Adam's Peak

Adam's Peak — Sri Pada to Sri Lankans — is the island's holy mountain, a 2,243-metre pyramid bearing a footprint-shaped hollow revered by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians alike. The pilgrimage is done at night: 5,500 steps climbed by lamplight in a slow river of pilgrims of every age, tea stalls glowing along the trail, until you reach the summit shrine for the moment everyone came for — sunrise breaking over an ocean of clouds.

As the sun lifts, the mountain performs its famous trick: a perfect triangular shadow cast onto the mist to the west, seeming to hang in the air. In season the trail hums with devotion; it is less a hike than a shared act of faith you are welcomed into.

We've walked the trails, paid the fees, and rated every guide. Below: how to get there, when to skip it, and what nearby places pair well — the kind of advice a local friend would give.