Hiking Dragon's Back in Hong Kong

Despite being a large metropolitan city, Hong Kong actually has several scenic areas with great hiking opportunities. Hong Kong island is mountainous, with plenty of hiking trails winding through the green slopes. Perhaps the most famous of these hikes is Dragon’s Back, a hike that follows a ridge line on top of the mountains and provides sweeping views of the city and coast.

I tackled this hike my second day in Hong Kong, and what a great experience it was! The hike starts at To Tei Wan and ends at Big Wave Bay. It follows the Hong Kong trail until the Dragon’s Back section splits off and climbs up the mountain to get to the ridge. The Dragon’s Back portion of the trail is fairly short, but the total hike is much longer, as the Dragon’s Back section reconnects to the Hong Kong Trail and follows it down to Big Wave Bay.

I would label the hike moderately strenuous. There are several sections of stairs to climb, but the climbs are well interspersed with fairly level sections. It took me 2.5 hours to hike straight through from To Tei Wan to Big Wave Bay.

The best views are certainly from the Dragon’s Back section of the trail. I could see beautiful views of the city, harbors, and coastline on either side of the ridge.

Although the Hong Kong Trail sections don’t have any spectacular views, they are wooded and cool, with plenty of butterflies and pretty trees and plants. As I was hiking at the very beginning of spring, just a few of the trees and flowers had begun to blossom, but I imagine it would be very pretty to hike in May.

How to Get There:

Getting to the hike takes some time, so make sure you allow plenty for the excursion:

Take the MTR to Shau Kei Wan Station
Use Exit A3 to bus terminal
Take Bus #9 Towards Shek O
Get off at To Tei Wan Stop

I’d definitely recommend bringing plenty of water, especially if you’re hiking in summer. I hiked on a relatively cool day and still found myself overheated.