Peak Tramways

The ride is nice with some view but not a lot of view. I wasn’t told and end up paying for two single tickets when I could have just got a return ticket. Oh well the difference wasn’t that big when converting back to Canadian.
The price to go up is very reasonable and affordable compared to canada grouse mountain.
I did have an unpleasant experience when returning. A lady who doesn’t speak fluent Cantonese or Cantonese with an accent budged in line. After she budged in line she tries to call her husband and her family over and she started pushing. When we told her not to push and shove and that we were in front of her, she started to yell and swear at us in Cantonese. Than her husband said in Cantonese saying that we are trying to get something out of them. They were very rude. If they keep it up, I am sure no tourist will come. They should be ashamed of themselves. When I said in English to them that we were here first, they said in Cantonese that we don’t talk want to talk to you and started bad mouthing us for speaking English. They should know their manners. I am shocked how they would teach their kids to budge and push in line. Monkey see monkey do!
Horrible experience. I am guessing the whole world can tell from the way my mom and I dress and talk as being foreigner but they were not bright enough to see. They humiliated Hong Kong! Keep it up and tourist will stay away!

This is a MUST DO for anyone visiting Hong Kong. Yes it’s very touristy, costs 83 HKD, has a long wait for the tram to and from the peak, and makes you wade through multiple floors of shops get to the observation deck but the VIEW is worth ALL of that!
I was highly impressed with the size of the boarding platform. Almost everyone standing on the platform will get a seat on the tram. The rest of the people on the line (not the platform) will have to wait about 10 minutes for the next tram (in our case, the next next tram).
Tip: Sit on the right side when heading up the peak for an incredible view. We sat on the left side on the way up (and couldn’t get seats on the way down but had a view of the tram heading down the rails).

The way to go to reach the peak, unless you want to get some cardio in and hike it.
When you first arrive there may seem to be a long line and it would take forever. Our line wrapped around the corner almost reaching the bus stop above the water fountain (you’ll see the fountain easily). This line looks like it would take an hour but in reality moved well and took maybe 25 minutes. After you buy your ticket, it may be another 20 minutes to get onto the tram. The line is well worth the wait, the tram ride is about 7 minutes up and its a sight to see as you rise above the buildings and the city/​harbour.
Happy we did this touristy thing.

This tram station is a very touristic way to get to the peak, therefore it is always crowded and you may have to wait in line for an hour or so before you can hop on the tram.
The service is smooth though and the tram takes 8 min to go back and forth.

I had been to Victoria Peak as a kid, but had never ridden the Peak Tram up to the mountain top. As a kid, I had taken a shuttle bus to the top, so I definitely didn’t get the old world tram ride up to the top.
During my most recent visit to Hong Kong a few weeks ago, I wanted to do some touristy things — my mom suggested going to Victoria Peak and riding the tram since I didn’t do it as a kid. The tram ride is about 5 minutes long (one way), but the entire process takes about 1 – 2 hours round trip (accounting for buying tickets and waiting in line). It took me about 1 hour to buy the tram ticket and wait in line to ride the tram — the return trip took about 30 minutes of waiting in line — all in all, my round-​trip journey was 1.5 hours.
The tram ride was pretty cool — it operates on ONE track, meaning you go up and down the same track. The train route goes up some pretty steep elevation, and it’s really cool to see how high you go up. Take note of all the tall buildings and skyscrapers as you climb up to the top. The return journey is even cooler, and to be honest a bit freaky because the train travels backwards… almost like a roller coaster! Pretty nifty.
My mom and I opted for the Peak Tram ticket ($ 40 HKD) and didn’t get the Peak Tram Sky Pass ($ 83 HKD). The Peak Tram Sky Pass includes access to the Sky Terrace. I didn’t feel the need to get the Sky Terrace access because Victoria Peak has some areas for photo taking with similar views, but for free – namely, the Lion’s Pavilion («See Zee Ting»).
The weather in Hong Kong can be unpredictable sometimes, especially in the higher elevations where it can get cloudy. To get the best views, make sure to check the weather before going. Typically early morning has better weather than later in the afternoon, but it all depends on the day. So – check your weather apps before coming!

Pretty much the only to get to the Peak. Lines become long beginning around 10am.

My husband and I took the peak tram thanks to fellow Unilocalers.
We went at night and the crowd and wait was simply insane. Luckily, there was not any one who cut in line so the experience was fair overall.
There are many different displays to look at while you wait in line to board the tram.
The experience of a slanted rail car moving higher and higher up above the city basin is a bit scary for me since I am fearful of heights but the view was worth it.
We had a bit of fog/​mist that night which made the view even more beautiful. There is an area where you can write a prayer/​wish/​blessings on a heart for you and your significant other and post it.
They also have a large «mall» like place which has many restaurants and trinket stores for something memorable in Hong Kong.
Even though it was a very long wait, it was well worth it :)

If you’re lucky enough to avoid a long queue, and it’s not cloudy/​foggy, a trip on the tram to take in the views of Victoria Peak is a must do.
PROS:
— A fairly unique experience riding up a very steep funicular railway.
— Wonderful views from Victoria Peak, high above Hong Kong, overlooking the city, the bay, and Kowloon with some less remarkable views on the back side of the outlying islands.
— You are higher above the city than any skyscraper ever could be. From the the SkyTerrace observation deck you really feel on top of the world. It’s one thing to take in a city’s skyline from below, but very few cities offer a view that’s anything like this.
CONS:
— I was lucky, but everyone (not just on Unilocal,but my colleagues as well) complains about the 30+ minute waits to get on the tram.
— The boarding process if fairly disorganized and chaotic. You may be stuck standing up the whole time.
— Super touristy. The Peak Tower is just another in the long line of Hong Kong malls filled with Western stores/​restaurants. In this case that includes Bubba Gump’s and Burger King. This definitely puts an emotional damper on the whole experience.
TIPS:
— If you’re on a budget you may just want to take the tram up and walk down while skipping the SkyTerrace.
— If money is no object and you want to skip the queue, you can buy a combo ticket with Madame Toussad’s.

There is virtually little to no way around the lines of this tourist trap, but if you are visiting Hong Kong, it is also an absolute must do.
Help yourself and do your best to avoid peak times (no pun intended)…don’t go on weekend! I think there is always a line and thus the nature of the beast. We went at like 5:30PM on a Wednesday and we endured the hot summer wait. We hate lines and also hate the heat, so we did indeed buy the $ 320 combo ticket (different line that gets you on the tram faster, access to the upper deck up at the peak (which to me is worth it, because if it is a one day tournament for you… then go all in and see the best view you can!) and access to Madame Tousseau’s Wax Musuem. If you buy the combo ticket that does not include the upper deck, which is like $ 40−50HKD cheaper I think, know that you will still have view of Hong Kong to take in… but again, if you are going to do this once in your life, then live large! If you arrive and there are no lines, take it as a lucky sign and after you go on tram, buy a lottery ticket, because it is your super lucky day!
For the $ 320 ticket, know that you too will be waiting, but you probably cut your wait time by an hour plus (depending on amount of people in line). Line under road is the regular line. Line on the other side of the street where red signs are is combo ticket lline. It is kind of an insane mess when you get there, so I am sure this will mean nothing to you upon arrival because your head will be spinning on the length of the line!
It is like a crazy, mad, pushing, hot mess to wait in the line and then to get on the tram. Be prepared to be shoved, offended a bit, smell the ridculously awful scents of people who you are entirely crammed too close to during the wait and subsequent 4 – 5 minute steep ride to the top.
Life is about managing expectations. As it pertains to transportation, simply be aware of the hot mess of waiting and keep your bar low and you will be fine… but again, it is worth it if you have never gone up this route and have never seen the peak before. Check it off your bucket list and go up! OH AND DON’T FORGET… all those people in those lines to go up you will see again in the lines to come down. What goes up, must come down, such is life!

The Peak Tram is definitely a fun experience for those who haven’t done it often. After a few time riding the tram the novelty does wear off. The highlight of going up to the peak is the bite (especially from the coffee shop up there), and also the ever-​changing views when walking on the circular trail up top. There is shopping and dining up there but I avoided dining up there for the past few trips knowing that what’s served up there may be not that «local» in style and overpriced (aimed at visitors).
The grade is very steep going up. I recall one time someone asked for a stop at the May Road station which is situated right in the middle of the steepest climb. I was so nervous as the tram was just dangling there on the grade. :)

Worth it, if you don’t have to wait in line. I was here on a Thursday and arrived at around 8am. There were maybe five other people there. It was swell. By the time I got back down, a few hours later, the terminal was flooded, the line outside snaking round the corner. It is not worth the wait and a taxi is a good alternative. But, if you can just hop in, this is a fun and extremely steep ride, kind of like the beginnings of roller coasters when you’re being slowly pulled up to the coaster’s first peak.
One tip: they will try to sell you a combo ticket for the tram plus the 360 viewing gallery at the top. The gallery is a-​okay, but you don’t need it if you plan to walk up to the Peak yourself, or to walk round the circle road (Lugard Rd.). Both give you incredible views, and for free.

I went on the Peak Tram on a recent visit to Hong Kong and quickly realized I’d been once before, on my first trip to Hong Kong in 2005. The sight and feel of that ride up the mountain was immediately recognizable.
I was not a big fan of the snaking line to buy tickets, which we had to wait in twice. My family came in two cabs from Kowloon, and since our cab arrived first by a long time, we bought our tickets. When cab two arrived, we thought we could go ahead and line up for the tram, but nope, we had to wait through the whole ticket line all over again. It was also not particularly clear what the relationship between the tram and the Madame Tussaud’s was, but there definitely was one, which seemed weird. The wax museum people were selling tickets at the tram entrance, which seemed to be at least part of the reason we couldn’t just walk through with our purchased tickets.
You have a choice of ticket types for the Peak Tram – one that just takes you up, and one that gives you access to the top viewing deck. We opted for the tram ticket without the viewing ticket, and that seemed fine. The tram ride was fun, steep and rickety with a lot of cool views along the way. Once we got off, we were basically thrown up into a mall, where we rode escalators up as far as we could go without higher access tickets. There were a couple good observation decks that made me feel okay about not getting to the building’s apex. We hunkered down in a Bubba Gump, of all places, and had a drink while we took in the view.
In conclusion – the Peak Tram is a fun thing to do while visiting Hong Kong. Probably not indispensable, but well worthwhile. You ride a cool thing and see other cool things. That’s pretty much the point of tourism, isn’t it?

«Yay! I’m a fan» only if I absolutely don’t have to queue.
The Peak used to be more exclusive than now, which is pretty much saturated with shops, tourists and residence. And historically speaking, it’s off limit to native Chinese, too. Only foreigners were entitled to live on Mid-​Levels or above, and riding the Peak Tram up the hill used to be more a show of the class. The Governor of Hong Kong reserved the first row of seats; Foreigners had the section after; Native Chinese could only sit or stand at the back.
Now it’s more a tourist thing, obviously. People ride the Peak Tram for two things: the view and the slope. Nothing much about the view really, as the trees blocking most of it. Riding up the slope is fun, but it ends with the «fun» part, too. It’s not roller coaster, so nothing inherently scary about it.
But as a transportation, it is still the most efficient way to travel up and down the Peak. Couldn’t complain at all. It is practically faster than a cab ride (provided that, of course, if you don’t have the queue for 30mins…)
Now a good tip for visitors — take a taxicab or bus up to the Peak, and ride down the Tram if you want to have the experience. Usually you have less a queue. If you are really desperate, you can cheat your way on the tram too. Walk down the hill a bit (less than 3mins), you’ll find a tram «station», which mainly for the actual residents around the area. If you get onboard there, you can probably squeeze in without queuing. Don’t tell anyone I tell you this.

Took a taxi to the top and took the tram down. Didn’t experience the long lines other reviewers (on Unilocal and on other review sites) have mentioned. We were there on a weekday evening and walked right up to the ticket counter, bought our tickets and boarded the tram right away (You can use your Octopus Card here btw). No lines. No waiting. Maybe we were just lucky. Dunno.
The tram ride itself, down the peak, was fun. The incline was unreal. Seemed more like a roller coaster ride.
Fun experience, but is it a «must-​do» as everyone says? Dunno. If you can guarantee a clear view (the haze was pretty bad when we were there — unfortunately we couldn’t see much of anything) and short/​no lines, then yes. Otherwise, there are other spots to see views of the city.

VERY, VERY, VERY BUSY place on the weekends. Expect to wait about two hours just to board the tram to the top. If you get there right when they open, you don’t wait at all, but maybe it will be too hazy for taking photos.
You should save money and just buy the tram ticket. Skip the wax museum and the extra charge for the Viewing Building that has been added on the top of the tram stop. Once at the top of the peak, if you just walk downhill a few meters from the cable car building, you will find the original area for viewing HK harbor. Follow the mobs of mainland China tourists and you will find it.
Just a humorous observation. I watched a Mainland China visitor using his video cam to slowly pan the view of HK harbor. He ever so slowly panned from one side to another like a Hollywood cameraman. The best part is that nothing MOVED in the harbor during the filming — so why the video cam, buddy? I counted seven sweeps of the entire horizon, but he was already there when I walked up. I took my pictures over about 10 minutes and looked back and saw him still panning the same view. He must have been filming a special short feature called, «How to put all your friends and relatives to sleep in 20 minutes» It will be part of a double feature with his epic 4 hour movie called, «Watching Paint Dry».
A must do.

This was always a must do tourist attraction, until a few years ago.
If you’re okay with waiting in line for a few hours at its current state or get lucky with a day that the lines are shorter, then by all means do it. In recent years, the lines has gone longer and longer due to the influx of mainland Chinese tourists. One Friday we went, the queue was expected to be 3 hours. It used to be only 30 minutes or so just a few years ago.
The views and experience is hard to explain, but as some Unilocalers have said, there will be many wow’s and ahhs. The tram chugs along in a steep climb and the back half the journey you will see great views of from the back side of Hong Kong Island.
My suggestion on how to experience The Peak properly?
Go there on an early weeknight, and check the lines. If it is short, then queue. If not, then hire one of the cabs there who will be happy to drive you up there. Their going rate is $ 200HKD and considering if you have multiple parties in your group ($ 28 for one way/​$ 40 for round trip), the cost difference might not be much. You’re a tourist after all, and time is precious here in Hong Kong. On the return trip, go underneath the Peak complex and take the bus back to Central. There are great views if you sit on the upper deck of the bus.

I learned after I should have taken a bus or taxi up/​down and the tram one way. I waited over an hour, and on top of this great peak? A mall of course, actually two huge ones. Watched the sunset from the observatory, nice views. Since I was stupid and bought the roundtrip ticket, I had to wait another 35 minutes to get down from the peak. Overall I was pretty annoyed with this aspect of my trip, but it was worth seeing the beautiful skyline from the peak.
If you want the best views just go up to the Ritz :)

It’s a WOW. WOW. WOW. Up the mountain on a wing and a prayer. Yikes. This is one of the coolest rides I have ever been on. There is a looooonnng wait to get on board, but its sooooo worth it. Plan on coming two hours BEFORE sunset. And then plan to wait in line up to an hour or so.
Once you get towards the front of the line, in the enclosed staging area for the coaches /​trolly, things go quickly. As another Unilocaler has detailed, sit near the window on the RIGHT side of the car. YES. However, don’t fear, you can still see if you get a left side seat. (I sat on the left side).
Ok now for details… the incline is INTENSE. The view becomes INTENSE as you climb. Our car was pretty audible with the WOW’s and OMGs. Be prepared.
Once at the top and you disembark, you are afforded the most amazing views of HK Harbor and the skyline. And if you take my kind host’s advice to arrive before sunset… you will be witness to a spectacular sight of the sun setting and the twinkling skyscrapers illuminating down
was magical. Oh, and at the top is a statue of Bruce Lee. Think Rocky on the steps of the Museum in Philadelphia.
Unilocalers my journey to the peak was 3 years ago with a large group of friends, but my memories are fresh with not only the excitement of the journey but the engineering marvel to get this trolley up up and away. p. s. The ride back down is crazy too. Do this with a group of friends. Say it out loud! Bucket List!

A 45 degree angle on the tram up the peak. Try to be in the front lines, get a seat (preferably window on the right for the view), or you will feel like you’re clinging on for dear life! If you have an Octopus Card you will find you have unknown powers of bypassing the ticket line and flying through the gates to the tram.
It’s really only worth taking the tram up to the Peak while going down, taking a public bus is four or five times cheaper, plus if you get a front row seat on the second level of the double decker it will feel like a roller coaster ride going down the hill and around the turns.