Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±

Dambatenne tea factory that was built in 1890 by Sir Thomas Lipton, in Haputale, Sri Lanka.

© SamanWeeratunga/Shutterstock

Dambatenne Tea Factory

Top choice


This popular tea factory was built in 1890 by Sir Thomas Lipton, one of the most famous figures in tea history. The tour through the works is an education on the processes involved in the fermentation, rolling, drying, cutting, sieving and grading of tea. It's probably the most comprehensive tea-factory tour around, and afterwards you can sip a cuppa.

On Sundays no processing takes place, so there's little to see.

Dambatenne is 9km northeast of Haputale. Buses (Rs 28, 20 minutes) from Haputale pass the factory every 30 minutes. A three-wheeler one-way/return costs Rs 600/1000 from Haputale.


Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Lipton’s Seat

0.78 MILES

The Lipton’s Seat lookout is one of Sri Lanka's most impressive viewpoints (unless it's misty and cloudy of course, which is why early morning is the best…

2. Mosque

3.29 MILES

Towards the eastern end of town.

5. Mosque

3.46 MILES

Smack in the centre of town on a busy junction.

6. Church of the Ascension

3.72 MILES

On the northwest side of town, this attractive stone church dates back to 1908, and was later extended in 1936 and 1938. Its tower was added in 1952.

7. Diyaluma Falls

3.96 MILES

The 171m-high Diyaluma Falls is Sri Lanka’s third-highest waterfall. Cascading down an escarpment of the Koslanda Plateau, the falls leap over a cliff…

8. Adisham Monastery

4.68 MILES

This beautiful Benedictine monastery once belonged to tea planter Sir Thomas Lester Villiers. To recreate his English lifestyle, he developed some English…