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MacLehose Trail: a still from my film

Hong Kong · January 2020

MacLehose Trail

114.9 KM · 5 DAYS · 4,660 M

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

Watch the film 19:40 · 345K views

At a glance

Where
Hong Kong
Distance
114.9 km (71.4 miles)
Days
5 walking days, January 22 to 28, 2020, with 2 days off in the city in the middle; 4 nights camping
Climbing
About 15,300 ft (4,660 m) up and 16,620 ft (5,070 m) down
Season
October to March, the cool, dry season. I walked in late January
Difficulty
Clear, signed paths, roads and lots of stairs, with a numbered post every 500 m. Hot and humid outside winter
Route
Pak Tam Chung to Tuen Mun
When I went
January 2020
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.
1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Highest 3,040 ft (927 m)

Elevation, start to finish: highest 3,040 ft (927 m), lowest sea level.

My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.

Everything I made about it

The film

Photos

  • High Island Reservoir from the road on Section 1, late on Day 1.
    High Island Reservoir from the road on Section 1, late on Day 1.
  • The East Dam of High Island Reservoir, early on Day 2.
    The East Dam of High Island Reservoir, early on Day 2.
  • Kowloon from the ridge by Lion Rock, early on Day 4.
    Kowloon from the ridge by Lion Rock, early on Day 4.
  • The path toward Tai Mo Shan, the morning of Day 5.
    The path toward Tai Mo Shan, the morning of Day 5.
Ham Tin beach and its footbridge, Day 2.
Ham Tin beach and its footbridge, Day 2.

The guide · 53-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition

Do it yourself

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

  • All five days
  • My GPX files
  • Planning the nights
  • Getting there and getting off
  • Water and food

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Gear on this trip

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What I carried in 2020

Filming kit

What I'd take now

My current kit

Everything I use, in Tools

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Short answers

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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