Hong Kong isn’t just a big city, it’s an adventurers playground, just many people don’t know it. But, if you spend enough time in Hong Kong you’ll realize that hiking to incredible peaks are just everywhere, you just need to look a little closer to see them.
Lantau Island is the most popular island in Hong Kong. It has so many things to see from coastal towns, giant statues and even Disneyland!
Lantau Peak is right next to Sunset Peak and is the second highest in the country. With outstanding views, this is the hike you have to do when in Hong Kong.
How to get to Lantau Peak
From Pak Kung Au is the shortest route you can take. Take an MTR to Tung Chung and then the 3M Bus. Ask the driver to stop off at Pak Kung Au. From there, you’ll be by the trail that goes up to Lantau Peak. Now, depending what pace you go, you can get to the top from anywhere between 1-2.5 hours. The trail is essentially uphill so be prepared to sweat a little, especially with the humidity of Hong Kong.
Sunset Peak – Lantau Peak
Sunset Peak is the third highest peak in Hong Kong and is next to Lantau Peak. When you make your way up to Sunset Peak and you want something a little more than keep following the trail – not the way you came – down to Pak Kung Au. From there, you can complete a double whammy of hikes and get up to Lantau Peak.
Lantau Peak – Big Buddha
Once you’ve reached the 934m peak of Lantau and you’ve seen the views you’ll see one of two things. Trekkers heading back the way they came or heading on. From the peak, you’ll see the stunning Big Buddha perched below. It’s here you can walk on and visit one of Hong Kong’s most visited attractions. It’ll take you about 45 minutes to descend here.
Ngong Ping – Big Buddha
On the contrary, you can go the other way to Lantau Peak. Take an MTR to Tung Chung and take the Ngong Ping 360 cable car up to the Big Buddha. This is a journey in itself and you’ll definitely go higher than you’d expect.
After you’ve explored Tian Tan where the Big Buddha is, then head onto the trail for Lantau Peak. This is one of the best combinations you can do on Lantau and you’ll definitely feel accomplished doing it this way, especially if you’re just visiting Hong Kong.
The Lantau Trail
If you’re a real avid hiker and have time on your hands, the Lantau Trail is a 70km trail that will take you a few days to complete. It has twelve stages beginning in coastal town Mui Wo and ending in Pui O. As part of Trail Section 3, Lantau Peak is in the first quarter of the whole trail. This would arguably be the best thing you could ever do in Hong Kong so if you’ve got 70km of time on your hands, do this trail!
934m High in Lantau Peak
Reaching the Lantau Peak is something special, especially with the stretch of uphill required to make it. The views of the opposite Sunset Peak make it worthwhile and an epic Instagram photo. Depending on what time of day you go, it can get quite busy, especially on weekends.
You can do a Lantau Sunrise Peak, where you set off at 4am to look above the clouds for the sunrise and you shouldn’t expect too many other hikers, keeping the views all for yourself.
Tips For Hiking Lantau Peak
The weather for most of the year is humid so you will sweat. Take the typical things for a hike, plenty of water, SPF, mosquito spray and a hat. Also, wear decent footwear either sports trainers with grip or hiking shoes. As you’ll see, many of the locals get fully prepared for any kind of hike in Hong Kong, so you may be influenced to take trekking poles.
