We’ve hiked from Wan Chai to The Peak on several occasions and it’s always been via a different route. Once we even made the mistake of walking along Peak Road, which is extremely narrow, has no sidewalk, and is the main vehicular road to The Peak. Needless to say, it was a big mistake!

However, we finally perfected the route from Wan Chai to Victoria Peak and thought it was best to share. Our route involves minimal walking on roads that are shared with vehicles. And of course, it has amazing views!

Hike Visualised and Quantified

Wan Chai to The Peak Hike map and elevation profile

The hike from Wan Chai MTR to The Peak is about 5.4 kilometres, and it took us an hour and forty-five minutes to complete. But we hiked to the top of Victoria Peak. We usually end the hike at the Peak Tower, but this time we decided to go all the way to the top!

Panoramic views of Hong Kong from the Victoria Peak viewing point

However, if you do decide to end the hike at Peak Galleria, you can essentially shave off 1 km/15 mins from the stats above.

Starting point

We start our hike to The Peak from Hopewell Centre on Queens Road East. You can either take the steps on the side of Hopewell Centre or the elevator in Hopewell Centre to Kennedy Road.

The starting point, the steps next to Hopewell Centre

Once on Kennedy Road, cross to the other side, and walk left till you reach Wan Chai Gap Road / Wan Chai Green Trail.

Wan Chai Green Trail to Wan Chai Gap

I can never tell if this trail is called the Wan Chai Gap Road, or Wan Chai Green Trail. Regardless of the name, it is essentially the toughest part of the entire hike!

The trail is quite steep

Wan Chai Green Trail is a steep, uphill trail that connects Kennedy Road to Wan Chai Gap. It’s split into two parts by the Bowen Road Fitness Trail.

The Wan Chai Green Trail can be relentless, especially on a hot and humid day. Walk up the slope at a comfortable pace. There are a few seating spots to catch your breath. We usually prefer taking a break at the Bowen Road Fitness Trail intersection.

After catching your breath, continue along the Wan Chai Green Trail till you reach the main road.

The trail ends at Stubbs Road on Wan Chai Gap, which is an intersection of six different roads.

Finally at Stubbs Road on Wan Chai Gap

Wan Chai Gap to Magazine Gap

The next section of this urban hike is very straightforward. At Wan Chai Gap, look for the “Police Museum” sign. Cross the road towards Wan Chai Gap Park, and walk along Coombe Road.

Coombe Road has a gentle incline, and feels like a breeze after conquering Wan Chai Gap Road!

After about 650 metres, Coombe Road merges into Magazine Gap.

Magazine Gap to Barker Road

At Magazine Gap, turn left onto Peak Road and cross the road whenever possible.

Turn left on Peak Road and cross the road immediately

At the next crossing, turn right onto Barker Road.

Turn right on Barker Road

On a clear day, the views from Barker Road of the skyline are spectacular! You can reach The Peak if you continue along Barker Road itself. But this is not the ideal route.

So, after 400 metres of walking into Barker Road, look for a trail on the left.

Take the path going up on the left

Barker Road to Findlay Road (via Lloyd Path & Severn Road)

The trail on the left is Lloyd Path. Walk up Lloyd Path till it merges with Severn Road. And then walk along Severn Road for about 700 metres.

Severn Road is an absolute gem to walk on. It’s covered with old, lush trees that give it a colonial hill town vibe. And there are fewer cars on this road as compared to Barker Road.

Towards the end, Severn Road merges with Plantation Road. Walk for about 30 metres on Plantation Road and then take the path going up on the left. It’s a pedestrian-only path called Findlay Road.

Take a short walk down Findlay Road, and you’ll find yourself at The Peak.

The Peak

Findlay Road emerges at the Lion’s Pavilion and ends between The Peak Galleria and The Peak Tower.

Needless to say, this is the most popular (tourist) spot in Hong Kong for taking pictures of the skyline. Unfortunately, the views were quite hazy on the day we hiked up. We’ve taken much better pictures of the skyline which you can see in our Hong Kong photo gallery.

The iconic view of Hong Kong from Lion’s Pavilion on a hazy day

Now ordinarily we would have ended our hike here, as we did when we hiked up from Pok Fu Lam Reservoir. But this time we came with the agenda to hike to the top of Victoria Peak, and not what is often referred to as The Peak.

So we took a quick break, before continuing to the real Victoria Peak.

Victoria Peak

At 552 metres, Victoria Peak is the highest point on Hong Kong Island. Unfortunately, one cannot hike to the top because it’s closed thanks to all the radio towers. However, there is a nice viewing point right under the peak.

From the touristy Peak, walk up Mount Austin Road which is between Lugard Road and Harlech Road. Continue uphill on Mount Austin Road, past all the houses and the lovely Mount Austin Playground.

Keep walking uphill towards Victoria Peak Garden. But just before the garden, there’s a fork in the road. Mount Austin Road turns left towards the old Mountain Lodge Guard House and Victoria Peak Garden. But there’s a path that turns right on which cars aren’t allowed. Turn right at this fork, and then at the next fork, take the steps on the right.

Walk on the path for a couple of minutes and you’ll emerge at the viewing point for Victoria Peak.

Admiring the views after the hike

Wan Chai to Victoria Peak Hike

The viewing point from Victoria Peak is a small, flat area, perfect for picnics. The views of Hong Kong’s skyline are partially hidden thanks to the peak itself.

Victoria Peak viewing point

It’s funny how we’ve been in Hong Kong for so long, but never really been to the top of Victoria Peak. The nearby Victoria Peak Garden is another beautiful gem on The Peak.

Mount Austin behind Victoria Peak Garden

If you enjoy this hike, we highly recommend Mount High West which is right next to Victoria Peak. Or learn about the six ways to hike to The Peak in Hong Kong!

Even with the hazy views, we can see where we started the hike from

We hope you enjoyed our guide for the Wan Chai to The Peak Hike, through (what we think) is the best route. And if you’re looking for more hikes from Wan Chai, I recommend the Lovers’ Rock Hike or the Wan Chai to Aberdeen Hike.

And as always, feel free to drop a comment below or share this post on the social media channel of your choice.

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