As the name suggests, this hike offers up a great chance to see the sun go down on the beautiful countryside of Lantau Island, so many people choose to set off in the early – mid-afternoon. This may be risky, though, as the descent is pretty steep and dangerous in the dark. With this in mind, aim to have started the hike by 3:30pm at the latest.

The Basics

Start Point:  Mui Wo

End Point:  Pak Kung Au

Distance:  Around 6.5km

Duration:  2.5 – 3 hours (Not including travel time)

What to Take:  All of the hiking essentials: water, snacks, sunblock, octopus card etc. Stock up in Mui Wo before you begin. You will also need a warm jacket or jumper because it can be very cold at the top!

Difficulty:  3.5/5 – The hike felt a little longer but less intense than the likes of The Twins and Lantau Peak. The beginning of the hike consists of many, many stairs, however, and may be tough for inexperienced hikers.

Getting There

From Central, you need to take the ferry to Mui Wo from Pier 6.

Find the timetable here.

Then, take a taxi or a bus to the start point, which is Lantau Country Park.

There is both a bus station and taxi rank as soon as you get off the ferry in Mui Wo. Catching the bus is quick and easy and you can take the 1, 2 or 3M. Alight at the stop named Nam Shan Sam Uk TsuenCross the road and you will see the big sign for the Lantau Trail straight ahead. Use the toilets here if you need to as it will be your last chance for a while.

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signage on sunset peak trail lantau
The start of the trail

The Hike

Now you’ve arrived at the hike start-point it’s time to set off. It’s a popular hike which is very well signposted so it’s not easy to get lost.

For the first hour or so it’s all up and is mainly stairs. Unlike its sister hike Lantau Peak, it is mainly shaded at this point so isn’t too stifling in the summertime. Keep going up and after a while the trail will open up and you will see your first great views of Lantau Island.

start of sunset peak trail

The second hour of hiking is more open and picturesque, allowing you to enjoy the greenery and panoramic views all around. This section is a little flatter and consists of a mixture of slopes and stairs.

views from Lantau Trail

After a while near the very top, you will come across several small and eerie buildings which are dotted along the path. You may speculate about their purpose as you continue to climb to the top. Depending on the day, here it can get very cold and you’ll need to put on another layer.

Just beyond the houses, the path narrows again and you will see the very top which is almost a separate peak entirely. There are two paths to choose, the first is to take the steep path to the top and the other is to miss it out and continue to walk around it instead. On a clear day you may wish to climb this steep section to reach the top but on an overcast day you may find that it’s shrouded in cloud and that it isn’t worth tackling. Either way, be sure to take in the views before continuing on to the descent.

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Lantau hills

The path to the end takes around an hour. It begins as a slope which turns eventually into stairs. It is steep and requires concentration and careful footing. Eventually you will reach an opening at the bottom where you will find benches and a toilet stop. Congratulations, this is the end of the hike!

end of Lantau trail

Getting Home

Walk down to the road. Here you can either take a bus back to Mui Wo or a bus to Tung Chung where you can take the MTR. Perhaps the easiest way is to go to Tung Chung as you may end up waiting for a while in Mui Wo for a ferry back to Central.

To go to Tung Chung, take the 3M23 or 11 bus. To go back towards Mui Wo take the 3M.

Sunset Peak: Complete!

 

Tick off Hong Kong’s top 10 hikes!


Kindergarten Teacher, tea-obsessive and serial bruncher, Emily moved from the UK to Hong Kong 3 years ago. When she’s not working, you can find her planning holidays and hunting for books to read while travelling! She’s passionate about body image, wellness and ex-pat life – check out her other writing at emilymoulds.com  


 

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