Victoria Peak

At 552 metres above sea level, Victoria Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island. Known by locals simply as The Peak, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city. However, the very peak itself is in fact off limits — but you can still explore the hillsides below: the nature, the easy but wondrous walks and, of course, the sweeping panorama of one of the world’s great metropolises.

The Peak is just eight minutes from the city, by a rather unorthodox mode of transport. The Peak Tram is 125 years old and clunks its way almost vertically up the hillside to park you at the Peak Tower. Next to Peak Tower there is a viewing deck where you can get a glimpse of the city, and of the slightly vertigo-inducing journey the tram just made. Hong Kong’s skyline is right up there with Manhattan’s for its sheer, heaven-poking audacity.

Also in the Peak Tower is, rather bizarrely, a Madame Tussauds, complete with a wax Jackie Chan. But the best thing to do is to set out on their walks. A little distance away from the tower you can find the gardens of what was once the governor’s summer lodge. The lodge was burnt to ashes by Japanese soldiers during World War II, but the delightful manicured gardens are still cared for today. Other longer walks can take a few hours or more, but they are far from taxing and absolutely worth the views you will find.