Lantau Trail hike
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Lantau Trail - by Koreval
Description
The Lantau trail is a 70km loop across most of Hong Kong's Lantau Island formally starting and finishing in Mui Wo. The route is well marked and comprises 12 stages with distance posts every 500m. The highlights are the climbs up Sunset Peak (869m alt.) and Lantau Peak (934m alt.), and the scenery along section 5 (western section). Total elevation gain is about 3,500m so it is quite demanding from a fitness standpoint and would take the average hiker 2 or 3 days to cover. There are many sections to choose from
Access & Transport
The best way is to get to Mui Wo is the ferry from Central Pier #6. Alternatively, take the MTR until Tung Chung station (on the Tung Chung / Orange line) and, from there, either take a taxi or the bus 3M to Pak Kung Au (make sure you mention this to the driver beforehand) with sections 2 (Sunset Peak on the east side) and 3 (Lantau Peak on the west side) meeting in that location.
Instructions & Recommendations
There is no real need to do the entire trail in one stretch over 2 or 3 days and hiking a few sections can be done as a day trip which means a much lighter backpack. Proper footwear and plenty of water is a must as water points / shops are quite spaced out and conditions can be highly variable on the trail, especially going up in altitude. A day hiking can be complemented with a visit to Tai O, the Big Buddha / Po Lin Monastery or some beach time along the southern shore of the island.
Environmental & Social
Green activity and maginal positive impact on villages along the way from tourism revenues
Conclusion
Hiking the Lantau Trail will provide you with several opportunities to discover Lantau Island and get away from the concrete jungles that can be found on Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Lantau Peak and Sunset Peaks will give you some of the best 360 deg. view in Hong Kong whilst other sections have their charm and can be very hilly, section 5 in particular.
Key positive
Wonderful views across Lantau, Kowloon and some of the outlying islands
Well-marked and steep but not too technical
Key negative
Going by public transport can take a while
Sunset Peak and Lantau Peak can be crowded on some sunny weekends or public holidays
Opportunities to refill water bottles can be few or non-existent on some sections
Suitability
Suitable for 8 - 65yrs old. The trails are not accessible for visitors with reduced mobility
About this Rating
TYPE
Onsite
RESEARCHED IN
May 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:1h 15m
est. visit time:4h
Sunrise / early morningOk
MorningOk
Lunch timeOk
AfternoonOk
Sunset / eveningNo
Night – bef. midnightNo
Night – aft. midnightNo