Rhino Rock Hike, Stanley, Hong Kong

The Rhino Rock trail in Stanley, Hong Kong is a short but adventurous hike that leads you to a big rock that is shaped like a rhino. Although its name may draw comparisons to Lion Rock, the Rhino Rock isn’t in the same league as Hong Kong’s iconic hike. However, I must say that the resemblance of the rock to a rhino is far easier to see than that of Lion Rock to a lion.

The Rhino Rock with the Stanley Prison in the background

Rhino Rock Hike Map

The Rhino Rock hike is easy and short. There’s a moderate amount of climbing up a hill and then descending on its other side to get to the rock.

Time taken one-way

Minutes

Round-trip

Kilometres

Height of Che Pau Teng

Metres High

: Rhino Rock hike map

: Rhino Rock hike elevation map

However, what makes it challenging is that the trail can be a bit difficult to navigate. It’s unmarked and there’s a fair amount of bushwhacking and getting lost because it’s not always obvious which direction one needs to go. Luckily, hikers have marked the trail with colourful ribbons, so make sure you follow them.

Keep an eye out for colourful ribbons along the Rhino Rock Trail

A few pieces of advice for this hike:

Wear comfortable, non-slip shoes. It can get slippery.
As the Rhino Rock is on the eastern face of the hill, try and get to it by morning / early afternoon. By the evening the sun begins to set behind the hill.

The highest point on the hike is Che Pau Teng, which roughly serves as a mid-way point. So, you could divide the hike into two parts:

The bus stop to Che Pau Teng
Che Pau Teng to Rhino Rock

Starting Point

To get to the starting point of the trail, you can either take bus 14 or 6A.

Bus no. 14

Make your way to Sai Wan Ho MTR Station.
Take Exit A and find the bus stop for bus number 14 as soon as you exit the MTR station on Tai On Street.

Bus no. 6

Make your way to Central Exchange Square.
Look for bus number 6A at the terminus.

Take bus number 14 or 6A to Stanley Fort, the last stop.

The Stanley Fort bus stop on Wong Ma Kok Road is your starting point for the Rhino Rock hike.

You can sit on the rhino’s horn at the Rhino Rock

You could also walk to the starting point from the Stanley Market, but keep in mind that the walk is about 2 km long and will take you approximately 30 minutes. That’s why I’d advise taking the bus.

Part 1

Stanley Fort Bus Stop to Che Pau Teng

Once you reach the final stop at Stanley Fort, look for the steps next to the military gate.

Take the steps on the left of the gate to start your hike to the Rhino Rock

Climb up these steps and follow the trail till Che Pau Teng. The initial part is a bit strenuous, but luckily it’s not too long.

: The start of the Rhino Rock Hike

: The path after the steps is really easy – Rhino Rock Hike

You’ll know when you reach the top once you see the marker and the mini-communication station. The way forward from here may not be super obvious.

Che Pau Teng to Rhino Rock

To continue on the Rhino Rock trail, enter the bushes to the right of the marker. The bushes will bring you out on the other side of the hill. From here on out, be very careful. The trail doesn’t have much traction and it’s quite easy to slip.

The view of the sea as you emerge from the bushes

The trail turns right and then starts descending. Keep an eye out for colourful ribbon markers that guide you towards the Rhino Rock.

There are plenty of vantage points where you can stop and admire the scenes all around. On the left, there’s Stanley Prison, and in the front Tai Tam Bay and Shek O Country Park – where the Dragon’s Back and Cape D’Aguilar are located.

Plenty of vantage points to enjoy the scenic views of Tai Tam Bay

The toughest section of this trail is where the descent cuts through these massive rocks. Go slowly through the rocks as you don’t want to hurt yourself.

: Squeeze through these rocks – Rhino Rock Trail

: You can see hikers navigate their way through the rocks

: The trail that emerges from the rocks

Luckily, soon after the rocks are you should be able to see the Rhino Rock to your left. If you do plan on mounting the rock, just be careful again as it can be a bit tricky.

The trail can get very slippery in parts

And once you’re done with taking all your photos for Instagram, return the same way you came from.

Rhino Rock Trail, Stanley

I hope you enjoyed this simple hiking guide to the Rhino Rock. It’s definitely a short but adventurous hike in Stanley. Once you complete the hike, take bus 6A or 14 back. Or you could definitely stop at Stanley to explore it.

If you enjoyed this, I would highly recommend checking two more unique rock formations – Devil’s Paw/Devil’s Claw and Snoopy Rock. Both are accessible via a similar hike on the adjacent Chung Hom Kok Peninsula in Stanley.