Private Tour of Lantau Island including Big Buddha and Tai O - Full Day
Description
Our Private Lantau Tours last 7 hours, 8 if you would like your guide to meet you at your hotel.
Your Lantau Island private tour starts with a ride on the Ngong Ping Cable Car. We will be treated to the most wonderful views of Lantau Country Park and the airport as we travel over the back of the island for 25 minutes. Our destination is the famous Big Buddha. Here we will learn about Buddhism, climb the 268 steps to the Buddha, visit the Po Lin Monastery and the hall of 10,000 Buddhas.
From Ngong Ping, it is a 20-minute bus ride to Tai O, affectionately known as the Venice of Hong Kong. Tai O is one of the very few remaining places in Hong Kong where we can still see stilt houses over the water. Tai O used to be a fairly big community but due to the decline of the fishing industry it, like Venice, is now primarily a tourist destination, for both overseas visitors and Hong Kongers escaping the hustle and bustle of the city. Tai O is still known for its traditional production of shrimp sauce and shrimp paste and for its colourful seafood market.
We will embark on a full exploration of Tai O visiting the beautifully restored Old Police Station, now operating as a heritage hotel. If you are feeling hungry this is where we can enjoy lunch in the very nice Lookout restaurant. We will visit one of the two remaining shrimp sauce production outlets, meander the back streets in and around the stilt houses, visit a temple from the late 1400s and learn about the religion of Taoism. If you have the energy we can trek to a lookout point where we can get an excellent view of the 42km bridge that links Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai (China).
At the end of the tour of Tai O, you will be in the middle of the National Park. You will need to travel to Tung Chung or Mui Wo (transport hubs on Lantau) in order to travel back to downtown Hong Kong. It will take approximately 45 to 50 minutes from Tai O to Tung Chung/ Mui Wo from where it will be another hour to downtown Hong Kong. This journey can be made with or without your guide.
Included
Professional private guide.
One way ride on the Ngong Ping cable car from Tung Chung to the Big Buddha.
Speedboat ride at Tai O fishing village
Public transport used during your tour.
Excluded
Food and drinks
If you elect to use a taxi at any point during your tour, the costs are not included and are payable by yourself.
Please note that if you book a hotel pick-up, it is still a walking tour, not a car tour which means that you will be travelling around using the excellent public transport system. Private car transfers are available as 'add ons'.
Gratuities.
Know before you go
Don’t forget your camera, Lantau is a beautiful island and Tai O is especially photographic.