Lantau Trail Section 3&4 | Pak Kung Au to Sham Wat Road

We headed back to Pak Kung Au in Lantau Island which was the ending point of Lantau Trail Section 2 from Sunset Peak and the start of Section 3.

This time we are climbing toward the second-highest peak in Hong Kong, Lantau Peak.

Distance - 10.21 km
Duration - 4.5 hours
Difficulty - 3.5/5 Intermediate to Advance

The trail starts immediately with steps heading up, however, the steps aren’t steep and it was shaded along the way.

As the steps continue, the trail becomes less steep, then soon the trail becomes flat before following a gentle incline.

Once you leave the shaded section along the trail, you can see the steps heading up toward Lantau Peak in the open.

Before we reach the steps, a short section along the trail is flat before it heads up a series of flights of steep stone steps before arriving at the summit.

The climbing continues along 3 consecutive hills before reaching Lantau Peak.

It is good to rest at the summit before continuing the journey. There is an impressive 360 view of the neighboring mountains such as Sunset Peak and the beautiful landscape of Lantau Island, and on a clear day, you can even see Hong Kong Island.

When we finished resting, we continued to head down toward the direction of Ngong Ping.

The trail now essentially runs down a narrow ridge, with incredible views all around. As we were descending, I must have stopped countless times to take pictures of the ridge, reservoir, hills, and glowing sea.

During the descent, you can see the view of Shek Pik Reservoir and Dog Teeth Range along the trail.

The picturesque section ends at Tsam Chai Au, which is where the trail for West Dog Teeth and Middle Dog Teeth meets Lantau Trail.

Follow along the sign toward Ngong Ping, Make sure you descend cautiously as the initial steps are very steep.

There are occasional glimpses of Ngong Ping and the Big Buddha from between the trees during the descent.

The trail begins to give way to flat terrain, passing the wooden arch at Wisdom Path and the end of section 3 of the Lantau Trail.

Just off to the right, you will see an information board indicating the starting point of Lantau Trail Section 4 (Ngong Ping to Sham Wat Road).

The start of section 4 passes along flat terrain heading toward the Ngong Ping Campsite before it merges onto the Nei Lak Shan Country trail.

There are occasional climbs up a few steps at Nei Lak Shan Country trail which require less effort. The trail continues on the path underneath the cable car until the cable car station, which then heads inside the Ngong Ping Village.

There are lots of shops and restaurants in the Ngong Ping Village to buy food and drinks to refuel before continuing the journey.

Section 4 continues alongside Ngong Ping Road, the road gradually descends with some occasional steep sections.

There is not much to see while heading down the road until we reached the Ngong Ping viewing point located halfway towards Sham Wat Road.

The viewing point shows the fantastic view of Lantau Peak, Dog Teeth Range, Shek Pik Reservoir, and many more.

Section 4 continues down Sham Wat Road heading toward a wooden arch with Lantau Trail on top. This section marks the end of section 4 and the start of section 5, this is where we ended our hike.

Getting back to Tung Chung is easy as the bus stop is opposite the wooden arch, and plenty of buses pass through this area.

Overall the hike was tough in the beginning heading up Lantau Peak at section 3 and becoming more of a leisurely walk along section 4.

We recommend bringing at least 2 liters of water and a few snacks. Wear quick dry hiking apparel and comfortable hiking shoes for the long journey.