Red Incense Burner Summit Hike on Braemar Hill: Best Sunset and Night View of Hong Kong

Red Incense Burner Summit Hike on Braemar Hill is possibly the shortest and easiest hikes in Hong Kong. Not only is the hike to the top is super short (if you take public transportation), the hike has one of the best spots to watch sunset in HK.

If you can, set aside a few hours and do a late afternoon hike and see a beautiful sunset on Braemar Hill. And if you are keen to stay past after the sun is set, you can see an amazing night view of the Hong Kong skyline.

Personally, I think the Red Incense Burner Summit has the best views in the city; they are even better than Victoria Peak. Don’t believe me? Keep reading and learn how you can hike up Braemar Hill and see the most unbelievable views from Red Incense Burner Summit.

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Red Incense Burner Summit Hike: what you need to know

Before you hike up Braemar Hill, check out my Hong Kong solo travel guide and get an overview of the city first.

Here are few additional tips for hiking up Braemar Hill:

• It is possible to hike up to the Red Incense Burner Summit all year round. Might be hot during summer but at least the hike is very short.
• Check the sunset time before heading up. Generally, the sun sets around 7pm during summer and 5:30pm during winter.
• Hike up to the summit 20 minutes before sunset. This is a popular spot, so you’ll want to be there early to grab a good spot.
• Bring a headlamp or torch if you plan on seeing the Hong Kong skyline at night. Also, bring an extra layer as it is cooler after the sun sets.
• Get an Octopus Card, a rechargeable smart card for taking public transportation and use it for taking public transportation to and from Braemar Hill.

How to hike up to Red Incense Burner Summit

Below is the route for hiking from Braemar Hill Bus Terminus to Red Incense Burner Summit. Here is a quick summary of the hike:

• Difficulty: easy
• Duration: 15 minutes
• Distance: 0.5km
• What to bring: light hiking shoes, water, snacks, smartphone (for taking photos and navigation), flashlight or headlamp, extra layer for night time

How to get to the start of Braemar Hill Hike

Bus or Minibus

The easiest and fastest way to Braemar Hill peak is by taking either a bus or minibus. Depending where you are in the city, there are many options.

Bus 23B, 25, 25A, 27, 81A, 85, 85A, 85P, 108 and Minibus 25, 49M all go to Braemar Hill Bus Terminus, which is where the trail starts. Use your Octopus Card to pay.

Walk

If you decide to walk up Braemar Hill, take the MTR to the closest station, which is Fortress Hill Station and walk 30 minutes uphill.

Look for the Braemar Hill trailhead

When you arrive at the bus terminus, walk southeast until you find the alley just north of St. Joan of Arc Secondary School. Walk along the alley, and it will lead you up a flight of stairs. And from there, the trail for Braemar Hill Peak starts.

Follow the rugged hiking path to the peak

The hiking trail changes quickly from a concrete staircase to a rugged muddy path.

After about 5 minutes into your hike, you will reach a fork in the road. Choose the path on the right, and it will lead you up to the Red Incense Burner Summit.

Remember this junction because you will need to know when you are hiking back down. The road on the left will lead you to Sir Cecil’s Ride path. If you want to take another glimpse of the Hong Kong skyline at night, this path will lead you to a good viewpoint.

Otherwise, you will return to the start of your hike by backtracking the entire way back to the bus terminus.

Hike up to the top of the summit

The most “strenuous” part of the hike is towards the end when you are a few minutes from the top of the mountain. By strenuous, I mean you need to hike up a few boulders and weave through the narrow paths.

First glimpse of Hong Kong Island skyline

When you reach the Red Incense Burner Summit, you will be welcomed by the most glorious view of Hong Kong Island. Where you are standing, you are facing west and can see buildings and skyscrapers in Tai Hang, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Central.

Find a spot around the big boulders and wait for sunset

By the time you reach the top, there might be others waiting for the sunset too. Since the Red Incense Burner Summit is a popular spot for watching the sunset, many people will come up about 30 minutes before the sunset.

I suggest going up to the top 20 minutes before sunset, so you are not there too early waiting for the sun to set and not too late and not be able to find a good spot.

At the top of the hill is a triangulation station and many big boulders and rocks. Look for a spot where you can sit back, relax, and wait for the sun to set.

Panoramic views of Hong Kong at the top

While you are waiting, take in the views! The panoramic view of Hong Kong from Braemar Hill is quite impressive.

When you look west, you can see Tai Hang, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Central and the mountain range behind all the skyscrapers.

When you look north towards Kowloon, you can see buildings in North Point in the foreground and Victoria Harbour and Kowloon in the background. On a clear day, you can see as far as Lion Rock Mountain and Tai Mo Shan.

And when you look east, you can see buildings in Quarry Bay, Taikoo Shing and beyond. And if you look further, you can see Kwun Tong and Kowloon Peak on the Kowloon side.

Watch the Braemar Hill sunset

There are many excellent spots for watching sunsets in Hong Kong but this has to be one of my favourites. You do have to hike a bit to get up to the top but the views are completely worth your time and effort.

As I mentioned already, check the sunset time before heading up to Braemar Hill. Generally, the sun sets around 7pm during summer and 5:30pm during winter.

Here are some photos during sunset. I made it up to the summit at 5pm and waited until the sun set behind the mountain. It was quite amazing to see the gorgeous view. And surprisingly, the sun moved behind the mountains quite quickly. Take a look!

Hong Kong night view at Red Incense Burner Summit

What is so unique about Hong Kong’s skyline is that it is always lit with the most amazing lights. Lights from skyscrapers, buildings, and streets really light up the skyline.

After the sun is set around 6pm or so, the sky is quite dark. But you can see the colourful lights in the city. The night view of Hong Kong’s skyline is one of the best in the world.

If you are staying for both sunset and night view, make sure to bring a headlamp or flashlight. It gets really dark at the top of the hill, and you will need a light source to navigate back down to the city.

And if you do stay for the night views, here is what you will see:

Night views of Hong Kong from Sir Cecil’s Ride Trail

And if you want another night view of Hong Kong’s skyline, backtrack your way down to the main path (with your headlamp or the flashlight on your smart phone).

At the junction of the trail, if you return to where you came from, you will return to the start of the trail.

But if you recall, I mentioned that you should take note of this junction because if you go to the left, you will be on the Sir Cecil’s Ride Trail.

Walk about 7 minutes on this dark trail. See the map below for more details of the path.

The Sir Cecil’s Ride Trail is really dark past 6pm. You will need a headlamp or torch for you to see the path in front of you. I am not even kidding – it is pitch black out there!

But if you are ready for a night hike and another view of Hong Kong’s skyline, you can hike down from the summit and continue on the Sir Cecil’s Ride trail. There is a small opening on the right side of the path, maybe 7 minutes into the hike. From that point, you can see another gorgeous view of Hong Kong’s skyline. This is what you will see:

How to hike down Braemar Hill

I continued the entire Sir Cecil’s Ride Trail after catching the last view of Hong Kong’s night view. There wasn’t much to see beyond that. If you want to continue walking towards Tai Hang, you can continue walking down Sir Cecil’s Ride Trail, which turns into Mount Butler Drive. It might be an hour of walking in the dark.

But if hiking in the dark is not your thing, I would suggest to walk back to where you started.

After you catch the last view of HK’s skyline on the Sir Cecil’s Ride Trail, backtrack to the trail you were just on, turn right onto the original trail you were on earlier in the afternoon. This part of the path will be dark so make sure you have your flashlight.

Then you can catch a bus or minibus back to the city or walk to the closest MTR Station, which is Fortress Hill Station. By the time you reach the bus terminus, there will be streetlights. The entire walk takes about 30 minutes or so.

If you are unclear on how to get to Fortress Hill MTR Station, click “more options,” and it will open your Google Maps on your smartphone.

Are you hiking up to the Red Incense Burner Summit?

This might be the shortest and easiest hiking trail in Hong Kong (with the help of public transportation), with the best views of the city. Plus, it is a popular spot for watching the sunset and seeing the fantastic skyline at night.

I hope you will take a few hours from your busy travel schedule and visit one of the best spots in HK to watch the sunset. It is totally possible to see these views even if you are not an experienced hiker. Enjoy!

Ready to plan your trip to Hong Kong? Here are some of my go-to travel planning resources:
* Book your flight: find flight deals on Skyscanner 
* Book accommodation: find the best Hong Kong accommodations on Agoda or Booking
* Buy insurance: Safetywing is my go-to provider for travel insurance, as it covers many things. I will never travel without the Nomad Insurance Package because it protects me against unforeseen events. Get a quote today.
* Order a SIM card: order a SIM card in advance, collect it upon arrival, and set up your mobile phone before arriving at your destination.
* Join tours: check Klook or Get Your Guide for the best tours in Hong Kong.

Thank you for reading my Red Incense Burner Summit hike itinerary

I have many posts on Hong Kong and you might also like these other posts on hiking in HK:

Hong Kong Island Hikes

• Victoria Peak Hike: See Hong Kong’s beautiful skyline
• High West Hike: 3 ways to hike up High West Peak
• Dragon’s Back Hike: the most popular day hike in HK
• Violet Hill and the Twins: hike over two mountains with over 1,000+ steps
• Rhino Rock Hike: see a rocky rhinoceros head in Stanley
• Mount Nicholson Hike: see hidden rock statues in the middle of HK Island
• Cape Collinson hike: visit an old battery used during WWII on Hong Kong Island
• Mount Davis Hike: see an old military site on HK Island

Island District Hikes

• Lamma Island: hike from Sok Kwu Wan to Yung Shue Wan
• Cheung Chau Island: 1-day itinerary around Cheung Chau
• Peng Chau: 1-day itinerary 
• Tung O Ancient Trail: hike the coastal trail in Lantau North Country Park
• Lo Yan Shan Hike: hike Chi Ma Wan Country Trail in southern Lantau Island
• Fan Lau Hike: explore the southwest tip of Lantau Island
• Po Toi Island: see Hong Kong’s South Pole

New Territories Hikes

• Pineapple Mountain: the Great Canyon of Hong Kong
• High Junk Peak: one of the three sharpest peaks in HK
• Ma On Shan Hike: hike across the horse-saddle mountain to Sai Kung
• Pat Sin Leng Hike: hike over 8 peaks named after Chinese Mythological immortals
• Po Pin Chau: hike around hexagonal rock columns in Sai Kung
• Plover Cove Reservoir Country Trail: hike around HK’s largest reservoir
• Kowloon Peak and Suicide Cliff: See HK’s most dramatic cliff
• Trio Beach Hike: see a secret beach and rocky headland in Sai Kung
• Tsing Yi Nature Trails: meander through the easy trails in Tsing Yi
• Tsing Yi Peak: hike the three peaks on Tsing Yi Island
• Ma Shi Chau Nature Trail: see 280 million-year-old rocks in Tai Po
• Tai Tan Country Trail: hike an easy coastal trail in Sai Kung
• Robin’s Nest Hike and Lin Ma Hang Cave: explore northern HK near the Shenzhen border
• Kai Kung Leng: hike the Rooster Ridge in Lam Tsuen Country Park

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queenie mak

Hi, my name is Queenie, and I’ve been a solo traveller for 20+ years and currently based in Hong Kong. Follow me on my adventures through Instagram and my blog!