I have to say this hike was one of the greatest adventures I did in south-east Asia but read this before you approach this unreal scenery. Panoramic view of the city and the cliff itself hanging above Hong Kong are breathtaking! Suicide cliff is a place out of this planet. If you are into hiking, this trail is a must – BUT you need to know few things before approaching this route.
The trail is relatively short but seriously challenging. I have just accomplished it and I’m dropping plenty of useful information that will definitely help you out ahead of this adventure. This is a detailed description on hiking Kowloon Peak and Suicide Cliff over Hong Kong.
How to get to Kowloon Peak?
First of all there is a huge confussion between the mountain peak & Suicide Cliff and Kowloon Peak itself. The real Kowloon Peak is located 3h hiking from Suicide Cliff and the TV Station on the top. However, most hikers consider the TV Station peak as the main one – which is fine but it is not actually Kowloon Peak.
Kowloon Peak can be approached by many trails from different directions. The one considered relatively safe and definitely the shortest is the southern one – which I chose (thankfully!!), knowing nothing before the hike, I went completely unprepared and uninformed.. Don’t make this mistake.
Approaching Kowloon Peak from the South Side.
- Get off at Subway Dimond Hill station.
- Walk toward Diamond Hill Railway Bus Terminal and take bus no: 91, 92 or 96R. The bus station is located in Plaza Hollywood Shopping centre – 20 metres from the subway entrance.
- Get off at Anderson Road and walk 8 minutes to the beginning of the trail – which will shock you completely! I could not believe what I saw – I had to ask a girl, whether this is the trail up to the peak of the mountain! She laughted and said yes 😉 It’s a narrow, dusty route, which looks more like a sewage pipe
Approaching Kowloon Peak from the South Side.
- Get off at Subway Dimond Hill station.
- Walk toward Diamond Hill Railway Bus Terminal and take bus no: 91, 92 or 96R. The bus station is located in Plaza Hollywood Shopping centre – 20 metres from the subway entrance.
- Get off at Anderson Road and walk 8 minutes to the beginning of the trail – near Kowloon Peak Obelisk! Don’t be shocked with the beginning of the trail, I could not believe what I saw – I had to ask a girl, whether this is the trail up to the peak of the mountain! She laughted and said yes 😉 It’s a narrow, dusty route, which looks more like a sewage pipe – but this is your gate to the adventure.
Hiking Kowloon Peak and Suicide Cliff.
Hiking Kowloon Peak (also known as Fei Ngo Shan) is a popular outdoor activity for nature enthusiasts and hikers in Hong Kong. Kowloon Peak is 602 m (1,975 ft) high – it sounds short but the mountain is extremely demanding.
I met many hikers on the top but along the trail I had a feeling I’m the lonelinest person in this huge metropoly. Not to mention I had one heart attack on the way, when a huge bird took off from the bushes literally one metre ahead of me..!
Don’t be an idiot like me and read some information before approaching the trail – and take water with you! I honestly thought it’s going to be a piece of cake for a regular hiker and a small climber. NO – it is NOT! Now when I think about it, I was really lucky it all ended safely and that I found myslef on the south trail. After 40 minutes you’ll begin to see stunning city views.
How long does it take to hike Kowloon Peak?
From the bottom of the southern trail it takes about 1-1.15h to reach the top with the TV Station. Suicide Cliff is on the way to the top, but if you are taking the trail more to the right you will pass the cliff on your left. Once you reach the TV Station with helicopter landing the views are already making all the efforts up!
But lets start from the beginning – for the most of the trail there is a rope which helps you climb the steep sections. The hike to Suicide Cliff is considered challenging and is suitable for experienced hikers with good physical fitness.
There are steep uphill sections and some scrambling involved, so it is important to be prepared and wear appropriate hiking gear such as solid shoes for a good grip. Take caution and proceed carefully during the more technical parts of the trail, it is really not a place to make a mistake – especially going down.
Some advice before hiking Kowloon Peak.
- If you have no hiking experience or you are afraid of heights, this trail is not for you. You will not enjoy it!
- You should not approach this trail alone like me. The route is really challenging and you should have a company in case of any slip.
- Take plenty of water – it is a demanding trail and even in cold months you will need nutrition.
- Check weather forecast before you go – do not hike this route in rainy conditions!
- I would nor recommend hiking Kowloon Peak at night, even well prepared with a headlight.
The route up to Kowloon Peak.
For the most of the time this looks like a jungle trail. It is steep and rocky, which for me was a great fun, even going back down.
I think it is impossible to hike the trail in wet conditions. So check the weather before approaching the trail.
From the bottom of the asphalt road there are few starting points, I took the one on the right, which leads toward the TV Station – not through the Suicide Cliff. But that’s ok, you can take the road down along the cliff. After an hour tough hiking up, the TV Station was very much visible and once I reached the ridge – the views on the other side blowed my mind! From there take stairs right direction, leading to the top of the mountain with helicopter landing.
Hiking Kowloon Peak via Elephant Rock.
From this point you will be able to see a long hiking road toward an Elephant Rock and actual Kowloon Peak – viewing point. This is a very challenging trail, and from the TV Station takes about 3h to reach Kowloon Peak. The trail leads through the Elephant hill and from there to Kowloon Peak. Fatal accidents have occured on this trail, so think twice before you decide to follow.
From Kowloon Peak there is an asphalt road, so it is almost possible to reach it by car.
From the top of the mountain with the TV Station it takes 10 minutes to reach Suicide Rock. Be careful getting close to the edge, as the rocks are steep. Once you walk down a little bit more, you will see on your right the perfect rock hanging above Hong Kong.
I was lucky to meet the lovely girls, who agreed to wait for me getting to the rock to take photos. The feeling is undescribable! But again, you need to be aware deadly accidents happened on this spot after falling off a steep cliff – so be careful walking on the cliff!
Get your Hong Kong travel kit – esentials for easy travel:
- OCTOPUS CARD – travel card for subway, bus, ferry, coach, tram and even used for purchases in convenience stores, supermarkets with just a tap. Just pick up your card at Hong Kong International Airport upon landing.
- Hong Kong Explorer Pass – you may want to get your explorer pass, which gets you an easy access to number of biggest city attractions.
- HK Night Treats Voucher from the HK Tourism Board Stand (at the airport or HK harbour).
Kowloon Peak best viewing point.
Coming down from the top (the TV Station) you will first reach the rocky viewing point. Going a little bit down, here is where you’ll find the famous cliff, incredible, scary, fascinating, mind blowing around sunset hours. A tiny path will lead you to step on the cliff, be careful here and even more while walking the cliff. This is no safe but doable.
