Insider tip - The No. 15 Bus to Victoria Peak Hong Kong

24 Feb

The best place to get on the bus and get the best views

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Insider tip - The No. 15 Bus to Victoria Peak Hong Kong

The best place to get on the bus and get the best views

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

click on the image to enlarge

What are my transport options when it comes to going to Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island ?, which gets anywhere from 7 - 10 million visitors a year.

Learn more | My blog post - The 16 myths about Victoria Peak Hong Kong

This is one of my 16 myths about Victoria Peak in Hong Kong that I have written about, the advice I am giving is simple and if followed will greatly enhance your experience of going up to Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island.

I have been up to Victoria Peak over 6,000 times since 1972 and many times I have chosen to take the bus up there.

There are numerous ways to get up to Victoria Peak ( or the Peak )

The Peak Tram | takes anywhere from 60 - 90 minutes minimum including lots of time waiting in a line and is expensive
The green mini bus No. 1 from IFC in Central | takes around 30 minutes (ish)
The No. 15 bus from Central Ferry Pier | takes 40 - 60 minutes
The No. X15 bus on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays - it is an express route and does NOT follow the route taken by the No. 15 bus, I would NOT recommend this
Taxi | takes 15 - 20 minutes
Uber or similar ride hailing services | takes 15 - 20 minutes
Walk up | I am often amused by seeing people commenting that you can walk up to Victoria Peak, it is a very steep small peak or hill and from the Business District you are looking at a 90 minute to a 2 hour very unpleasant steep hike, I appreciate there are a lot of fit people who like a challenge and would mock my level of fitness - but your average person including families with kids or moody teenagers would hate it, I cannot emphasize how steep it is in many places - you have been warned, there are 6 possible routes to go up and I have done them all, never, ever again! for 6 months of the year it is 33oC and 90% humidity and did I mention the rain?, I simply cannot understand what joy people get from doing this but hey, each to their own, my view in case I have not made it clear, is that it just a thoroughly miserable waste of time. I mention this because a lot of people recommend you walk up to Victoria Peak and make out as if it is a 15 minute stroll, so you know, the walk goes from sea level to 430m or 1,400 ft in short order and it is a very steep incline! and yes, because it is so steep every walk DOWN can be very dangerous and miserable as well and I have the scars to prove it.

There are many people who have written articles or reviews on Tripadvisor about transport options to Victoria Peak, many of these articles lack specific information or incorrect information which can be very confusing for visitors, one of the biggest mistakes is well meaning people who tell you to take the No. 15c bus from the stop close to the Star Ferry Pier No. 7 at Central Piers next to the Big Bus Tourist Co. bus stop to Victoria Peak. the No. 15c bus goes to the Peak Tram and NOT to the Peak.

… and this leads on nicely to the incorrect information about where to get on the No. 15 bus in Central.

The Myth | The best place to catch the Citybus route no. 15 bus to Victoria Peak is at Exchange Square in Central on Hong Kong Island.

Citybus | Bus route no. 15 is a brilliant way to get to Victoria Peak - (and a reminder - NOT the 15C by the way, this takes you to the Garden Road Peak Tram Station only..)

Please note that this is public transport and hence its very photogenic winding route up to Victoria Peak, the company recently added commentary in 3 languages which blare over the speakers, it is quite annoying and pretty pointless, there is really no need to do it as by the time you have heard the commentary the bus has already passed whatever the commentary is mentioning.

It will take from 40 - 60 minutes depending on traffic but that is fine as there are so many interesting things to see! 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.

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, a 10 minute walk from Central Piers
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. Do NOT sit on the lower deck, you cannot see much.
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! I should point out that these days the bus ride is very popular with Mainland Chinese Tourists who always get on at this second stop and they always rush upstairs and fill the upper deck. they have now erected crowd control barriers at this 2nd stop because of the crowds waiting to get on the bus.
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 long 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 (which is the 5th stop) it is standing room only! as the upper deck will be full.

I hope you find this information useful, I know that you will enjoy the amazing bus ride to Victoria Peak in Hong Kong!

Observatory Weather Cam | Victoria Peak Views looking towards the east:

Observatory Weather Cam | Victoria Peak Views looking towards the north-northeast:

click on the links above for the weather cams

Let us hope that on your visit to Victoria Peak in Hong Kong you get the sort of weather as seen in the image below but if you are in Hong Kong for a day or two it is like spinning a roulette wheel when it comes to the weather and I must stress that it can go from stormy to blue skies in a matter of hours.

The Hong Kong Observatory weather cams that cover Victoria Peak can be accessed on your phone at any time and new images are uploaded every 5 minutes, so use the information to plan and potentially save a lot of time and money on a wasted journey!