Fodor's Expert Review Victoria Peak

Whatever the time, whatever the weather, be it your first visit or your 50th, Victoria Peak is Hong Kong's one unmissable sight. Soaring just over 1,805 feet above sea level, Hong Kong Island’s highest hill looks out over a forest of skyscrapers, the glittering harbor beyond and—on a clear day—Kowloon's eight mountains. On rainy days wisps of clouds catch on the buildings' pointy tops, and at night both sides of the harbor burst into color. The best views are to be had from Sky Terrace 428, a ticketed attraction on top of the Peak Tower (the anvil-shape building, which also serves as the upper terminus of the Peak Tram). But you get almost as good a view for free from Lion Pavilion outside, a short walk along Findlay Path.

Well-signed nature walks around Victoria Peak offer wonderful respites. You'll be treated to spectacular views in all directions on the Peak Circle Walk, an easygoing 40- to 60-minute paved path that begins and ends at the Peak Tram Upper Terminus. Before buying a return ticket on the tram or on a bus, consider walking back downhill to Central, either along the tree-shared Morning Trail or via the short and steep Old Peak Road.

The Peak Tram, Asia’s first funicular railway, has been rumbling up the steep inclines of Victoria Peak since it opened in 1888; before that, the only way up was to walk or take a bumpy ride in a sedan chair. The Lower Terminus starts just up past St. John's Cathedral on the opposite side of Garden Road. Sit on the right hand side of the tram carriage for the best views. Several buses go direct from the Central Bus Terminal near the Star Ferry Pier to the Peak Tram Lower Terminus. Bus 15 goes all the way to the top of the Peak, and is a good option on busy weekends when wait times for the Peak Tram can be over an hour.