How many days does the MacLehose Trail take?

I walked it in 5 days in January 2020, with two days off in the city in the middle, camping four nights. The official trail is 100 km in 10 sections, and the parks department adds up to about 37 hours of walking. Many people walk it a section or two at a time from the city, because buses reach almost every section end.

Can you camp on the MacLehose Trail?

Yes, but only at the parks department's (AFCD) designated campsites, which are free. On or by the trail they include Pak Lap, Long Ke Wan, Sai Wan, Ham Tin Wan, Pak Tam Au, Cheung Sheung, Shui Long Wo, Ngong Ping, Lead Mine Pass, Rotary Park, Twisk, Ho Pui and Tin Fu Tsai. Twisk needs a booking. There is no campsite on Sections 5, 6 or 10.

Where does the MacLehose Trail start and finish?

It starts at Pak Tam Chung in Sai Kung, reached by bus 94 from Sai Kung town (and 96R and 289R on weekends and holidays), and finishes at Tuen Mun, near buses, the light rail and Tuen Mun MTR station.

Is there water on the MacLehose Trail?

Only in places. AFCD's filling stations are at Pak Tam Chung, Pak Tam Au, Sai Sha Road at Kei Ling Ha, Shing Mun and Kowloon Hill, and there are village restaurants at Sai Wan and Ham Tin. There are none on Sections 4, 5 or 7 to 10, so carry plenty and treat stream water.

When is the best time to hike the MacLehose Trail?

October to March, the cool and dry season. The Hong Kong Observatory calls November and December the best months of the year; May to September is hot, humid and rainy, with typhoons most likely from July to September. I went in late January.

How long is the MacLehose Trail?

100 km (62 miles) by the official sections. My GPS read 71.4 miles because of my detours: down to the Sai Kung road for Lunar New Year, up to the top of Lion Rock, and down to shops in Kwai Chung.

Hong Kong · 5 days · 71 miles

MacLehose Trail Hiking Guide

5 days across Hong Kong, from Sai Kung to Tuen Mun.

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Real pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.

A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
Planning the nights

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The route

My GPS recording of 5 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the MacLehose Trail route: 5 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Pak Tam Chung, Tuen Mun, Tai Mo Shan and Sha Tin Pass. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED) on AWS · Rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 5 days
Distance: 71 miles
Climbing: About 15,300 ft (4,660 m) up
Season: October to March, the cool, dry season
Route: Pak Tam Chung to Tuen Mun

What's inside

All five days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the trail, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that day in my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings for each day, with waypoints for the campsites and places in the guide, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
Planning the nights. Every AFCD campsite on or by the trail with its water and toilets, the gap with no campsite, and how to sleep in the city instead.
Getting there and getting off. Buses to Pak Tam Chung, and the bus or minibus at every section end, checked in 2026.
Water and food. The filling stations, the village restaurants and stores, and the long dry stretches.
Safety. Heat, storms and warnings, the high-risk spots, monkeys and wild pigs, and the distance posts to give 999.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the whole trail.

About this trip

In January 2020 my friend Ryan and I hiked the whole MacLehose Trail across Hong Kong: from Pak Tam Chung around High Island Reservoir, along the beaches of Sai Kung, over Ma On Shan, Lion Rock and Tai Mo Shan to Tuen Mun, camping four nights. 71 miles on foot on my GPS. It's the trip from my film Hiking 60 miles on the MacLehose Trail in Hong Kong. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for every day, every official campsite on the route and where you can't camp, the buses at every section end, water, and what changed by 2026.

Watch the film on YouTube (345K views).

Gear for this route

Paid links: I earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My 2020 kit is from my film's original description and my photos. Here's what I carried, what I'd take now, and what I filmed with.

What I carried in 2020

From my film's gear list. Ryan and I carried our own camping gear; the list doesn't name a tent or a stove.

PackHyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 2400 Hyperlite
Sleeping bagUGQ Bandit quiltSimilar: Hyperlite Mountain Gear 20° Quilt Hyperlite
LinerOutdoor Vitals Sleeping Bag Liner Amazon
HeadlampSLONIK rechargeable headlamp AmazonIn January it's dark soon after 6 p.m.
Sun hoodieAmazon Essentials Quick-Dry Tech Hoodie Amazon
Gore-Tex shellThe North Face Dryzzle jacketSimilar: Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket Arc’teryx
PuffyPatagonia Nano Puff JacketSimilar: Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody Arc’teryx
SweaterAmazon Essentials crewneck fleece sweatshirt Amazon
Pantszip-off pantsSimilar: PATH Projects Killam PX Pant PATH Projects
ShortsTHE II BRO compression shorts Amazon
White hatZOWYA running cap Amazon
SunglassesWarby Parker Barkley sunglassesSimilar: Goodr OG Sunglasses Amazon
SocksDG Hill merino wool hiking socks AmazonTwo pairs.
ShoesBrooks Cascadia 13 Amazon now the Cascadia 20
Navigationthe AllTrails appIt recorded each day.

What I'd take now

What I'd add for this trail from my current kit.

TentNEMO Hornet Elite OSMO 1P AmazonIf you camp: the campsites are free, first come, first served.
Sleeping padTherm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT Amazon
StoveJetboil Stash AmazonFires only in the campsite pits.
Water filterKatadyn BeFree AC · 1L AmazonAFCD says not to drink untreated stream water: filter or boil even the campsite taps.
Sun hoodiePATH Projects Pyrenees T19 Hoodie PATH ProjectsHeat is the biggest danger outside winter.
Power bankNitecore NB20000 AmazonKeep the phone charged for the HKSOS app.
NavigationAllTrails+ AllTrails · 30% offLoad my GPX files and download offline maps while you still have Wi-Fi. Offline maps need the paid plan.
Phone dataAiralo eSIM Airalo · $3 offData for the buses and the HKSOS app without a SIM swap.

Filming kit

What I filmed this trip with in 2020. My setup is much smaller now (below).

CameraSony a7 III Amazon
LensSony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM Amazon
BatteriesSony NP-FZ100 batteries AmazonFour of them.
MicRode VideoMic NTG Amazon
TripodManfrotto Element Traveller Small tripod Amazon
StrapPeak Design camera strap Amazon
DroneDJI Mavic 2 ProWith two extra batteries. No longer made.Similar: DJI Mini 5 Pro Amazon
Phonean iPhone 11 Pro and a phone battery

What I film with now

Since September 2026 I film with a smaller setup: the Pocket 4 and the Mic 3 on the trail, and the Mini 5 Pro in the air.

CameraDJI Osmo Pocket 4 Amazon
MicDJI Mic 3 · 1 TX + 1 RX AmazonIt pairs with the Pocket 4.
DroneDJI Mini 5 Pro Amazon
TripodSmallRig Carbon Fiber Tripod Amazon

Everything I carry now: my gear page.

The Day 2, Pak Lap to Cheung Sheung page from the MacLehose Trail Hiking Guide

Free sample + packing list

Try Day 2 free, plus my packing list

Pak Lap to Cheung Sheung

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A 53-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated September 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

How many days does the MacLehose Trail take?: I walked it in 5 days in January 2020, with two days off in the city in the middle, camping four nights. The official trail is 100 km in 10 sections, and the parks department adds up to about 37 hours of walking. Many people walk it a section or two at a time from the city, because buses reach almost every section end.
Can you camp on the MacLehose Trail?: Yes, but only at the parks department's (AFCD) designated campsites, which are free. On or by the trail they include Pak Lap, Long Ke Wan, Sai Wan, Ham Tin Wan, Pak Tam Au, Cheung Sheung, Shui Long Wo, Ngong Ping, Lead Mine Pass, Rotary Park, Twisk, Ho Pui and Tin Fu Tsai. Twisk needs a booking. There is no campsite on Sections 5, 6 or 10.
Where does the MacLehose Trail start and finish?: It starts at Pak Tam Chung in Sai Kung, reached by bus 94 from Sai Kung town (and 96R and 289R on weekends and holidays), and finishes at Tuen Mun, near buses, the light rail and Tuen Mun MTR station.
Is there water on the MacLehose Trail?: Only in places. AFCD's filling stations are at Pak Tam Chung, Pak Tam Au, Sai Sha Road at Kei Ling Ha, Shing Mun and Kowloon Hill, and there are village restaurants at Sai Wan and Ham Tin. There are none on Sections 4, 5 or 7 to 10, so carry plenty and treat stream water.
When is the best time to hike the MacLehose Trail?: October to March, the cool and dry season. The Hong Kong Observatory calls November and December the best months of the year; May to September is hot, humid and rainy, with typhoons most likely from July to September. I went in late January.
How long is the MacLehose Trail?: 100 km (62 miles) by the official sections. My GPS read 71.4 miles because of my detours: down to the Sai Kung road for Lunar New Year, up to the top of Lion Rock, and down to shops in Kwai Chung.

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