Now that the weather is much better I’m back to hiking at the weekends (see my post on the MacLehose Trail Stage 2) and during week nights. Sometimes I’ll join the Hong Kong Hiking Meetup group (find more info here) and other times I’m just out with my friend Monica.
Currently, I’ve got four favourite night hikes. They are all on the Hong Kong Island side and between 1,5 and 3 hours long.
(1) Quarry Bay MTR station to Tin Hau MTR station
Distance is about 10km with an elevation of 600 metres
This hike takes me between 2 and 2,5 hours depending on how hot and humid it is
Directions:
- Quarry Bay MTR, turn right and follow King’s Road
- Turn right, walk uphill the Mount Parker Road for 3.5km
- Once you reach Windy Gap (you can use the bathroom there) turn right and climb up Jacob’s ladder to Mount Butler. That’s part of the Hong Kong Stage 5
- Walk halfway downhill and turn right (don’t turn left to Jardine’s Lookout, that’s another hike). You are now on Wilson Trail Stage 2
- After a short climb, walk downhill and turn left so you walk around the Quarry (not downhill back to Quarry Bay MTR)
- Follow the foot path that leads you to the houses next to the Quarry
- From there just follow the Sir Cecil’s Ride road and Mount Butler Road downhill, for about 3km
- I’ll take a short-cut past the fenced-off government area (it’s difficult to describe where it is, I’ll have to show it to you or take pictures next time) to reach Tai Han Road and walk downhill to Tin Hau to have lunch/dinner
(2) Quarry Bay MTR station to Parkview
Distance is about 6.5km with an elevation of 550 metres (and about 1,800 steps!) to Parkview
This hike takes me between 1,5 and 2 hours depending on how hot and humid it is. You can extend this hike also to Violet Hill and the Twins or you could walk downhill to Wong Nei Chung Gap Road and Bowen Road
Directions:
- Quarry Bay MTR, turn right and follow King’s Road
- Turn right, walk uphill the Mount Parker Road for 1km
- Then turn right (at marker MPK42, which is at the small water fountain/basin) and climb the steps uphill until they end at Sir Cecil’s Ride footpath. At this point, turn left and follow the path through the woods for about 1km
- Now turn right and climb up all the steps to the top – there is a small food bridge to your left, you’ll need to pass it and then climb Siu Ma Shan
- Walk downhill, turn right and follow the Hong Kong Trail Stage 5 until you reach Jardine’s Lookout
- From there, you can walk or jog down Tai Tam Reservoir Road, turn right onto Wong Nei Chung Gap Road, jog downhill, then cross over to Bowen Road
(3) Causeway Bay/Wan Chai via the Peak to the Central Ferry Piers
This is my route from the office to the ferry and it is about 13-14 km long. It takes me between 2,5 and 3 hours to complete
The elevation is around 1,000
Directions:
- Walk to the Hopewell Centre in Wan Chai and climb up the steps behind until Bowen Road
- Follow Bowen Road all the way (3km) until you hit the Peak tram at Magazine Gap Road
- From there walk uphill along May Road, Tregunter Path and all the way until the Old Peak Road
- Once on the peak walk the 4km loop on Lugard Road (which is also the Hong Kong Trail Stage 1) – this part is easy as it is all flat, you just have to watch our for all the runners
- Walk back down along the Old Peak Road – I tend to turn left on Hornsey Road, walk past the Glenealy School until I reach the Mid-Levels escalator and walk downhill to the IFC and ferry piers
(4) Dragon’s Back
That’s an exciting hike at night time. It is about 10km long and takes between 1,45 and 2,15 hours to complete
Elevation is about 500 metres
- The easiest way to get there is to take the Bus number 9 from Shau Kei Wan MTR (exit A3) and alight at To Tei Wan
- Climb up the hill and follow the final stage of the Hong Kong Trail
- It is about 7,5km on the trail, before arriving at Big Wave Bay
- There, turn left, walk across the beach and start climbing up the 1,000 or so steps to join a path leading down to Island Resort in Siu Sai Wan
- There are a few buses into Wanchai/Admiralty/Central or you can catch a mini bus to Heng Fa Chuen MTR
What are your favourite night hikes? Let me know, I’m curious to try them out.
bluebalu 
Thank you very much for the info ! I would love to try them out :)
Thanks for the tips! Never thought of hiking in HK at night, which makes sense if you have company as the weather would be nicer and you might still get to enjoy the city views (albeit a different perspective)!
Hi, do you mean they are really *night time* hikes? The paths are not illuiminated – do you just go with a head torch? Did you try to take pictures of city lights down there?
Yes, the hikes will be in the dark – except for the one around the Peak. So you’ll need to bring head lamp or a torch. But it’s a great way to experience Hong Kong at night, you’ll hear animal sounds instead of traffic noise and can enjoy views that you normally can’t see. If you just want to take pictures of Hong Kong at night, you could just go up to the peak and take a tripod with you – I go for the hike and the exercise, so I don’t carry a camera or tripod with me.
Not sure how I didn’t discover this blog sooner. Good stuff, great suggestions ^_^