The Local Morning: Hiking The Peak Before the Crowds

Hong Kong wakes early, and the smartest way to see the city is to beat both the heat and the crowds. Long before the tour buses grind up to the summit, locals are already on the mountain. Here is how to do The Peak the local way.

Go up for the Morning Trail

Skip the midday scrum. The Morning Trail on The Peak is a gentle, shaded loop that regulars walk at first light, with the whole skyline and harbour laid out below and barely another soul around.

Time it for the harbour

On a clear morning the view stretches clean across Victoria Harbour to Kowloon. The light is softest and the air clearest before about nine, which is exactly why locals come then.

Come down for dim sum

Earn your breakfast. Back at street level, join the locals for a proper morning yum cha, trolleys of dumplings and pots of tea, the traditional reward after a walk on the hill.

See more of the city in the full Hong Kong guide.