MacLehose Trail hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The MacLehose Trail is Hong Kong's longest and best-known hiking trail. It runs 100 km (62 miles) across the New Territories, from Pak Tam Chung in the Sai Kung peninsula in the east to Tuen Mun in the west, through the country parks that cover most of the hills around the city. The trail opened in 1979 and is named after Governor Sir Murray MacLehose, who created the country parks. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) waymarks it in 10 official sections, with a numbered distance post every 500 m (M001 to M200). No permit or fee is needed.

The route

The first two sections are the most beautiful. From Pak Tam Chung a quiet road leads round High Island Reservoir to the East Dam, a UNESCO Global Geopark site with hexagonal volcanic columns, and on to the white sand of Long Ke Wan. Section 2 climbs Sai Wan Shan and drops to Sai Wan and Ham Tin, two of the finest beaches in Hong Kong, before crossing to Chek Keng and Pak Tam Au. Sections 3 and 4 are the hardest: long stone staircases over a chain of 400 m summits to Kei Ling Ha, then the climb under Ma On Shan, across the Ngong Ping plateau and along Buffalo Hill to Tai Lo Shan. Section 5 follows the ridge above Kowloon past Lion Rock and Beacon Hill, with the whole city and harbour below you, to Tai Po Road. Sections 6 and 7 pass the Kowloon reservoirs, the wartime Shing Mun Redoubt and the steep steps of Needle Hill to Lead Mine Pass. Section 8 climbs to the shoulder of Tai Mo Shan, the highest mountain in Hong Kong (957 m; the summit itself is closed), and sections 9 and 10 descend through the woods of Tai Lam Country Park, past Tin Fu Tsai and the islands of Tai Lam Chung Reservoir, to Tuen Mun.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits it into 10 stages, the 10 official AFCD sections, about 9.9 km each. The profile used here adds up to about 4,700 m of climbing in total, most of it on steps.

When to go

The best time is from October to March, when the air is drier and cooler (around 15–25 °C) and the views are clearer. November is the busiest month on the trail because of the Oxfam Trailwalker, a 100 km team event along the whole route (20–22 November in 2026). From April to September it is hot and humid, often above 30 °C, with heavy thunderstorms, and typhoons are possible from June to October. Do not set out when tropical cyclone signal No. 3 or higher, or a Red or Black Rainstorm signal, is in force, and take the Very Hot Weather Warning seriously. Weekends and holidays are crowded, especially on the Sai Kung beaches.

How long and how hard

The official times add up to about 37 hours of walking. Most hikers join sections into four to six days (for example 1–2, 3–4, 5–7 and 8–10), or walk one section at a time, because most sections end near a bus route. The trail is well marked and has no technical parts, but it is hard: AFCD rates sections 2 and 4 as very hard, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10 as hard and only 6 and 9 as moderate, mainly because of long, steep staircases (Sai Wan Shan, Ngau Yee Shek Shan, Ma On Shan, Needle Hill) and little shade.

Accommodation, permits and booking

There are no huts on the trail. You either camp at the free AFCD campsites (Long Ke Wan, Sai Wan, Ham Tin, Shui Long Wo, Ngong Ping, Lead Mine Pass, Twisk, Tin Fu Tsai and others) or take a bus at the end of each day to a hotel or hostel in Sai Kung, Sha Tin, Kowloon, Tsuen Wan or Tuen Mun. Camping is allowed only on designated campsites. They are first come, first served, except Twisk, which you must book on the Enjoy Camping website. In 2026 the government announced a booking and fee pilot for the busiest Sai Kung sites, so check the AFCD website before you go. Many campsites have only seasonal stream water. Youth hostels near the trail are at Chek Keng, Pak Sha O and Sze Lok Yuen on Tai Mo Shan; book them online, and you need YHA or Hostelling International membership.

Getting there and away

Pak Tam Chung is about 15 minutes from Sai Kung town by bus 94 or green minibus 7 or 9 (bus 96R from Diamond Hill on Sundays and holidays). Bus 92 runs from Diamond Hill MTR to Sai Kung. At the western end the trail finishes near Ho Fuk Tong College in Tuen Mun, a short walk from the Light Rail and MTR Tuen Mun station. In between, most stage ends have a bus or minibus: 94 at Pak Tam Au, 99 and 299X at Kei Ling Ha, 91, 91M and 92 at Anderson Road below Tai Lo Shan, 72 and 81 at Tai Po Road, minibus 82 at Shing Mun and 51 at Route Twisk. From Long Ke, minibus 9A runs from the East Dam on weekends only. Lead Mine Pass and Tin Fu Tsai have no road: allow 1.5 hours to walk out to Tai Po or Sham Tseng.

Money, phone and water

Hong Kong uses the Hong Kong dollar (HK$). An Octopus card pays for buses, minibuses, the MTR and most shops; carry some cash for village stores and small kiosks. Mobile coverage is good on most of the trail, with a few blind spots. Water is the main supply problem: carry at least 2–3 litres, refill at the AFCD water filling stations at Pak Tam Chung, Pak Tam Au, Sai Sha Road near Kei Ling Ha and the Shing Mun reservoir area, and buy drinks at the stores in Sai Wan and Ham Tin. Away from the stage ends there are few or no shops, so carry food for the day.

What to pack

Light, quick-drying clothes, a sun hat, sunscreen and electrolytes; a rain jacket and a warm layer for Tai Mo Shan, which is often cold and misty in winter; a headtorch, a charged phone and a power bank; a blister kit and insect repellent. Poles help on the stairs. If you camp, carry a tent, a camping stove (fires only at barbecue pits) and all your food and water for the night.

Safety

In an emergency call 999 (or 112 from a mobile) and give the number on the nearest distance post, for example M094. Rescues are carried out by the Fire Services Department and the Government Flying Service helicopter. Install the HKSOS app and switch on tracking before you start. Do not walk alone if you are inexperienced, and start early in summer. Do not feed the monkeys at the Kowloon reservoirs or the wild pigs: it is illegal, with a fixed penalty of HK$5,000. Take all your rubbish home, and never light fires outside barbecue pits: hill fires are common in the dry season.