Hiking in Hong Kong: Dragon’s Back, easy walks and harder trails

Five days with room to move the hike

Keep four city nights rather than booking accommodation at a trail finish. This plan puts the Dragon’s Back outing on day 3, with day 4 available to swap. The harder routes below replace that hike; they are separate choices, not additions to the same day. Use the Hong Kong weather guide when choosing the outdoor day.

Star Ferry allows items no larger than 40 cm long, 40 cm wide and 17.5 cm high. Use the MTR airport connection in this plan for luggage; keep the Star Ferry for the two city outings with a small day bag.

• Day 1: arrive at HKG, take Airport Express to Hong Kong Station. Hong Kong Station connects to Central Station. Take the Tsuen Wan Line from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui. Settle into the hotel and walk the nearby waterfront. First night in Tsim Sha Tsui.
• Day 2: cross to Central and walk Central and Sheung Wan. Choose shrimp dumplings at Lin Heung Tea House or tomato soup noodles at Sing Heung Yuen, then return across the harbour. Second night in Tsim Sha Tsui.
• Day 3: cross to Central, take the Island Line to Shau Kei Wan and bus 9 to To Tei Wan. Walk the shorter AFCD Dragon’s Back route, leave at Cape Collinson and return through Shau Kei Wan and Central to Tsim Sha Tsui. Third night at the same hotel.
• Day 4: keep an indoor reserve at M+ in West Kowloon, reached on foot from the city base when conditions permit. Swap days 3 and 4 if that gives a better hiking day. Eat in Tsim Sha Tsui or walk on to the Temple Street area for claypot rice, then spend the fourth night at the hotel.
• Day 5: check out, take the Tsuen Wan Line from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central. Central Station connects to Hong Kong Station. Take Airport Express from there to HKG. Do not put a remote hike before the flight.

Dragon’s Back: choose the finish before setting out

AFCD’s Dragon’s Back route is 4.8 km, with a listed walking time of 2.5 hours. AFCD’s Dragon’s Back route starts at To Tei Wan on Shek O Road and finishes by the Cape Collinson bus stop towards Tai Tam Gap. The ridge undulates between Shek O Peak and Wan Cham Shan: the reward is open sea, Shek O below and Tai Tam Bay from the early viewpoint. AFCD rates this route three stars, strenuous, with low shade.

From To Tei Wan, follow the Hong Kong Trail signs up the steps to the ridge. After the open crest, the AFCD route takes a wooded path around Mount Collinson towards Tai Tam Gap. Carry the downloaded AFCD route map or GPX so the final junction is a decision you recognise. Start with enough daylight for the walk and the bus connection, and carry your drinking water and food rather than planning a shop stop on the ridge.

The full Hong Kong Trail Section 8 is a different finish: AFCD lists To Tei Wan to Big Wave Bay at 8.5 km and 2.75 hours. It continues towards Big Wave Bay where the shorter route turns towards Tai Tam Gap. The 4.8 km figure above belongs to the Cape Collinson finish; do not use it to plan a beach finish. The official walking times are estimates for their respective routes, not a promise for your pace.

If the initial climb is already too much for the party, turn back to To Tei Wan while that familiar route is still close. Later, follow the mapped Tai Tam Gap exit rather than improvising a cross-country shortcut. This guide’s model returns to town from Cape Collinson; it does not add a beach or a swim.

Reach the ridge through Shau Kei Wan

From Central, take the MTR Island Line towards Chai Wan and leave at Shau Kei Wan. Citybus route 9 links Shau Kei Wan and Shek O; take the Shek O-bound service and alight at To Tei Wan on Shek O Road, the start named by AFCD. At the end, walk towards Tai Tam Gap to the Cape Collinson stop and take the service back towards Shau Kei Wan. These are different stops and opposite journey directions.

Use the Hong Kong transport guide for payment choices. Use the MTR Trip Planner for your stations’ fare, route and first and last trains. Plan to be on the bus back before dark: the Hong Kong Observatory lists sunset at 17:49 on 28 October and 17:48 on 29 October, and a taxi is not a dependable fallback beside the road. No Citybus page we could open gives a usable fare or first and last departure for the To Tei Wan and Cape Collinson stops: its route search did not open when we checked on 16 October 2026, and its older static route page carries a 2017 timetable and fares that no longer match the Transport Department’s HK$9.40, so check the Citybus app or HKeMobility for the fare and the last bus back before you leave town.

Prices checked on 2026-10-16. The Transport Department lists regular Citybus 9 between Shau Kei Wan and Shek O at a full-route fare of HK$9.40 and an end-to-end journey time of 31 minutes. The Transport Department’s stop list has To Tei Wan, Shek O Road on the Shek O-bound trip and Cape Collinson, Shek O Road on the trip back towards Shau Kei Wan. Its figures do not give the fare or journey time between those two trail stops, and the route data directs passengers to Citybus for the two-way payment arrangement. The adult Octopus or contactless single fare between Central and Shau Kei Wan is HK$9.20. Star Ferry adult single fares between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui are HK$5 on the upper deck or HK$4 on the lower deck Monday–Friday excluding public holidays; on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays they are HK$6.50 and HK$5.60 respectively. Star Ferry runs between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui from 06:30 to 23:30 daily, with departures every 6–12 minutes depending on the time and day. Pay for Star Ferry with Octopus at the gates or with Hong Kong dollar cash, or buy a ticket at the pier’s self-service machine with a credit card or one of the supported digital wallets.

The easier choice: the Peak Circle Walk

The Peak Circle Walk is the loop of Lugard Road and Harlech Road around the Peak, which the Hong Kong Tourism Board’s Peak map shows as roads rather than trails. From the Peak Tower and Peak Galleria area, follow Lugard Road and return by Harlech Road. No official page we could open states its length or walking time, and the Tourism Board’s own page did not open when we checked, so this guide gives none: allow your own time for stops.

Take bus 15 or minibus 1 from Central up to the Peak, where Peak Galleria and the Peak Tower stand, and come back the same way. Hang Lung, which owns Peak Galleria, lists both routes as ways to reach the mall. Take transport uphill rather than adding the climb from Central to this easier walk. The Victoria Peak guide explains the tram and viewpoint choices.

This is the gentler walking alternative here. Narrow sections mean the whole circuit should not be assumed step-free; a short out-and-back lets you stop sooner. Checked on 2026-10-16: the Transport Department lists bus 15 between Central (Exchange Square) and the Peak at a full-route fare of HK$13 and an end-to-end journey time of 47 minutes. The Exchange Square record is a special-service variant in the Transport Department data, so it does not establish the current operating days. The Transport Department data does not list route 15’s operating days or first and last departures, and Citybus’s own route search did not open when we checked, so check the Citybus app for the last bus down from the Peak. The Transport Department lists minibus 1 at a HK$11.8 full fare and a 26-minute journey between the Peak and the Hong Kong Station public transport interchange; its timetable shows departures from Central from 06:20 to 00:00 every day, and from the Peak from 06:45 to 00:25 on Monday to Saturday excluding public holidays and from 07:00 to 00:00 on Sundays and public holidays, every 5 to 15 minutes. Skip the Peak Tram and the Peak Tower viewing deck if your purpose is simply the road circuit.

Lantau Peak: a steep staircase, not the easy alternative

Lantau Trail Section 3 runs from Pak Kung Au to Ngong Ping. AFCD lists 4.5 km and 3 hours, rates it four stars, difficult, and records low shade. The trail climbs from Pak Kung Au to Lantau Peak, 934 m, then descends steep stone steps towards Ngong Ping. Its short distance hides the work: choose it only if everyone is used to sustained ascent and steep descents.

Take the Tung Chung Line to Tung Chung, then a New Lantao Bus service to Pak Kung Au. AFCD names routes 3M, 11 and 23 for the start. At the finish, follow the route from the wooden gateway through the tea garden to Ngong Ping bus terminus; AFCD names 2 and 23. These start and finish connections are different, so plan the Ngong Ping departure before starting the climb.

Download the Section 3 map and GPX, and keep to its signed finish. Wisdom Path has been temporarily closed for refurbishment since 5 June 2025, according to the Tourism Commission; do not add a visit to the timber-column installation. The Lantau guide covers the separate visitor attractions. A cable-car booking or Buddha visit is not needed for this hiking choice.

Turn back towards Pak Kung Au early if the ascent exceeds your party’s ability; the summit is not a convenient transport exit. Keep this a daylight walk with water and food already packed. The bus fare depends on the route and day, and the return timetable needs checking with New Lantao Bus.

Sai Kung: understand the full MacLehose Section 2

MacLehose Trail Section 2 goes from Long Ke to Pak Tam Au. AFCD lists 13.5 km and 5.25 hours, rates it five stars, very difficult, and records low shade. It climbs steeply over Sai Wan Shan, 314 m, drops to Sai Wan’s pale beach, continues by Ham Tin Wan and Tai Long Au, and reaches Chek Keng before the finish. This is the demanding coastal choice for experienced walkers with a full day, rather than a casual beach stroll. Treat this as an advanced route overview requiring separate transport planning, not a ready-to-follow day from the hotel.

Getting to Long Ke adds walking beyond that published section. AFCD’s access directions name minibus 9A from Pak Tam Chung bus terminus to High Island Reservoir East Dam on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, followed by the walk to Long Ke. It also names residents’ bus NR29 from Sai Kung town to Sai Wan Pavilion, followed by walking to Long Ke. Neither road stop is the Section 2 start. Do not assume the 13.5 km already includes your approach.

At Pak Tam Au, AFCD names KMB 94, KMB 96R and minibus 7; its page limits 96R to Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The full Long Ke approach and exit still need a separate plan covering the applicable service day, approach distance and time, access fares and last usable return. Until those connections are settled, choose the city-based Dragon’s Back outing instead. A beach speedboat or an unbooked taxi is not the fallback.

When checked on 2026-10-16, AFCD’s facilities notices listed a diversion near distance post M021 at Long Ke Wan campsite during toilet construction, and a partial closure of the East Dam rest area near the public toilet from 4 August 2026; the pavilion remained open. Follow local diversion signs and stay outside the fenced works. Those notices concern particular works areas, rather than closing every Sai Kung trail.

For a first Hong Kong hiking day, choose Dragon’s Back or the Peak instead unless the full approach and coastal route suit everyone. Carry enough food and water without depending on beach businesses being open. This guide does not recommend camping or a summit detour.

Pack for the path and keep one indoor day

For summer hikes, choose a shaded route, allow extra rest, avoid prolonged direct sun and carry ample drinking water. Avoid hiking in bad or unstable weather; thunderstorms, typhoons and heavy showers can trigger flooding, flash floods and landslides. Typhoons affect Hong Kong from May to November and can cause flooding and landslides; when Typhoon Signal No. 8 or higher is issued, public offices and public transport shut down, so get indoors and do not set out again until the Hong Kong Observatory lowers the signal and your operator confirms service. From Signal No. 3, stay away from the shore and avoid water activities, and under a Black Rainstorm Warning expect serious disruption and closures of public facilities and follow the Hong Kong Observatory and local authorities’ instructions. On a hiking day, treat these signals as a reason to stay in the city and use the indoor reserve day.

Use the Hong Kong Observatory forecast and AFCD’s current facilities notices before leaving. In the country parks, stay on the marked trails and do not carry valuables. Carry a map, charged phone and backup battery, torch, suitable shoes and spare clothing; mobile reception can fail in ridges and valleys. Tell someone your route and expected return. Call 999 for police, fire or ambulance emergencies in Hong Kong. Give rescuers the nearest distance-post number or a clear landmark.

For the reserve day, M+ offers visual art, moving image, design and architecture at West Kowloon. Prices checked on 2026-10-16: An M+ standard ticket costs HK$190. M+ opens from 10:00 to 18:00 on Tuesdays to Thursdays and weekends, and from 10:00 to 22:00 on Fridays; it normally closes on Mondays, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. M+ opens on public holidays unless a special announcement says otherwise. The model’s Thursday reserve fits those hours. Use the indoor day when travel is safe; in severe warnings shelter rather than travelling across the city.

City meals before and after the walk

Pack a lunch for each person, a snack for the return and drinking water before leaving the city; carry the food until you reach a suitable rest stop. The model returns to the Tsim Sha Tsui base after Dragon’s Back, so dinner does not depend on a remote restaurant. Central and Sheung Wan supply the day 2 meals; Tsim Sha Tsui and the Temple Street area work after returning to Kowloon.

The five dishes below follow those city stops. Choose shrimp dumplings or tomato noodles on the Central day, beef balls near the base, and claypot rice with an oyster pancake if you continue to Temple Street. Tell the restaurant about allergies, particularly shellfish in dumplings and oyster pancakes.

Four nights: a model for two adults

Prices checked on 2026-10-16. For two adults sharing the City View Suite for four nights, 26–29 October 2026, allow about HK$8,364 for the room and the included breakfasts, including the 10% service charge. The Salisbury is exempt from hotel accommodation tax. The Salisbury offer includes buffet breakfast for two registered guests at The Haven.

This model checks in on Monday 26 October and departs Friday 30 October 2026. Confirm and guarantee the booking by 19 October. The walking plan uses Dragon’s Back, an M+ reserve visit and city walks; it does not include the alternative Lantau, Peak or Sai Kung excursions.

The priced items are HK$8,364.40 for the four suite nights including service; HK$430 for two Airport Express Hong Kong Station round-trip smart tickets; HK$42.40 for four adult Central–Tsim Sha Tsui MTR singles on the airport days; HK$40 for eight adult weekday upper-deck Star Ferry singles on the Central and hiking days; and HK$380 for two M+ standard tickets. Add HK$36.80 for four adult Central–Shau Kei Wan MTR singles. Including those MTR rides and a HK$37.60 full-fare allowance for the four adult bus 9 rides, the model is about HK$9,331 for two adults. The bus allowance uses four full-route fares of HK$9.40; the fare charged for the trail-stop journeys may be lower, and the Transport Department directs passengers to the operator for the two-way payment arrangement.

Meals beyond the included hotel breakfasts are not in the totals above. As an editorial allowance, not a published price, set aside about HK$150 per adult, HK$300 for two, for the packed lunch, snack and water on the Dragon’s Back day; it is our planning figure and is kept out of the HK$9,331 model. International flights, shopping and optional extras are also excluded.

• The offer runs to 15 December 2026; its blackout dates do not touch these nights.
• The rate is non-refundable: cancelling costs 100% of the entire stay.
• The offer cannot be combined with other promotions.
• The Friday to Sunday supplement does not apply to these Monday to Thursday nights.

Book the room, then choose the day

The city room is the advance booking; the outdoor route is a forecast-and-fitness choice. Prices checked on 2026-10-16. Airport Express adult round-trip smart tickets cost HK$215 for Hong Kong Station, HK$195 for Kowloon and HK$130 for Tsing Yi; each is station-specific and valid for one return journey within 30 days of issue. Buy the relevant airport ticket for the same station on both legs. Star Ferry has no reserved seating.

Keep AFCD’s route page and downloadable map for the exact walk you choose. A sign towards Big Wave Bay changes the Dragon’s Back finish, a road stop before Long Ke adds an approach, and a summit on Lantau is a much harder day than its kilometre count suggests. Make those choices while still in the city.