Lugard Road 13-02-2024
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Route: The Peak Tower, Lugard Road, Lugard Road Lookout, Harlech Road, Lugard Falls, The Peak Tower
Date: 19/02/2024
From: The Peak Tower
Parking: N/A
Start Point: The Peak Tower
Finish Point: The Peak Tower
Region: Victoria Peak
Route length: 3.6km
Time taken:01:00
Average speed: 4.3km/h
Ascent: 41m
Descent: 49m
Points of Interest: Lugard Road Lookout
In February this year, we were lucky enough to visit Hong Kong for a wedding and we made the most of our five-day visit by exploring the various sights of the densely populated city. One of the most popular things to do in Hong Kong is to take in the world-famous view of Victoria Harbour from The Peak, a high point on Mount Victoria that overlooks the city.
Popular is perhaps an understatement - The Peak welcomes nearly seven million tourists every year and there is no busier time than the Chinese New Year, which coincided with our visit. Chinese New Year in Hong Kong often brings thousands of additional visitors from mainland China.
While it's true that there are countless vantage points around Hong Kong to take in views of the skyline, the best are from The Peak and there’s good reason - it’s the highest, closest mountain to the city and it's easy to get to. Once you get to The Peak, the hike along Lugard Road is also flat making it perfect for almost all abilities.
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| Victoria Peak stands behind the gleaming towers of Hong Kong Island |
One of the easiest ways to reach The Peak is a ride on the Peak Tram, the 1888 funicular railway that ferries passengers from the Central District of Hong Kong to the heights of Victoria Peak. It covers a distance of about 1.4 kilometres, gaining around 400m in elevation. You can also get a bus, taxi or hike from the city.
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| The Peak Tram station has recently been renovated |
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| The Peak Tram |
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| The Peak Tram above the city |
As our visit coincided with the Chinese New Year, we opted to catch the Peak Tram early in the morning to guarantee not getting stuck in hours-long queues - a lesson learnt from a previous day trying to visit the Tian Tan Buddha. So, we were among the first to ride the tram, which begins its operation at 07.30 in the morning, running until 23.00 in the evening.
After the short, steepening ride uphill, the tram terminates at The Peak Tower, which also marks the beginning of the Victoria Peak Loop along Lugard Road. The easy hike gets you away from the hustle and bustle of the lookouts at the tram terminal and has some of the best views of Hong Kong and Victoria Harbour. |
| The Peak Tower |
You can find the start of Lugard Road by turning right when you leave The Peak Tower. This is the opposite direction to the main lookout so you may find yourself going against the crowds, but this is normal. Lugard Road is sandwiched between Peak Road and Old Peak Road, leading towards a white building. While the name of the hike suggests it’s a road, it is only for pedestrians and there are no cars.
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| Lugard Road |
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| Signs along Lugard Road have a distinctly British feel |
The road is named after Sir Frederick Lugard, Governor of Hong Kong from 1907 to 1912. Lugard's chief interest was education and he was largely remembered for his efforts to founding the University of Hong Kong in 1911.vAs you walk through the road, some sections date back to this time and retain their original fabric; the lichen-covered lamp posts, for example, cannot be found anywhere else in modern Hong Kong.
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| Morning haze over the city |
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| Early morning on Lugard Road |
There are a handful of places along the path to get views of the city, however, after 20 minutes or so you will reach Lugard Road Lookout - home to arguably the best view of Hong Kong’s skyline and Victoria Harbour. It was quite hazy when we visited, but this is not uncommon for Hong Kong.
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| Hong Kong |
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| Bank of China Tower - one of Hong Kong's most famous towers |
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| Hong Kong |
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| The same view but with some phone trickery to cut through the haze |
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| Bank of China Tower and Central Plaza |
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| The ifc Tower (the tallest tower on Hong Kong Island) |
After the lookout, Lugard Road continues across the northern slopes of Mount Victoria to the western ridge of the mountain where it meets Harlech Road and Hatton Road. This intersection is where you can detour to High West, a small peak accessed by a steep climb but rewarding you with a fine panoramic view.
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| Hong Kong |
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| Lugard Road and Victoria Harbour |
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| The slopes of Mount Victoria |
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| Victoria Harbour |
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| High West |
Lugard Road runs into Harlech Road, which begins the return leg back to The Peak Tower. It only takes around 15 minutes to traverse the tree-shaded path, passing a small waterfall below Mount Austin.
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| Harlech Road |
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| Looking towards Pok Fu Lam |
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| Mount Kellett |
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| The small waterfall below Mount Austin |
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| Harlech Road |
The walk will take you back to its starting point near The Peak Tower. From here you can catch the Peak Tram back down to Central, or, visit the other lookout you may have avoided earlier in the day. This has a fine view, just not quite as good as Lugard Road.
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| Hong Kong from the Peak Lions Viewpoint |
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| Central Plaza and the sprawl of Hong Kong |
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| Hong Kong and Victoria Harbour |
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