Sunset Peak – Pak Kung Au to Mui Wo – Difficult

Sunset peak or Tai Tung Shan is the third highest peak in Hong Kong at 869 meters high above sea level situated on Lantau island within the north and south Lantau country parks.

Difficulty: 7/10 it’s a climb up and the path is rugged and rocky throughout

Duration: 4.5 hours over 10 kilometres till Mui Wo ferry

How to get there: I took the MTR to Tung Chung, exited at B, met my friends and took the 3 M bus ( number 11 bus too) to Pak Kung Au stop. We alighted there and walked up on the same side to the start of the Sunset Peak trail.

There was a sitting area and toilets at the start. However, after that it was a steep climb up. 😁

It was an extremely cold and windy day so we were warmly clad. We could see the Lantau peak and the trail from where we were.

We kept climbing. There were quite a few hikers along the way which slowed our climb but it was okay as the strong wind added to the slowness too.

The way up was gorgeous and open. We could see the road at a distance and small houses too.

We climbed up to the viewing point which was absolutely scary as the strong winds caused us to stay put on the wooden panel which shook a bit.

We managed to climb down and continued on the path up. Ooooofff!!

We took the rocky path up where we had to crawl up like monkeys or as my friend Urvi mentioned ‘ Spidey women’ 😁.

Some people clicked photos on the edge of rocks and tried scary antics but not us. We didn’t want to be blown off by the wind.

We continued up our scramble and viewed a peak in the distance where we realised that that would have been an easier way up but we were more than half way there.

We finally reached the top of Sunset Peak ~ 869 meters high. It was freezing 🥶 cold.

We took in the views and I managed to get a 360 degree view from the top.

We decided to climb down after celebrating our achievement and walked down a rocky path. Luckily some good samaritan had tied pink and blue ribbons on branches along the way. This was a tough way down and a bit risky.

We came across dozens of stone houses built among the silver grasslands. It seems these houses were built by British Missionaries over 90 years ago as a camping site. They chose sunset peak over Tai Mo Shan as it seemed easier. Later, they made it more viable and strengthened the infrastructure. It seems there was postal service and a dining hall too.

The cabins are locked and you can’t get in ( I tried). But many people camp outside with their tents.

We decided to have tea and sandwiches at one of these stone cabins.

We continued downhill and reached sign boards. One pointed towards Mui Wo and one towards Tung Chung. We decided to take the route to Mui Wo.

We kept following the path to Nam Shan. We were mesmerised by the views as we walked downhill.

We came to a helipad and chilled a bit.

We walk down some steps and found here the mud was red unlike sunset peak. This was a pretty path too.

We followed the signs that stated Nam Shan tree walk and continued on that path.

We came to a sign again which pointed towards Mui Wo too and continued on our way. We walked through the old village path. Here my friend Lamiya and I exchanged shoes as her shoes were a bit uncomfortable. Luckily we had the same foot size. It was fun 🤩

Finally we reached the end of the village path and followed signage pointing towards the Mui Wo ferry pier.

We followed the signs which were practically everywhere and easy to follow.

Finally we reached the pier and decided to have lunch at 4:15 PM. Our Bahce Turkish restaurant was shut and it was too cold to sit out at China Bear so we decided to lunch at Kebab house, a tiny little food joint.

Post that we took the 3 M back to Tung Chung. There was a ferry to central too but after a heavy meal, I didn’t want to take a chance sailing back on the rough seas. Here’s the ferry timetable.

This was an arduous hike but absolutely worth it. This hike is not for kids and not stroller friendly. However, if you feel your child can hike up to the peak, go ahead.

I saw a dog on the hike too. However, again it’ll depend on stamina of your dog and the same logic applied for kids too.

This hike is definitely not for beginners. One must wear proper footwear and clothing as in winter it can get very cold. Proper footwear recommended due to the rugged terrain and rocky slopes.

All in all a fantastic hike and a great workout.

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Happy Hiking and stay safe!