Hong Kong is known for many things like world-class cuisine, many modern skyscrapers and excellent shopping. But did you know that Hong Kong is also known for outdoor activities and beautiful hiking trails?
Located on Victoria Peak on the western side of Hong Kong Island, Victoria Peak Hike is one of the best hikes in Hong Kong. The paved circular trail is easily accessible and can be done in less than an hour. And on a clear day, you can see a gorgeous panoramic view of Kowloon, Victoria Harbour, the north side of Hong Kong Island and some of the neighbouring islands in the South China Sea.
So even if you have limited time in Hong Kong, you must go up “The Peak” and hike the most scenic trail in the city. It is a must-see attraction!
In this post, I’ll show you five different ways to go to Victoria Peak in Hong Kong and what you will see along The Peak hike.
Related Post – Spend more than a few days in Hong Kong? Visit Macau!
What you need to know before visiting the Peak in Hong Kong
Before you visit Hong Kong, take a look at my solo travel guide to Hong Kong and get an overview of the city. And here are some additional travel tips:
- Get an Octopus Card, a rechargeable smartcard for taking public transportation (MTR, bus, minibus, ferry and tram). Purchase one at any MTR station or convenience store. It costs $100HKD but you can use $50 stored value and get your $50HKD refundable deposit when you leave
- Hong Kong is a safe city for solo female travellers
- The local language is Cantonese but most people have a knowledge of English.
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How to get to Victoria Peak in Hong Kong
Hiking Victoria Peak is a must for any visitors!
First, let’s talk about the trail. Victoria Peak Trail is also known as “Harlech Road and Lugard Road Circular Walk” (GoogleMap refers to this name). And the name is correct since the trail is on both Lugard Road and Harlech Road.
Next, let’s figure out the best way to get up to Victoria Mountain. There are five ways to get up to Victoria Peak hiking trail:
- Hike up to Victoria Peak via Old Peak Road
- Take Bus No. 15 from Central Bus Terminus (below One & Two Exchange Square)
- Take Minibus No. 1 from Hong Kong Station Green Mini Bus Terminus
- Take Peak Tram from the Peak Tram Lower Terminus
- Take a Taxi from anywhere in Hong Kong
1. Hike up to Victoria Peak via Old Peak Road
Start your hike from anywhere in Central and walk towards Old Peak Road, which will take you directly to the beginning of the Victoria Peak hiking trail (on Lugard Road).
The walk starts off with a slight incline but it gets much steeper as soon as you approach Old Peak Road. Along the way, you can see the Mid-levels, a residential neighbourhood with many highrises.
The path is more scenic towards the top and is not very difficult to walk up the hill if you take your time. But it is very steep and you may feel it in your knees.
- Walk: from Central MTR Station to Victoria Peak via Old Peak Road
- Time: 60 minutes
- Cost: free
2. Take Bus No. 15 from Central Bus Terminus (below One & Two Exchange Square)
Taking a double-decker Bus No. 15 is one of the easiest ways to go up to Victoria Peak. Bus No. 15 starts at Central Pier 5 and stops in several places in Central and Admiralty before reaching the Peak.
However, on Sunday and public holidays, Bus No. 15 starts at the Central Bus Terminus (below One & Two Exchange Square). I prefer to hop on Bus No. 15 here because it is closest to an MTR Station (Hong Kong Station, Exit B1). At Exit B1, turn right and cross the road. Once you are at the terminus, look for platform E.
You can also take Bus X15 which operates in the evening and hike Victoria Peak at night. The skyline is visible at night and is especially beautiful with all the lights.
- Bus 15and X15: from Central Bus Terminus to thePeak GalleriaBus Terminus
- Time: 40 minutes
- Cost: $10.3HKD (cash or Octopus)
- For more information, look for Bus 15 in the “route list” on CityBus website
3. Take Minibus No. 1 from Hong Kong Station Green Mini Bus Terminus
Minibus No. 1 is another quick way of going up to the Peak. The 16-seater minibus zooms through the windy mountain roads and can take you up to the Peak in less than half an hour.
The Hong Kong Station Green Mini Bus Terminus is located under International Finance Centre 2 (IFC2). Take the MTR to Hong Kong Station and take Exit E. When you are in IFC1, there are two exits on the right. Take the first one, and follow the signs and walk towards the Four Seasons Hotel. After the bridge, there is an escalator that will take you to the ground level. Then follow the signs to the Green Mini Bus Terminus and find the bus stop for the Green Minibus No. 1.
- Minibus No. 1: from Hong Kong StationGreen Mini Bus Terminus to the Peak Galleria Bus Terminus
- Time: 30 minutes (every 5-15 minutes between 6:20 am to 12:00 am)
- Cost: $10.20HKD (cash or Octopus)
- For more information on minibus no.1, check the Minibus Routes Directory website
4. Take Peak Tram from the Peak Tram Lower Terminus
Perhaps the most scenic way to go up Victoria Peak is by taking the Peak Tram. The funicular railway has been taking passengers up the steep mountain since 1888.
Currently, the Peak Tram is going through an upgrade which will increase passenger capacity and reduce wait time. The upgrade will complete by 2021. During the upgrade, the Peak Tram is still available to take passengers up the mountain.
Take the MTR to Central MTR Station, take Exit J2 and walk 10 minutes to the Peak Tram Lower Terminus.
Once you are there, purchase a ticket (one-way or return) at the ticket booth, and walk up the path beside the parking lot to the entrance of the Peak Tram station.
- Peak Tram: from Peak Tram Lower Terminus to Victoria Peak
- Time: 15 minutes
- Cost: $37HKD for one-way, $52HKD for return (buy a ticket or use Octopus)
5. Take a Taxi from anywhere in Hong Kong
Taking a cab to Victoria Peak is the most convenient form of transportation as there are over 15,000 red Toyota Comfort taxi cabs in Hong Kong. But it is also the most expensive way to go up to the Peak.
No matter where you are in the city, you can take a cab directly from your location to Victoria Peak. Simply tell the taxi driver that you are going to “The Peak” and the cab driver will drop you off near the Bus Terminus at the Peak Galleria.
If you are coming from Kowloon, you have to include the toll for taking the cross-harbour tunnel (which is $10HKD, but you have to x2 because you are expected to pay for the cost for the cab to return to Kowloon).
All the cabs are on the meter and the meter starts at $24HKD. Make sure to bring cash with you because that is the only payment method. And even though you are not expected to pay 10-15% of tips, you can pay the round-up amount on the meter.
How to hike to the Peak in Hong Kong
- Difficulty: Easy
- Duration: 50+ minutes
- Distance: 3.6km
- What to bring: comfortable walking shoes (sandals are okay too), camera, water
My preferred route for hiking Victoria Peak
I go up to the Peak in Hong Kong at least a few times a year because of the gorgeous scenery. Plus, it is a good spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Since I live on the Kowloon side, I prefer to take the MTR to Hong Kong Station and take either Bus No. 15 or Minibus No. 1. Both bus terminals are near the same MTR Station so depending on my timing, I will take either transportation option.
Then I hike Victoria Peak anti-clockwise on the Victoria Peak circular loop. I like this way because I always want to see the panoramic view first. Then by the time I get to the Lugard Road and Harlech Road junction, I can either take a break or continue onto Mount High West, another trail with views of southern Hong Kong Island.
Then I return to where I first started and walk down Old Peak Road and continue my way back to Central MTR Station and make my way home.
Start hiking the Peak trail at Peak Tower & Peak Galleria
No matter which route you take to go up to Victoria Mountain, your hike will always start around the Peak Tower and Peak Galleria area.
This is a good place to start because you can use the bathroom facilities and buy water if you need to.
When you are ready to hike, look for the signages that point to Lugard Road, which is the start of your hike anti-clockwise around the Peak Trail.
Walk to Lugard Road Lookout
The entire path is paved and flat which makes the Peak Trail an easy hike for anyone.
At first, there are many trees on both sides of the trail. But as you keep going, you will start seeing more buildings on the right side. And the view keeps getting better the further you walk.
After about 10 minutes of walking, you will reach Lugard Road Lookout, which is a stretch of the path that has unobstructed view of the north side of Hong Kong Island, the south side of Kowloon, Victoria Harbour and many small neighbouring islands.
Lugard Road & Harlech Road Junction
Continue walking on Victoria Peak Trail and you will arrive at a little park where you can rest for a bit. The park is right at the junction between Lugard Road and Harlech Road and it has a covered pagoda, some benches and picnic tables.
There are several options you can consider at this junction:
- Continue onwards on the Peak Trail (on Harlech Road); the path will take you back to where you started, near Peak Galleria and Peak Tower.
- Hike Mount High West, where you can see more of the southern part of Hong Kong Island, you can see Pok Fu Lam, Pok Fu Lam Reservoir, and Lamma Island in the distance. Simply follow the signs in the park.
- Explore the west side of Victoria Mountain by walking along Hatton Road, the third road from this junction. Hatton Road will take you to Lung Fu Shan Country Park and down the mountain to either Kennedy Town or Sai Yin Pun.
For this post, we will continue on the Peak Trail on Harlech Road.
Continue on Harlech Road
From the public park, it is another 15 minutes or less walking along Harlech Road.
There are a handful of spots where you can take a peek at the south side of Hong Kong Island including Pok Fu Lam and Pok Fu Lam Reservoir. And in the distance, you can see Lamma Island too.
The paved path will take you back to Peak Tower and Peak Galleria. Once you are there, you can take any of the five ways to go down Victoria Mountain. But if you want to challenge yourself, walk down Old Peak Road.
Interested in other events and tours in Hong Kong?
Are you including Victoria Peak Hike on your Hong Kong itinerary?
I hope so because Victoria Peak Hike is one of the most scenic and easiest trails in Hong Kong. It is a must-see attraction even if you only have a day or two in the city.
And I hope my post helped you determine how you will go up to the Peak and how to plan an awesome afternoon hiking Victoria Peak. Let me know if you have any questions – leave them in the comment section!
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