Ngong Ping 360

You gotta do this! See Hong Kong and the Big Buddha with a beautiful cable car ride to the top.
You could do the painfully long hike up (not a bad idea, if you have got a lot of time to kill in HK), or you could take the bus, which will take you forever. Or you can take this sweet cable car for HKD $ 185 (regular car, not the fancy pants glass-​bottomed one), which factors out to a little more than $ 20 USD for a round trip.
It’s incredibly gorgeous and a very long trip, so there is definitely bang-​for-​the-​buck in this journey. My cheap Chinese ass even thinks that there is solid value in the cable car!
On days that visibility is poor, it can be a struggle when you get near the top since you won’t be able to see anything at some points. Have fun dodging the photographers who desperately try to get you to buy a photo at the end.

Well worth the cost there and back. The cable ride up is beautiful from all sides. The ride is quite long and was one of the best parts of going up to see the Big Buddha. Long lines at certain times. Best to avoid the weekend if you can.

II loved the cable ride up. It was relaxing after standing in a line for an hour to get on. The views from every angle were beautiful and I met a nice family and hit up a conversation with them. Not only was the view amazing but the ride was well worth it to see that amazing statue at the end. I would seriously recommend this to anyone. But if you’re feeling really adventurous and you have the days to do it then I’d suggest doing the hike by foot. It will take miles to get there, hours and hours to walk but it can be done. My goal is to one day return and head back to the statue to go about it on foot instead of cable ride.

Ngong ping 360 cable car was pretty scary to go on at first because before it was released, there was a story on the news saying that a cable car actually dropped from the wires.
Ngong Ping 360 was also on the news as one of the famous judges on Hong Kong mispronounced the name as «Ngong Ping sam luk ling» instead of «Ngong Ping three sixty».
Both of these stories caused quite a bit of comotion, but it certainly grabbed the attention of local Hong Kong residences.
Anyways, we came here and at first we were a little lost as to where we needed to purchase the tickets, but we found it after a short while and were crammed with the rest of the tourists on a weekday. At the ticket place, you can purchase three options: the two way or the one way ticket. For the two way tickets, you can get the crystal cabinet, standard cabinet and the one way standard, one way crystal cabinet. For the two way tickets, you are looking at $ 165 for the standard cabinet and $ 255 for the crystal cabinet.
We decided to stick with the standard cabinet because my mom’s pretty afraid of heights and will probably be freaking out the entire time if we got the crystal cabinet. We needed to share the cable care with another pair, so it could hold more people. The view was amazing from the cable car. we were able to see the large buddha and the many mountains of Hong Kong. It reminded me a little of the cable car ride in Ocean Park!

After The Peak Tower, Ngong Ping 360 is probably the next largest tourist trap in Hong Kong. Located on Lantau Island, Ngong Ping 360 is a 5.7 km (3.5 mi) suspended cable car ride up from Tung Chung town to Ngong Ping Village. The cable car ride is approximately 25 minutes one-​way. Two cabins are available: standard and crystal (clear glass bottom). The extra ~$ 70 HKD splurge for the crystal bottom cabin is worth it if you enjoy the thrill of heights and want more viewing capability. Along the ride, you enjoy a range of views: HK International Airport, lush greenery of Lantau Country Park, hardcore hikers below you, and Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha).
Once you exit the cable car terminal, you enter Ngong Ping Village. If sensational theater entertainment and touristy souvenir shops don’t piqué your interest, skip Ngong Ping Village all together and head over the Tian Tan Buddha or the Po Lin Monastery or hike along the Wisdom Path trail for a more cultural and religious experience. At the top of the stairs to the grand bronze Tian Tan Buddha (approximately 300 steps), take in the lovely 360 views of both the mountains and the sea.
There are several ticketing options for Ngong Ping 360: cable car ride only, 360 sky-​land-​sea day pass, 360 fun day pass, tour packages, etc. We opted for the 360 sky-​land-​sea day pass for $ 325 HKD pp, which included the round trip cable car ride in the crystal cabin, the bus ride to/​from Tai O, a boat excursion at Tai O, and a Ngong Ping souvenir shop voucher worth $ 20 HKD. I recommend this ticket option because I really enjoyed a few hours glimpse of the fishing village Tai O. And I highly advise pre-​purchasing the ticket vouchers at least 1 day in advance to avoid the long queue (took 1 hour on a weekday late morning to queue to purchase tickets, and then another 15 – 20 minutes queue to get on the cable car). Despite the large crowds, I still recommend a day trip to Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, but be sure to start early in the day!

Definitely go early. I arrived at Tung Chung at about 10am (right as the Ngong Ping 360 opens), and I still had to wait in line for almost 45 minutes. We splurged on the Crystal Car (255 $ round trip, compared to 185 $ round trip for the regular cable car), and it was worth it for us! We left the Ngong Ping village at around 12:30−1pm, and were pleasantly surprised to see no lines for the cable car ride down. But getting back to the station in cable car, we passed by the monstrous line, almost leading out of the station itself.
Again, highly recommended but remember to go early!

This is one way to go to the Big Buddha and enjoy a great view! Crystal car is almost double the price but I think it is worth it to skip the very, very long lines. If anything, I say get the crystal car on the way to the Big Buddha and get the normal car on the way back. 20 minute one way ride.
The crystal car has a glass bottom so you get to see 360 scenic view.

Definitely worth the side trip if you’re in Hong Kong.
We didn’t purchase the tickets beforehand so had to wait in a killer line (we were there in late July so the humidity was stifling) but the gondola ride was great and air was slightly cooler at the top.
Would love to hike the trail that runs under the gondola — in cooler weather.

A visit to Lantau Island is a great day trip if you are in Hong Kong. I had a great time in Ngong Ping Village at the Big Buddha and monastery. Ngong Ping 360 is a touristy thing to do, sure, but it remains one of the most memorable experiences that I had when I traveled to China.
The ride in the crystal cabin tram car is totally worth it because you can see below you as the tram passes over the water and mountains. People hike that joker to get to the village, and you can spot them from your cabin car. The ride is 25 minutes each way and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take pictures and just take in amazing views. I absolutely loved it!

Ngong Ping 360 is a very touristy thing to do when you’re in Hong Kong. It’s basically a cable car ride that takes you to the Tian Tan Big Buddha and lasts about 20 – 30 minutes each way. It is very accessible through Hong Kong’s MTR by the Tung Chung line, exit Tung Chung.
First thing’s first. Buy your tickets in advance either online or through a travel agent. I bought mines from a stand called China Travel Services at the Hong Kong International Airport. TRUST ME. You will be waiting forever in the longest line if you don’t. The line for admissions is extremely long and if you already have a ticket you get to walk past it and exchange your ticket at the counter for wristbands. If you’re debating whether to get the regular cabin or the crystal cabin (glass floors), I would suggest the crystal cabin. Not that it makes a big difference because you probably won’t be looking at the floor anyways, but the crystal cabin line to board is MUCH shorter than the regular cabin. But of course the crystal cabin is worth a little more.
Overall it was pretty boring, not going to lie. It wasn’t scary for those who are afraid of heights and you’ll just be tired of sitting in that thing for so long. On top of that, there’s pretty much no ventilation in the cabin so it gets really hot especially during a hot day.

I was beyond TERRIFIED to do this but glad that I muscles up the strength! I am scared of heights so riding on a cable car was not on my list of «fun» activities on a vacation. My family managed to talk me into it and I am glad they did, this was one of my top highlights! The total ride is about 20 – 30 minutes each way. Breathtaking views and a surprisingly a very smooth ride! For a few extra bucks you can get the cable car with the see through floor, this also cuts the wait time in half as they have a special line to board. What an amazing experience! I was so infatuated I forgot all about my fear of heights! A must do!

The cable car ride gives you stupendous views of the Buddha and the surrounding island. There is a «village» at the end of the ride before you reach the Buddha by foot. It is not a «village» but a tourist trap, albeit a good one with lots of restaurants. My favorite one is Honeymoon Dessert. When you purchase your cable car ticket, they will give you a coupon packet for the restaurants in the «village». Be sure to use them for a discount. You’ll walk through the «village» to get to the big Buddha and the monastery housing the Buddha. Be sure to try the vegetarian restaurant in the monastery. If that is out of your budget, as it is kinda expensive for vegetarian food, then try the food stall next to the restaurant. Those monks prepare great vegetarian meals!

4 stars if you manage to order online and skip the lines. 2 stars if you forget to do this and end up waiting two hours to buy your tickets.
Please, please, please make sure that you buy your tickets online at least one day prior to going up here. Otherwise, the wait is too painful, especially on the holiday weekend that we attended Ngong Ping. Getting to the cable car area is pretty convenient: just hop on the train, and you are there in about 15 – 20 minutes from Hong Kong Island.
The cable car is relatively smooth, and you get great views from up there. Unfortunately, the glass windows were pretty dirty, so the pictures could have been better. While going up, you can see the hard core people who would rather hike up to the top.
Once you get to the top, you walk into a small village, full of touristy places to eat and shop. Feels a little weird going to religious place and seeing a Starbucks or a Subway sandwich place in the village. My wife and her parents didn’t want to walk up the stairs to the Buddha, so they went to the monastery instead. The 2 – 300 steps aren’t that bad, actually (very crowded on the stairs, so you’ll have plenty of breaks up the staircase anyway: just avoid all of the people with their selfie sticks out), and you get a pretty good view at the top.
If you are looking for a quick day trip in Hong Kong, this would be a good way to spend a few hours away from the city.

Cable car/​gondola ride to/​from the Giant Buddha on Lantau Island.
Must do! Awesome views! Get your cameras ready!
20 — 25 minute ride. You can pay a little more for the crystal cabin (with the glass floor). Even if you don’t, the regular cabins still provide great panoramic views.
Our ride was part of a larger tour package, so we didn’t have to wait in line to purchase tickets. Even so, there was only a very short line to get onto the cable cars (We were there on a Tuesday afternoon).
Would definitely recommend to anyone!

The Ngong Ping was a cool, touristy thing to do on my recent trip in HK!
We decided to «splurge» and do the crystal cabin (glass bottom floor cabins) both ways ($ 255HKD) but it was worth it! The crystal cabin lines are shorter and we luckily were able to get our own cable car on the way back. The views are scenic! You pass above green hills and the ocean, and the ride lasted about 25 minutes.

The Tram Ride to Buddha… Well…It’s pretty enjoyable. Pricey, But Enjoyable. The two times I’ve done this ride, we didn’t have to wait too long. The first time was 10 minutes, the second time was 30 minutes. If you just want to avoid the lines all together, you can order online and go straight through in less than 5 minutes regardless of the line.
Anyway, You can also choose to take the TRAM down from the Buddah, OR take the bus to one of the local towns and take the Ferry boat back (about 25HKD — octopus) back to central or back to the MTR stop (17HKD) back to central. Taking the bus is, of course, cheaper (5 or 10 HKD), but the wait for the bus could be 30 minutes. If I remember correctly, the bus comes in 30 minute increments. And if you’re late, they will not wait.
If it’s your first time, I’d say, to take the Crystal Cabin. You’re only gonna do it once, so might as well go all out! =) Plus, the line is much shorter for the Crystal Cabin. (Crystal Cabin is the «glass bottom» tram)

They call it the big Buddha, and they’re not kidding.
The tram ride is amazing. I’ve never ridden a people mover than makes nearly 90 degree turns. This one does. The ride takes like 20 minutes, and is amazing. So much scenery.
The village is of course super touristy now, but the last tram is 6pm, so the locals aren’t inundated all night long.
The monastery is beautiful. Sadly the day we went the main hall was in use for a ceremony, so we couldn’t go in, but we could hear the chanting and it was lovely. I could have sat there all day.
My one tip, go early. We actually tried to do this another day in our trip and arrived in the late AM on Sunday. The line for the cable car things was huge. it spanned the entire facility and then onto the street. We abandoned the plan that day and came back earlier on another day. By the time we go on the car, the line was already starting to creep out of the facility. GO EARLY.

Do you want to walk? Ride the bus? Or take the overhead tram?
By far the quickest way from town is to take the tram! Get there early or have reservations since this is a popular site! The have the crystal cabin with glass floors if you’re adventurous! It’s a long ride and quite enjoyable! Sit on the left to get the best view of the Buddha. The right for the airport and the ocean.
The bus ride us about 45 mins and the hike is about 6 – 7 miles one way…
Now it will drop you off in a tourist town. Go straight for the Big Buddha. That’s why you come right!!! It’s about 250 steps straight up. Awesome view. Made of bronze and the 3^rd tallest in the world…
Next visit the monastery next door. Try the vegetarian deli food. Its soooo good. Pastries. Jellies. Etc.
The rest is up to you!

Take the tram is a must!!! Great view heading up n down… But why I can’t upload my video hmmm?

Whenever my friends come to visit Hong Kong, there are certain places that they specifically want to go. One of them is the Big Buddha and that is why I had been to Ngong Ping 360 for more than 20 times in a few years. The Ngong Ping 360 is a tourism project on Lantau Island that consists mainly the cable car that connects to the Ngong Ping Village. To be honest, the cable car did not run as smoothly at first since there was a huge accident when it first opened in 2006 and one of the cable car fell off during test run. Therefore, it took a while for local people to regain our trusts and give it another try.
Nowadays, the Ngong Ping 360 becomes one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hong Kong and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each day. The ride has become much more stable and smooth as before and they also have a crystal cabin where you can see through the transparent glass at the bottom. (Not a fan as I am really not a big fan of height) However, give it a try if you are looking for some excitement. If you are really scared of height, worry not, they also have bus service for you to go to the Buddha without going on the cable car.
Since the queuing time might take forever especially during peak season, I strongly suggest you to be prepared for this. Also, always check the observatory website to see if it is running before going as it may stop running if it is too windy.