Lantau Peak is one of the most famous peaks in Hong Kong, although not the highest, as it offers spectacular panoramic views over entire Hong Kong on a clear day. Once at the top with the sun setting, the views of Hong Kong Island, New Territories and the South China Sea make the sweaty 900+ meters of incline 100% worth it.
Hike Location: Lantau Island, Tung Chung
Hike Difficulty: Easy-Moderate (4/10)
Hike Length: 4 hours
High Distance: 6km
Elevation Gain: ~600m
TIP: Bring a torch for the descent.
To reach the start of the trail you want to first make your way to Tung Chung MTR station on Lantau Island. From here get in a blue taxi and ask the driver to take you to the "Pak Kung Au bus stop" along Tung Chung Road. All taxi drivers will know where this is. At Pak Kung Au you have trailheads either side of the road. If facing South-East with Tung Chung MTR behind you, then the Lantau Peak trail will be just over the hill and on your right.
Once on the Lantau Peak Trail you will first face a challenging set of steps, shaded by thick canopy. Take advantage of the shade as the majority of the trail is pretty exposed.
This is probably the most direct route to reach Lantau Peak, so simply stick to the marked trail and you can't get lost. Lantau Peak is the second highest peak in Hong Kong, at 934m, so prepare for some gruelling incline and bring plenty of water.
I highly recommend reaching the peak for sunset so that you can spend time soaking up the 360 degree views of Hong Kong's seascape.
Bring a torch for the decent. Although the route down from the peak is relatively straight froward, the path gets dark quite quickly as it meanders through dense forest before reaching Big Buddha and the Ngong Ping Cable Cars.
From Ngong Ping there are multiple options for getting back to Tung Chung MTR station. If you skip sunset on the peak then the cable cars will still be running. However, if you do stay for sunset then you'll likely miss the last cable car down and might also miss the final bus. It could be worth checking the bus schedule beforehand to plan it in. Otherwise, there is a taxi rank at the Ngong Ping bus station. And if there are no taxis or buses running, then you'll need to call for a blue Lantau taxi (I did this and a taxi came within 5 minutes).
See the route I took on the MAP below (green dot is the starting point) and download the KML file to see the route in Google Earth 3D. Watch my KML tutorials for downloading the map on both laptop and mobile.
Below is a screenshot from the Google Earth KML file.
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