DEVIL’S PEAK HIKE IN HONG KONG

Devil’s Peak hike is a bit of a strange adventure, passing you through a huge cemetery and a number of fortification ruins. However, despite the sometimes eerie atmosphere, it is a great view of Hong Kong as you peer into Victoria Harbor with Kowloon on your right and Central on your left.

DEVIL’S PEAK HIKE  DETAILS

Hike Distance: The total loop distance is just 3-kilometers. This is a very slow-paced, easy walk up the hill.

Hike Duration: The hike should take about an hour in duration but you can bargain to spend some extra time at the summit.

Hike Difficulty: Very easy hike with paved path half the time and well-defined trail the rest.

Hike Incline: 180m of incline

 

HOW TO GET TO DEVIL’S PEAK

To reach Devil’s Peak you will need to catch the MTR to Yau Tong Station. Take exit A out of the station and make your way to Ko Chiu Road. Then head up towards the Tseung Kwan O Chinese Permanent Cemetery. You will find a small arch, which will mark the start of the stairway trail. I’ve drawn a rough diagram of the route too take below and also included a photo of the entrance arch. The trail loops back as you can see below so you can just walk back to the MTR Yau Tong Station to transit back home.

 

MY EXPERIENCE ON THE DEVIL’S PEAK HIKE IN HONG KONG

The Devil’s Peak Hike is known to be one of the nice sunset spots in Hong Kong with just a short hike up from the train station. We set off in late afternoon towards the peak, hoping the weather would change a little and the sun would peak it. Unfortunately, we had no sun but it was still a great viewpoint and the batteries/forts along the trail were quite interesting to explore.

The first part of the trail is quite eerie. There are a lot of buildings that have been overrun by the forest and actually there was a lot of trash strewn about. It was an odd start to a hike that involved a long staircase, winding up the hill.

 

At the top of the hill is a huge cemetery, which spans the entire hill. It looks big from the top of the hill but when I flew the drone, I saw it was massive and it’s just insane how big this cemetery is. It adds to the already eerie atmosphere of the hike.

 

Once you reach the cemetery, the next part of the hike gets off of the staircases and onto a dirt trail. It’s not far but you will work your way through the trees until you reach the first battery. Devil’s Peak actually has a very unique location because it looks out over Lei Yue Mun, which is a narrow passage into Victoria Harbor. It was one of the 16 major sea passage as classified by the Ming Dynasty. After the British acquired the ‘New Territories’ in 1898, they proceeded to build several military stations atop Devil’s Peak. The Gough Battery and the Pottinger Battery were constructed on the southern slopes, both of which are still on the route today.

 

While the batteries are great places to explore, the main attraction of the hike is the top viewpoint. Here you can see out over Victoria Harbor to Central and Kowloon. There are lots of different spots to hang out up at the summit and if you are in for a good sunset it will be a great spot to spend the evening.

 

The trail now heads down the backside of the route, which may be the prettiest section of the route. The best viewpoint of them all was tucked away here on a little rock perch. This is where we watched the sunset although it never really came that night! It would be a great rock for night photography too!

 

Once you are heading down from the summit, it is just a 30-minute walk back to the train station and it is safe enough to do it in the dark if you have stayed up at the top to see the city lights.

 

TOP 4 PLACES TO STAY IN HONG KONG

Best Value Hotel: Metropark Hotel Causeway Bay – This 4-star hotel in Hong Kong Central is just $73 and looks like a luxury resort worth 4-times that amount.

Best Hostel: Alohas Hostel – For less than $12 USD, you have a great location in a clean and simple hostel.

Best Value Luxury Hotel: Hotel ICON – $140 for a 5-star hotel with an epic pool. Need I say more!

Best Hiking/Adventure Base: Hotel Stage –  In Kowloon and right next to lots of epic hikes, a gateway to the hikes in the New Territories. 4-star ultra-modern and a great adventure base.

Want a more detailed breakdown? I wrote the biggest ever guide for where to stay (and why) in Hong Kong! You can check it out here: WHERE TO STAY IN HONG KONG: BEST AREAS & HOTELS

 

BEST TIME TO HIKE IN HONG KONG

The ‘best’ time to visit Hong Kong will depend on a few factors. The biggest factor will, of course, be the weather. All of these hikes I did were in my month-long stay during December 2019. The weather was quite chilly as it was winter but the sun was still out on at least 60% of the hikes. In the day it was warm most of the time but I always had a jacket for at the summit. The suggest months for hiking in Hong Kong are:

Winter: December to February –  Mild weather and pretty comfortable for hiking. Minimal rainfall and still lots of sun during 2/3 of the days. I would suggest the winter after having experienced it myself.

Spring: March to May –  Unpredictable weather with some sun and some clouds, Humidity is now rising quite high. Rainfall can happen regularly during the spring.

Summer: June to August – This is not an ideal time to hike in Hong Kong. The humidity is at it’s highest, temperatures can reach 30 degrees daily and rainstorms can be frequent. There are beaches in Hong Kong, more than you would imagine but they aren’t all necessarily close to where you will be based in Hong Kong Central or Kowloon. 

Autumn/Fall: September to November – This is rated as the best time to visit Hong Kong. You have nice sunny weather but humidity is at it’s lowest for the year. Rainfall is also low during these months. 

 

PRE-BOOK YOUR 4G SIMCARD FOR HONG KONG (AIRPORT PICKUP) 

Before I arrived in Hong Kong, I pre-booked my 4G sim-card for pick-up at the airport. It gives you unlimited data for 5 days of traveling in Hong Kong at 4G speeds. As soon as I arrived at the airport, I walked to the stall, the guy put in my new sim-card and activated it and I was connected from the very first moment. You can Click Here to pre-book your 4G sim-card here and you’ll be surprised it’s actually cheaper to book it in advance.

Book yours now: Pre-Book 5-days Unlimited Data 4G Sim Card

 

PRE-BOOK YOUR 4G OCTOPUS CARD

You will need to purchase an ‘Octopus Card’ and then you reload it at the machine at the subway station. I pre-ordered my octopus card through Klook, which meant that when I arrived at the airport I simply picked the card up at the Klook counter and caught the train to my accommodation. It saved me from catching an expensive taxi and figuring out the Octopus card later.

You simply scan in at the station you enter and scan out where you exit and the fee is deducted from your card. On the bus, you will pay a fee depending on how much of the route is left and you only scan the card once for a fixed rate. I found moving around in Hong Kong very cheap, efficient and safe.

Click Here to pre-order your Octopus Card with 100 HKD credit loaded onto the card. Pick-up at the airport desk. 100HKD is good for 6-8 train rides and then you can top it up as you go.

Book yours now: HKD 50 Pre-loaded Octopus Card

 

CHEAPEST AIRPORT PRIVATE TRANSFER SERVICE

The airport in Hong Kong is on Lantau Island, which is about 40-minutes away from Hong Kong Central and 30-minutes away from Kowloon. If you don’t want to bother with public transport, you can book a private transfer that will pick you up at the airport and drop you to your hotel (or vice versa picking you up at your hotel and dropping you to the airport). It’s actually not that expensive and can save you valuable time. The cheapest option is actually the coolest and is in a Tesla car, which is pretty cool. I did this to and from the airport for less than $40.

Book yours now: Hong Kong Airport Transfer in Tesla

 

KEEP READING! CHECK OUT ALL THE BLOGS FROM MY HONG KONG SERIES

A complete guide to the best things to do: 27 AWESOME THINGS TO DO IN HONG KONG

My favorite hikes in Hong Kong: 21 AWESOME HIKES IN HONG KONG

How to plan your Hong Kong trip: 3-DAY HONG KONG ITINERARY FOR ADVENTURE-LOVERS

The biggest ever guide for where to stay in Hong Kong: WHERE TO STAY IN HONG KONG: BEST AREAS & HOTELS

My favorite EASY hikes: 10 EASY HIKING TRAILS IN HONG KONG

The most luxurious places to stay: THE TOP 10 LUXURY HOTELS IN HONG KONG (5-STAR LIST)

The ultimate adventure: EPIC HONG KONG HELICOPTER TOUR FROM THE PENINSULA HOTEL

The toughest overall hike: WEST DOG’S TEETH HIKE ‘HARDEST HIKE IN HONG KONG’

Best waterfall hike: TAI MO SHAN HIKE: THE HIGHEST PEAK IN HONG KONG