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The 10 Best Hiking Trails in Southern District, China
Delectable dim sum, floating islands, and a one-of-a-kind skyline are just some of Hong Kong’s unique features. Get an eyeful of traditional Chinese architecture in Ngong Ping village, then take the tram to the tippity-top of Victoria Peak for unparalleled views. The rocks and gentle hills of Nan Lian Garden will bring you inner peace, as will a calming cup of tea in a Stanley café. Become one with everything at the Chi Lin Nunnery, a serene Buddhist complex.
Restaurants in Hong Kong
1. Crab Cave (Cape D'aguilar)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By TheOExpress - Hong Kong, China
...which rewards with spectacular crashing of waves and great climbing opportunities, seemingly all to find the perfect photo...so you may have to wait your turn to capture the image you came for. As a spectacle aside from taking pics, it’s a great spot to just watch the sea, either through the gap or from above.
2. Dragon's Back
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,102 reviews
Reviewed By Veg-Traveller-2020
Dragons Back is a must do hike in Hong Kong. The view is breathtaking. To get here, you take the Chai Wan Line To the starting point: From MTR Shau Kei Wan Station Exit A, walk to the Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus to take bus number 9 and get off on the Dragons Back stop on Shek O Road. Before you start the hike there are a couple of toilets and you wont find any along the way until the end. It takes a couple of hours and you have shorter hike options too
3. Tai Tam Valley
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
Tai Tam valley is a beautiful green belt, lying in the heart of the Tai Tam Country Park. The deep ravines are studded with dams, reservoirs and natural waterways and are very scenic. An excellent way to explore the area is via the Waterworks Heritage Trail. The 5km hiking trail takes you right down through the valleys and past the four historic reservoirs, built between 1888 and 1917. The trail includes detailed information boards that describe the history of these early constructions and provide more information about the aqueducts, valve houses, stone bridges, workmen’s buildings and other various structures that you see along the way. I was intrigued to learn that a sunken Hakka village lies beneath the dam waters, under about 1.4 billion gallons of water. It was submerged over 100 years ago when they built the Tai Tam Tuk dam. Recently, researchers have recovered relics of mud bricks, several banyan trees, century-old soda water bottles and small opium containers from the site of the village. WHAT TO TAKE: Water, sunscreen and a hat are essentials as there’s nowhere to buy anything en route. There are a few picnic and BBQ areas with toilet blocks. GETTING THERE: The trail begins at the entry gates to the country park, just past the Parkview residential complex. As you approach, you will notice other trail signs but ignore these and go just past them until you get to the park gates. From Central, a taxi will cost about $75HKD and will take about 15 min. Or you can take the #6 Stanley Market bus (don't get the 6X bus which also goes to Stanley via another route). Get off on Wong Nai Chung Gap Road beside a petrol station (just past the tennis courts and cricket club), where you’ll see a set of stairs that lead up to Tai Tam Reservoir Rd. It is a 15 minute walk up this steep road to Parkview and the gates of the Country Park.
4. Che Pau Teng - Rhino Rock
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
5. Aberdeen Country Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By mosto - Hong Kong, China
This huge park is easily accessible from the city and has hiking trails for all levels of fitness. You can stay on the concrete route or make diversions to dirt trails. Comparatively with other hiking trails in HK, there are not a lot of uphill or downward steps but enough to get some cardio work. I find the trails pretty scenic with green mountains, foliage, 2 beautiful reservoirs with open views, lots of rock formations and small waterfalls if you make diversions into smaller trails. I’ve hike here a few times. You can spend at least 3 hours or more in the park and then end your hike either at Wan Chai for shopping and food or at Wong Chuk Hang and from there go to Ap Lei Chau for seafood or local food. I see a few solo hikers bringing their own food to eat in the park and then continue hiking. It’s a fabulous place to hike there if you don’t want to spend too much time on transportation to start point. To start at Wan Chai, you can access the Park via Wan Chai Gap and Wan Chai Heritage Green trail (the Park is just opposite the Heritage Green Trail). Alternatively, you can take the MTR to Wong Chuk Hang Station Exit A and take a mini bus to the Park. Either way, you plan the route you want to take when in the Park but whatever routes you take, don’t miss the Upper and Lower Reservoirs.
6. Wilson Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 40 reviews
Reviewed By NorthStar256322
Did Section 1 of the Wilson Trail in two goes: first from Wong Nai Chung Reservoir to Tze Kong Bridge in September. Weather was sunny, hot about 30c and very humid. The start from the petrol station at the bus stop is not obvious. You need to head up Tai Tam R road & past Parkview then turn right where there is a sign Wilson Trail. Steady climb to Violet Hill then down to the saddle and the bridge. From here, take right turn (not clearly signposted) on a track that takes you to South Bay Close and a bus stop on Repulse Bay Road. Tackled Section 2 from Stanley Gap Road to the bridge in December. Weather much better for hiking. Better direction as you go down the 1,000 steps on The Twins rather than up. Be careful that you get the bus driver to stop at the Wilson Trail stop as ours roared straight through!
7. Tai Tam Waterworks Heritage Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 31 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
This is an excellent 5 km hike through the Tai Tam Country Park. The walk is centred around the 4 main reservoirs and dams that were built here between 1888-1917. The walk also takes in 22 historic structures and relics related to the dams, including stone bridges, masonry dam walls, valve houses, pumping stations and aqueducts. The views and surrounding area are very scenic. LEVEL – it is a moderate to easy hike. You definitely don't need to be an experienced hiker. It is suitable for families. Kids might find it a bit long (5km) but being able to run across the bridges and aqueduct can keep them engaged and make it more interesting. TRACK CONDITIONS–The terrain is varied. From Parkview, it starts with an easy, downhill stretch of road. Mostly you will be on paved paths but at other times you will walk along dirt bushland tracks which have quite a lot of gnarly roots but are otherwise pretty good. There are stairs and these can be uneven and roughly made. You don't need hiking boots but a decent pair of runners is advisable. SIGNAGE - The path is well marked with clear signs and maps. There are also detailed information boards positioned along the route, describing the history of the reservoirs and the other structures. This is a really excellent feature of the walk. FACILITIES - there are several BBQ and picnic spots and a few public toilets WHAT TO TAKE - water, sunscreen and a hat are essentials. Also snacks if you want them because you cannot buy anything inside the country park. STARTING POINT: The trail begins at the entry gates to the country park, just past the Parkview residential complex. As you approach, you will notice signs for the Wilson Trail and other tracks but keep going past these until you get to the black and white gates at the start of the park, where you will see wooden signs for the Tai Tam Country Park and the Heritage Trail.
8. Cape D'Aguilar
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
Cape D’Aguilar is a pretty isolated spot, off the beaten track. You’ll have to walk almost 5km to get there but it is also home to a stunning 20 hectare Marine Reserve. The cape itself is a ruggedly beautiful, rocky promontory that juts into the sea. It has a number of very striking rock formations and caves and has sweeping coastal views. The area is marked by irregular and jagged cliffs. Features include Crab Cave, Thunder Cave, ‘Miss Willy’ the whale skeleton, historic WWII military sites and Hong Kong’s oldest lighthouse. The only disappointing thing is that because it is a protected reserve, you can’t have a swim to cool off after your walk. Instead we walked back up D’Aguilar Rd and caught a taxi to Shek O where we jumped straight into the sea. WHAT TO TAKE: Take pretty much everything. There is not a lot of shade so take sunscreen, hats and plenty of water. You’ll also need good shoes. The walk is easy and is a gentle downhill slope along Cape D’Aguilar Rd but once you reach the cape, the rocks are uneven and sharp and the areas around the caves are slippery. The only public toilets that I saw were just past the start of the walk. GETTING THERE: Public transport was very easy. We caught the MTR to Shau Kei Wan. Exit A3 brought us up alongside the bus bay and the the #9 bus took us right to the big roundabout at the start of the walk. Be aware that some #9 buses go straight through to Shek O, bypassing Cape D’Aguilar. Check first and don't get on the bus unless the sign says “via Cape D’Aguilar”. A taxi will slash your travel time from an hour or more down to 30 minutes. It will also take you much closer to Cape D'Aguilar than the bus can. From Central, it should cost under $200HKD (an uber will be much the same).
9. Tai Tam Country Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
The Tai Tam Country Park is a wonderfully scenic area with green peaks and deep valleys studded with reservoirs, dams and natural waterways. It covers about a fifth of Hong Kong Island. Entry to the park is free and you can join any one of several hiking trails - Stage 1 of the Wilson Trail, Jardine’s Lookout, the Tai Tam Family Trail, parts of the Hong Kong Trail and a unique Waterworks Heritage Trail. Some overlap and criss-cross each other but for the most part, they are well sign-posted. The hikes are easy to access and offer different degrees of difficulty, from relatively easy to very steep and difficult. All of the trails have a range of terrain. Mostly you will be on dirt bushland tracks but at other times, you’ll walk along a stretch of road or on paved paths that follow the water catchments and at other times, you will climb up or down stairs. The dirt tracks can be uneven and rough in places, with gnarly tree roots but they are cleared trails and there is no bush-bashing or scrambling involved. For a challenging hike, the Wilson Trail heads relentlessly up Violet Hill and the Twin Peaks, then down to the south side of the island, ending at Stanley Gap Rd. For easier walks, the Family and Heritage Trails are both suitable for families and you don't have to be a seasoned hiker. They still provide variation with stunning views and lots of points of interest. These trails are well marked with regular, clear signs and maps. The Family Trail has information panels on flora and vegetation. Recently it has had clusters of the very pretty Ericaceae, a pink, bell-shaped flower that blossoms around Chinese New Year. The Heritage Trail focuses on the history of the area and follows a path leading past 22 Declared Monuments. Detailed information boards describe the history of the 19th century reservoirs and dam walls, as well as the aqueducts, stone bridges and various other structures that you see along the way. Intriguingly, a sunken Hakka village lies beneath the dam waters, submerged over 100 years ago. WHAT TO TAKE: Water, sunscreen and a hat are essentials - you can'y buy anything inside the park. Decent shoes or runners are recommended because you’ll wan't steady footing and you’re walking some of the way on red dirt. There are a few toilet blocks and some picnic and BBQ areas but you’ll need to bring all food and drink in with you. GETTING THERE: You can join many of the trails from outside the Parkview residential block. From Central, a taxi will cost about $75HKD and will take about 15 min. Or you can take the #6 Stanley Market bus (don't get the 6X bus which also goes to Stanley via another route). Get off on Wong Nai Chung Gap Road beside a petrol station (just past the tennis courts and cricket club), where you’ll see a set of stairs that lead up to Tai Tam Reservoir Rd. It is a 10 -15 minute walk up this steep road to Parkview where you can easily join the various trails.
10. Cape D'Aguilar Marine Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
This is a very beautiful marine reserve with craggy rock formations, sweeping coastal views and features, including unusual caves, the ‘Miss Willy’ whale skeleton, WWII military batteries and Hong Kong’s oldest lighthouse (see separate reviews). However, it is also an isolated spot and well off the beaten track. If you only have a few days in Hong Kong, then you will be too busy with other sights and this is too remote and too out of the way to include in an itinerary. Entry is free but to get there, you need to walk in. The bus will drop you off at the large roundabout which is where your walk starts. It is one of the easiest coastal trails and is a roughly 5 km gentle, downhill walk along Cape D'Aguilar Rd (the bad news is that you will have to walk back up again unless you are lucky enough to snag a taxi that has dropped someone else off). It’s not terribly well sign-posted. You can generally follow other hikers but basically stick to the road until you get to the radio transmitters. At this point, you take the dirt path on your left and circle around behind the station where you can pick up the road again to head downhill. Towards the end of your walk, the road splits but there is a large, blue sign at this point directing you down to the reserve. Make sure to take sunscreen, hats, water and food. The walk is quite exposed and if you go on a weekday, there are no opportunities to buy anything. You’ll also need good shoes because once you get to the reserve the rocks can be sharp and around the caves and water, it is quite slippery. The only public toilets that we saw were two porta-loos about 5 min into the walk. Be aware, that despite the beautiful waters and the hot walk to get here, you can’t jump in for a swim because it's a marine reserve. Instead, we took a taxi later in the day to Shek O beach for lunch and a cooling swim ($46HKD). GETTING THERE: It’s a long-ish but very straightforward trip from Central. A taxi or uber will take cut your travel time in half and can also save you some walking because it can take you part of the way down Cape D'Aguilar Rd. You should pay under $200HKD. We found public transport easy although it took about an hour. We caught the MTR to Shau Kei Wan. Exit A3 brought us right up at the bus bay and the #9 bus went right to the start of the walk. The only tricky part is to double-check that your bus stops at Cape D’Aguilar. Not all do. Some #9 buses go straight through to Shek O so don't get on unless the sign specifically says “via Cape D’Aguilar”.
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