*New Route!* Easy Hike to The Peak from Central/Admiralty via the Central Green Trail

I discovered this one last night, after following a random road on Google Maps marked “Central Green Trail.” I had no idea it ended at The Peak when I began it, but we just kept going up until voi-la! Barker Road, 10 minutes away from The Peak.

Literally just saw this marked on Google Maps looking for potential trails to discover near my home…

Distance: 3km (Actually just 2.5km but getting to The Peak from the top of the trail was another 500m)

Duration: 30-45 minutes.

Difficulty: Easy – I found this one so much easier than the other trails to the Peak, and much more convenient from Central/Admiralty as it starts by Hong Kong Park.

View from up top. It was drizzling and windy and cold, we were dying to get to heat and food by then

Easy

I would call this trail “easy” because it doesn’t have too-steep inclines unlike Old Peak Road and it didn’t feel as long as the other routes. It’s also paved the whole way up, with reasonable amount of light. I would still recommend taking a torch or at least using the one on your phone going up, though – towards the top there’s a section with no lampposts along the way.

Get there

It’s super convenient to get to – from MTR Central/Admiralty Station just walk to Hong Kong Park across The Peak Tram Lower Terminus (Garden Road) and that’s where you start. Follow the stair beside the tram tracks.

By Bus to Garden Road Peak Tram Lower Terminus
Board the Peak Tram shuttle bus No. 15C at the Central (Near Star Ferry Pier 8) Bus Terminus.

IMPORTANT: Follow these silver markers along the way so you don’t get lost

The Central Green Trail more or less follows the route of the Peak Tram line – now only used by tourists to get up to The Peak. It’s around HK$ 83 per Adult, return. But if the weather is reasonably cool and you don’t want to stand in a ridiculous queue, I suggest you walk up instead! below is a shot of one of the now-defunct midway stations.

The Peak Tramway is a funicular railway in Hong Kong, which carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island.

Circa 1897, the fastest way to The Peak

Much of the beginning and end is just residential road, with 14 points of interest or stations marked by silver rectangular signs. I could barely read them at night but I’m sure by day it would be more interesting to check them out. I can only remember reading two, including the Peak Tram and “Camphor Tree”…

We kept bumping into The Peak Tram during our walk – this was the Barker Road stop near the top. It was a beautiful colonial-style one. I wish we could have hitched a ride because from here it was 10-15 more minutes in the cold wet and windy edge

It’s not as much of a “hike” in nature, but it’s a good, quick, easy, convenient walk up to The Peak with nice views thrown in for good measure. There’s a quieter, greener part of the trail towards the end where you feel like you’re escaping the city somewhat, peering from the jungle into a glittering, high rise landscape. There were literally coconut and papaya trees along the way, from what I could see in the dark.

It’s also a refreshing change for me, since I haven’t done this one before, whereas I’ve done the one from HKU like a million times already. From the top we just took a green minibus back down to Central from under Peak Galleria.

Let me know if you get to do it! Always wondered if this blog is really helpful to people? 🙂 Tweet @yeniraboca or IG @morenatravels

*Edit 16 January 2017 – Love hearing back from readers, and some have said this is NOT an easy walk, but considering other hikes in Hong Kong I had to label it as such for its short length. 

**A reader – Dr. Tune – has recommended to bring extra clothes and prepare to get sweaty!