Hiking from Tung Chung to Discovery Bay

I’ve already posted about a number of hikes in and out of Discovery Bay. By far the most popular one is the Mui Wo route, as it is easy to walk and only takes 1.5-2 hours. I’ve written about it in 2011, when I first came to Hong Kong, then in 2012 when I hiked from Mui Wo to Discovery Bay.

The other popular and easy route is to hike the Olympic Trail from Tung Chung to Mui Wo. While technically this is not a hike to Discovery Bay, it takes you into Mui Wo from which you can then hike back to Discovery Bay. So that’s an easier option from Tung Chung to Discovery Bay, that goes past the Trappist Monastery.

The more fun but also harder hike goes from Tung Chung to Discovery Bay via the Tiger Head. That’s a tough hike and I’ve actually done it a few times now, so that I know, my preference is to start in Discovery Bay and hike up the Tiger Head, as that’s easier. But for today, let me explain the route from Tung Chung to Discovery Bay.

First, walk through the shopping centre to exit on the other side , where Man Tung Road is. You need to walk along this road, past Tung Chung North park, until you reach the petrol station. There is a small path next to it, that will allow you to walk along the water front. After a while, you’ll see a pedestrian tunnel, which you’ll need to cross to get to the Pak Mong Village.

Stay on the path until you hit the Lo Fu Tau Country trail. That’s at the point of the pavilion – instead of walking downhill to Mui Wo, you turn left and walk along the uphill path to the Tiger Head. This part is very exposed, so make sure to wear sunscreen and a hat on a sunny day.

Once you reached the Tiger Head, you will have great views over Discovery Bay and that’s from where you can walk (slowly) downhill. Just follow the foot path and head straight ahead, that will bring you to a road. That’s the road to the golf course, which you can walk downhill. Or you go to the Pavilion to your left, from which you can follow the foot path down.

The hike is almost 13 km long and will take about 3.5 hours to complete. It has some scenic views (also over to the airport) and is really nice to walk for most of its parts, but the end point walking down Tiger Head is quite steep and dangerous, with lots of loose stones. So I would actually recommend you hike it the other way round, starting in Discovery Bay and going to Tung Chung.