We love cycling in Hong Kong! Personally, I’ve always been a fan of cycling. In fact, it was my preferred mode of transport when I lived in Barcelona.

Although Hong Kong island and the main city aren’t cycling-friendly, the New Territories were built with cycling in mind. There are cycling tracks that run alongside almost every road. In fact, most of the outlying islands don’t allow cars, and cycles are the only mode of transportation.

The cycling track between Science Park and Tai Po

Utilitarian purposes aside, Hong Kong has some very scenic cycling tracks! And during the cooler months, there’s nothing more liberating and exhilarating than exploring the sights on a cycle, with a cool breeze on your face.

Quick FAQs

If you plan to cycle in Hong Kong for the first time, I am sure you have plenty of questions, such as:

Where can you rent a bike?

Most scenic cycling tracks that attract visitors have bike rental shops that are easy to locate. Most bike rental shops on the Shatin to Tai Mei Tuk track allow pick-up and drop off in different locations.

Most bike rental shops allow pick-up and drop off at different locations

What about bike-sharing platforms?

Bike-sharing platforms (Ofo, GoBee Bike, etc.) were short-lived phenomena in Hong Kong. You can no longer sign up for one of their services to rent a bike.

How much do bike rentals cost?

The cost of renting a bike usually depends on the type of bike (sports, tandem, family rickshaw type). From our experience, prices start upwards of HKD 80 for the day depending on the type of bike.

What types of bikes can one rent?

Most bike rental shops have different types of bikes. You can rent anything from a normal sports bike to a rickshaw for your family. Cycling can be a fun family activity!

Yep, we rented this fun tandem bike

Where are the major cycling tracks?

The Hong Kong government maintains a map of all major cycling tracks around the region that is accessible on their website. But of course, we’ve highlighted our favourite ones below.

Best Cycling Routes in Hong Kong

With that out of the way, we can now talk about our favourite cycling tracks in Hong Kong. We love these urban tracks because they allow you to discover a different part of Hong Kong uniquely. These tracks are scenic, open and provide you with a great way to explore the city all the while getting some exercise!

1. Sha Tin (Tai Wai MTR) to Tai Mei Tuk

The 22 km cycling track from Sha Tin (Tai Wai MTR) to Tai Mei Tuk is by far the most scenic cycling route in Hong Kong. However, you can choose to cycle from end-to-end, but personally, I like to split the track into three sections.

1. Tai Wai MTR to Science Park
2. Science Park to Tai Po
3. Tai Po to Tai Mei Tuk

Shatin (Tai Wai MTR) to Tai Mei Tuk Cycling Route Map (credit Discover Hong Kong)

If you’re looking for a relaxing day cycling around, then we highly recommend trying just one section, or maybe two.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the first section. Although the track runs along the Shing Mun River, I find it too narrow which makes it feel too crowded.

1.a. Science Park to Tai Po

Distance: 7 km one-way, or depends how much ground you cover

Our favourite section of the Sha Tin to Tai Mei Tuk cycling track is between Science Park and Tai Po. This section runs along the beautiful Pak Shek Kok Promenade and has spectacular views of the Tolo Harbour, Ma On Shan, and Tai Po!

I love the openness of Pak Shek Kok Promenade. The cycling track is relatively broad, and there is dedicated space for pedestrians to walk that is away from the cycling track. The Science Park buildings along the promenade also give it a futuristic vibe.

Aerial view of Science Park and Pak Shek Kok Promenade

Personally, I love taking breaks on this route, sitting on the promenade and staring into the harbour. I find it extremely relaxing!

I’ve found the best way to enjoy a day cycling on Pak Shek Kok Promenade is to combine it with lunch at one of the restaurants at Science Park. There’s no better experience than sitting outdoors on a bright, cool day, enjoying your lunch on the promenade with this view!

Enjoying lunch. Taking a break from cycling.

How to get here?

Take the East Rail Line to the University MTR station.

Where to rent bikes?

At the MTR station, take Exit B, turn left, and walk behind the public toilet area. There is a bike rental shop located there. You can choose to return the cycle at Tai Po, or here itself. The choice is yours.

1.b. Tai Po to Tai Mei Tuk (Plover Cove Reservoir)

Distance: 9 km one-way or 13 km if you include Plover Cove Reservoir Dam

If there’s one cycling track that we’ve covered more than any other, it’s the section between Tai Po and Tai Mei Tuk. In fact, we prefer to start this section from Tai Mei Tuk and end it at Tai Po. The reason for that is we love spending our day exploring Tai Mei Tuk!

Aerial view of Tai Mei Tuk village, Hong Kong

Tai Mei Tuk is a fantastic outdoor location filled with activities, right next to Hong Kong’s largest reservoir – Plover Cove. After spending our day here, which usually involves lunch at one of the restaurants along the Ting Kok Road, we rent bikes and head back to Tai Po. Alternatively, you can also spend your day at Bride’s Pool Waterfall. And then walk back or take a bus from Bride’s Pool to Tai Mei Tuk and rent a cycle.

Here’s a quick video showcasing the cycling track between Tai Mei Tuk and Tai Po.

You can also take your cycle and explore the Plover Cove Dam, which is 2 km long!

The Plover Cove Reservoir in Tai Mei Tuk

On your way to Tai Po, you’ll pass by the beautiful Guan Yin statue. Make sure you stop by to admire it. Unfortunately, you can’t see the Tsz Shan Monastery from the ground, but you’ll definitely be able to see the giant bronze statue.

The beautiful Tsz Shan Monastery and The Guan Yin Statue, Hong Kong at sunset

How to get here?

To get to Tai Mei Tuk, take the East Rail Line to Tai Po Market Station. Take Exit A3 towards the bus terminal.

You can take bus number 75K or green minibus 20R to Tai Mei Tuk. Or if you’re headed to Bride’s Pool, take bus 275R that runs only on Sundays.

Where to rent bikes?

There are a couple of bike rental shops located on Ting Kok Road, right next to the line of restaurants. Make sure you take the address of their shop in Tai Po market where you plan to return the bike.

Cycle shops in Tai Mei Tuk

2. Cheung Chau

Distance: At least 3 km

The dumbbell-shaped island of Cheung Chau is another fun location to go cycling. As there are no cars allowed on the island, cycles are the best mode of transport for getting around. Of course, you can cover the island on foot too, but cycling is more fun and helps you cover more ground in less time.

Cycling is a great way to explore Cheung Chau

Cheung Chau has a really nice cycling track on the south side of the island. You can (and should) cycle all the way to the south (near Sai Wan pier), park your cycle and then explore this part of the island on foot. There’s the famous Cheung Po Tsai Cave, which was used by pirates to hide their loot and the Sai Wan Tin Hau Temple. There’s also a really nice restaurant located here called Pirate Bay.

You can learn all about Cheung Chau’s attractions in this post.

How to get here?

You can reach Cheung Chau by ferry from Central Ferry Pier No. 5. The ferry timetable can be found on the Sun Ferry website. Keep in mind that the fast ferry takes around 35 minutes, whereas the ordinary ferry can take up to 60 minutes.

The inter-island ferry (Cheung Chau -> Chi Ma Wan -> Mui Wo -> Peng Chau) schedule can be found on this website.

The beautiful cycling track of Cheung Chau

Where to rent bikes?

There’s a small cluster of bicycle rental shops located near Tai Hing Tai Road, next to Fresh Basil Pizza, that I know of. It’s a short 5 min walk from the Ferry Pier.

3. Mui Wo

Distance: Depends on what you plan to explore

Mui Wo is another one of our favourite spots in Hong Kong to spend a day. There’s so much to discover and see in Mui Wo, from a beach to a waterfall, and cave, that if you tried covering it all on foot, you’d be pretty exhausted.

There is a maintained cycling track around Silvermine Bay, but if you plan to take your bike towards the waterfall, cave, or beach, you can simply cycle on the village roads.

You can learn about all the things to do in Mui Wo in our post.

How to get here?

To get to Mui Wo catch the ferry from Central Pier Number 6. The ferries run quite frequently as you can see from their schedule. You can also catch bus 3M from Tung Chung to Mui Wo.

Where to rent bikes?

The Friendly Bicycle Shop is located very close to the Mui Wo Ferry Pier. As you exit the pier, turn left and walk towards China Bear Restaurant. Continue walking straight along the ferry pier road till you see the shop, with all the cycles, on your right.

Cycling in Hong Kong

These are our favourite urban, scenic cycling routes in Hong Kong. Of course, there are plenty of other tracks, including ones for mountain biking, for you to explore. But the ones that we’ve recommended are suitable for everyone, including families.

Cycling is a great way to relax and explore a new part of Hong Kong. We hope that this post has gotten you excited about trying these routes. And if you’ve never gone cycling in Hong Kong, I must say that you’re really missing out on something!

Cyclists between Science Park and Tai Po