Tharindu Wickrama
Founder & Head Guide
Born in a tea-estate village, climbed Adam's Peak more than 300 times. Knows every switchback by name.
Est. 2015 · Nuwara Eliya
Guides who grew up among the estates.
A guesthouse, a map and a love of the hills — that's how Upcountry began, and the hills are still the point.
Our story
From one guesthouse to the whole high country.
In 2015, Tharindu Wickrama — born in a tea-estate village, climber of Adam's Peak more than 300 times — started guiding friends of friends from his family guesthouse in Nuwara Eliya. Word spread: here was a guide who didn't rush, who knew every switchback and every plucker by name.
Today a small team of tea experts, trekking guides and drivers covers the whole high country — the blue train, the tea estates, Horton Plains and the sacred peak. Groups are still capped at twelve. And the tea is still brewed properly.
What we stand for
The hills, respected.
Estate-first
Direct-from-estate tea, pluckers' wages and tastings that put money where the leaf is picked.
Trains, done right
First-class reserved seats on the view side — the world's most beautiful railway, without the chaos.
Paced to you
Treks matched to your breath, rest days where they matter, and a guide who never rushes.
Pilgrimage, not tourism
On Adam's Peak we climb as pilgrims — respectfully, quietly, and alongside the people for whom it is sacred.
Ten years
The climb so far.
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2015
One guesthouse, one map
Tharindu starts Upcountry from a family guesthouse in Nuwara Eliya, guiding friends of friends through the tea country.
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2017
The train takes off
First-class reserved seats on the blue train become the signature experience — and the waiting list.
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2020
The high trails open
Horton Plains and Adam's Peak trekking join the roster with certified highland guides.
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2026
The whole high country
Ten years on, one team runs trains, treks and tea from Kandy to the peak — still capped at twelve.
The team
The people behind the trips.
Nimali Gunawardena
Tea & Estate Lead
A third-generation tea family. Can taste which elevation and season a leaf came from, blind.
Ruwan Jayasuriya
Trekking & Trains Lead
Has walked every trail in the hills and knows the railway timetable better than the station master.
Chamodi Perera
Guest Care Concierge
The voice at the end of the phone, day and night — weather reroutes and warm welcomes are her speciality.
Beyond the trips
Trains, treks & services.
The Blue Train Experience
First-class reserved window seats on the Kandy–Ella line — the world's most beautiful railway, done properly.
- Reserved first-class seats
- Best-side window placement
- Station meet & greet
Private Guide & Hikes
Licensed highland guides for Ella Rock, Little Adam's Peak, Horton Plains and the Adam's Peak night climb.
- Trekking-certified guides
- Pace matched to your fitness
- Rain gear & first aid carried
Tea Estate Experiences
Private walks with master pluckers, factory tours and tastings at working estates across the hill country.
- Two-leaf-and-a-bud lessons
- Factory tours & tastings
- Direct-from-estate purchases
Car with Driver
Comfortable vehicles with experienced hill drivers who know every switchback and viewpoint.
- Up to 8 passengers
- Hill-country driving experts
- Multilingual drivers
Boutique Stays
A hand-picked collection of tea-bungalow guesthouses, Victorian hotels and highland lodges.
- Tea-bungalow heritage stays
- Fireplaces & garden views
- Direct booking rates
24/7 Concierge
One number from booking to landing home — weather reroutes, dinner tables, lost luggage.
- Round-the-clock phone line
- In-trip itinerary changes
- On-the-ground problem solving
Come up for air