Lion Rock or Dragon's Back Hike in Hong Kong Guide [2024]

Lion Rock and Dragon’s Back in Hong Kong are some of Hong Kong’s best hikes to do in one day. If you’re wondering whether to hike Lion Rock or Dragon’s Back, here’s a comparison of both hikes, and a view of the excellent views they offer.

Two of the best day hikes you can take in Hong Kong are the Lion Rock hike and the Dragon’s Back hike (yes, it seems that Hong Kong has a curious habit of naming their hikes after animals). Neither of these hikes are too strenuous, and can easily be finished in half a day.

What I love most about these hikes is that they are what I like to call, “good value” hikes. Meaning, the reward at the end outweighs the amount of actual effort put in.

Lion Rock, Hong Kong

Lion Rock

How to get Lion Rock

Take the MTR to either Diamond Hill station or Won Tai Sin station (exit via B3). From either of these stations, you can either walk an hour to the start of the trail, or take a taxi for about 10 mins. The taxi can cost anywhere from $22 to $30 HKD.

Asher looking out to the Hong Kong skyline

Personally, I just took a taxi from Sha Tin (where I was staying) straight to the “Lion Rock Peak Trail Start” (this is what I told my taxi driver). There were a few people doing the same thing as me as many taxis rolled in and out of the trail entrance.

city views from LIon Rock

You shouldn’t have any problems catching a taxi back as many taxis pass by to drop more hikers off. However, Uber or any other rideshare apps are good alternatives if you’re struggling to find a taxi.

The hike

You can choose to either hike from the East entrance or the West entrance of the trail. Coming in from one side or another doesn’t really make much of a difference time or distance wise. 

Lion rock trail

Other blogs and guides say that the hike takes about 2-3 hours to complete, but if I’m being completely honest, I finished the hike in just over an hour and I wouldn’t consider myself very fit! So you should allow for 2 hours but you can certainly finish the trail quicker if you’re in good shape.

Taking in the scenery

a blend of nature and city within a close distance

Lion rock is my first hike

Lion Rock was my first ever hike, and I would say that it’s about a 6/10 in difficulty. The trail is well marked, and there are several stops along the way where you can catch your breath and rest a little. Having said that, hiking the trail can leave you drenched in sweat if you hike on a hot summer’s day – so bring lots and lots of water.

Another angle of Hong Kong from Lion rock

a unique perspective of the city from the hike

I went on a Monday and the trail wasn’t that crowded, but I’ve heard it can get really packed on the weekends. Best to keep this in mind when choosing what time you want to do the hike.

Getting closer to the summit

The views at the end of the trail are absolutely breathtaking, and offer a panorama of the beautiful Hong Kong skyline set against a backdrop of mountains. To this day, I would say that this was one of my most rewarding hikes I’ve ever done.

Hong kong skyline

Head above the Hong Kong skyline

Dragon’s Back

How to get to Dragon’s Back

Dragon’s back, Hong Kong

Take the MTR to Shau Kei Wan station, Exit A. Walk to the Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus, and take bus 9 or the red minibus with the sign “Shek O” to the To Tei Wan stop on Shek O Road.

Alternatively, take a taxi or Uber or other rideshare car from Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus.

Coming back may be tricky – we couldn’t get an Uber ride for ages and ended up riding the bus back to the bus station.

The trail

The Dragon’s Back trail is actually part of a larger trail that takes you from Shek O to Big Wave Bay. The whole trail should take about 4 hours covering 8.5 km.

Dragon’s back trail

However, we decided not to hike all the way to Big Wave Bay, because we just wanted see Dragon’s Back and call it a day. All in all, the short hike took about 1 hour return to complete.

Shek O Peak is the prime spot to see the ‘Dragon’s Back’, standing at 284m above sea level.

Dragon’s Back is a very easy hike, about a 3/10 in difficulty, and I would say that anyone with a reasonable level of fitness could complete this hike. On the trail, we even saw elderly men and women probably in their 70s or 80s taking on Dragon’s Back - so if they can do it, you can definitely do it!

Admiring dragons’ back viewpoint

The view at the end is gorgeous and offers wide vistas of the peninsula’s coastline.

Should I hike Lion Rock or Dragon’s Back? (Lion Rock vs Dragon’s Back)

That’s definitely a tough question. If you’re only going to do one hike in Hong Kong, I would highly say do the Lion Rock Hike. It’s a little more difficult, a bit more challenging, but for me, the reward was far greater than the Dragon’s Back Hike. You get the iconic view of the Hong Kong skyline, which is priceless.

You should do Dragon’s Back if you’re not confident of your hiking skills and just want an easy hike to tick off. The view of Dragon’s Back is still amazing, just possibly not as jaw-dropping as Lion Rock’s view.

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Hong Kong is filled to the brim with worthwhile hikes, so you should also check out these ones:

• Sunset Peak

• Lantau Peak

• Tai Mo Shan

• Sharp Peak

• Lamma Island Walk

• Po Toi Island

• The Peak Walk

For a different kind of hike, check out our post on the alluring Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery.

 Visited, or planning to visit Hong Kong? Let us know in the comments below!