Colombo Tea Factory Tour

Explore the history of Ceylon tea without having to head into Sri Lanka’s hills by going on a guided tour of a tea factory in Colombo.

Ceylon tea has long been renowned as some of the finest tea in the world, ever-since it was initially planted in the island’s hills by Scotsman James Taylor in the mid-19th century. If you do not have time to head to the hill country during your holiday, but are interested in learning about Sri Lanka’s tea industry, this Colombo-based tea factory is a great choice if you have a few hours to kill in the commercial capital.

This tea factory is old, but has been updated with more modern equipment in recent years. Take a guided tour and discover how the leaves are processed and packaged, before doing a tea tasting session to explore the art of grading and find your favourite ‘flavour’. Your guide will end the tour with a brief overview of how new technology has changed tea production in recent years, with details of how the world-wide demand for tea has affected not only the quantity but also the type of tea grown in Sri Lanka. The tour is led by a professional tea-taster who is highly knowledgeable about Sri Lankan tea and regularly visits the Colombo Tea Auction. It lasts approximately 1.5 hours and can be done morning or evening.

We also offer a tea factory tour near Galle and in the hills. For those of you planning to visit Sri Lanka’s lush central region to explore the history of Ceylon tea, see our list of things to do in the hill country.