Hiking in Hong Kong: the highlights

By Ellen Smith, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Victoria Peak
Lions Rock and Beacons Hill
Dragons Back (with big wave bay)
Tai Lam Chung Reservoir, Thousand Islands Lake

Victoria Peak

One hike that is an absolute must in Hong Kong is Victoria Peak, starting from Central. It’s possible to get an old style tram up the peak, which I would absolutely recommend doing as well, but the hike has incredible views. Its relatively easy and a very simple route to follow, so perfect for beginners. Once you get to the top of the peak, follow the signs to the Victoria Peak Garden to escape the crowds and get a better view. From here don’t forget to walk a few minutes further to the Lookout Point; in the evening this has the most incredible sunset and many of the surrounding islands are visible.

Lions Rock and Beacons Hill

These two points can easily be done together as they are relatively close. This hike is off the island so give yourself some time to get to the starting point, it takes around an hour from Central MTR station into the Kowloon side. There is multiple routes you can take to these points; as long as you reach the top the views will be phenomenal! You may even see some monkeys in the trees in this area, but remember don’t get close and avoid eye contact! This hike tends to be a fair bit harder than the others; the route we chose was around 15km and very steep so I’d recommend very comfortable and good grip shoes for this.

Dragons Back (with Big Wave Bay)

Dragons Back hike is another one on Hong Kong Island; it probably around the same difficulty level as Victoria Peak but a little longer distance. This begins in Shek-O and finishes near Big Wave Bay, and is very accessible by public transport. This hike tends to be quite popular, for good reason! The views over Hong Kong island and further beyond are second to none, although visibility is very weather dependent. I’d recommend doing this hike when the weather is slightly nicer as you can finish at Big Wave Bay which is famous in Hong Kong for surfing. If you’re brave enough, you can also swim there but the waves are very big and currents strong so don’t stray too far out into the water. There’s multiple restaurants and cafes near this beach so it’s perfect for a post-hike lunch and a cooling dip in the water.

Tai Lam Chung Reservoir, Thousand Islands Lake

The first part of this hike to the Thousand Islands Reservoir viewing point is very short however there are plenty of paths after you can choose to explore further. We started in Tai Lam, passed through the Reservoir Islands Viewpoint and continued round and up towards Tai Tong. This is a must-see and gives a completely different view to other hikes. Again it is an easy hike, and can be as long or short as you’d like. We stumbled across Tai Tong Lychee Valley, which has loads of animals that you could view or even feed!