The view from the top of Hong Kong Island over Victoria Harbour and the entire city skyline, including the south side, is undoubtedly one of the most glorious and beautiful in the world.

Choose the best accommodation with a view of Hong Kong

Head to Victoria Peak ideally in the light and dark. The difference between day and night is indescribable and both experiences will be etched deeply in your memory.

Victoria Peak of the day

Victoria Peak at night

What Victoria Peak looks like

Don't think of Victoria Peak as a single viewpoint at the top of a hill. The highest hill on Hong Kong Island (552m above sea level) rises out of dense forest, but the peak itself is very difficult to access.

In fact, there are several large antennas fenced off at the highest point.

The main centre of tourist activity takes place in the saddle known simply as the 'Gap' between Victoria Peak and Mount Gough. From here, too, there are views in both directions, both towards the centre of Hong Kong and Kowloon, and across towards Aberdeen.

Prepare for an extremely touristy place with crowds and big unsightly supermarkets.

The best views from Victoria Peak

Where can you find the best views of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak and the surrounding area?

As we've already outlined, the highest point is largely inaccessible, but you can find viewpoints near it too.

Victoria Peak Gardens

The beautiful Victorian-style gardens with many flowerbeds, gazebos and pavilions will also provide panoramic views of the southern part of Hong Kong Island and Lammu Island.

From the gardens, you won't be able to see downtown Hong Kong or Kowloon.

From the cable car station, you will have to walk 1.5 km one way uphill quite steeply.

Lugard Road Lookout

One of the most popular views is from the hiking path around the top, also known as the "Lugard Road".

At one point, the path emerges from the forest directly above the centre of Hong Kong and Victoria Harbour, offering mesmerising views.

From the cable car station, you will walk 1km one way more or less on flat ground with only short elevation changes.

View from Lugar Road

Department store The Peak Galleria

Directly opposite the exit from the top cable car station is the "Peak Galleria" shopping centre. In its bowels is the bus station.

The roof of the mall offers panoramic views of downtown Hong Kong, Kowloon and across towards the south coast around the Aberdeen district.

Unlike the larger Peak Tower mall, where the cable car terminates, the rooftop view is free to access.

It is open daily from 8am-10pm.

View from the roof of The Peak Galleria

The roof of The Peak Galleria

Findlay Road

A narrow tarmac road leads upwards from both shopping malls, and from several points there are great views of downtown Hong Kong and Kowloon.

From the cable car station you are only about 200 metres on foot.

The downside of Findlay Road is the relatively small viewpoints with larger crowds.

Findlay Road

The Peak Tower

The viewpoint with the biggest advertisement on the internet is on the roof of a huge and commercial centre, which does not fit in with the surrounding nature by its architecture at all.

It is true that the views from the roof are really beautiful and on all sides, however, the view on the opposite department store "The Peak Galleria" is not significantly worse.

Ticket prices for the view are as follows.

75 hkd - Single entry
148 hkd - Entry + return cable car ride (save approx. 10% compared to buying separately)
Opening hours - 10:00 to 22:00
Detailed information and online purchase: thepeak.com.hk

Peak Tower

Map of viewpoints

We have created a simple overview of the main viewpoints on Victoria Peak.

Hiking trails

The area around Victoria Peak is also great for walking, whether short walks on the flat or extremely challenging steep uphill walks.

Of all the areas in Hong Kong, however, Victoria Peak is the most touristy place to be and there will always be a lot of people on the trails.

Victoria Peak Loop

What are the best trails in the area? And how long does it take to climb Victoria Peak from central Hong Kong?

Victoria Peak Loop - The circular trail around the side of the mountain. It's all on tarmac and mostly in the shade of dense forest, but you'll often pass beautiful viewpoints.
- Length - 3.5 km / 45 minutes
- Difficulty - easy
Central Green Trail - A popular route for those who want to hike Victoria Peak directly from the centre and walk alongside the cable car.
- Length - 3 km / 45 minutes downhill / 2 hours uphill
- Difficulty - easy downhill and difficult uphill (high elevation gain)
Hong Kong Trail, Section 1 - The first part of the famous trail across Hong Kong will take you from the top of the cable car station by a circuit to Pok Fu Dam. The path is partly on asphalt and partly through the forest.
- Length - 6.5 km / 1.5 hours downhill and around 2 hours uphill
- Difficulty - moderate
Victoria Peak – stanice metra HKU - A popular walking route between the top cable car station via the viewpoint on Lugard Road and then steeply down to HKU subway station in west central Hong Kong.
- Length - 5 km / 70 minutes downhill and around 105 minutes uphill
- Difficulty - easy downhill and moderate uphill

So if you plan to climb Victoria Peak on foot without using the cable car or bus, it will take the more experienced travellers around 2 to 2.5 hours. The average hiker will climb the very steep hill in about 3.5 hours.

How to get there

Victoria Peak is easily accessible from central Hong Kong by public transport.

The funicular railway

The steep cable car is one of the main attractions in all of Hong Kong and is also covered in detail in the Activities section.

The cable car is referred to as "The Peak Tram" and runs from central Hong Kong (the location of the lower station is roughly between the "Central" and "Admiralty" subway stations).

The cable car takes you up daily from 7:30am to 11:00pm at intervals of 15-20 minutes.

A one-way ticket costs 62 hkd, a return ticket costs 88 hkd. Detailed information can be found on the official website: thepeak.com.hk/getting-to-the-peak.

The queues for the cable car are longest in the evening and at weekends, when waiting times can be up to 45 minutes.

Lower station of The Peak Tram

Boarding at the lower station

Bus

It is cheaper and more frequent to get to the top by bus. However, the journey is longer than by cable car and even for the bus you can expect a queue, although not as long (usually 10-20 minutes maximum).

Minibus 1 - express line to "Central" station
- Frequency - 5 to 15 minutes
- Travel time - 35 minutes
- Price - 11,80 hkd
Bus 15 - slower route to "Central" station
- Frequency - 5 to 15 minutes
- Travel time - 45 minutes
- Price - 12,10 hkd