Wilson Trail Section 1&2 | Stanley Gap Road to Quarry Bay

WEB EDIT March 08, 2023

This hike can be considered one of the most difficult hikes in Hong Kong, as it involves climbing up and down multiple flights of steps.

Distance: 12.4km

Duration: 5.5 hours (includes photo and rest)

Difficulty: 4/5 Intermediate to Advance

The Violet Hill & Twin Peaks hike will challenge most people. We recommend doing this hike with a pair of trekking poles.

Starting our journey along Stanley Gap Road is the entrance of Wilson Trail Section 1 heading towards Wong Nai Chung Reservoir, it passes up the Twin Peaks and Violet Hill before descending towards Hong Kong Parkview.

The trail is paved along the steps, with occasional dirt trails, but the most difficult part is the steps up to Twin Peaks.

Along the way up, make sure to look back as the exposed path offers stretching views of Stanley, Tai Tam Bay, and everything around it.

Though strenuous, Twin Peaks offers some of the most spectacular views of the south side of Hong Kong Island. The trail shows you the reservoir, mountainsides, the South China Sea, and Stanley Village. Plus the Tai Tam Country Park itself is amazing!

After tackling the steps of the Twins, rest awhile before crossing the short Tze Kong Bridge and heading up the path towards Violet Hill.

The trail heading up Violet Hill is almost similar to the climb at the Twins but more along dirt trails. The summit of Violet Hill doesn’t offer much to see, mainly because of all the vegetation around it.

Prepare for the descent towards Wong Nai Chung Reservoir as it is a long journey down along a mixture of steps and dirt trails.

Once we have reached Tai Tam Reservoir Road, it is the end of Wilson Trail Section 1, follow the road a bit further up towards the BBQ site is the start of Wilson Trail Section 2 / Hong Kong Trail Section 5.

Section 2 still has a lot of stairs to climb, the trail has a few shaded areas along the way. After just around 30 minutes you will reach the summit point of Jardine’s Lookout.

Take a break and enjoy the view over Central. Just across the water is the Kowloon area. Not far past Jardine’s lookout, you can already see Mount Butler as you head towards it along the stairs.

From this point onwards, we follow the trail towards Siu Ma Shan, following the sign to go along Wilson’s Trail.

After a bit more stairs finally has some flat ground along dirt trails to walk on heading towards the summit of Siu Ma Shan.

Take your time at Sui Ma Shan summit as it offers plenty of views, take as many photos and rest, as the descent comes right after.

The hike heading down towards Sir Cecil’s Ride is a punishment to your knees, as we are already tired from Twin Peaks and Violet Hill. This is where the trekking poles saved us, as we can reach the endpoint with less stress on our knees.

The trail becomes more relaxed around Quarry Bay Tree Walk before it heads down to Greig Road, where the sign says at the road junction (Wilson Trail via MTR to Stage 3).

Overall this hike is challenging for us and requires a lot of endurance. We recommend being mentally and physically well-prepared when trying both sections in one go.

Wear comfortable hiking shoes as the journey is very long, and bring plenty of snacks and at least 2 liters of water with extra sports drinks. Finally use TREKKING POLES as it will save your legs and keep them less tired during the long distance of the hike.