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Victoria Peak

Victoria Peak, or simply "The Peak", is definitely the most popular tourist spot in the city. Perched on a mountaintop right above the Central district of downtown Hong Kong, Victoria Peak offers a fantastic lookout point.

This place is a must when you travel to Hong Kong. No, seriously, if other people who've been here hear you say that you didn't have your picture taken up at the Peak, chances are that they'll look at you funny.

This famous view is often used to represent Hong Kong and can be seen in many postcards and such. It is at least as good at night as it is in the day! If you get here a little before dusk you can experience both.

One important thing though, it will be much more enjoyable if you can manage to get up there on a clear day. Unfortunately, Hong Kong can get really cloudy from time to time which absolutely ruins the spendid view.

View of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak

The white outlook tower and the galleria next to it host a variety of businesses, including the Hong Kong branch of Madame Tussaud's wax museum with wax replicas of local and international celebrities. The tower also holds several restaurants where you can eat accompanied by the best view in the city.

How to get there

There is a road up the mountain, allowing the many Hong Kong tour buses to make this mandatory stop, and a taxi could take you up there from Central for a fairly low price.

Peak TramBut a more interesting way of getting to the top is by the Peak Tram which regularly scales the mountain all day.

This funicular railway is one of the most historical constructions in the city as it has been transporting people up and down the hillside since 1888 - meaning it's been in operation for over 120 years out of less than 170 years that Hong Kong has existed!

And it remains very popular, taking over 4 million passengers a year.

You can easily get to the tram's lower terminus by walking from Central. The price for an adult ticket to the tram and tower is only 56 HKD. If possible, try to get a seat on the valley side of the tram for a better view - that is the right-hand side if you are going uphill and vice versa.

You can find more information at The Peak's website.

Tips

  • Try to get up there on a day when the weather offers good visibility!

  • The lines to the tram can get very long sometimes. In that case it might be a better idea to take a taxi. If you still want to go, you might be able to take the tram on your way down instead

Peak Tower

But, to give you a real insider scoop, here is something a lot of people don't realise: the top of the tower is not necessarily the best lookout point to see the Hong Kong skyline!

Instead, you can take the walking trail next to the tower and walk a short distance along the mountainside. Soon enough you will find several fabulous (and free) spots to look out over the city and take photos. Of course, there are people here as well, but you can easily avoid the worst tourist crowds at the Peak Tower.

A challenger has risen!

Suddenly, the position of the Peak tower has been undermined. As of 2011, there is a new observation deck in town! The just-finished new holder of the title "Hong Kong's tallest building", the International Commerce Centre (ICC), is so tall that its top is located above the deck of the Peak Tower, even though its base is at sea level!

The owners have decided to make use of this fact to construct an observation deck on the 100th floor, an almost identical altitude to the viewing platform on Victoria Peak. It's named the sky100 and with it's unique location in west Kowloon, it offers not only a great view of the Hong Kong island shoreline, but an entire 360 degree panorama from the middle of the city.

I'm sad to say I haven't had the chance to see it yet, but I think it might be quite something! If you're interested you can find more information and online ticket purchasing at the sky100 website.

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