Dragon’s Back

It it’s a lovely for my kids. I enjoy you when I am walking through there alone or with my family it’s a nice place that could be dangerous my son hurt himself there multiple times about something they should fix and they should also put up a sign that says warning if it has rained it is not recommended that you won’t run on this hike

This is a perfect beginners level hike in Hong Kong.
Within a very short bus ride from Shau Kei Wan station you are in the middle of the wilderness (and because Hong Kong you get full cell reception too. How else are you supposed to post proof of selfies to say you were there on Instagram/​snapchat).
To get here, take Bus 9 to To Tei Wan stop which marks the beginning of the trail (don’t worry there is a lot of people getting off there, if the weather is good and it’s a weekend or public holiday).
Then you begin the hike. If it’s a good day, check out Big Wave Bay beach at the end of the trail.

Nice hike and great work out. It is all paved and you get a great view of the city and an awesome beach access reward at the end! Well worth it and grab your self a snack and a beer before turning around for the hike back up. This hike is good for beginners and intermediate levels.

If you have a full day or at least 6 – 8 hou4s in Hong Kong, this is doable hike.
I booked a hiking tour with Wild Hong Kong via Tripadvisor. My flight arrived around 8 AM… Checked in to hotel and then took the MTR from airport to Hong Kong island transfer to Shau Kei Wan station. This took about 1 hour one way, costs about $ 120 HKD) or $ 12 USD). Met my tour guide Rory Mackay at the train station. From there, we took a bus to the hike.
I probably would not find this hike by myself.
The hike is about 10K or 6 – 7 miles, up and down hills… Not a difficult hike but when going up hill… It does take a breath out off me. It is very scenic with the view of the city at the peak.
At the end of the dragon back before heading down to the big wave beach, there is a public bathroom. From there, another 1 – 2 mile or so down hill to the beach. There are no bathroom during the hike… So use bathroom before starting.
It took us about 3 hours total…
So, if you have 6 hour layover, this may cut close. if you have about 8 hour layover, this is doable.
Things to bring:
— water 1 L per peeson. It can get pretty hot!
— sun block
— I did not swim at the beach since it was very cloudy in November… But I supposed you could.
— descent shoes
— use bathroom before heading down to the beach since there is no bathroom for the next mile until you get to the beach.

Our last day in Hong Kong consisted of me confirming my weak-​sauce-​as-​all-​heck fitness status because, Dragon’s Back. .. Let me preface this by saying that I had been (arguably) diligently spinning every day prior to this excursion, so I was feeling pretty good about my cardio capabilities.
My friend suggested we take on Dragon’s Back as a rather leisurely beginner’s level hike before sending us off back to the U.S. I thought sure, a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong! Time to get in touch with nature, as we had yet to do so during our trip.
On this particular day, Dragon’s Back seemed to be rather bustling. There were many instances during the hike where we had to halt and let other groups pass by us from either way, so don’t approach this thinking it will be a quite isolating sort of rendezvous. We came across a rather diverse smattering of people — awkward first date, several groups of friends and families, and a healthy heaping of HK seniors. All of whom seemed to be happily galloping and strolling about the uneven steps and trails while I breathlessly prayed to not lose my footing. I mean WTF Ellen, get it together! Granted I was ill-​dressed for the hike, in low tread casual kicks and a dress, but man! I was a bit aghast at how challenging I found certain segments of Dragon’s Back. Nonetheless, despite perspiring a bucket of sweat and the fogginess obstructing of view of Shek-​O and Hong Kong below, I was appreciative of the experience. The fluctuating topography will definitely get that heart beat going but do be wise to wear shoes with excellent tread. Note: I did see someone hiking around in flip flops and I was even more devastated about my shoddy physical capabilities.
A fair amount of people were sharing all kinds of pastries and fruits atop one of the hills — wish I had thought of that. Additionally, do expect many overzealous selfie-​takers and be patient in waiting for your photo perfect opportunity. Regrettably, there was a dude obnoxiously flying his rather loud remote control plane, which posed as an minor annoyance, as it disrupted the relative peace and frightened away many of the circling birds.
Worth noting — there were no public restrooms as far as I could tell and the best way to transport to and fro seems to bus or cab.

went there twice and both times sweated like a pig (its a good thing dont get me wrong haha). the views alone the hike is awesome as you feel like you’re standing above the whole of hk island. the traffic isnt great though as it takes an mtr ride plus another bus ride to get to the starting point. it’s a bit too crowded during the hike too as it’s a really popular route in hk
you can have lunch at 华星冰室 after you finish. not bad! good to visit local eateries sometimes!

What an extraordinary trail! Not too far off from the hustle and bustle of the city and is close to the beach too.
Although there is quite a bit of incline, I rate this hike on the easy to medium scale since it’s mostly a gradual climb. The views are amazing once you get to the top and along the way as well.
I agree with another reviewer that the first few KMs are the best and the rest is kinda just walking on road and through some forest.

One of the best known trails in Hong Kong. The trail is suitable for beginner’s, it’s very scenic, and the trail ends in Big Wave Bay. You can rent surf boards and go surfing if hiking alone is not enough for you! Otherwise, you can just chill with some beer and enjoy yourself (or take a nap).
Start early because there is no shade/​cover for the first half of the walk. Wear a hat and put plenty of sunscreen on! Avoid going around Ching Ming (清明) and Chung Yeung (重陽) because there is a cemetery in that direction and the roads get crazy busy!

I loved this hike and the views were incredible!
I got off bus 9 at the «Cape Collinson» stop and had no trouble finding the start of the trail. The first 60 minutes, however, had heavy vegetation on both sides with very limited (and usually no) views of the surrounding mountains in ocean. After this, however, I continued the hike to Tie Wan which had many beautiful views and ended right at another stop for the #9 bus. These were my best views of Hong Kong on my whole trip and made the previous 60 min hike totally worthwhile. Make sure you wear appropriate clothes (boots or old shoes, bring an umbrella if it’s typhoon season, etc). This is an absolute MUST when visiting Hong Kong.

Hiking seems to be newest to-​do sport here in Hong Kong. I mean, yes, it’s been around for ages, but people haven’t really started to get into this outdoor activity until the recent 2 – 3 years, now everyone’s doing it.
I think the first hike I ever did in HK was at Dragon’s back. This was at least 4 years back. From my memory, we went on a winter’s afternoon on a sunday, back then, there were hardly anyone. We did the hike pretty much seeing the odd few on the way. As this was my first hike, we did work out a bit of a sweat but overall it was worth it. The views from the top were amazing, actually throughout the hike, there were places where we just had to stop and enjoy the breathtaking views.
The recent years, I do go here and there again when looking for a light workout. The last time I was there, it was so packed. I went on a Saturday morning and it was filled with people, you would see people passing by every couple of minutes. The funniest part is when you see old men carrying their little walkmans blasting the music or hk news. It’s almost as if they have never heard of headphones/​earphones in their lives.
Funny story, I brought my virgin hiker friend to the Twin peaks last time and if she could have caught up to me, I think she would have literally pushed me off the mountain. She almost killed me for taking her there. I think she was unable to wear heels for a good week or so. It took a bit of convincing to get her to hike with me again, and this time, I swore that it would be much much easier. This is where I took her and ah ha. surprise, surprise, she really enjoyed it. Every bit of it.
This stunning hike is great for a light work out and a nice stroll.

If you have read any of my reviews before you would understand how much of a city boy I am. Yup, I complain A LOT about the heat and let alone mosquitoes, so hold on to your seats, today I am writing reviews on a hiking trail — Dragon’s Back.
As I am not a keen hiker, I had no idea about how many hiking trails we had in Hong Kong and of course I would not look that up on the internet, so why did I go to the Dragon’s Back. Thanks to my roommate when I was at the university, he is not an outdoorsy person but he was fairly intrigued by this specific hiking trail so as a caring and friendly roomy, I would not say no to him. (Well, I did struggle a lot the night before trying to come up with excuses not to go…)
And we made it. (urghhh.) According to Time Magazine, it was once declared as the «Best Urban Hike in Asia» so I hoped it was really true as it was not easy at all (at least not to me) to get there (MTR and then minibus). The entire trek took us around 4 hours to finish and we did take a rest for several time (ok, my fault) especially the first part of the trail as it was rather steep (and I regretted a lot already). With the crazy humidity and the heat in Hong Kong, you would expect me nagging a lot along the way. However, the reward was much better afterwards with the scenic view and we ended up spending a night at Big Wave Bay (which I will be reviewing soon). I cannot think of anyone who dislikes outdoor as I do, however, since even I was very pleased and I made it surprisingly, it would be a rather easy and rewarding trip for you all.
Please bring a lot of water and snacks (but not so much that you need to go to toilet every 10 minutes!)

The Dragon’s Back is a nice gentle hike with stunning views. In the heat you’ll certainly work up a sweat but it’s not uncommon to see people in regular street clothes navigating the trail. There are two climbs but they’re not long — this is the kind of hike I’d happily take my mother on and, more importantly, my pug… the world’s least athletic dog. Essentially, Dragon’s Back is a great scenic walk but a little soft for those looking for a serious work out.
This past weekend we headed up in a group of nine plus three dogs, including le pug. It was a scorcher of a day but the first half of the trail is relatively shaded. After heavy rain, the trail can be muddy and waterlogged in spots and this was the case for us. The dogs certainly enjoyed the mud but it was slippery on the downhills and careful treading was required.
Being July, the trees are filled with giant webs and their imposing golden orb-​web spiders which had our tourist friends aghast.
Often over crowded with mainland tourists moving at a snail’s pace along the trail, the heat worked in our favour and we enjoyed a quiet walk, only having to squash to one side to let other’s pass a couple of times.
Although downhill, it was HOT for the second half of the hike which offers virtually no shade and I found myself carrying the pug over my shoulder for most of it. We were grateful for beers and cold gunners at the Shek O back beach which is a short cab ride from the end of the trail on Shek O road.
There are also plenty of buses for those without pets.