Victoria Peak

View of HK's skyscraper forrest from Victoria Peak during the day
View of HK's skyscraper forrest from Victoria Peak

The velvety view from Victoria Peak at night
Velvety night view from Victoria Peak

A tram arriving at the Peak
A tram arriving at the Peak

The Peak Tower, housing restaurants with unbelievable views
The Peak Tower has restaurants with a view

It is where you can see Kowloon from a hill across the Victoria harbor with buildings on Hong Kong Island in the foreground. The view is breathtaking, especially at the right spot and in good weather at night.

In clear weather not only can you see the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront across the Victoria Harbor, you can also see the areas north of it - like Mongkok, and the hills (e.g. Lion Rock
The Lion Rock) seperating Kowloon from Shatin and the New Territories.

You should take the Peak Tram up to the Victoria Peak. It's an interesting ride straight up the mountain - at least it feels like it! But go on a clear day or else whether you're at the right or wrong spot, you will still get the wrong view - fog and mist! And try to ride on the right side of the tram (the side closest to the entrances): you will get a better view!

The Peak Tower
The Peak Tower at Victoria Peak

The Peak Tram station on the Peak is located inside the Peak Tower. The building itself is worth mentioning. It was designed to look like something a few decades ago - an ancient Chinese chalice? It looked like an oval hamburger on stilts. It sure looked like something.

The new design, as pictured to the left and below, is also something else. What it is, I'm not sure. It is quite one of a kind.

Inside the Peak Tower there are shops, restaurants, a wax museum, plus an observation deck. There is even a hamburger fast food restaurant with a balcony that has a view down toward the harbor. The view is worth much more than what you pay for your meal for sure. And then across the street there is its rival McD with not much of a view. (2015.5) (Left: Peak Tower)

At the top of Peak Tower is an observation deck to see the great view, but there's now a fee charged. But then, you can get a free view in a pavilion just yards down the road. (2015.5)

The best time to go to the Victoria Peak is later afternoon on a clear day. Stay there to see the scenery change from daytime to dusk and to nighttime. Like I said, the worst time to go is when it is rainy, cloudy, or smoggy. There'll be no view to speak of.

To get to the Peak Tram terminus to ride it up to Victoria Peak, there is a bus that can take you from in front of the Star Ferry pier in Central on Hong Kong Island. It's often an open top double-decker bus - your kids will love it... until it rains - then they'll really love it! more about bus to Peak Tram

If you prefer not to ride the tram, you can take bus number 15 from Exchange Square in Central district. On Sundays and public holidays, there's also bus number 15B from the Tin Hau bus terminal - just above the MTR Tin Hau station. (The bus passes through Causeway Bay on its way). But do check its hours of operation first. It seems that it only runs between noon and 7 pm on Sundays and public holidays.