Islands, Hikes, and the Macau Ferry From Hong Kong

Islands, Hikes, and the Macau Ferry from Hong Kong

You step off the MTR at Tung Chung and immediately feel the humidity lift. The cable car to the Big Buddha glides over the treetops while below you the Ngong Ping plateau stretches out in unnatural calm after the city's frenzy. This is the point of Hong Kong day trips: you trade tower blocks for ridgelines in under an hour, and you do it on your own schedule, without a tour guide holding a numbered flag.

Which trips are worth your time? The answer depends on how much travel you will tolerate for the reward. Lantau and Cheung Chau are almost effortless. Lamma requires one ferry and a walk. Sai Kung demands more transfers but gives you beaches that feel nothing like the city. Macau is a border crossing with its own time zone. Shenzhen is a full visa play. Rank them by the effort to reward ratio and you get a clear priority list.

Lantau Island: Big Buddha and Tai O in One Day

Getting to the Big Buddha

Take the MTR Tung Chung line to Tung Chung Station. Exit through gate B and follow the covered walkway to the Ngong Ping 360 cable car or walk to the bus terminus for New Lantao Bus 11 to Tai O. The cable car to the Tian Tan Buddha takes about 25 minutes. Book ahead. The queue for walk-up tickets can run 45 minutes on a Saturday.

At the top, climb the steps to the Buddha. The real reward is the view over the South China Sea, not the statue itself. Then take bus 21 from the Buddha platform down to Tai O, a stilt house fishing village where dried seafood and shrimp paste define the air. The bus ride is 20 minutes and costs HKD 6.8. Tai O deserves two hours: walk the footbridge over the creek, eat an egg waffle from a stall, and watch the elderly women sort squid on the boardwalk. Bus 11 from Tai O back to Tung Chung takes about 50 minutes and costs HKD 12.2. Then MTR back to Central. Total travel time each way: 60 to 90 minutes. This is a full day trip, not a half day. Start by 09:00 or you will run out of light.

The Shortcut Option

If you want a shorter Lantau trip, skip Tai O. Ride the cable car up, see the Buddha, walk the Wisdom Path, and ride the cable car down. You can be back in Central by 14:00.

Cheung Chau: Cycling, Seafood, and No Cars

Ferries depart Central Pier 5. The ordinary ferry takes 55 to 60 minutes and costs HKD 14.2 on weekdays. The fast ferry takes 35 to 40 minutes and costs HKD 28.1. Take the fast ferry out. Take the ordinary ferry back and use the time to rest. The island has no cars. Rent a bicycle for around HKD 30 per hour and ride the flat loop road past the Pak Tai Temple and the Tung Wan beach. Stop at any of the seafood restaurants along the waterfront for a steamed garoupa or fried squid. The windsurfing beach at Tung Wan is good for a swim but the water is murky close to shore.

Getting Around

Do not try to walk the whole island. It is only two kilometres across but the hills are steep. Cycle or take the small sampans that ferry passengers to the cave at the far end. The pirate cave is a five minute walk from the main path and is dark and slippery. Go if you have a headlamp or phone torch. Skip it if you are not curious.

Timing Your Visit

Cheung Chau works as a full day trip. Leave Central by 09:00, eat lunch on the island, cycle, swim, and catch the 16:00 ordinary ferry back. The Sunday ferry costs HKD 21.0 ordinary and HKD 40.7 fast. Avoid Sundays if you can. The island fills with local families and the queues at the pier stretch past the ticket office.

Lamma Island: the Simple Walk with a Ferry Ride

From Central Pier 4, take the ferry to Yung Shue Wan. The crossing takes 25 to 35 minutes and costs HKD 18.0 on a weekday. Lamma is the closest escape from the city. The island has one main footpath that runs from Yung Shue Wan on the north west to Sok Kwu Wan on the south east. The walk takes about 60 to 75 minutes at a steady pace. It passes a power station, several beaches, and a row of seafood restaurants halfway. The path is paved but uneven in sections. Wear proper shoes, not sandals.

The best strategy is to start at Yung Shue Wan, walk to Sok Kwu Wan, eat lunch there, and take the ferry back from Sok Kwu Wan to Central. The fare from Sok Kwu Wan is HKD 23.1 on weekdays and the ferry runs every 20 to 60 minutes. If you arrive and the next ferry is 40 minutes away, you have time for a beer at the waterfront. The Sunday and public holiday fares are higher: HKD 25.4 from Yung Shue Wan and HKD 32.5 from Sok Kwu Wan. Lamma is a half day trip. Leave by 10:00, walk, eat, and you are back in Central by 14:30.

One warning: the island has no MTR. If you miss the last ferry, which is around 23:30 on weekends, you are stranded. Check the HKKF schedule before you sit down for dinner.

Peng Chau: The Half Day Add On

Peng Chau leaves from Central Pier 6. The ordinary ferry takes 40 minutes and costs HKD 16.6 on weekdays. The fast ferry takes 25 to 30 minutes and costs HKD 31.0. The island is small, flat, and walkable in under two hours. It has a short hiking trail that circles the island and a handful of seafood restaurants. You can combine it with Cheung Chau as a double island day, but you will need to adjust ferry timings. The ferry frequency on Peng Chau is every 45 to 90 minutes, which is sparse. Do not attempt this combination on a Sunday. The risk of missing a connection is too high.