The 5 Best Hikes in Hong Kong
Photo by Peter Lam CH on Unsplash
Hong Kong has over 130 official hiking trails. That number surprises almost everyone, including people who have lived here for years. The city is so relentlessly associated with its skyline that its other identity, the one made of ridgelines and sea cliffs and forested peaks, rarely gets the recognition it deserves.
These are the five best hikes in Hong Kong: trails that have earned their reputation and will convince even the most committed city person that this place is something else entirely when you step outside it.
New to Hong Kong hiking? Start with our piece on Discovering Hong Kong's Most Iconic Hiking Trails for the full picture of what is possible here.
The 5 Best Hikes in Hong Kong
1. Dragon's Back — Best Overall Urban Hike
Difficulty: Moderate. Duration: 2 to 3 hours. Distance: approximately 8.5km.
If you only do one hike in Hong Kong, it is Dragon's Back. Located on the southeastern edge of Hong Kong Island, the trail runs through Shek O Country Park and descends toward the coastal village of Shek O and Big Wave Bay. Time Magazine called it Asia's Best Urban Hike, a title it earns every time you reach the ridge and the South China Sea opens up in front of you.
The name describes the experience perfectly. Walking the ridgeline feels like moving along the spine of something ancient. To the south: the open sea. To the west: the dense urban fabric of Hong Kong Island. Between them, unbroken green. The view from the top reorients you completely.
Getting there: Bus 9 from Shau Kei Wan MTR (Exit A3) to To Tei Wan stop on Shek O Road.
Our Dragon's Back art print captures the ridge and sea view that stops every hiker mid-stride.
2. The Peak (Victoria Peak) — Best for History and Harbour Views
Photo by Christian Lendl on Unsplash
Difficulty: Easy. Duration: 1 to 1.5 hours. Distance: 3.5km loop.
Most people take the Peak Tram, look at the view from the observation deck, and leave. The Peak Circle Walk, a 3.5km loop through dense forest above the city, is what they miss. It is one of the most accessible trails in Hong Kong and one of the most historically loaded. The Peak Tram opened in 1888. Walking these paths means following routes that generations of Hong Kong residents have used to escape the city below.
Lugard Road, which forms part of the loop, offers unobstructed panoramic views of Victoria Harbour. On a clear day it is one of the best vantage points in the entire city, and almost no one is there because they are all at the mall at the top of the tram.
Getting there: Peak Tram from Garden Road, or Bus 15 from Central (Exchange Square).
The Peak art print: the city below, the mountain above.
3. Sai Wan / Ham Tin Trail (MacLehose Trail Stage 2) — Best Coastal Scenery
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard. Duration: 4 to 5 hours. Distance: approximately 13km.
The Sai Wan / Ham Tin Trail follows Stage 2 of the MacLehose Trail through Sai Kung East Country Park, and it is the one that stops conversation. Sea stacks rising from clear water, hidden beaches only reachable on foot, coastal cliffs that feel thousands of miles from any city. It appears regularly on lists of the best day hikes in Asia.
This is the trail most likely to turn a casual walker into someone who starts buying trail books. The landscape feels genuinely wild in a way that Hong Kong rarely prepares you for.
Getting there: Minibus 29R from Sai Kung Town to Pak Tam Chung (weekends only). Taxi on weekdays.
Sai Wan and 25 other trails feature in the Iconic Hikes Hong Kong book.
4. Braemar Hill — Best for Expats Near the City
Difficulty: Easy. Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours. Distance: approximately 4km.
Braemar Hill is the trail that most Eastern District expats discover first and return to most often. Accessible from North Point or Tin Hau MTR, it climbs through dense woodland and rewards with views across to Kowloon and the Sai Kung peninsula. There is something about Braemar Hill's position, perched between the urban east of the island and the open water, that makes it feel like the city's most honest viewpoint.
It also captures something unique about Hong Kong hiking: the way the city simply ends at the trail's edge. Urban density one moment, forest the next.
Getting there: Bus 25 from North Point MTR to Braemar Hill Road.
5. Brides Pool — Best for Something Completely Different
Difficulty: Easy. Duration: 1 to 2 hours. Distance: 3 to 5km depending on route.
Everything else on this list involves dramatic ridgelines and harbour views. Brides Pool in the northeastern New Territories offers something else entirely: waterfalls, freshwater streams, dense lowland forest, and a quietness that feels genuinely remote. It is the trail that breaks the assumption that Hong Kong's natural beauty is always dramatic.
The Brides Pool Nature Trail is one of the most peaceful walks in Hong Kong and one of the most underrated. If you have done Dragon's Back and the Peak and want to see a completely different side of what Hong Kong's outdoors can be, this is it.
Getting there: Green minibus 20C from Tai Po Market MTR.
The Brides Pool art print: water, forest, stillness.
Planning Tips for All Five Trails
The best time to hike in Hong Kong is October through March: cooler temperatures, lower humidity, and clear skies. Summer hiking is possible but demands early starts and serious hydration. Always check the Hong Kong Observatory for weather and typhoon signals before heading out.
Each of the trails above is well maintained and signposted. Bring more water than you think you need, wear proper footwear, and tell someone where you are going.
If you want to understand these trails more deeply, not just where to go but what each place actually feels like, the Iconic Hikes Hong Kong book covers 26 trails, each with a full page vintage style poster and prose that captures the character of each route.