Victoria Peak is definitely one of the must-see attractions when you travel to Hong Kong. Named after England’s Queen Victoria, it is the highest hill on Hong Kong island. Just for the record, prices per square meter on Hong Kong island are very high and at Victoria Peak, they are literally soaring. It is actually known to be one of the most expensive places in the whole world.
By the way, as you probably know, Hong Kong belongs to China now after the “Handover” in 1997. But the Chinese consider Hong Kong to be a humiliating part of their history. So in an attempt to implicitly erase the colonization period from people’s memory, Victoria Peak is now called “The Peak”. I’m still going to call it Victoria Peak in this blog post, for readability purposes.
To go there, there are several options but I’m only going to tell you about the one I chose. It’s up to you to do otherwise, of course. First, I took the MTR Island Line to Admiralty Station. Then I crossed Hong Kong Park to reach the railway station that leads to Victoria Peak.
Before to start, I just wanted to let you know that if you are looking for an accommodation in HK, you should check out this article: where to stay in Hong Kong.
Visit Hong Kong Park
Hong Kong Park is a natural haven lost in the middle of Hong Kong island’s huge skyscrapers. It is home to many plant species, parrots, turtles and butterflies.
The entrance is free and the walk in the park is very pleasant. There is also a very quiet spot there where you can practice Tai Qi (pronounced tai chi).
Instead of walking in the noisy streets of Hong Kong to reach the railway station that will take you to Victoria Peak, fill your lungs with fresh air in this park before climbing the famous hill.
Take The Tram To Victoria Peak
This relic of British colonization is the most fun way to climb the 500 meters of the Peak, I think. You can buy your ticket on the spot; the round trip costs 40 HKD (around $5). You can also buy a tram ticket with an access to the Sky Terrace. The sky being a common good that should be accessible to everyone, I couldn’t see why I had to pay to have access to it. So instead of buying the sky pass, I still managed to have a great view of all Hong Kong. Follow me!
In the tram, you will have the impression that the buildings around you are somehow crooked, given the steep slope. It’s a pretty funny optical illusion actually, so enjoy the view while climbing up the slope.
The Victoria Peak – All the way up!
As soon as you arrive at the Victoria Peak, you will find yourself directly in a souvenir shop inside a large, semi-circular shopping center (see the cover photo at the top). Out of the center, there are restaurants, cafes and other 7/11 (more like small supermarkets), which could be handy if you’re looking for something to eat or drink.
You can enjoy great views from both sides of the shopping center…
but there’s better!
In front of the shopping center, there is a route on the left called Morning Trail that’s about 3 km long and goes around the Peak. I thought I’d follow this route to get to the other side of the Peak and see if I could get a great view of all Hong Kong.
I wasn’t disappointed to say the least!
The Victoria Garden
So I took the Morning Trail and saw several stone stairs on my right that climb higher into the mountain.
I chose one at random and after a long climb, I got to the Victoria Garden. To my surprise, there were lots of people there, including newlywed couples posing for pictures. There’s actually a road access to the garden which is quite popular among newly married couples who come to take pictures at the Peak.
Cherry on top, I was at the Victoria Garden right in time for the sunset.
Stunning views of Hong Kong
It was getting late so I didn’t stay much longer at the Victoria Garden and continued my Victoria Peak tour. The vegetation is really wild, it’s really like being in the jungle.
After a long walk, I finally got to the most interesting spot of the Peak which offers a magnificent view of both the island of Honk Kong and Kowloon.
The view is even more impressive when night lights take over, so to get the most out of it, I recommend you start your trip in the middle of the afternoon to get to the Peak when the sun begins to set.
And by the way, don’t spend too much time there either because you don’t want to wait too long in line in the railway station to get back to the city. 5:30PM is a good time to head back, I think.
Although very popular among tourists, the Victoria Peak remains a must-see attraction in Hong Kong. You can make it a little more interesting by going up to the Victoria Garden and around the Peak following the Morning Trail, I’m sure you’ll love it.
Thank you for reading this blog post to the end. As always, let me know your thoughts and recommendations, if you have any, in the comments below.
Here is a video of my trip to Hong Kong for you to enjoy:
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MF
PS: You’ll find more stuff to do in HK here: What to do in Hong Kong.