Dragon's Back Hike | Hong Kong Hiking Guide (2024)

Introducing the Dragon’s Back, a slice of wilderness right in Hong Kong’s urban landscape. This hike, named one of the best urban hikes in the world by Time Magazine, invites you to experience the city’s natural charm away from its iconic skyline.

But what’s in a name? The Dragon’s Back gets its title from the serpentine ridge that resembles the mythical creature’s spine.

As you traverse this trail, the undulating path winds through breathtaking sceneries one after the next, offering a glimpse of a side ofHong Kongyou might not have known existed.

Just a short ride from the city center, the Dragon’s Back reveals coastal cliffs, thick forests, and epic views of the SouthChinaSea!

When I did the hike,it was winterand quite a cloudy day so the pictures have a bit of a dramatic mood to them, don’t be deterred though because either way, the pictures can never do it justice!

Plus, it’s an experience that contrasts sharply with the crowded streets ofHong Kong, offering a refreshing break without venturing too far at all!

1. Just hop on the Island Line to Shau Kei Wan MTR station.
2. From Exit A3, catch bus number 9 to Shek O. You’ll find it at the Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus.
3. Keep an eye out for the “To Tei Wan, Dragon’s Back” stop; it’s 11 stops ahead. Can’t miss it, as the bus even has “Dragon’s Back” on the display!
4. Once you’re off at To Tei Wan, just follow the sign, and you’re on your way to the Dragon’s Back.

You can also grab a red minibus from Shau Kei Wan Station’s Exit A2 and ask the driver to stop at To Tei Wan. This is what I got and though it’s not as intuitive there are plenty of people going down at the same stop as you most likely.

1. Find the express bus X9 near Star Ferry or Central Exchange Square.
2. To Tei Wan is the 5th stop out of just 7, so you’ll be there in no time!

Alternatively, you can alsojoin a guided trekfor the Dragon’s back if you want a hassle-free experience.

I would say that the hike is fairly easy. It’s quite accessible and I’ve seen people of all ages from kids to the old folks just cruising through the trail. Really, it’s more of a walk while surrounded by gorgeous scenery than a hike. It’s a very relaxing trail that offers so much for so little!

The trail has some uphill sections, particularly as you ascend to Shek O Peak, which is the highest point on the hike at 284 m (931 ft).

The path up to the peak involves some switchbacks and can be a bit steep in parts, but it’s generally considered manageable.

Once you reach the ridge that gives the Dragon’s Back its name, the trail starts to go up and down, resembling the spine of a dragon, but it’s nothing too strenuous.

The Dragon’s Back hike offers a couple of options, so the length can vary. The shortest route is around 3 km, retracing your steps back after reaching Shek O Peak.

If you choose to make a loop back to the bus stop, it’s about 5 km.

The longer option, continuing the hike to end at Big Wave Beach Beach, is about 8 km in total. (Which is what I recommend doing. You can even continue on to Shek O Beach if you still have the energy, I know I did!)

If you choose to continue on to Big Wave Beach, the hike will eventually lead you downhill into the bay area where you can take a refreshing swim after all that hiking!

The descent is fairly gentle, but very long and without much views. Making it more of a stroll on a flat surface followed by a descent into Big Wave Beach.

The time it takes to complete the Dragon’s Back hike can vary based on the route but here’s a general breakdown:

• For the shortest route, retracing your steps after reaching Shek O Peak (3 km / 1.8 mi), it can take around 1 to 1.5 hours.
• If you make a loop back to the bus stop (5 km / 3 mi), it could take about 2 hours to complete.
• For the longer option, continuing to Big Wave Bay Beach (8 km / 5 mi), it may take about 2.5 hours to complete, including stops.

I planned on doing the Dragon’s Back trail today out in Shek O Country Park so going through the network of stations, I got on the bus that took me all the way to the trail head.

The hike was beautiful right from the get-go. Plants I have never seen before accompanied me on the way up which was quite gentle.

I overtook a lot of people, excited to see why this trail was known as one of the best urban hikes in Asia according to Time Magazine.

It was soon made apparent to me as I got high enough to catch some views of the sea.

There were amazing rock formations all around and these two neighboring islands at the coast below.

I actually went the wrong way as the summit was in the otherside but it was well worth it, the views were phenomenal.

Continuing on, the hike was still pretty chill. It was such a unique hike because I was able to appreciate both sides of the mountain, one overlooking the sea and the other towards Hong Kong.

Seeing those skyscrapers in the middle of all this greenery was quite surreal.

I was able to reach the summit without much issue and continued downwards which actually took longer as I was going the opposite side.

The descent was longer I would say, though it was gentle and I eventually made it back down and started to make my way to Big Wave Beach.

I passed by a quaint seaside town which had a pretty laidback vibe. The smell of the ocean was quite refreshing and I was happy to take off my shoes and walk on the sand. Something I wasn’t able to do atTai OFishing Village over atLantau Island.

I made my way to the end of the beach where there were some ancient pteroglyphs.

These strange rock carvings were really unique and it was pretty cool something like this was just hanging around the beach.

From there, it was another long walk towards Shek O beach. I was having doubts if I should skip this or not as I still wanted to catch the sunset up in Braemar Hill but I still went with it because I wanted to take a dip to refresh myself.

It seems like the weather and water was too cool for everyone as they were just hanging around by the sand. Without the sun, it did seem like it.

It really made me miss the tropicalbeaches of Sanya.

I still went ahead and the freezing water felt amazing and totally revitalized me! I changed back and went to take the bus back to city excited to try the nextCantonesemeal of the day.

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