10 Best Things to Do in Lantau Island Hong Kong – Amazing Island with Disneyland, Big Buddha, Hiking Trails and More!

Lantau Island is the largest outlying island in Hong Kong. It is an amazing tourist island with major attractions like Hong Kong Disneyland and Big Buddha. It is also home to rustic villages, tranquil beaches, and scenic hiking trails. We had lots of fun here and below is our 10 favourite things to do in Lantau Island!

1. Hong Kong Disneyland

The author on the Disney-themed MTR to Disneyland Resort Station

Hong Kong Disneyland is definitely the most popular attraction on Lantau Island! It is the largest theme park in Hong Kong and we took lots of pretty pictures here.

This is a one-day theme park and most tourists should be able to complete all the interesting rides and attractions in one day.

Below are some of the most popular rides in Hong Kong Disneyland:

Iron Man Experience is a simulator ride that flies guests across Hong Kong in an Iron Wing drone designed for the Stark Expo.

Hyperspace Mountain is a roller coaster ride that brings guests into a simulated dogfight between X-Wing starfighters and TIE Fighters. There are plenty of cool projections and laser effects.

Mystic Manor brings guests around a large manor in automated carriages, where they encounter creatures and objects that have been brought to life by an enchanted music box. Many people feel that this is one of Disney’s best ever attraction.

You can get FastPasses to skip the queues! FastPasses are available for three rides: Iron Man Experience, Hyperspace Mountain, and Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The FastPasses are free; you just need to collect them at booths near the rides.

To get to Hong Kong Disneyland, take the MTR to Sunny Bay Station and transfer to the Disneyland Resort Line. Then take one stop to Disneyland Resort Station.

Pro-tip: Buy your Disneyland ticket from Klook because it is HKD85 cheaper than the price on the official site. You save HKD105 if you buy a 2-day ticket. In addition, you get to skip the queue because you can just scan your ticket’s QR code at the entrance to enter the park directly. This will help to save quite a bit of time!

2. Ngong Ping Cable Car

Crazy queues

Skip the queues and collect your tickets from the Klook counter

The Crystal Cabin cable car has a glass floor!

Enjoying awesome views of the Big Buddha along the way

Ngong Ping Cable Car is a 5.7km long cable car system that runs between Tung Chung (where it connects to Tung Chung MTR station) and Ngong Ping (where Ngong Ping Village, Big Buddha, and Po Lin Monastery are located). A one-way trip takes around 25 minutes.

We bought the 1+1 round trip package which includes a crystal cabin ticket and a standard cabin ticket.

For the ride to Ngong Ping, we took the crystal cabin. This was one of the best cable car rides we had ever taken! We got to enjoy awesome views of the lush green hills, the Hong Kong International Airport, and the South China Sea. We also got awesome views of the majestic Big Buddha statue.

The crystal cabin had a thick see-through glass floor so we were able to enjoy the views beneath the cable car too. This was really cool! Even though I was a little uncomfortable at first (due to my phobia of heights), I got over it quickly and started snapping photos of my shoes on the glass floor like everyone else.

The wind was quite strong so there were air drafts coming in from the small vents on the sides. This was slightly unnerving at first but I got used to it after a while.

Pro-tip: Buy your tickets in advance from Klook because the queues at the cable car station can get horrendously long. When we went on a Friday at around 3pm (in early November), we were told by staff that the wait would around two hours long! However, if you buy from Klook, you can skip the long queue and redeem your tickets at the Klook exclusive counter. This will help to save lots of time. And the Klook tickets are cheaper than the official price by almost 20%! Remember to bring along your passport as it may be required to verify your identity.

Ngong Ping Cable Car
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 10am – 6pm | Weekends & PH: 9am – 6.30pm |

3. Ngong Ping Village

“Walking with Buddha” is a multimedia experience that takes you through the life of Buddha. Tickets cost HKD40 for adults and HKD20 for children.

After disembarking at the Ngong Ping cable car station, we walked for a few minutes to Ngong Ping Village.

The village is designed in a traditional Chinese architectural style. It is a nice touristy hub with many souvenir shops, dining outlets, and tea houses. We even saw a Starbucks and Subway outlet. We didn’t spend much time here because it felt like a tourist trap.

However, the village serves as a good base for exploring the other parts of Lantau Island like Tai O Fishing Village and Mui Wo.

Ngong Ping Village
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 10am – 6pm | Weekends & PH: 9am – 6.30pm |

4. Ngong Ping Piazza

Posing at the Bodhi Path

Next to Ngong Ping Village is the Ngong Ping Piazza. This large Buddhist-themed plaza consists of four components:

• New Pai Lau – a Qing Dynasty style archway
• Bodhi Path – a path lined with statues of the 12 Divine Generals
• Di Tan – an open space for religious ceremonies
• Chinese Landscaped Garden – a serene Chinese style garden

It was interesting to see the 12 Divine Generals lined up on each side of the Bodhi Path. These are the twelve bodyguards of the Imperial Heaven in Buddhist mythology. Each general corresponds to a respective zodiac and weapon, and is responsible for protecting a two-hour section of the day. I hope this meant they had two-hour workdays, because that would be great work-life balance!

5. Big Buddha

268 steps!

From Ngong Ping Piazza, we walked to the Tian Tan Buddha (天坛大佛) statue. Also known as the “Big Buddha”, this is another super popular attraction on Lantau Island.

This majestic and beautiful 34 metres bronze statue was completed in 1989. It is built on a base platform called “tian tan” (translated as “Altar of Heaven”), which explains its name.

After taking a couple of photos at the base, we took a deep breath and began our mini-hike up the 268 steps to the Big Buddha statue.

After a tiring climb, we finally reached the top! We took some nice photos of the statue here.

It is free to visit the statue but you need to pay an admission fee of HKD30 to enter the exhibition halls. Tickets can be purchased at the exhibition halls’ entrance.

You can also buy the tickets as a package to enjoy a vegetarian meal at the nearby Po Lin Monastery Restaurant.

Tian Tan Big Buddha
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 5.30pm

6. Po Lin Monastery

Po Lin Monastery Restaurant

Nearby the Big Buddha is Po Lin Monastery. This Buddhist monastery was founded over a hundred years ago in 1906. It was initially known as the “Big Thatched Hut”, but was renamed as “Po Lin Monastery” in 1924.

The monastery became more famous after the inauguration of the Big Buddha statue in 1993.

The complex consists of several beautiful halls with intricate carvings of mythological creatures like dragons and phoenixes.

If you’re interested, you can also enjoy a delicious vegetarian meal at the Po Lin Monastery Restaurant here. A standard vegetarian meal costs around HKD100.

Po Lin Monastery
Opening hours: Daily 8am to 6pm

Po Lin Monastery Restaurant
Opening hours: | Mon to Fri: 11am – 4.30pm | Weekends & PH: 11.30am – 7pm |

7. Tai O Fishing Village

“Husband” is a popular snack in Tai O!

Tai O Lookout Restaurant

Tai O Boat Excursion

Fu Shan Hiking Trail

Tai O Fishing Village is a rustic fishing village set against the picturesque backdrop of lush mountains. It is a popular tourist attraction.

There are plenty of things to do at the village! You can try famous local street food such as Tai O Egg Waffle, Tai O Donut, “Husband” (a shrimp and pork roll), and grilled seafood.

The dried seafood market is famous for its variety of dried seafood such as dried shrimps, salted fish, dried squids, etc.

There are several popular restaurants and cafes. Tai O Lookout Restaurant is a classy restaurant located on the rooftop of Tai O Heritage Hotel. It has a good ambience and offers scenic views of the bay through its glass roof and walls. The menu offers a diverse variety of food such as fish & chips, smoked salmon, wonton noodles, fried rice, etc. There is afternoon high tea too.

Tai O Crossing Boat Restaurant is a traditional Chinese restaurant that serves a variety of seafood dishes.

Solo Cafe and Triple Lanterns Cafe are two lovely waterfront cafes where you can enjoy your pastries and coffee while enjoying the scenic water views.

The Tai O Boat Excursion is a popular 20 minute boat ride that brings guests to see the iconic stilt houses up close, the “General’s Rock” (a natural rock formation) and Tai O Heritage Hotel. There is even a chance of seeing the famous Chinese Pink Dolphins. While the chance is quite slim, there are some people who have reported seeing these beautiful sea creatures.

Tai O Heritage Hotel is a restored former police station converted into a hotel. The building exudes a colonial charm and offers beautiful modern rooms with sea views. This is a good place for a short stay to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Hong Kong.

Tai O is also known for its historic temples. One well-known temple is the Kwan Tai Temple, which honours Kwan Tai, the God of War. This is a very popular temple among locals because Kwan Tai is believed to protect the people from all evils.

Fu Shan Hiking Trail is a scenic trail up a hill that offers amazing views of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, Hong Kong International Airport, and Tai O Bay. At the top, you will find Fu Shan Pavilion, where you can enjoy wonderful paranomic views of the South China Sea.

Tai O Fishing Village is just a 15 minute bus ride from Ngong Ping Village. Take the New Lantao Bus Number 21.

8. Lantau Trail

The Lantau Trail is a 70km hiking trail that starts from Mui Wo, goes around the island, and ends back at Mui Wo. The trail is divided into 11 sections.

The trail is well marked with information boards and maps along the way. There are “Distance Posts” located every 500 metres to provide directions for hikers.

Outdoor enthusiasts will definitely love this beautiful hiking trail! It offers gorgeous views from Lantau Peak, which towers at a whooping 934 metres. You will also enjoy amazing views of the Big Buddha and surrounding lush greenery.

9. Mui Wo

Silver Mine Bay Beach

Silvermine Waterfall

Mui Wo is a tranquil village town that is perfect for escaping the stress of city life. There are plenty of things to do here!

Silver Mine Bay Beach is a clean and serene beach where you can take a stroll and listen to the lapping waves.

Mui Wo Cooked Food Centre is famous for its restaurants selling delicious and affordable seafood! You can enjoy great views of the Silver Mine Bay Beach from here.

Mui Wo is great for cycling! You can easily rent a bike here and explore the surrounding areas.

And of course, this area is great for hiking and revelling in the serenity of nature. Look out for feral cows and water buffalos along the way! Section 1 of the scenic Lantau Trail starts from here. It is a concrete-paved trail that runs along the road, and offers beautiful aerial views of Mui Wo. It is an easy trail suitable for beginner hikers.

Man Mo Temple is a small Ming Dynasty style temple that was built in 1958. It is a 20 minute hike from Man Mo Ferry Pier.

Silvermine Waterfall is arguably one of Hong Kong’s best waterfalls. It is made up of a series of beautiful mini waterfalls. There is an abandoned silver mine here, which has since become a bat cave with hundreds of bats. The waterfall is reachable via a fairly easy 25 minute hike from Mui Wo Ferry Pier.

Last but not least, Thai Pailin Massage offers soothing Thai massages at very affordable prices. Based on reviews, the staff are friendly and professional. It is located in the village town centre.

Mui Wo is a 50 minute bus ride from Ngong Ping Village. Take the New Lantao Bus Number 2. Alternatively, you can catch a ferry from Central Pier 6 on Hong Kong Island. Fast ferries take around 40 minutes while ordinary ferries take about 55 minutes.

10. Citygate Outlets

Citygate Outlets is an outlet shopping mall located beside Tung Chung MTR Station. The Novotel Citygate Hotel is located here too.

However, we were quite underwhelmed during our visit because not many brands were available. The prices were also not very cheap as compared to other outlet malls.

Citygate Outlets
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 10pm

Guided Tours

If you prefer convenience or are travelling with children, you can go for the Ngong Ping 360 Lantau Culture and Heritage Insight Tour which is a guided day tour that consists of:

• Round trip cable car tickets
• Walking tour of Ngong Ping Village, Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery
• Chinese tea demonstration at Linong Tea House (Ngoing Ping Village)
• Tai O round trip coach transfer
• Tai O boat excursion
• Tai O HKD10 snack coupons
• Tour guide

There is also a sunset tour available, which starts later in the day. Personally, I feel that the guided tours are quite expensive, but they are slightly more convenient and you get the services of a tour guide.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading our article on the 10 best things to do in Lantau Island Hong Kong! Our favourite attractions here were Disneyland and the Big Buddha. We hope you will have as much fun on Lantau Island as we did!