The view from Victoria Peak Hong Kong is breathtaking! It’s a highlight of any HK trip. Locals refer to it as The Peak.
Victoria Peak is a mountain in HK with outstanding views of the skyline.
Photos from Victoria Peak Hong Kong:
View from Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak, the best place to view the HK skyline
How high is the view from Victoria Peak?
The view from 1800 feet above sea level at Victoria Peak. That makes it the highest point in Hong Kong. Sweet views!
When’s the best time to visit Victoria Peak?
I loved the Hong Kong skyline at night, but it was crowded. As with nearly all tourist attractions, I recommend considering going when it opens in the morning. If you arrive early, you’d have sweet views all to yourself.
Also, consider avoiding peak seasons to get there a fighting chance.
How much does it cost to visit Victoria Peak?
Roundtrip tickets are only HK$52. That’s $6.71 in USD.
Victoria Peak is the English name of course. In traditional Chinese it’s 太平山)
Getting to Victoria Peak Hong Kong
To get to Victoria Peak, most tourists take the Peak Tram. This is a scenic ride in a 100 year old train as they ascend up the mountain. You can take the 15 bus to the tram. However, I went a few years ago, so I recommend confirming that this is still the correct bus before taking it.
At the top is a building that looks like a ship with all kinds of tourist traps. For example, it includes Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, Odditorium, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and the Peak Explorer Motion Simulator. I’d head straight to the many viewing areas – they’re spectacular!
The Lion Pavilion offers a panoramic vista of the Hong Kong skyline, which is really impressive at night.
For more of the history here’s the wiki on Victoria Peak.
If you’re in Hong Kong for a week, make time to do a Macau day trip. It’s so interesting to see a place with both Portuguese (It’s a former Portuguese colony) & Chinese influences. The best site by far is the Ruins of the Church of St Paul (photos below). The rest is seemingly filled with casinos everywhere. Here’s a photo tour of Macau.
Arrive early – it certainly gets crowded, especially at the Ruins of the Church of St Paul.
Ferry from Hong Kong to Macau
The ferry from HK to Macau can offer beautiful views. Try to get a window seat. Double check, but it typically leaves every 15 minutes.
Ferry ride to Macau
When to start your Macau day trip?
Start your Macau day trip early – it’ll get crowded. I always aim to start as early as possible at the most touristy spot on my list. Enjoy it without the crowds. As you’ll notice from the below photos, I did not follow this recommendation.
The walk to St Paul Church is beautiful. It’s situated on the hill, allowing you to enjoy it the whole walk up.
Heading to Ruins of the Church of St Paul in Macau
Ruins of the Church of St Paul in Macau
This is the crown jewel of Macau, from my perspective. It’s an essential part of any Macau day trip, and I start your day there.
Ruins of the Church of St Paul in Macau
Interestingly it’s only the elaborate outdoor stairs and facade – the rest burned down years ago.
History of the the Ruins of the Church of St Paul
The Ruins of the Church of St Paul were built in 1617. Some consider these ruins to be greatest monument to Christianity in Asia. However, in 1835 a fire destroyed nearly everything besides the facade pictured here.
Below is more info on the Ruins of St Paul:
Backgrounder on the Ruins of the Church of St Paul in Macau
The Ruins of the Church of St Paul – built in 1617. Some consider these ruins to be greatest monument to Christianity in Asia. In 1835 a fire destroyed nearly everything besides the facade pictured here.
Graduate Panda at the Ruins of the Church of St Paul in Macau
Portuguese architecture on your Macau day trip
I find the history of places to be fascinating. For example, you won’t be able to miss the colorful Portuguese architecture on your Macau day trip. Loved it!
Santa in Macau!Macau!It doesn’t look like it belongs in the middle of Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China
Food in Macau
The food is delicious and fascinating. Make sure you leave time to get some local meals on your Macau day trip. There’s both traditional Portuguese and Chinese cuisine.
Hmmm…shall I order A Stomach of Ox or Pork Intestine?you choose it, they cook it
Largo de Senado in Macau
The most famous town square in Macau is the Largo de Senado. This stands for ‘Square of the Senate’. I love that they keep the Portuguese name.
Largo de Senado (‘Square of the Senate’) in MacauLargo de Senado (‘Square of the Senate’) in MacauA guy was giving me directions — “you’ll see about 5 Nike shops in a row, then sexy shop, then a few more Nike shops, then turn right.”
Casinos in Macau
Macau is filled with casinos! So many people come to Macau to gamble from mainland China. Macau is the Vegas of Asia!
Make time to go inside on your Macau day trip. They’re actually very different than what you might expect in the west. For example, my favorite game is Blackjack, but it’s hard to find in many of the casinos. However, you’ll have no trouble finding Bacharach. The casino I went to had 7 floors of only that game!
Macau casino lights
Photos with strangers
Strangers kept coming up to me and asking to take a picture with me. This happens so often in Asia. It will likely happen at least once during your Macau day trip. Be polite and enjoy being the star of somebody’s photo! You have to love Macau!
Strangers kept coming up to me and asking to take a picture with me. Gotta love Macau!
Visit Monte Forte
Walk around and you’ll notice Macau still has the old military setup from years ago. This is before the casinos moved in.
Looking out from Monte Fort. It looks ominous, but of course the hotel/casino wasn’t there when this was built.
Transportation on your Macau day trip
For most of your Macau day trip you can just walk around. It’s so small! However, you’ll notice all the motorbikes. They’re everywhere!
See some live music on your Macau day trip
The concerts are interesting too. The instruments are all different compared to typical instruments in western countries. Beautiful music!
