Amazing views from a perspective few tourists would realise exists in HK. If you have more than a…read morefew days in HK, make the effort to hit the hills! Around 80% of Hong Kong is country park. The parks are accessible and developed with well marked trails and good cellular coverage. There are multiple online resources describing the trails and how to get to them using public transport. We followed the Old Village Path from behind our village (Mui Wo) towards Nam Shan campsite, then up the mountain to Sunset Peak. There was clear signage along the way, detailed topographic maps at rest stations and of course - stunning views. This is not a walk to be tackled in summer heat. There are small streams enroute, but otherwise there are no water sources along the way. The hike took 2 hours and covered 8km (5 miles). Total ascent was 770m (2500'). Worth the effort if you like a hike, and have a few hours to spare.

Sunset Peak is the third highest peak in Hong Kong (after Lantau Peak/Tai Mo San)…read more It's a great hike (lots of uphill as you can imagine), which I recommend hiking during the non-summer months! We started from Pak Kung Au, and headed to Mui Wo. I also recommend hiking the trail during daytime, unless you have experience in night hikes. The last thing you want to do is get trapped there at night with no food! Also, during our hike, we came across 3 people who got lost during their hike, who seemed really tired/dirty/water deprived. Apparently they got lost - so make sure you stick to the path! Pro tip: Bring sunscreen (you will be directly under the sun), mosquito repellent, lots of water & snacks!

Going on a nature walk after the rain subsides is one of those simple pleasures in life that rivals…read moredrinking lemonade on a hot day or napping after lunch. As far as I know, taking the 82 minibus from Tsuen Wan is the easiest way of getting here. Because of the distance traveled and the limited seating, it's best to stand in line early, since the wait at the bus stop can be pretty long. Near the trailhead, there's a shop for snacks and drinks as well as public restrooms. There are a number of ways to go about your adventure. Since we were trying to get back before dark and avoid the next rainstorm, we covered Pineapple Dam and Waterside Paperbarks, extended a little past Shing Mun Reservoir Delta before turning around to check out Shing Mun Reservoir Main Dam. While there were a few stairs and some incline, the trail was mostly flat as well as well-kept and easy to traverse. Breaking away from the main loop, there were portions with gnarly trees, rocky boulders you can climb, and flatlands for day-camping. Another perk is that the wildlife around here roam freely. A herd of cattle were grazing near the reservoir's edge unbothered by passersby. A local troop of monkeys made their appearance, with a few more brazen than others. Word of advice: If you've got your phone in hand or any other small object, they might mistake it for food and lunge towards you, so maintain some distance. If you happen to have driven and parked in an area with monkeys, well...they might just make it their bed and scratch it up, perhaps even leave a dollop or two...We also chanced upon a kaleidoscope of butterflies along the way, many of which were uniquely patterned. Finally, there was a shared rest area completely occupied by a pack of dogs before they went on their way. Fun, fairly straightforward, and not too physically demanding trail for most folks. For humidity and possible chance of rain, bring an umbrella, a water bottle, and change of clothes. Next time I'll try completing the entire loop.

A good place for hiking with friends and family, not too harsh route , great for relax hikeread more

This place becomes very popular around December / January every year. Locals and tourists alike…read morecome for the maple trees... (Caution: there are more people than trees here...) Probably the only place in the world where you need to "queue" to take pictures of maple trees... (In a way, this is so Hong Kong... =.=) It's a fairly easy hike but I don't recommend cycling here unless you are a pro. The place is gorgeous but just brace yourself for crowds... I actually thought I went to Korea or something - this place doesn't feel Hong Kong at all! Transportation is pretty straightforward and there are direct buses connecting to the MTR station!

Great fun hike! We walked up to he hike from the MTR, which in it of itself was a hefty hike…read more The hike itself is well paved and well maintained. We passed by many groups enjoying the hike. There are a lot of stairs, so my calves were so stiff for a couple days after! It's a good workout but it's not particularly hard nor steep. The walk up to the trailhead however was very steep. Bring sunscreen and plenty water! A lot of the hike is in direct sun. Overall, starting at the MTR and getting all the way back down took about 3-3.5 hours but we were booking it, so you may want more time.

One of my friends and I love hikes and we have done a couple hikes together in the states. We see…read morepeople post stuff about Lion's rock and had to give it a shot while we're in Hong Kong. Getting here is a challenge. After Nan Lian Garden, we took an Uber to Fat Jong temple. Unfortunately our driver couldn't take us to Lion's Pavilion since you need a permit to go up to the top but some taxis will let you. NOTE: we tried to get a couple taxis but none of them wanted to go up to The pavilion at Sha Tin Pass. From the temple, it's an additional 20 minutes upward a steep incline. You'll soon see a sign after a few switchbacks along the road to Lion's rock 1.8 km. The hike consists of many bunches of stairs but kids and elderly people were on this hike on a Sunday so anyone can pretty much do this (just be careful!!). It took roughly an hour to get to the top with taking 1-2 very short breaks for water. The view is amazing from the top!! I highly recommend taking the time of your trip to Hong Kong to tackle this hike. Also, it's recommended to get a ride share or Uber when you walk down. Not many taxis will be at the bottom of Fat Jong temple to grab you.

This Stanley Ma Hang Park is right outside of Stanley Plaza behind the historical H&M building…read more The trails takes you to a cliffside temple and a short hike from there you will find a hidden beach with beautiful goldern sand and clear water. The view is absolutely breathtaking. Lessons for kayaking and windsurfing are available on the beach as well. See my photos.

I am pretty sure that most Hongkongers spend their weekends in a shopping mall with…read moreair-conditioning. Yup. I am one of them. With the excruciating heat during summer in Hong Kong, it would be crazy to ask your friends 'hey! Let's go hiking this weekend!" Though I have to agree, do you know that Hong Kong in fact has one of the best hiking trails in the world and we are just not really appreciating it correctly. Lots of my foreign friends always wondered why is that locals here simply do not go hiking... Well... that's quite embarrassing as we might be taking the nature for granted. Regardless, I finally took up the courage and embraced with our great natural side of Hong Kong. As a matter of fact, Tai Lam Country Park is the second largest country park in the territory. I did not finish the entire trail (sorry I am just a spoiled city boy) but frankly speaking the scenery was just AMAZING. It is fairly difficult to find an idle and tranquil place in Hong Kong, so hiking to places like this is definitely perfect choice for all. Personally, I loved the Red leaves in Dai Tong during winter when it is less hot and the scene would make you feel like you are in one of those romantic Japanese TV shows where the guy and the girl meet.

Hong Kong has real good country park for hiking. Roads are clear and safe. One can hike at their…read moreown physical abilities. Views are beautiful on the way. They were well decided. If you like hiking, do it here as well.

The Sai Wan Ho Harbor Park isn't so much a Park in the dictionary sense of the word. It is more of…read morea promenade where you can walk or run by the harbor. A lot of the locals will set up a fishing rod and go fishing here. I like to run along along the promenade and really enjoy the fresh air and smell of the sea. It can get crowded during the weekends and when the weather gets good. There are often gatherings for people with dogs to have their dogs play with each other. The Park is free so There is really nothing to really criticize..

It's my go-to ever since when I was a kid. This park is a hidden gem in Hong Kong. The view might…read morenot be as grand as Tsim Sha Tsui harbor, but it has a nice tranquil feeling to it especially at night. To the right side there is the typhoon shelter for fishermen's boats. Quite a spectacular view, and unique to Hong Kong. People do Tai Chi, group dances, fishing and jogging around the park. Walking along the harbor trail leads you to close to North Point. There is a pets' park towards the end. On the weekends, you can see pet owners with all their cute doggies chilling. Right next to the Harbor Park is Soho East, there is a large variety of restaurants there. A great place to explore dinner options!

Lantau Peak (aka Phoenix Peak) is the 2nd highest peak in HK at 934m, but it is the highest peak…read moreyou are able to directly access (the highest peak's terminus is otherwise on private property). There are various routes to reach the summit. We sought out Middle Dogs Teeth/ Kau Nga Ling for our ascent. The trailhead for this ridge trail begins just before Shek Pik Reservoir. There's a bus stop that goes to the reservoir, but we took a blue taxi from Tung Chung MTR Station for a faster, more direct service (~160 HKD). The trail is very well known and the uncle who drove us knew exactly where to take us when we said we wanted to go up Lantau Peak near the trailhead close to Shek Pik. He called the dogs teeth "crazy" - BAH! The trailhead was situated in a park where a bunch of happy cows roamed. It also had a super clutch and rather clean port-a-potty for getting the morning biz-ness taken care of before the AWESOME, on-all-fours, class 3 straight scramble up to Lantau Peak. Trail starts off pretty straight forward until you reach an off shoot leading into dense foliage and with a sign warning you not to proceed any further (due to a previous fatal accident). Which everyone ignored, of course, including the senior-aged uncles and aunties which was a signal to us of permission granted (because being led by example and all :)). We did a point-to-point from the trailhead near Shek Pik to Ngong Ping Village with the intention of taking the 360 cable car down. I tracked it at around 4mi/ 6km with 3,000 FG/ 970m. It took us about 3 hours to get to the top of Lantau with many breaks and chats with all the uncles and aunties along the way. The most dangerous section is what has been lovingly deemed the Lifeline, or One Line of Survivability. This section encircled a rocky mound which was passable only in one direction. There was a chain bolted into the rock which served as a hand hold when traversing the narrow section with a sheer drop on the other side. Honestly, I've seen scarier, but the riskiness is there especially for someone with a fear of heights, I am sure. It is still cause for a fun celebration when you successfully "survive" it. Loved the view as we made the final push up the Phoenix's "tail". It was foggy at the top, but the fog was very welcomed on this mostly exposed trail. The temperature was perfect and although a lot of work, it wasn't terrible, in the end. We doubled back to the junction just before the Phoenix's tail to descend to the Tian Tan Big Buddha, but one of the aunties was saying how we could have continued on past the peak to another trail which also descended to Tian Tan Village. Such a gratifying hike with phenomenal views at the top in what is suppose to be a 360 degree view of Lantau Island. We otherwise had fog which mattered not since the whole point-to-point journey eventually granted us views of all parts of Lautau. The decision to climb up Lantau depends on time and your energy because the ascent up Middle Dogs Teeth is one of the hardest hikes in HK. There are easier approaches via Pak Kung Au and even from Tian Tan Village itself. Regardless, seeing Lantau Island from the perspective of the peak is not be missed!

When I first walked up to the sign that said, Lantau Peak 3.5km ~2.5hr I was flabbergasted. I'm no…read moreexpert hiker, but I can definitely hike 3.5km faster than that! I dragged my mom on the paved path cheerfully preparing for our journey up the mountain. When we hit the first set of stairs, I was like hey! We got this! It'll level out soon... nope. This hike is actually just under 2km of straight stone steps. Imagine a never ending stairmaster! The hike is challenging, but never too dangerous. There are some great clear lookout spots (aka resting points) of the Buddha. The last .5km may seem like a stretch but definitely worth it. There is railing in some spots but I never felt like I was going to fall off the mountain or anything. I was pretty disappointed in the overcast skies but still a beautiful view. This is a must do hike! Take lots of breaks on both the incline and decline since the stairs are just as hard coming down. We came to the trail head by way of the 23 bus at the end of the orange line on the MTR. You can also see the Buddha while you're at it. Alternatives are to take the gondola up, or hike the Lantau Trail but I'm not 100% sure where that starts.