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“You must go to the peak!”
“See Hong Kong from above and go to the Peak!”
“The view is awesome.”
Some of the handful of things people said to me about the Peak in Hong Kong. Formally known as Victoria Peak (太平山), it is the highest point on Hong Kong Island. The view is famous, offering spectacular viewpoints over Victoria Harbour, the Hong Kong skyline and distant mountains in the New Territories.
It was unfortunate that for most of my time in Hong Kong, it was shrouded under a dense cloud of smog. I could barely see from our apartment so my hopes of getting good views from the Peak were not high. We kept on putting it off determined to wait out the weather. I’m not paying to go up to see a view that I can’t see. My stubbornness won out and on our last day in Hong Kong, I woke up to gloriously blue skies. I was ecstatic! To the Peak!
The quickest way of getting to the top is by taking the tram from Central. If you have an octopus card with enough money on it, you can skip the line to buy tickets and just get in line for the tram. While queuing up, there are exhibits talking about the tram’s history. They’re hard to appreciate since everyone is jostling around you as they wait and the crowds are quite dense. The trams came pretty frequently, despite there being only two of them, and we didn’t have long to wait before we were heading up.
Opened in 1888, the tram covers a distance of 1.4 km and an elevation of just under 400 meters. At times while riding the tram, it felt so steep to the point of it being uncomfortable even though at its very steepest, it was only 27 degrees. Along the way, there are a few stops. The tram also serves as public transport for those who live on the mountain.
One of the tram stops along the way
It’s hard to capture how steep this is, but I’m holding the camera straight on.
At the top, you arrive in the basement of the Peak Tower – essentially a glorified shopping mall built exclusively for tourists. Get out of there ASAP. There are a couple walking trails that take you to various viewpoints along the top. Once outside, the view was fantastic. You could see the whole city and beyond!
It was such a difference from the last time I was here on my last whirlwind visit to Hong Kong almost 10 years ago. It was 3 am. I was on a layover enroute to Cambodia and a family friend drove my friend and me up to the Peak for the view. I remember it being foggy and the twinkling lights of the city below were blurry. Or maybe it was my eyes that were blurry seeing as it was the middle of the night and I had barely slept on the flight over.
We headed in both directions to take in the view from different vantage points. We visited the Lions View Point Pavilion on one side and then walked a portion of the Peak Circle Walk.
Overlooking the Lions View Point on one side
Walking around to the other side and you get a much different view of the city.
Another vantage point
It was strange being able to look down into the backyards of those living close to the mountain. From this high up you definitely can appreciate how compact the city is and how close together buildings are. It’s hard to tell where one building begins and another starts. All you see is glass, glass and more glass!
Concrete jungle
While I enjoyed the views and had a great walk around a part of the peak, I felt the overall experience was really touristy and fake much like a few other experiences in the city. That said, if you’re able to avoid all the tourist traps and you get lucky with the weather, you’re rewarded with stellar views of the city.
One of my friends went at night said that it was a completely different experience and he preferred that view more. You can check out his photos on his Flickr page. Perhaps on a smog free night it would be a great view. Regardless of the time of day you go, getting high up to see the city is a must.
Good to know
From Hong Kong’s Central district you can gain access to the Peak via the funicular railway. You can also take Bus 15 from Exchange Square bus terminus (near MTR Hong Kong Station, Exit D) or the Minibus 1 from MTR Hong Kong Station public transport interchange. If you decide to go with the tram, fill up your octopus card before you arrive so you can skip the line for tickets.
At the time of writing, it costs $40HKD round trip for an adult to take the tram. Trams run 7 am to 12 midnight every 10 – 15 minutes.
On the peak website, you’re offered a number of different Peak experience packages. You don’t need to pay anything more than your return ticket on the tram to enjoy the views from the Peak.
If you decide to go for a walk at the top, bring water and snacks! Both are rather expensive at the top and there are no food stops along the routes.
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I really liked the views from the top of Victoria Peak and wish that I’d had more time to walk some of the trails up there. Lucky you. I agree, you really do get a feeling for how dense the city is when looking down on it. My silly boy forgot left his eyeglasses at the hotel, so I imagine he ended up with a rather blurry image of the fantastic scenery, too.
Haha, oh no! Well hopefully you guys took lots of pictures so he could appreciate the non blurry view as well. I’d love to go back and walk the full circle loop to see whats on the other side.
Every person I know who has been to HongKong proudly shares these views. It’s stunning and despite it being touristy, this is probably one of the first things we’d do and we’d probably go back at night 🙂 Glad you had a better experience this time around.
Yea for sure. I think it belongs on the list of “really touristy things to do, but you still need to do them.” I wish I could have gone back at night on a clear evening to see the lights though!
That view is absolutely incredible! It would make me feel really claustrophobic to return to such a huge city with so many people, but it’s quite a wonder to see!
True, the amount of people is really disorienting! But surprisingly at the peak it didn’t feel too cramped at all.
Added to my list for when I get there one day! Great captures! Bron
Thanks Bron! Hope you get a chance to go soon!
Great views! Being at the peak seems a better experience than being in the middle of the concrete jungle… Impressive city!
That is true! Despite the touristy factor and the long lines to get up to the top, once you’re there, it doesn’t seem all that crowded. Everyone is so spread out.
That is true! Despite the touristy factor and the long lines to get up to the top, once you’re there, it doesn’t seem all that crowded. Everyone is so spread out.
It’s the one thing everyone says about Hong Kong, and it’s no wonder. What a fabulous outlook. So glad you listened to everyone and shared it with us.
Thanks SJ! It really was stunning on a clear day.
What a fantastic fantastic view! Can’t wait to see it for myself one day. My best friend lives in Hong Kong at the moment! 🙂
Thanks Emma! I hope you get a chance to visit soon 🙂
The views from the peak are stunning on a good day and although it was packed I didn’t find it overly touristy, perhaps because I was silly enough to do it on a local holiday that involved going to high ground and paying respect to ancestors so everyone was taking the easy way (tram) up the hill. I really enjoyed it but I was a bit surprised that the poor old tram could really make it up that slope when it was that crowded.
Once you leave that main complex area its definitely not as touristy which is really nice. That tram is amazing! And to think it’s been running for over a hundred years. Such a feat of engineering.
great views of the city. I love being able to see a city from a high vantage point!
Thanks Brittany! It seems like a major trend. People like getting high up to see cities when traveling, but it’s definitely worth it when you get views like these.
Hong Kong is a lot of fun, and you are SO lucky to see it on such a clear day! When I was there a few years ago, it was cloudy every day and I could see nothing from the peak! Great photos!
Thanks Andrew! I got really really lucky! If I had planned my trip for the week after I went, I would have had clear skies the whole time. At least I still managed to get one really clear day.
Sometimes it does pay off to wait before you go and see something.I had the same thing in Cape Town. The weather was so bad that it wasn’t allowed to go up Table Mountain, but my last morning the weather was great, so I raced to the mountain and was the first to go up at 8 am. Yay!
Yea for sure! It’s really hard to tell sometime though. I’ve played the waiting game before and totally got burned, but lucky for me, it worked out in Hong Kong.
When I first went to Hong Kong, it was one of my first trips outside Europe and I was still a student – we went up The Peak and I was totally overwhelmed by the beautiful skyline views from the top – totally amazing and I love your pics 🙂
Thanks Shikha! I can see Hong Kong being a really overwhelming experience if it’s the first time you’re away from the familiar. Regardless, the view is amazing 🙂
Oh wow! I was only in Hong Kong for like two days five years ago, and it was foggy all the time too. I went up to the Peak with a friend because he kept insisting we go (he wanted to visit the Madame Tussauds up there more than anything, really!) and we of course saw nothing of the view but the nearby apartment buildings. It was super touristy like you said, but I think I would go again if/when I’m in Hong Kong on a sunny day for this view. Lovely!
It’s definitely worth going if it is sunny. The views are just stunning. I don’t know if I’d go again if it were foggy though. Haha, how funny – of all things to draw him to the peak it’s a wax museum 🙂
Beautiful view! We didn’t get to do this, but then again, we were only in HK for a few hours during a layover. D did want to go to the peak though, but I opted to skip this in favor of more food. 😀 I can’t believe how condensed the buildings are! You definitely don’t see that when on the ground.
I don’t blame you. I think I probably would have gone with food too. There’s too much of it in Hong Kong!
Adelina, your post brings back great memories. Thanks … and now, I’m missing Hong Kong.
Thanks Henry! I wouldn’t mind going back right now either 🙂
What a nice set of photos! The view is amazing! Glad that you enjoyed your trip to Hong Kong, it’s one of my favorite cities.
Thanks! I really loved my visit too. Can’t wait to go back already!
The views are amazing.Well worth waiting out the smog.