The amazing Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
and the views that visitors | tourists miss out on
Me Jamie, English and 52 years living in Hong Kong and I know the know the place - I personally completed 2,324 Private Tours (6,000+ guests) from 2011 - 2020 and was considered one of the finest Private Tour Guides in Asia.
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Fact | it is Victoria Peak to visitors and The Peak to residents
This post was written by me Jamie in my own distinctive style, I am real live person not some AI Chat Bot!
The Victoria Peak Experience | Hong Kong
The amazing Victoria Peak (The Peak) Hong Kong’s most iconic views visitors | tourists miss out on and it breaks my heart
In Hong Kong we say The Peak, visitors refer to it as Victoria Peak and actually the real name is Mount Austin! and to the local Chinese population it is called Tai Ping Shan and there are a few historial references to it also being called Ce Kei which was a nod to a famous Chinese pirate who apparently raised flags on the Peak when boats were spotted!
I speculate that the name Victoria Peak was an old colonial reference to Victoria City on Hong Kong Island the Peak was the centrepiece so to speak, whatever name you use is fine, personally I just prefer “The Peak” It also fits in nicely with the fact that we still have Victoria Harbour.
… and just to make your head spin, we have that age old argument as whether Victoria Peak is a mountain or a hill, the consensus is a hill but I think of it as a small mountain or peak, there are so many conflicting arguments when you do a google search as there does not seem to be an official distinction in terms of height between a mountain or a hill, confusing isn’t it!
During my time as a Private Tour Guide in Hong Kong (2,324 private tours from 2011 - 2020) my mission in life was to give guests the opportunity to photograph the greatest city view in the World, sadly this sentiment is not shared by most tour operators in Hong Kong.
You can avoid many of the pitfalls of visiting Victoria Peak and maximise your enjoyment by hiring a private tour guide from my list below, my favourite tip was always to take a taxi or a bus from down town to Victoria Peak and take the Peak Tram down thus avoiding the crowds and bedlam trying to go up to Victoria Peak on the Peak Tram, you only need to take the tram one way and for me going down is much more exciting than going up!
The Lugard Road Lookout, Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
Lugard Road, Victoria Peak - yes, amazingly this is the view virtually every visitor | tourist coming to Hong Kong misses out on, it is stunning in all types of weather and to make it absolutely clear, the 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.
Victoria Peak, Hong Kong - The greatest city view in the world | The glorious night time view
The Lugard Road Lookout, Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
This is a completely fake image and is NOT the amazing view!!
The ultimate hidden gem or secret spot, yes, a completely FAKE location (I really hate the term hidden gem), but in this case it goes way beyond being hidden!
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 clearly indicated a drone was used but even that does not take away from the fact that those steps are simply NOT there., I estimate the drone was at a height of 550m - 650m, the reality is that the maximum height you can be on a path 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 and they are certainly not at the top of Victoria Peak I would estimate that they are at a height of just 250m 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!
The amazing view from Lugard Road at Victoria Peak
It is sometimes also known as The Peak Circular Walk, the Lugard Road Circular Walk, The Victoria Peak Circular Walk, The Peak Circle Walk or The Victoria Peak Circle Walk
The one thing that has annoyed me for as long as I can remember is the fact that just about every visitor that comes to Hong Kong does NOT get the opportunity to see this magnificent view at Victoria Peak, amongst my friends this was known as Jamie’s spot at the Peak and I have been there over 6,000 times since 1972.
It disheartens me when I see so many negative reviews about visitors experiences at Victoria Peak, phrases like tourist trap, mob mentality, touristy, war zone are all too common
So why is this?
in essence it is because my viewpoint on Lugard Road or the Lugard Road Lookout is not widely publicised and unless you have precise instructions it is difficult to find and it is very common for visitors to stop at completely the wrong place. I have lost count of the number of times I stopped to tell people that they where in the wrong place! and quite a few times tourists told me I had no idea what I was talking about!
the majority of visitors choose to go to the top of the Peak Tower (where you can also catch the world famous Peak Tram) and to the Sky Terrace 428 and pay through the nose to take photo’s amongst a crush of people, let me be clear, this view is NOT even close to the view you get at the Lugard Road Lookout and one other thing, contrary to popular belief the Sky Terrace 428 does NOT have 360 degree views of Hong Kong Island, not even close!
for those that do not want to pay the very high fee to access the Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428 viewing terrace, you can walk 150 yards to the right to the Lion’s Pavilion where you get a similar view to the Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428 but free of charge however it tends to get very, very crowded due to the small space and you can also go to the roof top viewing terrace on top of the Peak Galleria Mall for the same view and again, let me be clear, this view is NOT even close to the view you get at the Lugard Road Lookout
This is a better perspective view from the Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428 and the Lion’s Pavilion, you cannot see around the corner so to speak so it is NOT the 180 degree view you get from the Lugard Road viewpoint.
Number of visitors to Victoria Peak, Hong Kong - a rough guess
One of the basic factual errors most people make is the number of people who visit Victoria Peak yearly. Most figures you see state around 6 - 7 million people, this is incorrect, this is roughly the figure of people who used the Peak Tram prior to 2021 before the Peak Tram went off line for over a year, 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 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 bus and down on a bus!
….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 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.. the quickest way 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 the overwhelming majority of them miss out on the greatest city view in the world simply because visitors are led to believe that the only view points are at the top of the Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428 and the Lion’s Pavilion.
Hopefully people reading this post will do the right thing on their next visit to Hong Kong and visit the Lugard Road Lookout.
The Peak Experience | The Victoria Peak Experience
… and a little local knowledge, if you enlarge the image The Peak Tower 3 - those radio masts you can see in this image are literally on top of Victoria Peak, it is a Chinese Military Post and totally off limits and is the reason you cannot stand on the peak of Victoria Peak which tops out at 552m or roughly 1,811 ft
So how do I get to Jamie’s spot at Victoria Peak on Lugard Road also known as the Lugard Road Lookout?
This old colonial building at No. 1 Lugard Road is the office of the Peak Tramways Company and marks the beginning of Lugard Road at Victoria Peak, Hong Kong - this road takes you to the Lugard Road Lookout or Jamie’s spot at the Peak!
My great friend Laura owner of Hello Hong Kong, Hello Singapore and Hello Tokyo produced this Audio Tour of Victoria Peak, I had some input as well, it is well worth the investment if you want to do the Lugard Road walk yourself, the cost is very reasonable
You can click on each of the Hello Country links and do contact Laura to book a tour one of her great selling points is Hello Tours are popular with Cruise Ship Passengers whose itineraries take them to all 3 locations!
So you might say to yourself, well that view looks great in the images above, what’s the issue? well quite simply there is my spot at Victoria Peak which is a 20 minute walk away from the Peak Tower which offers an amazing 180 degree view of Hong Kong, something that is simply NOT possible from the 2 locations mentioned above, it is incomparable.
There are a few reviewers on Tripadvisor and travel bloggers who mention the road next to the Peak Tower and mention the walk and the view at my spot but with NO detail to enable you to find the right viewpoint
Lugard Road is NOT a path, please note that Lugard Road is actually a road with vehicular access even though it is clearly one way due to it’s width, people who live on Lugard Road have a permit for cars, vehicles such as trucks and delivery vans are sometimes seen, the Police Force and Fire Services Department have special small vehicles for this road., I should point out that it is rare to see a vehicle of any sort including bikes, motorised or otherwise but be clear, Lugard Road has always been a road for vehicles.
Access is 24|7 365 days a year and is FREE 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 and that is it!
To see this amazing view you have to go to Lugard Road, Lugard Road starts right next to the Peak Tower, you cannot miss the old Colonial Building which is the Office of the Peak Tram Company! once on this road and you have walked past the Colonial Building do not deviate by going up roads, driveways and such, stick to the road.
I should point out that it is NOT a 10 minute walk as some people have suggested to the Lugard Road Lookout (maybe if you ran and ignored everything around you) 20 minutes is about right for the average person and 30 minutes if you like to stop and smell the roses and put your camera to good use and yes it is kid friendly (huge spiders in the summer anyone!) and wheelchair | stroller friendly and whilst there is a little bit of an incline in one spot leading to 27 Lugard Road, it is perfectly fine, be aware and as a reminder there are NO bathrooms or shops on the way and there is NO shelter if it is raining, so be prepared.
The Golden Orb spider, unless you know what to look for you would never see them, I personally made it a point to locate them on my days off so I could point them out, kids love them… they are around only in the summer months and they can be the size of an adult hand! if you have a spider phobia then best not to look to hard!
……. and other than Giant Spiders, you might also see other creatures such as these if you look carefully and yes, these are my images
The viewpoint is on Lugard Road and the elevation is virtually identical to the Peak Tower ie around 428m - it is a lovely walk and quite interesting I might add but I am sad to say that a lot of Tour Companies | Private Tour Guides pass on this spot because of the 20 minute walk there and 20 minutes walk back which to me is simply denying guests the chance to photograph the most amazing city view in the world.
You should really go with a Private Guide as well, I have lost count of the number of people who stopped at the WRONG place (about 5 minutes from the actual place) local knowledge is so important! you will know the right spot when you get to it because it has that WOW factor, having someone point out precisely what you are seeing can be a fabulous experience.
See the images below and another insider tip, just before you get to the Lugard Road Lookout you have walk past an old concrete bench (you cannot miss it) you have to walk past it and stop when you get to the open space shown in the image, if you have not passed the concrete bench you are in the wrong place! and please do NOT deviate from this road, there are a couple of places where you can deviate going up “roads & driveways” ignore them, stay on Lugard Road.
A classic example of people (in the top photograph) stopping at completely the WRONG spot!
I love it when people giving out important advice get it totally right (thanks Ski!) if you look at the top image of the two above, you will see a bunch of people admiring the view, this is absolutely THE WRONG PLACE! the correct place as per the bottom image is 5 minutes walk away and you have to pass the concrete bench, see below - the difference in views is staggering and at the correct spot you will see there are no trees obstructing the views.
To make it crystal clear, the view at the spot above is totally the WRONG PLACE, ie next to the street light, some trees were cut down to improve the view (not strictly true, some trees were damaged or blown away in a major typhoon a few years ago) but is not the right place, keep walking, pass the concrete bench, it is probably not a place to rest, (giant golden orb spiders in the summer like to mingle in the trees and bushes) ….. and you will then see the magical place!
As mentioned above, do NOT deviate from Lugard Road - this path | road leading off and up to the left is very steep and takes you to the entrance of some fancy houses and a little further up a larger concentration of houses, there are no views due to the dense foliage
The Lugard Road Lookout
Below are 6 images I have taken from my spot at Victoria Peak on Lugard Road, you simply do NOT get this view from The Peak Tower Sky Terrace 428 or the Lions Pavilion, in essence at those two spots you can see the same as image 1 and 2 and part of 3 but most of 3 and what you see in images 4, 5 and 6 simply cannot be seen! this is why you go to Lugard Road for that 180 degree view, the difference context wise is staggering, if you only have time to do one thing in Hong Kong then this is the spot to go to.
I must also stress that you really need a Hong Kong expert to explain to you what you are seeing and to put everything into context, I once spent 8 hours at this spot with 2 guests, it was really something!
The quite stunning night time view, Lugard Road, Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
A rainy, foggy day from Lugard Road at Victoria Peak, I have never let the weather stop me from taking moody images!
Yes, you can get some interesting images at the Golden Hour before sunset from Lugard Road at Victoria Peak, ICC our tallest building at 118 floors in Kowloon looks like it is on fire, sadly you can no longer see this phenomenon as a reflective barrier has been put on the windows!
A memory that will last a lifetime and young people love this spot for it’s Instagram worthiness!
I should point out that once you have finished with the mesmerising view you can carry on, as long as you stick to the road and do not go uphill, downhill or sideways you will end up back where you started but on Harlech Road not Lugard Road (about 15 yards separates both roads) after about 40 minutes (ish), most people pass on this option and simply go back the way they came.
The entrance to Harlech Road at Victoria Peak on the left of the image behind the rickshaw man
This road behind the old chap with the iconic rickshaw (NOT the one going uphill) is Harlech Road, if you walk this way you can reach the fabled Lugard Road Lookout for that view as Harlech Road morphs into Lugard Road - it would take about 40 minutes from here, likewise if you continued walking beyond the Lugard Road Lookout, Lugard Road joins up with Harlech Road and you would end up here which is literally 20 yards from the Peak Tower
Victoria Peak was always my number one priority to visit on my private tours and I would go there, rain or shine and even in foggy conditions and once or twice during a typhoon, it is a world class view in case I have not made myself clear and weather can change rapidly, it is very rare to have a completely foggy or rainy day and so we are clear, I have done the Lugard Road walk over 6,000 times since 1972
I have never understood how any private tour guide in Hong Kong would not take a guest to the Lugard Road Lookout, there is nothing else you can do or see in Hong Kong that beats this view, it captures the true essence of Hong Kong, I guess it shows the difference between a good tour guide and a great tour guide at the top of their game.
… and anyone who is an Instagram influencer should be going to the Lugard Road Lookout, a lot of people claim to be looking for the best places to take photographs but miss out on this one!
…… and if you have the time and you are doing a car tour then ask your private guide to take you to Victoria Peak Garden at Victoria Peak (do not try and walk to it, you really need to go up and down in a car) and see this fabulous view of the South Side of Hong Kong Island and the South China Sea
…. and again you really need to be in a car for this view, this is on Barker Road at Victoria Peak and is where the billionaires live, there is a spot where you can stop and take a picture of this magnificent view of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, truly amazing and I must stress it is quite different from the view at the top of the Peak Tower
…….and last but not least, this amazing view of Aberdeen and the South Side of Hong Kong Island taken from Severn Road at Victoria Peak - again, you need to be in a car to get to this viewpoint but gosh it is worth it.
Amy, owner of Hong Kong Greeters | one of the greatest private tour guides in Hong Kong
and finally a few extra tips
I would generally not recommend going to Victoria Peak on a Sunday, I appreciate you may not have a choice but you have been warned - many Hong Kong residents love to go Victoria Peak on a Sunday and walk | hike around the Lugard Road Circular Walk (showing off their walking poles and North Face gear) and they tend to get annoyed by visitors, it can be jam packed on a Sunday! oh and I still do not understand why people use walking poles on roads! (one in each hand!) it is not cross country skiing.
There are plenty of decent bathrooms in either the Peak Tower or the Peak Galleria Shopping Mall and they are kept clean and tidy although sometimes lines form.
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 up 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 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.
The Peak Tram which has been around since 1888 is the time honoured way to get to Victoria Peak and they recently spent a shed load of money (2021 - 2022) to increase capacity by doubling the length of the tram and improving the space where you queue to get on the tram, it has not really worked, the lines can be horrendous particularly going up - you should really hire a private guide who knows all the tricks of the trade and by the way, the skip the line, queue can be just as bad as the normal queue - you have been warned - failing that, go UP on Bus No. 15 or in a taxi and go DOWN on the Peak Tram
…. and another important tip - going up for the golden hour or after sunset for the night view can be quite something as well, but be warned, at the Lugard Road Lookout and when the weather is clear, sometimes there can be 100 yards of photographers (locals) blocking access to the view and they can be grumpy and not very obliging to visitors trying to take photo’s, I have had my fair share of arguments! the image above is fairly typical in good weather in the late afternoon and worse, they bugger off for a snack leaving one person in charge of 50 expensive camera’s - just try moving them and see what happens!
.. and opposite the Peak Tower at Victoria Peak is the Peak Lookout Restaurant, quite the favourite with Private Tour Guides I might add and absolutely worth a look, in the right weather the outside terrace is amazing! I have always had great meals there and that is my friend Michael of Hong Kong Free Tours in the yellow shirt doing what he does amazingly well!
Click on this image to get an overview of the Peak Galleria Mall and the tenants
I really need to mention the The Peak Galleria mall which is directly opposite the Peak Tower, in the basement are the taxi stands (you can only be dropped off there in a taxi or catch a taxi from there) and the bus stands for buses to take you to the Central Business District, I always recommend catching bus No. 15! the views from the upper deck are quite something.
The mall is excellent, it is full of many popular restaurants that offer many types of Asian Food and includes a famous Hong Kong Noodle chain - naturally there is a Starbucks and a very large McDonalds and plenty of shops and critically it has a bunch of very clean and tidy bathrooms and not to mention some interesting places to keep kids amused.
… and talking of kids, I do feel compelled to mention the Candylicious store next to the front entrance, a dream come true for me and anyone that likes candy, it is a fabulous store.
So many factual errors!
If you are going to write a blog post about your experience in Hong Kong, at least get the facts right
The main image at the top of the blog is NOT the view from Lugard Road, this image is taken from Causeway Bay | Braemar Hill, quite some distance (ie many miles) from the Lugard Road Lookout! not a good start!
The bus no. 15c does NOT go all the way up to the Peak! it goes to the Peak Tram Terminus about a 15 minute walk from the Central business district - the bus you need to go all the way up to Victoria Peak is the no. 15 which is one of my favourite bus journeys in Hong Kong and yes, it really does go all the way up to Victoria Peak.
despite what the writer states, Lugard Road has always been open for vehicles, if you have a permit, there are residences on Lugard Road and the residents have cars, delivery vans and small trucks are also permitted and Emergency Services vehicles, it is ONE way traffic and yes, you do see vehicles and I have the images to prove it.
the writer alludes to a rock you can climb to get a better view at the viewpoint, this rock is at a lesser viewpoint a couple of minutes walk from THE viewpoint and frankly you would have to be nuts to climb this and if a Policeman saw you they would probably arrest you! it is a bloody stupid thing to do even if you are the worlds greatest Instagram Influencer and I might also point out that Hong Kong has 14 species of poisonous snakes + giant centipedes and I would be very wary about stepping off Lugard Road to venture in amongst rocks and bushes (and I have the pictures to prove it.)
and since 2018 the taxi fare from the business district in Central to the Peak has increased and is now anywhere from HK$80 - HK$100 depending on traffic
Other than that I appreciate very much the enthusiasm for promoting the Lugard Road Lookout, thank you!
I simply cannot understand how these signs are ignored or people simply chose to ignore them, it clearly states that vehicles are allowed with a permit!
… and yes, that is a small fire truck | van that doubles as an “ambulance” outside of 27 Lugard Road
….and for those who call Lugard Road a path and doubt Lugard Road is a road - if you have a permit you can drive a car along Lugard Road all the way to no. 27 Lugard Road, you do not need a permit for a delivery van or truck but most people know that driving on Lugard Road is not really an option - small trucks are allowed but they are quite dangerous as someone walking on Lugard Road does not have many options to let a truck by!
I should also point out that I get quite irked at mediocre tour guides in Hong Kong who claim Lugard Road is not a road but a path and no vehicles are allowed, that is simply not true.
27 Lugard Road (as shown above with the fire truck) is the furthest you can go in a vehicle and the only place you can do some gymnastics and turn your vehicle around, police motorbikes are allowed beyond 27 Lugard Road but nothing else.
One of the few times I have seen a cyclist on Lugard Road, we had words
Finally on the subject of vehicles on Lugard Road, I almost never see bicycles, there are plenty of signs at the entrance to Lugard Road that ban motorbikes, scooters and cars (unless you have a permit) but no specific sign saying no bicycles.
I have a feeling they are banned, I am not a fan of cyclists, like in many other countries they are a law unto themselves and generally ignore all traffic regulations, I have had 2 arguments since 2010 with cyclists on Lugard Road, these guys where tearing round corners on Lugard Road at high speed and could have killed someone if they collided with them… so I will stick to the point, that thankfully you hardly ever see them.
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| Cultural Tourism At It’s Very Best |
J3 Premium Private Hong Kong Tours and Experiences
Jamie, Your Passionate Hong Kong Expert & Storyteller
Discover Hong Kong - Pearl of the Orient
Learn about the unbiased, real Hong Kong | forget what you read in the press!
© Jamie Lloyd | J3 Consultants Hong Kong | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong | | 2011 - 2024.
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