16 myths about Victoria Peak Hong Kong
Make the most of The Victoria Peak Experience
Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong for 52 years - I know the place.
I have personally completed 2,300+ Private Experiences (over 6,000+ guests) since April 2011 and I am considered one of the finest Private Tour Guides in Asia.
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Let me be clear, I am not trying to compete with the Peak Tower Company, I receive no income for my blog posts and I have basically retired from giving Private Tours of Hong Kong but doing Private Tours since 2010 taught me a very valuable lesson in that people actually want to see the very best views in Hong Kong and get all the insider knowledge and my Private Tour Guests where not in any shape or form into mass market tourism, they wanted a personal tour with a Hong Kong expert.
With all due respect to the Peak Tram Company who have been bringing people to Victoria Peak since 1888 they have a business model which suggests that the only thing that matters to them is numbers and then milk them for every penny and 6 - 7 million people use the Peak Tram yearly and that is just to tempting a figure to ignore.
In any event I am realistic enough to know that my blog posts will have NO impact on their business at all, when you have been in business for 136 years you know a thing or two about business and that is the point, they are part of publicly traded Hotel Group, it is as an individual impossible for me to compete with them.
It is all subjective of course, they claim that the panoramic city view from the Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428 is the best view in Hong Kong and they charge a lot of money to see it, I respectfully disagree, I first visited Victoria Peak on January 3rd 1972 and have been over 6,000 times since then and my view at the Lugard Road Lookout or Jamie’s spot at the Peak is far, far superior.
.. and that is me, I am about the personal touch and I dedicated myself to making sure I offered the very best experience when it comes to visiting Victoria Peak in Hong Kong and for people who want to see the best view at Victoria Peak, I have a how to get to guide available (see button link further down the page)
Hong Kong Visitor Arrivals 2002 - 2023 Data from the Hong Kong Government
I like to back up my comments with official data and the number of Tourist Arrivals into Hong Kong has changed dramatically since 2002 and all the myths about Victoria Peak are linked to the volume of visitors coming to Hong Kong.
I would also like to emphasise that these numbers have greatly affected the service quality of the Peak Tram and the Peak Tower given that a trip to Victoria Peak has always been the number 1 place to visit for tourists coming to Hong Kong and any number over 25 million people a year is going to impact them but that does not stop them from the hard sell even though they know full well that queues, unruly crowds and high prices can create very negative perceptions.
The 16 big myths about Victoria Peak Hong Kong
I have a thing about Victoria Peak or the Peak as it is known in Hong Kong, I have lived in Hong Kong for 52 years and have been to Victoria Peak over 6,000 times since 1972.
That I guess makes me uniquely qualified to talk about Victoria Peak.
I have had friends say to me that when it comes to views, beauty is subjective and in the eye of the beholder, absolutely true but I have grown tired of reading about the “amazing view” at the Peak Tower 428 Sky Terrace, it is simply not true but the Peak Tower has been in business for 52 years as well and they have a well oiled marketing machine but worse, no one had any idea that there was a far superior view to be had, fortunately having a website with the ability to post images and commentary has changed things and slowly but surely over the past 14 years I have been getting the message across.
I am not into snappy and completely lacking in information one line answers, I am all about detail and context, this will give you a better understanding of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong and enable you to really enjoy your experience.
A lot of these 16 myths are perpetuated by Travel Bloggers who have been to Hong Kong once or twice and so called journalists from Hong Kong Lifestyle Online Magazines - I love that they write about their experience but for the most part, they get the facts quite wrong, they seem to pull facts and figures of Wikipedia which I never use as it is quite inaccurate.
Tripadvisor reviews are quite amusing for their quite inaccurate recording of facts although if hundreds of people (If not thousands) complain about the same thing then there must be a problem!
.. and rather bizarrely I have read a lot of blog posts by Hong Kong residents who do not seem to have much of a grasp of the facts either!
At this juncture I want to explain my views on the Peak Tram and the Peak Tower.
I have nothing but respect for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Group (The Peninsula Hotel Group) who own and operate the Peak Tram and the Peak Tower and I completely understand the commercial aspects of running these 2 major attractions but over the years (The first Peak Tower opened in 1972 and I visited it many times) something has changed, particularly since social media came on the scene and Hong Kong opened it’s borders much wider to Mainland Chinese Tourists (who have as much right to be here as any tourist)
These two attractions are simply a licence to print money and no effort is spared to wring every last tourist dollar out of the masses that visit Victoria Peak, business wise it is simply too good an opportunity to pass up.
One of the pricing schemes they operate for the Peak Tram and Peak Tower is what they call Peak Prices and as an update this scheme will be scrapped on December 30th 2024 in favour of one price rather than the current 2 tier pricing which has caused mass confusion.
So 2 tier pricing to maximise revenue on popular days and to lure more people on “quieter” days.
In other words in 2024 171 days out of 365 days have higher prices, these are weekend days and public holidays and almost every day in August presumably because school is out in most countries so families travel.
Depending on the time of day overcrowding is a real issue coming up on the Peak Tram from the Garden Road Peak Tram Terminal in Central even though the new 6th Generation tram can now carry 210 passengers rather than 120, booking tickets online through any number of OTA’s means that the so called skip the line, line is meaningless as this queue is even longer than the one that is for people who purchase a ticket at the terminal and when there can be easily 500 - 1,000 people waiting in the line, it can take a very long time to get on the tram, the tram still travels up to Victoria Peak at the same speed! and it takes longer to board and disembark 210 people rather than 120!
I should point out that getting on the Peak Tram is every man for himself so to speak, there is little in the way of crowd control and naturally everyone wants to snag the best seats, it can be quite an awful experience to be pushed, shoved, manhandled and cursed in a foreign language. It does not help that the Peak Tram employees are quite timid and clearly do not want to get involved.
The Peak Tram ends it’s journey to Victoria Peak in the basement of the Peak Tower and you have no choice but to pass quite a few large and very tacky tourist shops selling souvenirs at high prices before hitting a maze of escalators (and if you have a phobia about steep escalators you are going to hate these) that take you to the top of the Peak Tower and the Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428 which is invariably very crowded, I personally hate going up there because of rude crowds and because you are charged a hefty fee for what I consider to be an inferior view and I have always taken issue with the fact that everyone and I mean everyone that writes about the Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428 claims that it has a 360 degree panoramic view of Hong Kong not just Hong Kong Island but the whole of Hong Kong which is complete nonsense (for that to happen the terrace would have to be at a height of about 650m to 800m + and not 428m) the panoramic city view is at best about 90 degrees.
Like I said, these two attractions are run as a commercial operation so I understand the business model but boy if you charge a lot of money you had better have a brilliant operation and offer world class service and an out of this world experience and the over crowding on the Tram and charging (and the horrible overcrowding) for the view at the Peak Tower 428 Sky Terrace leave a bitter taste with many visitors.
I should stress that a lot of money has been invested in the Peak Tower and the Peak Tram, that is very evident and is much appreciated but the experience has been devalued by the sheer volume of people using the Tram and admiring the view from the Peak Tower and those prices they charge, well, like I said, that is a commercial decision but clearly they do not care about the negative publicity which is a real shame, but then again who would even bother to find out who owns and operates the two attractions, I find it hard to believe that the Peninsula Hotel Group would allow their reputation to dragged through the wringer but they do not seem to care, people are treated like cattle and it seems the only thing that matters is getting people onto the tram and onto the viewing terrace even if the overcrowding makes for a thoroughly miserable experience.
I should also point out : The Peak Tram is running daily from 7:30am - 11pm. The Sky Terrace 428 is open 10am - 10pm (Mon-Fri), 8am - 10pm (Sat, Sun & Public Holidays)
They offer a 20% discount if you use the tram between 7.30am - 12 noon but early birds have an issue on Monday to Friday with the Peak Tower 428 Sky Terrace as it opens at 10am, it should be open 7 days a week from 8am onwardss
They have a very nice website by the way that makes no mention of the chaos caused by over crowding, it does recognise that is has a problem with being too busy in a very roundabout way and suggests you travel to the Peak on the Tram between 8am - 12pm, clearly this does not work for a lot of people.
So here goes, bear in mind these are my own opinions and I am pretty much just an average low key sort of guy and I am quite sure many people will have an alternative opinion but let me be clear, I have been to Victoria Peak over 6,000 times in 52 years and have been on the Peak Tram thousands of times so I have quite strong views based on that.
Myth no. 1
The best place to catch the Citybus route no. 15 bus to Victoria Peak is at Exchange Square in Central
Citybus | Bus route no. 15 is a brilliant way to get to Victoria Peak - Not the 15C by the way, this takes you to the Garden Road Peak Tram Station only..
It will take from 40 - 60 minutes depending on traffic, I think the ride is absolutely terrific particularly if you have snagged the 4 front row seats on the upper deck of the bus, it is also very cheap when you compare it to the Peak Tram or taking a Taxi and if you grab the front seats it does not really matter if you sit on the left side or right side.
Citybus Route No. 15 to Victoria Peak
The 1st bus stop is 30 seconds away from Pier No. 5 at Central Piers, you really cannot miss it and snag those seats on the upper deck at the front of the bus for the best views
I took this image on May 31st 2024
Please take note of these important facts when it comes to which is the first stop in Central of route no. 15 to Victoria Peak
Between 6am - 9.52am the first stop is the bus depot under Exchange Square
After 10am until midnight the 1st stop changes to the bus stop which is basically a 30 second walk from Pier No. 5 (the Cheung Chau Ferry) at Central Piers, it is not hard to see where the bus is waiting, this is a good 10 minute walk from Exchange Square - this is the stop where if you are first in the queue then you can snag the best seats on the upper deck, not many people use the first stop.
this is where local knowledge helps - the 2nd stop is basically a 30 second walk from Pier No. 7 (The Star Ferry) at Central Piers - pretty much most visitors get it wrong and head for the 2nd stop at the Star Ferry Pier basically losing any chance of snagging the 4 seats on the Upper Deck at the front of the bus which is where you have the very best views you need to be at the 1st stop!
and naturally if you wait at Exchange Square which is the 3rd stop after 9.52am, all of the best seats on the Upper Deck have gone!
I have also seen quite a few travel bloggers and Hong Kong residents state that the best stop to get the route no. 15 bus is at Admiralty MTR Station, this is crazy, generally by the time the bus gets to this stop it is standing room only!
Myth no. 2
It is a 10 minute walk from Central MTR Station (Subway) to the Peak Tram Terminus on Garden Road
Maybe in a perfect world - It is more like double or triple that unless you completely ignore all the terrific things to see on the way up.
Like I said, the Peak Tram has a very nice website and they have gone to the trouble of providing a visual guide to getting from Central MTR Station to The Peak Tram Terminus on Garden Road.
Maybe it is the tour guide in me or maybe it is because I have lived here for 52 years and this area has always been my old stomping ground but this is NOT the route I would have chosen… I wonder if they chose a young person straight out of University to handle this assignment because clearly whoever wrote it has no concept of human nature or that tourists are interested in their surroundings and are curious about what they are seeing.
first of all exit J2 in Central MTR Station is probably the worst exit you could have picked, you have to walk up almost 50 steep steps to get out of the station, imagine if you are elderly or have kids in strollers and such, this is a bad idea and I think even regular folk would curse at being asked to walk up those steps when there is simply no need.
…. and after walking up those steps you step into Chater Garden which in my humble opinion has no redeeming features at all (it was a cricket pitch in the 1970’s) half of it is just a giant mass of concrete with little of interest to see
the rest of the instructions are basically fine
So why does this upset me?
Well look at the picture, this is what you see as you exit from Exit J2, just a horrible mass of concrete, Statue Square is less than 2 minutes away.
This is Exit K at Central MTR Station, escalators leading up to Statue Square!
See below, if go out of Exit K at Central MTR Station, you ride escalators to the surface and end up in Statue Square, which is far, far more interesting than Chater Garden.
How could you ignore Statue Square when you come out of exit K of Central MTR (Subway) Station?!
When you leave from Exit K in Central MTR Station you will find yourself in Statue Square a very colonial spot full of history and you can easily spend 10 minutes admiring the buildings, the fountains and statues and taking pictures, you can then spend 5 - 10 minutes at HSBC Headquarters (across the road from Statue Square) admiring the historic Bronze Lions and then walk the HSBC passageway towards the mass of moving traffic (you will know what I mean by this when you are at the Bronze Lions) cross Queens Road Central and turn left.
If you follow the Peak Tram Company instructions once you cross Queens Road Central and walk to Cheung Kong Centre then another 5 minutes walk will get you to St. Johns Cathedral which is one of the oldest remaining colonial buildings in Hong Kong and that is just a few minutes walk from the Peak Tram Station.
This is where I do my car photography, in the background you will see a grey building with a blue sign and silver chrome pillars - this is the building where you catch the Peak Tram, it really is quite a steep incline! you go from sea level to 33m at the Peak Tram station, it does not sound much but trust me it is steep.
..oh you should factor in getting lost, I do a lot of car photography on Garden Road (and the Peak Tram is in visual view from my spot) I have given directions to hundreds of lost tourists over the years!
So you can easily take 30 minutes to get to the Peak Tram Station and I need to stress that it is all uphill after HSBC, it can be a bit of struggle in the summer and if you have kids in strollers.
Myth no. 3
The best view is from the Peak Tower 428 Sky Terrace at Victoria Peak or that there are better views to be had of Hong Kong other than Victoria Peak
The double myth, both related
This is the nice view from the Peak Tower 428 Sky Terrace, The Lion’s Pavilion and the Peak Galleria but it does not compare to the view at the Lugard Road Lookout, not even close.
The amazing panoramic view of Hong Kong from the Lugard Road Lookout is far, far superior to that of the Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428 and yet most people have no idea it even exists
I have button links to all of the articles | posts I have written about Victoria Peak (The Peak) see below and well worth a read before you set off
The second best view in Hong Kong - see below for a description
Hong Kong has other fantastic places for views (I have been to them all) but NONE and I mean NONE come even close to the panoramic Hong Kong city view at the Lugard Road Lookout at Victoria Peak and the second best view in Hong Kong is the view of Hong Kong Island from TST Promenade or the Ocean Terminal Deck looking across Victoria Harbour, it is quite amazing.
Myth no. 4
The Lion’s Pavilion and the Peak Galleria next to the Peak Tower have amazing views from their viewing terraces
It is all subjective but in a nutshell the view from these 2 places is almost identical to that from the Peak Tower 428 Sky Terrace which means it is not as amazing as you think.
Inevitably over the years more and more people have discovered the Lion’s Pavilion Viewing Terrace literally a minutes walk away from the Peak Tower and for the life of me I cannot understand why they did not make that 10 times bigger when they built it, I guess it is what it is.
The Lion’s Pavilion, a nice view for sure but boy, it gets very crowded very quickly
The view from the Lion’s Pavilion is free but gets overcrowded with just 30 people there (and yes, tempers fray and there is lots of pushing and shoving to snag a spot to take a picture), the Peak Galleria Terrace on the roof is a little hard to find (really) but is also free, both are roughly a 1 minute walk from the Peak Tower and to remind you the view is the same view as the Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428, a great view but not even close to that at the Lugard Road Lookout.
I always find it amusing that a lot of Tour Company websites use a stock photo of the view taken from the Lion’s Pavilion on their websites… it is not an amazing view when compared to the one from the Lugard Road Lookout. (and I apologise for repeating myself, I am trying to make a point!)
Myth no. 5
You go to the Lugard Road Lookout for the amazing view because it is FREE
A pet quote from quite a few travel bloggers.
The fact is millions of tourists every year pay to see the view from the Peak Tower 428 Sky Terrace and it is NOT cheap, they willingly pay this because they buy into the myth that it is the best view, it is NOT, not even close.
I always like to show off this image I took of one of my guests at the Lugard Road Lookout at Victoria Peak… just mind blowing.
To make it absolutely clear, the primary reason you make the effort to go to the Lugard Road Lookout is not because it is FREE but because the views are far, far superior, in my humble opinion it is the greatest city view in the World and you need to see it.
Myth no. 6
Lugard Road at Victoria Peak Hong Kong was built in 1913 - 1914
The history of Lugard Road is a lot more complicated than that and even the Hong Kong Tourism Board get’s it wrong. (they incorrectly state 1913 - 1914)
Lugard Road was built in two stages between June 1913 and March 1921, it‛s construction which did start in 1913 was put on hold for the entire duration of the First World War 1914 - 1918 - construction restarted in early 1919 and was finally completed in March 1921 and apparently the total cost of the road amounted to around US$11,000 only!
The elevation is around (ish) 400m or 1,312ft to 430m or 1,410ft - there is quite a steep incline leading up to and slightly beyond no. 27 Lugard Road which explains the difference in elevation.
I have always stated that I thought that the Lugard Road Lookout view was slightly higher than the Peak Tower 428 Sky Terrace! I would say 425m at a minimum but it could be higher all the way up to 430m.
I really love the fact that historically the road was built as a promenade so that people could eventually walk all the way around the Peak (known today as the Peak Circular Walk) and enjoy the fantastic panoramic views., this also explains why the road is quite narrow, I imagine they never thought that cars and trucks would get much bigger over time! and remember back in the 1920’s cars were not exactly common in Hong Kong.
Lugard Road in the 1950’s - it had not changed much since it’s completion in 1921
The start of Lugard Road next to the Peak Tower at No. 1 Lugard Road is called Victoria Gap and It was officially named Lugard Road in 1914 after Sir Frederick Lugard, Governor of Hong Kong from 1907 to 1912.
Lugard Road starting at Victoria Gap is 2,462-metres or 8,076 ft in length ending at High West Gap where is joins | morphs into Harlech Road to complete the circular walk around Victoria Peak.
One important tip - Access to the viewpoint at the Lugard Road Lookout is 24|7 365 days a year and is FREE (but that is not the point at all) and a reminder, there are NO bathrooms or shelters on the way or at the Lugard Road Lookout, there is one wall at 27 Lugard Road where you can sit and catch your breath and one concrete bench near the lookout and that is it!
… oh and given the nature of wildlife along Lugard Road lurking in the trees and bushes (snakes, spiders, giant centipedes, large blue winged flying insects, wild boars) it is probably not a good idea to use the tree cover as a bathroom and it is against the law anyway.
Myth no. 7
It is easy to walk up to Victoria Peak from the Central Business District (related to Myth No. 2)
“I’ve been up to the Peak many times since my first visit to Hong Kong but only found out it is possible to walk up there last year. The advantages of walking up to the Peak are not only are you being active and getting fresh air, it is also completely free of charge.”
In terms of compelling reasons to walk up to Victoria Peak is simply does not work!
Yes, this quotable quote was written by a Travel Blogger who freely admitted that she would not have walked up in the summer heat and humidity and frankly just because it is free is simply not a reason to do it! still, by the time you get to Old Peak Road (see below) you will have learnt how to curse colourfully in 17 different languages.
I simply do not understand how people can enjoy this walk, I am not anti walking, far from it, I am a private walking tour guide and once or twice I had people ask me to guide them on a walk up to Victoria Peak, I gently declined and explained why in great detail.
When you arrive at the Peak Tram Station on Garden Road (which is part of the route to walk up to Victoria Peak) you realise that is quite steep, you can see this quite clearly just by looking up Garden Road and it gets much steeper when you get off Garden Road on your uphill trek to the treacherous Old Peak Road.
So a word or two about walking up to Victoria Peak particularly in the summer months and yes I am totally aware that for a lot of young, fit people it may seem easy, experienced hikers who are used to walking up mountains will shrug off the steep trail and a lot of Hong Kong residents, well it is all about showing off their branded hiking gear and letting people know they are serious hikers.
Honestly, you have be nuts to walk up to Victoria Peak from down town so to speak, there are basically 6 known ways (the majority of people say 2 or 3 ways, I have lived here over 50 years, there are 6 ways of walking up taking from anywhere from 90 minutes - 4 hours, I have done them all and walking up might appeal to very fit people in spandex but not to your average normal person, you go from sea level to 1,404 ft or 428m (ish) in short order and the most popular route is (from the business district) up Garden Road, through the Botanical Gardens and up Old Peak Road, going up Old Peak Road which would challenge the temperament of even the most laid back, spandex clad marathon runner, it has no redeeming features and is just plain nasty and when you have traversed Old Peak Road you then have to take a very steep jungle path with treacherous stretches of slippery wet moss and leaves (even when it is not raining) to Victoria Gap at Victoria Peak, anyone who says it is not steep is lying!
This sign on Old Peak Road tells you the gradient, it is a very long, steep, uphill climb
I get so frustrated with local bloggers and non resident travel bloggers who are so blase about walking up to Victoria Peak and I am telling you straight, for a normal person or family group you will hate it, even more so in the summer heat and humidity (not to mention the rain) and they also mention it takes less than hour, it does NOT, even for experienced hikers.
Take up the challenge if that is your thing but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
… and did I mention that walking down can be an issue particularly after it has rained and all the paths become very slippery with sodden moss and dead leaves, between 2020 and 2023 I had 2 severe falls and 1 fall where I did not land on my back walking down from Victoria Peak which drew blood (I was with people at the time so plenty of witnesses) you have to be very, very careful. If the fall is serious getting an ambulance to you or a helicopter is almost impossible because you are essentially in a jungle.
Myth no. 8
The Peak Galleria Shopping Mall at Victoria Peak is awful and is a tourist trap
What a load of piffle.
Yes, there are 2 shopping malls at Victoria Peak, the Peak Tower and the Peak Galleria, I get quite offended at people who knock the Peak Galleria, it underwent a major refurbishment a few years ago and now has great restaurants, great shops, awesome bathrooms, places to keep kids amused and a little known roof terrace where you can get a view very similar to the Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428 and Lion’s Pavilion and it is free…
The awesome Peak Galleria Mall at Victoria Peak, not to be confused with the Peak Tower
As malls go it is far superior to the Peak Tower and I always feel that visitors who write Tripadvisor reviews visit the Peak Tower only and they assume that the Peak Galleria is the same sort of experience, it most certainly is not.
… and guess what, kids want to eat McDonald’s, adults want a Starbucks and the Peak Galleria has them both.
Every now and then I would have guests who could not go to my spot at the Lugard Road Lookout for the view due to mobility problems so I always took them to the Peak Galleria roof terrace, it never seems to get crowded
oh.. and on the way out I always stop at the massive candy store at the ground level main entrance, what a great place that is.
Myth no. 9
Lugard Road at Victoria Peak is a walking path only not a road
Perhaps you should say the name 20 times over, Lugard Road, Lugard Road, Lugard Road…………
Lugard Road has been a road for over 100 years.
Yes, this is a car on Lugard Road.
One prime example of a myth at Victoria Peak is that pretty much every travel blogger (and some uninformed residents) state that Lugard Road at Victoria Peak is just a walking path and there are no cars or vehicles allowed, this is totally incorrect, there are quite a few residences on Lugard Road and residents have a permit to drive cars on this road, delivery vans and trucks can also use Lugard Road and I have the photographs to prove it!
I mention this because people are quite shocked when they are confronted by a car, van or truck.
Lugard Road when it was constructed between 1913 - 1921 was done so with the intent of giving the public a place to walk too so they could admire the amazing views, perhaps due to cost constraints and construction issues it was quite narrow but like all roads in Hong Kong it was made for vehicular traffic in mind. I strive for accuracy and at the end of the day there are not many houses so traffic is light to say the least which is a blessing for people who love to do the Peak Circular Walk along Lugard Road and Harlech Road.
At one stage in 2013 | 2014 a property developer who owned the historic house at 27 Lugard Road wanted to convert the house into a 17 room boutique Hotel, the plan was approved and then rejected after protests basically from a bunch of hikers and student activists, one of the reasons being that increased vehicular traffic to and from the proposed hotel would be a safety risk given this is a popular walking route on weekends for local Hong Kong residents.
The developer was very reasonable and wanted to use golf buggies twice an hour, a very elegant solution but that was rejected by the protesters… honestly it was a real shame, that hotel would have been awesome to take people for a drink | meal.
Myth no. 10
Victoria Peak Garden is a 10 - 15 minute walk from the Peak Tower at Victoria Peak
In your dreams perhaps.
See the screen shot below from a recent (ish) article by Time Out, I wonder what parallel universe they live in that allows them to walk up to Victoria Peak Garden in just 10 minutes - what nonsense
I doubt very much that the author of these comments has even been to Victoria Peak Garden, if they had then they would know that 10 minutes is impossible unless they possess superhero powers or technology from 400 years in the future
I just love going to Victoria Peak Garden but to be honest most visitors that go to Victoria Peak have no clue that it even exists.
I always shake my head at the optimists who claim wholly unrealistic times to walk up there from the starting point next to the Peak Tower, I have seen times stated as little as 10 minutes to 30 minutes., if you are a fit marathon runner it might take you 30 minutes but I base my timings on the average person and let me make it clear there is a bunch of interesting things to see on the way up which will eat up time as well.
It will take anyone with that reasonable level of fitness 45 - 60 minutes to walk up Mt. Austin Road to Victoria Peak Garden at a moderate pace, the more people in the group the slower it will be.
The first part of the walk is quite steep and if it is 33oC and 90% humidity you will need to stop and rest, fortunately the second half of the walk is mainly shaded by a semi tropical jungle!
Myth no. 11
The Peak Tram is the FASTEST way to get to Victoria Peak in Hong Kong
Take my advice, go up to Victoria Peak by bus or taxi and go DOWN on the Peak Tram, you only need to do it one way and it is much more exciting going down.
In service since Mid 2022 the new 6th Generation Green Tram now seats 210 passengers instead of 120 for previous generation trams, it is hard to get accurate information but with information gleaned from press releases and financial reports it is estimated that the Peak Tram averages 6 - 7 million passengers a year, it is a popular way to get to Victoria Peak but there are plenty of other options and the new larger tram has not had a significant impact on queues waiting to go up to Victoria Peak, again my advice is take a bus or a Taxi to the Peak and go down on the Tram, you really only need to do it one way and as mentioned I find going down to be a lot more exciting.
Here is a very important piece of advice, take the Peak Tram going down and head for the seats right at the front of the Tram (as close as you can get) there is a point and trust me you will know it when you see it where the gradient is so steep it is like you are dropping of a cliff!! it really is a thrill. it makes for a fabulous selfie.
….and here is a small but crucial tip for you, there is a lot of nonsense written about the fastest way to Victoria Peak and amazingly people who should know better say it is the Peak Tram, this is rubbish, by the time you have walked to the Peak Tram Terminus (from the nearest subway station) which takes 15 - 30 minutes approx. (uphill) you might have to wait 30 minutes to 90 minutes to actually get on the tram depending on crowds and the time.. and it takes 8 - 10 minutes to the summit - the quickest way by far is a Taxi from the business district, it takes no more than 15 - 20 minutes and is a lot cheaper than the Peak Tram and I should point out that the ride itself in the Taxi is quite something.
Myth no. 12
7 million people visit Victoria Peak Hong Kong every year
I have a love | hate relationship with this image I took at Victoria Peak in 2019, yes, sometimes it can get very crowded
To be clear there is NO way of determining exactly how many people visit Victoria Peak every year but it is a lot more than 6 - 7 million people.
One of the basic factual errors most people make is the best guess actual number of people who visit Victoria Peak, Hong Kong yearly.
Most figures you see state around 6 - 7 million people, this is quite incorrect, this is roughly the figure of people who used the Peak Tram yearly prior to 2021 before the Peak Tram went off line for over a year for system upgrades, it is hard to get patronage figures for 2023 from the Peak Tram Operator but as the tram capacity was 210 people, up from 120 then one can assume the yearly figures of people using the tram was substantially higher in 2023 and will be even more in 2024
So…. roughly you can count on a minimum 6 - 7 million people a year use the Peak Tram to get to and from the Central Business District to Victoria Peak so you can maybe increase that figure (ish) to around 10 - 15 million visitors per year visiting Victoria Peak given it is a popular place to visit for Hong Kong residents and there are many other ways for visitors to get to Victoria Peak such as Bus, Taxi, Tour Coach, Uber, Private Cars and such, in fact many Mainland Chinese tourists who represent 80% of tourists coming to Hong Kong, go up on a coach and down on a coach!
I find it amazing at just how many people misquote the Peak Tram patronage of roughly 7 million people as the total number of people visiting Victoria Peak.
Myth no. 13
There is a stunning panoramic 360 degree view of Hong Kong on the Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428
This is the myth that irritates me the most and naturally everyone that writes about the Peak Tower 428 Sky Terrace view repeats the 360 degree view misconception so the myth has becomes fact and passed into legend.
If you read the blurb for this image of the Peak Tower it states “ you can see the entire island from this vantage point” what complete nonsense, you can see snatches of partial views from the 2 sides and back but you simply cannot see all of Hong Kong Island!! and that view you see at the front does NOT compare with the view at the Lugard Road Lookout., not even close.
A lot of the reviews for the Peak Tower and Peak Tram are for the viewing terrace Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428, the Peak Tram ends at the Peak Tower so many people just go to the Sky Terrace for the view which charges a hefty admission fee and I need to emphasise, The Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428 claims that it has a 360 degree panoramic view of Hong Kong which is complete nonsense (for that to happen the terrace would have to be at about 800m + and not 428m) the panoramic city view is at best about 90 degrees.
I have seen articles that claim that the height of the Peak is 552m, 554m and 556m above sea level - take your pick… I reckon 552m is correct
Anyone that visits the Sky Terrace must know that you do not get a 360 degree panoramic view of Hong Kong - it is very apparent? but no one except me challenges the misconception….. one of life’s great mysteries
Myth no. 14
Do not visit Victoria Peak, Hong Kong if it is cloudy, misty, foggy or raining.
This commentary is taken from a very recent blog post I wrote
I want to set the record straight about taking stunning panoramic images of Hong Kong from my spot at the Peak which has recently been named The Lugard Road Lookout, which is not nearly as snappy as Jamie’s spot at the Peak.
Over the years I have fielded many questions from guests about Hong Kong weather and read many negative reviews on Tripadvisor on how bad weather ruined their excursion to Victoria Peak and I decided to trawl through my images and post 18 images of the view from my spot at the Peak taken in all types of weather.
Let me be clear, I have no control over the weather but after visiting Victoria Peak (The Peak) over 6,000 times since 1972 I am quite familiar with weather and how it is not nearly as cut and dried as you might think.
My basic advice to anyone is simply look up at the Peak, it dominates Hong Kong Island, if you can see the top of it then get there as soon as possible but you might also want to check the weather report for the day, in today’s smart phone culture it is not difficult to find a weather forecast.
A variable weather day at the Lugard Road Lookout spot at Victoria Peak, sunny, cloudy and rainy and then sunny again all in the space of 30 minutes
What I will say is that it is a very rare day that the weather is so bad that the Peak is completely socked in with no views available, yes it happens but very infrequently.
Somewhat foggy days sometimes happen but I have had days when the Peak Tower building is completely socked in, but my spot which is a 20 minute walk away is quite clear, I have no expertise in geography or climate studies but it happens, I have heard that because the Peak Tower building sits in a place called Victoria Gap, conditions mean fog settles and does not dissipate for a long time but at my spot, it quickly vanishes.
We have plenty of days when it is simply cloudy, a little misty or haze is an issue, that is never an issue with me, the views are simply magnificent in these conditions
Sometimes you have lovely sunny weather and a storm rolls in turning day into night, that makes for some interesting views
Typhoons are great as it can be windy but very clear
In the Winter the temperatures are quite cool and humidity is quite low and so on a cloudy days it can seem crystal clear.
Variable weather during the day - if it is cloudy in the morning, it quite often really clears up in the early afternoon!
If you are only in Hong Kong for a day then sometimes you have no opportunity to see the stunning views but if you are here for 2 - 3 days then you should be fine.
Myth no. 15
That this is the World’s greatest city view from Lugard Road, Victoria Peak in Hong Kong
This view does NOT exist at Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, it is a completely FAKE image
This commentary is taken from a recent blog post I wrote
Let me be clear
I hate fake images supposedly taken in Hong Kong and posted on Instagram in an effort to get “likes” and this company hongkong.explore has a history of posting fake Hong Kong images on Instagram and despite them responding to me admitting they are fake they continue to post them.
This organisation posts something like 10 - 15 images a day and they get many thousands of likes and hundreds of comments for a typical post all in an effort to promote the Hong Kong app for a company called Tripscout
Personally, I do not think much of their site, the quality of the images varies markedly depending on who is taking the images, they use too many drone images and quite often they post images of places in China and pass them off as Hong Kong images, clearly editorial control is very much lacking.
This is from a blog post I wrote on my J3 Private Tours website in 2022
For the sake of clarity I should point out that I have walked to “my spot” on Lugard Road at Victoria Peak over 6,000 times since 1972 to see the views
Victoria Peak attracts on average roughly 15 million visitors a year and given the popularity of Instagram and other social media sites, images that go viral can cause a really big problem, I can only imagine how many people visiting Hong Kong in the 2 years since the image was published in 2022 have been really annoyed at finding out this view point simply does NOT exist.
Unfortunately comments made by myself, other private guides and Hong Kong residents complaining about the doctored image where drowned out by an avalanche of comments loving the image!
You can read my explanation below.
This image appeared on Instagram in 2022 and it is a completely fake image and despite a campaign by Private Tour Guides to have it removed, it remained and is probably still on the site, this is the problem with social media influencers, all that matters is clicks they do not care about the validity or authenticity of the image - this image within a few days garnered many thousands of likes and comments and if this place existed, wow it would be worth a visit but it does NOT exist.
For the record this perspective of “height” looking down on the buildings and across Victoria Harbour clearly indicated a drone was used but even that does not take away from the fact that those steps are simply NOT in that location, what is actually there is a very simple black railing and an almost sheer vertical drop down from the Peak.
I estimate the drone was at a height of 550m - 650m, the reality is that the maximum height you can be on Lugard Road at Victoria Peak to take this image would be around 430m maximum. The top of Victoria Peak which is closed to the Public as it is a military installation is 552m
I actually know where those steps are, I have been down them myself in the 1970’s when I was kid and they are certainly not at the top of Victoria Peak I would estimate that they are at a height of just 250m (from sea level) maximum - I just feel really sorry for people that came to Hong Kong looking for that spot, it does NOT exist.
You can see my comments on the Instagram page under j3tourshk not that it made any difference!
As an enthusiastic amateur photographer I strive for realism with my images keeping editing to the bare minimum, Hong Kong is not blessed with blue skies and sunshine 365 days a year, we have 4 distinct seasons, however a lot of people use their smartphones and social media has filters that make images a work of art no matter what the weather completely distorting reality and influencers need image perfection to get as many clicks and likes as possible
For what difference it will make, I have made my point.
Myth no. 16
That this opening in the trees is the Lugard Road Lookout at Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
This is the totally wrong spot on Lugard Road, Victoria Peak which tourists claim is the place for the World’s greatest panoramic city view!
As you walk along Lugard Road at Victoria Peak heading towards the Lugard Road Lookout you will at about 15 minutes in to a 20 minute walk come across Victorian era (of sorts) lamp post and a gap in the trees., and quite often you will see 10 | 20 people admiring the view - see image below
This is NOT in any shape or form the place where you get the view and yet most visitors who walk along Lugard Road stop here and think they have found the Lugard Road Lookout, I have literally lost count of the number of times I have told people they are in the wrong spot only for them to be quite rude with me, perhaps they were thinking I was going scam them! I am just the guy who has been along this road 6,000 + times since 1972 - take in the view but please keep walking for another 5 minutes to get to the actual “greatest panoramic city view in the world”
Here is another tip, the great view at the Lugard Road Lookout comes less than a minute after you have passed a concrete bench jammed into some rocks, you cannot miss it, the bench is very old and famous and is the only one prior to reaching the Lugard Road Lookout or Jamie’s spot at the Peak, if you have not walked past the concrete bench then you are in the wrong spot.
Victoria Peak (The Peak) Hong Kong - The greatest city view in the world and virtually every visitor that comes to Hong Kong misses out on this amazing view! They are given bad advice or are taken to the wrong place - I have been to this spot at the Peak over 6,000 times since 1972 - it is stunning. This is one of my images, I am a bit of a photographer and have a very, very nice camera!
Victoria Peak (The Peak) Hong Kong - The greatest city view in the world | The glorious night time view
Lugard Road Lookout at Victoria Peak
If I had any followers on Instagram who liked views rather than my car images then this would be a classic, Mum, Dad and 4 kids aged from 12 - 22 from England, perfect weather, the planets aligned as they do on most days at the Peak.
This rather sums up Jamie’s spot at the Peak.
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