City: Islands District
Top Things to do in Islands District
Top Restaurants in Hong Kong
10 Things to do in Islands District That You Shouldn't Miss
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. Central Hiking Lamma Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 137 reviews
This hour-long walking trail on Lamma Island takes you past grasslands, ocean views and fields of working farmers.
Reviewed By AUG2016familytrip - Hong Kong, China
30mins ferry away from central pier 4, a local village style little island with few small beaches around and there are local Chinese seafood restaurant as well as western food to choose.
2. Lantau island
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,596 reviews
Reviewed By wing88kiu
It's so close to the city and even where the HK airport is, you can find the most scenic hiking trails, fishing village, beautiful beaches and good variety of restaurants all in one. The island is big and better to plan out your day on what you want to do. One cannot see everything in one day and can spend different days on different things to do. it's more than just the shopping mall and Disneyland.
3. Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14,794 reviews
Reviewed By maheshrathod
What a magnificent man made bronze statue... Fantastic location, journey to Big Budhha though Ngong Ping 360 via crystal base cable car is amazing .... all peaks that were emerging from fog .... too good !!
4. Po Lin (Precious Lotus) Monastery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,125 reviews
Located on Lantau Island, this monastery features the Big Buddha (Tiantau), which is the largest, seated, outdoor bronze Buddha in the world.
Reviewed By KatDeg
I have been up to see the big Buddha twice now. We travelled on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car up to the Po Lin Monastery. It is the second largest bronze Buddha statue in the world and surprisingly not all that old, only being built in the early 1990's after 12 years of construction. There are a little under 300 steps to walk up for a closer look at the statue, which if you are not fit or struggle to walk will find difficult. But once you get up the top, there are great views and a small gallery/display inside. You don't see the six "divas" from ground level either, so worth the few minute walk up the stairs. No photos are to be taken inside, as it is like a shrine to people who have died. So be respectful. The same goes for photos inside of the temples. Signs everywhere saying no photos and no visitors. Which means, you shouldn't go inside if you are not Buddhist. There are a few temples to see up there, including the Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas which has literally ten thousand Buddhas of various sizes in a hall of intricate detail and artwork. There are souvenir shops and places to eat up there as well. Do not feed the cattle or dogs that roam around, there are signs to say you will cop a fine. All up with a ride on the cable car, you will need a good 2-3 hours up there. Ensure you go at 10am, so you don't end up with long lines at the end of the day to get back down the mountain.
5. Lantau Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 206 reviews
Reviewed By schmidtmg - Switzerland, null
This year we hiked Lantau Trail Sections 5 and 6, section 5 running from Sham Wat Road to Man Cheung Po and 6 from Man Cheung Po to Tai O. Make sure you take good hiking shoes with a good profile, as the trail goes up and down a lot. Much of the trail is in the open, so also take enough water and sun block and a hat if it is sunny. The scenery is beautiful and you can have an almost 360° view of Lantau from some of the peaks you climb on these sections. One additional benefit of this section of the Lantau trail is that it is not crowded. On the beautiful January Saturday afternoon we took the hike, we met less than 15 hikers on a 10 km stretch....
6. Lamma Island
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,898 reviews
Reviewed By cairn7_amanda - San Francisco, United States
My friend and I took the ferry from Central Pier to Sok Kwu Wan and walked up the island to Yung Shue Wan to take the ferry back. Along the way, we had lunch, took a ton of photos and had a wonderful day outdoors. The weather was perfect and the hike was pretty easy. We especially enjoyed Lo So Shing beach and could have stayed there for hours. Lamma Island is gorgeous and such a shirt distance from the busy city, I highly recommend as a half or full-day trip to get another view on Hong Kong.
7. Ngong Ping 360
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7,382 reviews
Ngong Ping Cable Car - the gateway to start your Lantau adventure in Hong Kong! Ngong Ping Cable Car connects downtown Tung Chung and Ngong Ping on Lantau Island. Adopting a safe and reliable bi-cable ropeway, the cable car is first-of-its-kind in Hong Kong. The journey begins from Tung Chung, crossing Tung Chung Bay to reach the angle station on Airport Island and turning 60 degrees towards North Lantau. You will be greeted with the vistas of the distant and vast South China Sea and the rolling greens of North Lantau Country Park. At the comfort of the cabin, enjoy the breathtaking panorama of the Hong Kong International Airport, verdant, mountainous terrain of Lantau Island, the Big Buddha and the 360-degree view of Ngong Ping Plateau.
Reviewed By rohit8585 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
i took the ride back from the island to the city and upgraded to crystal cabin, the views you get are amazing when you ride past the mountains and get above the sea is also an exiting experience must do when in HK
8. Po Toi Island
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 71 reviews
Reviewed By TheOExpress - Hong Kong, China
...which is a pleasure to hike around. If you head left from the ferry and take the ‘rugged trail’ from the Tin Hau Temple then you’ll get to see plenty of beautiful scenery ok that path and the basic one later. The rocks and vegetation, all of course framed by the surrounding sea, makes everything about the island very picturesque.
9. Lantau Country Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 211 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
The South Lantau and North Lantau Country Parks together have a huge number of hiking, mountain biking and running trails. Historical records show that South Lantau's criss-crossing village paths date back several hundred years. Many of the stone trails used by hikers today are the traditional village paths. The Lantau Trail is probably the most popular hiking trail and is very easy to access because it starts and ends at Mui Wo. The 70km trail is divided into 12 stages which are all clearly marked and mapped so you can cherry-pick the stretches that suit your level of hiking and join the trail at that point. Stages 9 to 11 are fairly easy. They have some bushland, dirt paths but also have a lot of flat, paved paths. Much of stage 10 is a level walk around the water catchment. Whilst they are not the most challenging stretches, they are good ones to combine with a swim at the Cheung Sha beach and lunch. In contrast, Stage 3 is one of the most popular hikes and takes you about up Lantau Peak (934 m above sea-level) and Stage 2 heads relentlessly up Sunset Peak. Buses run frequently from Mui Wo allowing you to join the trail mid-way. The Lantau Trail is extremely well marked. Every 500 metres, you will see a metal plate marker, so it’s also very easy to gauge your timing and distance. Large map boards are placed regularly along the route. However, we have found it difficult sometimes to locate the start of a new trail head. There will be a sign and usually a set of stairs but it’s not always easy to find them if you are joining the trail mid-way so a good map is helpful. Water, sunscreen and a hat are essentials. There are few toilets along the way other than those back along the main road. On almost any hike through the country park, you will see natural waterways, panoramic views, mountain peaks, water buffalo, local villages, beautiful swimming beaches, traditional hillside village cemeteries and the reservoir and water catchments.
10. Wisdom Path
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 124 reviews
Reviewed By Travelguru1101 - Sydney, Australia
Definitely recommend taking a walk to the Wisdom Path. The crowd is a lot thinner. You will see cows and “post apocalyptic” buildings on the way, just keep following the signage and path. Once you get there, you’ll know. The setting is refreshing and relaxing. Go with a friend who knows traditional Chinese if possible, the Buddhist poems on the wooden beams adds to the experience. The Wisdom Path is magnificent with a bit of mist. There are further hiking trails you could take but we didn’t due to time.
