Sunset Peak, Lantau Island: Hong Kong Guide
As the name suggests, this Lantau peak hike is perfect for watching the sunset and gives a different perspective on Hong Kong life.
Away from the city and a side of Hong Kong that not many would associate with a city famous for having the most high rise buildings in the world.
You can camp in several spots on Lantau island, and I would recommend doing so to get the most out of the amazing panoramic views of the island and South China sea. Just be sure to check the weather as I had made the unfortunate choice to always do this on cloudy days!
Hike Distance: Starting at the Tung Chung MTR station it is just under 9km, but taking the bus from the MTR will reduce this to around 5km.
Hike Duration: Abut 2.5 hours of walking plus time for photo taking and breaks makes this around 4 hours.
Hike Difficulty: The trail is simple to follow as it is well trodden but the 400 metres of stairs right at the start of the hike and the incline does make this a tougher hike. Especially if you choose to do this in Hong Kong summer time as there is not a lot of shade. Bring a headtorch for the way down if going for sunset, a hat and plenty of snacks and water.
Hike Incline: Around 900metres depending on whether you walk from the Tung Chung MTR or get the bus.
Getting there
Get yourself to the Tung Chung MTR station (use google maps to find the route from where you are staying) but it is only around 45 minutes from the Central MTR station.
From Tung Chung MTR you can either walk the 2.5km to the trail head (on google maps this is Wong Lung Hang Picnic Site) or you can get a minibus.
When you get to the Picnic Site you will see the large entrance to the hike.
Getting back
If you follow the trial through the path on the other side of the summit is only around 2km to the nearest bus stop on Pak Kung Au and the bus stop is right in front of you. Here you can get the 3M, 11 or 23 bus back to the Tung Chung MTR station.
The Hike
The first part of the hike is tough thanks to the 2.5km of stairs, which takes 30 – 60 minutes depending on how quickly you want to get them over with.
Views are minimal and all you can really do is get through it. As the views open up you are rewarded with some beautiful nature landscapes that you definitely would not associate with the concrete jungle of Hong Kong.
After the stairs you come to some stone cabins that despite being over 90 years old, nobody actually knows their purpose. The best guess is that British missionaries made them to camp out in.
The rocks around here make for some great photos ops, if you are lucky to have a clear smog free day the photos overlooking Pui O below will be amazing.
After this the trial climbs up along the ridge and there are no more stairs (yay!). The path up to the summit does get steeper.
Once at the top enjoy the views and get some amazing shots of the sunset. The way down can be tricky in the dark so a headtorch comes in handy if you have one. There is only a 2km walk to main road at Pak Kung Au and the bus stop is just right ahead of you.
