whole factory. I would highly recommend:)))Written February 1, 2025
- U871FLlukash0 contributionsTea at its bestIt was an awesome tour with our guide Siva. We really made a deep dive into the world of Ceylon Tea. The factory with its machinery and equipment, old and new, is absolutely fascinating to visit.Written January 31, 2025
- Journey673257099930 contributionsFantastic tea factory tourWe researched quite a bit about which tea factory tour is the best and we were very happy with our choice of the Uva Halpewatte tea factory tour. We got to see the entire production process and our guide Rajha was very knowlegable. He tought us a lot and answered all our questions. After the tour we got to taste a variety of tea and we enjoyed the stunning views from the shop/cafe balcony. We highly recommend the tour. Greetings from Germany and thanks for having us!Written January 29, 2025
- Caterina C0 contributionsA must see in EllaInteresting tour in Ella! This charming tea factory is located in a beautiful hill. We loved the passion our guide Siva had when explaining all the steps necessary to make a good cup of tea. He really knows his stuff!!! And he is really passionate about tea! Highly recommendedWritten January 27, 2025
- witceg0 contributionsTea factory tourWe had a wonderful guide: Rajha who has a lot of knowledge about tea. I highly recommend the tour. Tea degustation was great!Written January 25, 2025
- gideonk8500 contributionsLovely handmade tea tourHad a handmade tee tour with Parami and really loved the experience. She knew everything about the plantation as well as about the factory and gave me so many insights! Definitely recommend it to anyone who is around in the area. Could take my own tea home at the end of the tour, that I made their.Written January 24, 2025
- N3836NZalexanderv0 contributionsUnique and Personalized Tea Experience in EllaI was lucky enough to have the tour all to myself in the morning, which made the experience even more special! Parami did an excellent job leading the tour – she was knowledgeable, friendly, and answered all my questions with patience. It was so much fun to pick tea leaves myself and then use them to make my very own tea. Learning about the fascinating tea production process and finishing with a tasting made this a truly unique and memorable experience. Highly recommend!Written January 21, 2025
- Terhi B0 contributionsBest factory tourGreat and very informative tour to learn all about tea growing and processing! Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and even the teens in our family were interested in hearing about tea! We visited on a rainy day, which didn’t matter as we did the factory tour. Only parts of the plant were running on the day we visited (Sunday) but we were still able to see the processing steps. Tea tasting afterwards was also a great experience!Written January 21, 2025
- jakeb9900 contributionsAmazing experienceWhat an incredible experience! I did not know there was so much to learn about tea but it was very informative and thorough. Siva was an amazing guide and he is very passionate and intelligent, so made the tour even more interesting. It’s also worth coming here for the views as they are spectacular. I’d recommend coming in the morning as it’s less busy and not too hot. Get a Tuk Tuk here that will wait for you to finish before returning as getting one back might be difficult.Written January 20, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
191 reviews
Excellent
169
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10
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5
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4
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3
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Rachyr14
Melbourne, Australia25 contributions
Sep 2024 • Couples
Enjoyed this 1 hour tour. You can go anytime during their opening hours so it was nice not to be booked in to a specific time and more flexible.
The guide was good and the lady who showed us how to pick the tea leaves was great. She consented to her photo being taken. We did a tea tasting afterwards. Great for the price and worth doing in the area
The guide was good and the lady who showed us how to pick the tea leaves was great. She consented to her photo being taken. We did a tea tasting afterwards. Great for the price and worth doing in the area
Written October 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chloe D
9 contributions
Jan 2025 • Couples
We had a fantastic experience here. Sallay delivered a clear, insightful, and interesting plantation tour. He was full of knowledge and super friendly, taking great photos of us as we picked the tea. Maria, one of the tea pickers, was also helping us to pick the tea which made it a really high quality and authentic experience.
Written January 8, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LaxiSiva
3 contributions
Sep 2024 • Family
I went to the tea factory with my family to do the plantation tour. Our host Sallay was very welcoming and nice. He explained in detail the process of the plucking. Pushpa also explained well how the plucking works. The Cafe at the top was great too with very helpful staff recommending which tea to buy. We also got to taste 5 kinds of teas in the Cafe. The view from the top was amazing. Great experience, would certainly do it again!!!
Written September 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andreas S
1 contribution
Mar 2024 • Friends
Mega overpriced...
Picked tea for 20 minutes - then drank some tea and that was it...you didn't really see any of the real tea plantations.
I could have picked the tea for free right outside the door
Picked tea for 20 minutes - then drank some tea and that was it...you didn't really see any of the real tea plantations.
I could have picked the tea for free right outside the door

Written May 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
balajiprabhu999
Bengaluru, India17 contributions
As the tea production was not working, not much to see the process of working on mechinary in tea production. Only oral explanation and tea leaf plucking. The price should be refunded to 5 USD, in case machines are not in action.
Written December 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Irene H
2 contributions
Dec 2024 • Friends
The experience is very expensive for what they offer in front of other tea factories that make the visit for free. We asked the ticket girl what she was and she didn't give us any details. Our guide, Sallay has been quite dry and a bit rude. They have put us to collect tea and although the experience is curious, they have not explained much about tea. Mostly I think it's too expensive. Maria, the worker who helped us in the collection has been very kind and willing to help.
Automatically translated
Written December 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Raji R
4 contributions
May 2024 • Friends
Salay was an excellent plantation tour guide. He explained all the grades and details of harvesting tea leaves, including interesting facts. It was good fun. We would definitely recommend him. Murugai was our on-field instructor, she was very quick in plucking the right leaves, and it was great fun! We ended it with tea tasting.
Written May 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Polly
5 contributions
Sallay who led our tour could not have done any more. His introduction to the tea plantation and description of how different types of leaves results in different types of teas was very informative. The tea picking process with the help of a professional tea picker was fun but showed the skill and stamina required. To round of the tour with Sallay presenting tea tasting was a great way to end the tour. I would highly recommend.
Written March 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ricardo N
1 contribution
Jan 2025 • Family
If you’re a tea lover or someone who simply appreciates unique cultural experiences, this tea plucking tour is an absolute must! Specifically Sallay, our guide, was the highlight. Sallay was knowledgeable and shared fascinating insights about the history of tea cultivation, the different types of tea plants, and the harvesting process.
The entire experience was well-organized and immersive. The staff were friendly, patient, and passionate about sharing their craft. I walked away not only with a deeper appreciation for the hard work behind every cup of tea but also with a small packet of freshly plucked leaves to take home.
This tour is perfect for families, couples, or solo travelers looking for a unique and relaxing activity. I highly recommend it for anyone visiting tea-growing regions—you’ll never look at your cup of tea the same way again!
- Nicholas Family
The entire experience was well-organized and immersive. The staff were friendly, patient, and passionate about sharing their craft. I walked away not only with a deeper appreciation for the hard work behind every cup of tea but also with a small packet of freshly plucked leaves to take home.
This tour is perfect for families, couples, or solo travelers looking for a unique and relaxing activity. I highly recommend it for anyone visiting tea-growing regions—you’ll never look at your cup of tea the same way again!
- Nicholas Family
Written January 18, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Иван К
1 contribution
Oct 2024 • Solo
I highly recommend it! An operating tea factory in a very beautiful location, with a stunning view from the balcony of the cafe. Many thanks to guide Sallay for an informative and interesting story and a pleasant conversation. I recommend buying tea in its craft packaging, directly from this factory - it is fresh and much cooler than anything you will find in tourist shops.
Written October 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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