Sunset Peak Hike On Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Sunset Peak hike on Lantau Island is an epic stairway climbing challenge to one of the best viewpoints in Hong Kong. As the name suggests, it is an excellent spot to watch the sunset over the peninsula below.Discover the enchanting beauty of Hong Kong’s natural landscapes with the Sunset Peak hike. This captivating adventure takes you on a journey to one of the city’s highest summits, offering breathtaking panoramic views and a memorable experience. As you ascend the well-defined trail from Pak Kung Au, prepare to be mesmerized by the majestic mountains, verdant valleys, and the shimmering South China Sea. 

SUNSET PEAK HIKING GUIDE

In this blog post, I’ll share everything you need to know about the Sunset Peak hike in Hong Kong including where it is, how to get there and when it’s best to visit.

MY EXPERIENCE ON THE SUNSET PEAK HIKE AT LANTAU ISLAND

After the journey from Central Station took about 45-minutes, I arrived at Tung Chung MTR Station. Google Maps suggested a mini-bus but with just 2.5km to the trailhead, I decided to walk. Through the city, we went heading towards the Wong Lung Hang Picnic Site. Shortly after the picnic site is the entrance to the hike.

We saw a few trail-runners and weary-looking hikers sat at the entrance, obviously having hiked through in the opposite direction. Stairs will do that to you. 

The Sunset Peak hike has a brutal start. It will break a few people early. The first 2.5-kilometers of the trail is purely stairs. In fact, you will climb non-stop up the stairs for 30-60-minutes depending on your pace.

There aren’t many views, just you and the stairs in a tense battle. Once you make it through this section, there are more stairs but no sections with this level of intensity and longevity.

The trail then opens up a lot, the sun now searing down on us as we can look around and begin to appreciate the ridges that wind through Lantau Island. It’s a beautiful, natural landscape, with no cities in view for the most part. We hustle forward through more stairs, this time they are a little less brutal and surrounded by a stunning forest scene. Along the trail were some incredible, bent trees, which were my favorite part of the early stages on the Sunset Peak hike.

With the sun beginning to drop, we made it up the clearing where we found the mysterious stone cabins. The golden grassy plains up on this ridge line swayed wildly as fierce winds hit us as soon as we made it out of the forest. The stone cabins up on the ridge are a bit of a mystery because, despite their 90-year+ existence, there isn’t too much information regarding their purpose. It’s mentioned that the houses were built by British missionaries for camping purposes, which seems like a pretty bizarre story to me!

There are quite a number of rocky outcrops here, which make for great photos. The strong winds kept most away from the edges or rocks but we braved the gale to sit atop the rocks overlooking Pui O beach down below. The smog ruined the view a bit but even with poor visibility, it was a nice view.

The trail continues on along the ridge, climbing a little bit,  but now on a dirt path without stairs. More rocks and viewpoints can be found scattered along the final moments of the route before you make the short climb to the summit.

As the sun began to set, the clouds would come and go in waves creating some strange moments up at Sunset Peak. At times we had the entire sky beaming and glowing and at other times the smog and clouds rolled in making the sun so faint it almost appeared to be the moon! There are lots of peaks right alongside Sunset Peak and they all connect with small paths off of the official path so the best thing to do is to explore all of the spots, enjoy finding different angles and have some fun while hoping for some sunset glow.

The walk down in the dark was quite tough as it was a heavy decline with lots of stairs. You will need a lot to be able to see your footing. The glow on Lantau Peak was superb during these moments, but a little dark to photograph. It’s only a short 2-kilometers or so to get down this side so it’s a quick and easy escape to the nearest bus stop. 

At the end of the trail, you will end up at the main road at Pak Kung Au and the bus stop is directly in front of you. You can catch either the 3M, 11, 23 buses back to Tung Chung MTR station to begin your journey home.