Begin the arduous 08 km climb to the misty mountaintop with our experienced local guides. You will  reach the 2,240 meter high peak - the island’s fourth highest - at dawn to witness a glorious sunrise and the mountain’s shadow, cast by the rising sun on to the clouds below. Legend has it that, the footprint originally carved in the rock, and, now covered by an oversized reproduction set in cement, was made by the Buddha, on his third visit to the island. Adam’s Peak is also known as the “butterfly mountain”, because large numbers of butterflies visit and perish there each year. The mountain, on the western edge of the island’s central massif, looms over the surrounding hills, covered with lush, green jungle. (Peak wilderness sanctuary) . The Peak wilderness sanctuary is among the best areas for birds and butterflies in Sri Lanka as well. It usually takes three to four hours to reach the top, but during the pilgrim season, which begins in December and lasts till May, the throng is sometimes so great, it can take over - 30 minutes to move from one step to the other.