Hong Kong and Macau Walking Tour (China) - NO VISA NEEDED!*

"For the ideal escape from urban clamor, try the Dragon's Back - the city's finest and most surprising ramble."

The Dragon's Back trail was hailed by Time Magazine as Asia's BEST URBAN HIKE.

Cosmopolitan city, where cultures of the East and West mingle in a fascinating metropolis , bordered right up to the city's edge by wild, undeveloped green space, rich in scenic wonders and wildlife. All this and more is spectacular Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

The country side around Hong Kong is vastly undeveloped, and remains in a relatively wild state. Hong Kong's steep mountainous terrain makes development difficult, so most of the territory is undeveloped and green. The government protects 40% of the landmass from development, designating the area for country parks and nature reserves. The landscape rises from pristine beaches to high rocky peaks, dotted with bamboo and sub-tropical forest, open grassland, wetlands, waterfalls, rock formations, and scenic vistas. Few places in the world can offer such an amazing array of scenic wonders in such close proximity.

The wildlife in Hong Kong is diverse and fascinating. Hundreds of species of Butterflies and Dragonflies inhabit Hong Kong. The varieties of mammals range from wild cats, such as Civets and Leopard Cats, to Chinese Porcupines, Indian Muntjac (Barking deer), wild Boars, Pangolins, Rhesus Macaques, and squirrels. There are over 100 species of reptiles and amphibians, and nine different types of chelonians, including the Green Turtle which breeds on the local islands. Nearly 500 species of birds either stopover during their migration, or are permanent residents of Hong Kong. Hong Kong waters are host to dolphins, porpoise, 1800 species of fish, and 84 species of stony corals.

Hong Kong / Macau Walking Tour Quick Info

Tour Type	Walking
Accommodations	BP International Hotel, 3 star
Walking Tour Type	Group Guided (English)
Walking Level	Easy to strenuous
Duration	8 days / 7 nights
Walking Distance	Distance per day varies (See itinerary) 41 km/25mi approx. total
Tour starts in:	Hong Kong
Tour ends in:	Hong Kong

Day 1: Arrival, Hong Kong

Arrive and transfer to hotel. Short intro walk around hotel.

Welcome dinner
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 2: Central Tour and Victoria Peak to Aberdeen Hike

Breakfast

This guided walking tour on Hong Kong Island is the start of the 50km Hong Kong hiking trail. Our walk takes in the astounding contrasts of cityscapes and countryside - a scenic and memorable journey of Hong Kong.

We share with you the history of Hong Kong as we walk across the spectacular and vibrant central business district with its soaring towers of glass and steel.

We then board the unique Peak Tram funicular railway and slowly ascend to its summit of 373 metres - time to marvel at this feat of engineering and at the views of Hong Kong city and Victoria Harbour unfolding below. Victoria Harbour is classed as one of the world's best natural harbours, the importance for Hong Kong being it is a natural wind break.

As we walk to the wilder, quieter side of Hong Kong Island we pass beneath Victoria Peak at 552 metres, also known as Tai Ping Shan, a mountain of great peace. We see old banyan trees and admire the distant views to the north, taking in Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories, and as we walk around the peninusula to the south we see Lantau, Lamma and Cheung Chau islands nestled in the South China Sea.

Our shaded walk leads us through Pok Fu Lam Country Park, with its lush emerald green forests and climbing plants, where we pass the first of Hong Kong's reservoirs, completed in 1863. From here we walk down to Pok Fu Lam Road and return to Hong Kong Central by bus, or you can continue your journey and visit the colourful quayside of Aberdeen, where you might like to take a sanpan ride around the harbour.

Total tour time 4.5 hours
Walking distance: 7km Grade: moderate
Facilities: Toilets en route

Dinner on your own
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 3: Dragons Back to Shek O and Stanley, South Hong Kong Island

Breakfast

The Dragon's Back hiking trail - part of the 50km Hong Kong hiking trail - is one of Walk Hong Kong's most popular hikes.

Our guided tour starts on the iconic and much loved Hong Kong tram, which commenced operations in 1904. We watch the commuters heading to work, as we rattle along what was once the waterfront of Hong Kong Island and then complete our journey on the MTR (Mass Transit Railway). Walking through Shau Kei Wan wet market, we take in the atmosphere of the daily life of ordinary Hong Kong residents.

We commence our hike along a lovely cool path that takes us through shady groves of bamboo and lush woodland, accompanied as we walk by birdsong. We then emerge into open hillsides often covered with wild azaleas or rose myrtle.

Our walk follows the rugged undulating spinal ridge of the Dragon's Back, where the earth is regarded as a living being, with lines of force known as 'dragon veins'. The breathtaking views take in dazzling seas, the distant Nine Pins Islands, sandy Big Wave Bay, Tai Tam Harbour, Stanley and the Red Hill peninsula.

We finish the hike by strolling down through shaded tunnels of exotic vegetation, then take transport back to the Central district in Hong Kong. Alternatively, you may continue on to the nearby fishing village of Shek O, with its popular seafood restaurants and beach.

The Dragon's Back was hailed by Time Magazine as Asia's best urban hike: "This is the city's finest and most surprising ramble... The glory of it all is that you're so close to the city, but could hardly feel further away."

Total tour time 4 hours
Walking distance: 5km Grade: moderate
Facilities: Toilets en route

Dinner on your own
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 4: Geopark Hong Kong walking tour

Breakfast

A unique natural area with special geological, natural and cultural landscapes: Sai Kung Country Park, High Island Reservior, New Territories, Hong Kong

The ever-surprising Hong Kong has a myriad of interesting landforms. The long and sinuous coastline is a natural geological gallery, featuring spectacular landforms and rock formations shaped by waves and weathering. The Hong Kong Geopark, opened November 2009, and comprises of eight major geological sites and is of International stature.

The High Island Reservoir opened in 1978, was built as a direct result of the water shutdown by mainland China, during the 1967 riots, in order to alleviate Hong Kong's fresh water shortage with a capacity of approximately 273 million cubic metres. The construction, contracted by a Japanese company, cost more than HKD $400 million and spanned a 10 year period. This beautiful area was virtually inaccessible until the 1970s.

Our walking tour starts alongside the reservoir, in the Sai Kung East Country Park, and journeys to its easternmost end. From here we view the magnificent hexagonal columnar joints, one of the largest geological formations of this kind in the world. We walk in this area and further around the corner to take in the view of Long Ke. Here we can see how wind and water has crafted unique sea caves along the Sai Kung Peninsula coastline.

Coming back along the reservoir service road we travel by taxi on part of the famous 100km MacLehose hiking trail and into the Sai Kung Country Park. Both sections of the walk afford either turquoise blue reservoir or terrific sea views out to the many surrounding islands. We leave the service road to join a lush green pathway used by villagers many years ago. From above we view the site of a refugee camp for Vietnamese boat people (closed 1998), an island for fishermen's graves, Hong Kong's only public golf courses on Kai Sai Chau and marine fish farms.

We end the tour with a visit to the Sheung Yiu Hakka Village Museum, a Hakka settlement. This is a compact and carefully preserved village, situated along the Lung Hang River. A Hakka clan named Wong settled here 150 years ago when the coast was plagued by pirates and waterborne bandits. The village features homes built behind stout stone walls on a protective knoll, overlooking a narrow cove. The villagers moved on in the 1950s, around the same time farming began a gradual decline in Hong Kong.

Total tour time 8.5 hours
Walking distance: 4km Grade: easy/moderate
Facilities: Toilets en route

Dinner
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 5: Full day ferry to Macau with walking tour

Breakfast

Dinner on your own
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 6: Deserted Beaches Hike - Sai Kungs East Country Park, Hong Kong

Breakfast

Our hike takes us along coastline backed by lush tropical vegetation and forested ridges offering spectacular mountain and coastal sea views. Following a network of paved paths, often on inter-village routes, we pass fascinating old Hakka clan villages. The Hakka farmers nurtured feng shui woods which provide a great breeding environment for native species and we can see many examples of natural reforestation.

The Sai Kung uplands and coasts have always been sparsely populated and, from the 1970s, many villagers left their ancestral lands in favour of city lives. The Deserted Beaches Hike offers a unique insight into the homes, lands and beaches these villagers left behind. Although just 20km from Kowloon, this tour will make you feel a world away. Access is restricted to walking or boat.

At the end of our walk we can explore the historical village of Chek Keng. Though deserted, it is not truly abandoned as some former villagers occasionally return to check on their ancestral homes. Furniture and cooking utensils stand still in time, as if one day life in some of these homes might be resumed. There is even a Catholic church, built in 1867 - the entire Sai Kung peninsula was converted in the 1860s. But today these sit abandoned.

The woodlands behind the village contain stunning bamboo groves, and is home to a great number of fiddler crabs.The wild life today includes the village cows, dogs and passing packs of monkeys that live in the general area. During WWII, villagers in Chek Keng brought items such as old clothes, kerosene, matches and cigarettes to be smuggled into mainland China, where they then bought much-needed food products such as sugar, oil and rice.

Total tour time 8.5 hours
Walking distance: 11km
Grade: strenuous
Facilities: Toilets en route

Dinner on your own
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 7: Lamma Island Hike Hong Kong

Breakfast

Hike on an island with 6,000 years of fishing history. Walking is the only way to explore the many trails on Lamma Island, as there are no roads. Our journey starts at the colourful fishermen's quay in Aberdeen, on the south side of Hong Kong. From there we take a slow boat to Lamma, giving us good views of southern Hong Kong Island.

Our guided walk then takes us through near-abandoned villages with their banana plantations and past beautiful old feng shui woods, as we follow a lovely paved coastal path on this peaceful, traffic-free island. As we walk we are often escorted by beautiful butterflies. We then climb a hillside for majestic views over the shipping lanes of the South China Sea, neighbouring islands Cheung Chau and Lantau and the unspoilt south. We also walk past many of Lamma's famous boulders, which make great backdrops for photos.

We enter Sok Kwu Wan village through ancestral graves, descending into the famous stretch of waterfront seafood restaurants that provide us with a welcome stop for lunch. But first we must pay a visit to the atmospheric 1826 Tin Hau temple, our local sea goddess to whom we pay our respects.

Leaving the numerous fishing boats, platforms and fish-breeding nets behind, we take a scenic walk past World War II Kamikaze tunnels and a delightful sandy bay to the bustling village of Yung Shue Wan, where we stroll down the narrow streets of tightly packed local shops, absorbing the relaxed atmosphere.

At the southern end of Lamma is a recognised breeding site for the endangered green sea turtle, which comes to shore between June and October to lay eggs. The beach is closed during this period.

Reaching the old pier, a fast ferry awaits to speed us back to the hustle and bustle of Central, Hong Kong Island.

Total tour time 7.5 hours
Walking distance: 7 km Grade: moderate
Facilities: Toilets en route

Farewell dinner
Overnight at the BP International Hotel

Day 8: End of tour

Breakfast

Departures

Changes:

We reserve the right to alter the itinerary details, published times, and accommodations due to weather, local conditions, organization necessity or safety concerns.

Number of Participants:

min. 6, max. 18 participants

General requirements

Footwear
We recommend you wear either robust walking shoes or trainers/sneakers. Casual sandals or open shoes are not suitable for trails, which can be rocky in places.

Clothing
Sun and rainfall can be intense and a hat is recommended. During the winter season (November - March) temperatures can drop with a chilling wind, so a sweater/fleece is advisable. During the wet season (April - September) a waterproof jacket is recommended. In warmer months (May - October) it is advisable to carry a spare T-shirt or other garment to change into at the end of the hike.

Skin Protection
Suntan lotion should be used throughout the year, and applied frequently during the hike.

Water
Please carry sufficient water for your own needs. In the warmer months, this may equate to one litre for every two hours of walking. Dehydration is a real risk on hot days. Choose mineralised rather than distilled water. Consider an electrolyte replacement drink as well.

Personal needs
Please notify us of any medical conditions that we should be aware of. We will assume clients have their own medications for asthma or known illnesses. Insect repellent is not obligatory, but advisable if you tend to attract insects.

*Visas:

Please check the visa requirements for your country of residence.