Hong Kong Lantau Island - The Big Buddha and Tai O
Lantau Island Hong Kong 2026 - The Best Way to do it
Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong since January 2nd 1972 - I know the place.
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Lantau Island Hong Kong 2026 - The Best Way to do it
click on thr image to enlarge | images taken by Jamie
Some of my family, one brother in law based in Hong Kong + my sister in law and her husband and their 2 daughters from the USA, enjoying a day out on Lantau Island in the summer of 2025 and we explored the Big Buddha and Tai O Fishing Village
The Big Buddha | Po Lin Monastery
The NP 360 Cable Car | The Tai O Fishing Village
Watch out for misleading tour itineraries which are rampant
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The Big Buddha on Lantau Island - an amazing experience | images taken by Jamie
Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha)
Origin and Conception
The Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, is a monumental bronze statue located at Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It’s total height is 34m and it always faces North. The idea for its construction was conceived in the late 1970s by the monks of Po Lin Monastery, who sought to create a significant Buddhist landmark to symbolize peace, prosperity, and harmony. The project gained formal momentum when the Committee for the Construction of the Tian Tan Buddha Statue was established by Po Lin Monastery on December 26, 1981, to oversee its design and construction. The initiative was driven by the desire to promote Buddhist teachings and create a cultural icon for Hong Kong, reflecting the spiritual connection between humanity, nature, and faith
Please note that you have to walk up 268 steps to get this close to the Big Buddha, it is worth the effort and do not be surprised to see wild cows wandering around, they are very tame and make for a good selfie!
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The two Po Lin Monasteries next to the Big Buddha on Lantau Island - an amazing experience | images taken by Jamie
Po Lin Monastery
Origin and History
Po Lin Monastery, located at Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, was founded in 1906 by three monks from Jiangsu Province: Venerables Da Yue, Dun Xiu, and Yue Ming. Initially called the “Big Thatched Hut,” it was a modest retreat for meditation, far from Hong Kong’s bustling urban center. In 1924, it was officially renamed Po Lin Monastery, meaning “Precious Lotus,” symbolizing purity and enlightenment. The monastery grew over time, becoming a significant center for Buddhist practice and Chinese cultural heritage.
This main image is the NEW Po Lin Monastery which opened in 2014, the original monastery is directly in front of it. so to access it you have to walk up steps next to either side of the old Monastery
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The NP 360 Cable Car on Lantau Island, from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping Village it is a 25 minute ride - an amazing experience | images taken by Jamie
Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car and Village (where the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery is located)
Origin and Development
Ngong Ping 360 is a 5.7-kilometer bicable gondola lift system connecting Tung Chung to Ngong Ping, designed to enhance tourism to the Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery. Initially called the Tung Chung Cable Car Project, it was rebranded as Ngong Ping 360 in April 2005 to reflect its panoramic 360-degree views. The cable car opened to the public on September 18, 2006, after a trial run and safety improvements following Typhoon Prapiroon’s damage in August 2006. The adjacent Ngong Ping Village, a 15,000-square-meter retail and entertainment center, was built to complement the cable car, offering shops, restaurants, and cultural attractions like Walking with Buddha and the Monkey’s Tale Theatre
The views from the Cable Car are simply stunning and in foggy and rainy weather it is just surreal
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The totally unexpected and unusual Tai O Fishing Village on Lantau Island - a real cultural experience | images taken by Jamie
The Tai Fishing Village
Origin and Development
Tai O Fishing Village, located on the western coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong, traces its origins back to the Ming Dynasty when fishermen began settling in the area, drawn by its strategic location at the confluence of the Tai O River and Creek. Named "large inlet" for its waterways, the village became a significant fishing and trading port, with its iconic stilt houses (pang uk) emerging in the 19th century to adapt to the tidal environment, primarily built by the Tanka people. Archaeological evidence suggests human activity in the region dates to the Stone Age, but permanent settlement is documented from about three centuries ago, with the village peaking at a population of 30,000 due to thriving industries like salt and fish production.
Over time, Tai O faced challenges, including a decline in traditional industries, leading to a population drop to around 2,000 today. The village endured natural disasters, such as a major fire in 2000 that destroyed many stilt houses, and modernization pressures, yet it retains its cultural heritage through traditions like the Dragon Boat Water Parade, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011. Efforts to preserve its character include the transformation of the 1902 marine police station into the Tai O Heritage Hotel and a 2013 government revitalization project, though concerns persist about the fading fishing lifestyle as younger generations move away and tourism grows.
For some reason and I simply do not understand why but people still refer to the Tai O as the “Venice of the East” which is ludicrous, I have been to Venice and there is simply NO comparison, Tai O is unique in Hong Kong and just enjoy the place and ignore silly labels
For your information, I enhanced the main image to show how it would look on Instagram (most people use filters) the scene is not quite as vibrant as the image on a tyoical sunny day
Lantau Island 2026 : How to Do It Without Losing Your Mind
Looking forward to 2026
Some crucial information comes first and it is something every visitor planning to go to Lantau Island needs to know in advance no matter if you are going on your own or you are looking to book a tour.
There are some popular group tour companies who offer the Lantau Island Tour who spring on you when you actually get to Lantau Island that there is a lot travel on public transport (buses and taxis), there is a very specific reason for this and it defies logic that these tour companies do not tell you in advance, they couch it in terms of “an airconditioned coach” so when it turns out to be a public bus people think that they have been conned, in other words the old bait and switch scam!
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Transport Restrictions on Lantau Island in Hong Kong
Lantau Island has many protected areas from an environmental point of view and this includes the Big Buddha and Tai O which means transport options are limited.
Any vehicle accessing these areas must have a special permit which are strictly regulated and in very limited supply which means that private cars and tour coaches generally CANNOT access these areas unless they have the permit
This means that transport options to Tai O and the Big Buddha are public buses and taxis for pretty much everyone and of course the NP 360 Cable Car
To compound the difficulities only blue coloured taxis can go to these places and there are only 75 of them!! and they can be very hard to get and forget calling them or using apps, a standard reply is a wait of one hour!
Generally speaking I do my Lantau Tour in reverse order to pretty much every other tour company because I do not want to waste time queuing for the cable car first thing in the morning
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A typical Lantau Island Blue Taxi (only 75 of them) and the Public Bus to the Big Buddha and the Tai O Fishing Village on Lantau Island | images taken by Jamie
I’ve been taking guests to Lantau since 2011 so I’ve done the Big Buddha and Tai O hundreds of times (literally).
This is the no-fluff, no-romance, brutally honest 2026 guide written by someone who knows his stuff.
Accept the new reality - Lantau is no longer an “escape.” It is probably now Hong Kong’s most popular day trip. On weekends and public holidays you are sharing the island with 15,000–25,000 other people. The infrastructure has not kept pace.
There are 4 ways to see Big Buddha + The Tai O Fishing Village in one day in 2026
• Private guide with the very rare Lantau closed-road permit car (a car tour is expensive, but stress-free).quite a few of my friends have this permit oh and we offer hotel pick up and drop off
• Small private group (2 - 6 people) using public buses + blue taxis + perfect timing with an awesome guide and we offer hotel pick up and drop off
• Cheap coach | group tour (HK$380 - $680 per person) the group will be anywhere from 20 - 50 people and some quote groups of 100 people! and you will queue, you will stand on public buses, you may well get pressured for tips | reviews and they expect you to go to a MTR Station (subway) at the start of the tour and then expect you to get back into town (an hour away) at the end of the tour.under your own steam There are a few companies to be fair that will get you to and from Lantau Island on a tour coach, you really need to read the small print.
• Using Google maps, You Tube Videos, social media posts and Google search - do it yourself
For me the ONLY sensible Lantau Island itinerary in 2026 (the one a lot of experienced private guide now use) is to do it BACKWARDS.in other words, go to the Tai O Fishing Village first and the Big Buddha last.
So for those that want to try and do it themselves here is some advice
Plan on arriving at Tung Chung for around 9 am - 9,30am, it can take roughly an hour to get there from Hong Kong Island or Kowloon using the MTR (Subway)
At Tung Chung use MTR Exit B and walk across the plaza, the bus station to Tai O is underneath the Citygate Mall, it is pretty easy to spot
Bus 11 straight to Tai O (40- 50 minutes ish, seats usually available this early) and it is a single decker bus and for me anyway an interesting ride, lots to see and quite often you will see herds of wild cows walking along the road!
Explore Tai - O but manage your expectations
It is NOT the Venice of the East (I’ve been to Venice – trust me).I am not sure how this phrase originated but it raises expectations and it is a little deflating when you actually arrive there!
At Tai O, you can explore the town on foot (it is not a large area to cover) and most people like to go on a short boat ride that explores the stilt houses and then out to sea for the dolphin hunt, there are plenty of options
Other than the stilt houses there are some Temples and plenty of selfie opportunities
Tai O is famous for Shrimp Paste and it is available on many stalls and in shops, it is pretty famous although the smell of it will probably pole axe a large bull!, 95% of what is sold as “Tai O shrimp paste” in the main street is factory-made in mainland China.
After you have seen (or not) any pink dolphins - on the way back get off at the Tai O Heritage Hotel pier (pre arrange with the person who sold you the boat ticket) and walk back to the centre of Tai O, on the path you will encounter one of the few remaining shrimp paste factories left in Hong Kong, made by a handful of elderly residents , it is quite something to see and smell! This is the real stuff, proper made in Hong Kong.
Dolphin boats from the main pier = 10 - 15 minutes in open water = my success rate is not good, I’ve seen them twice only since 2011 and most companies will not dwell on this, I always tell my guests up front before we get on the boar
If you do the Tai O Fishing Village on your own, I imagine you will feel underwhelmed, you really need a private guide with you to explore with purpose and get the full story
Then it is time to head to the Big Buddha at Ngong Ping - Blue taxi or Bus 21 uphill to Ngong Ping (taxi HK$80 ish, 10 - 15 minute ride; bus 21 can involve a 30 - 60 min wait in the sun) the taxi stand is next to the bus stop, most of the time I get lucky and there are 1 or 2 taxis waiting.
When you arrive at Ngong Ping simply follow the crowds - Visit the Big Buddha by climbing the 268 steps (not 400!) and then visit the two Po Lin Monasteries, have a quick lunch (or bring your own or use 7-Eleven in the Ngong Ping Village) there is a veggie restaurant at the Po Lin Monastery that offers snacks or meals but there are also plenty of food options in the Ngong Ping Village.
Take the NP 360 Cable Car DOWN to Tung Chung (late-afternoon direction is usually walk-on) and any lines move quickly even on weekends and public holidays
Back in Central or Kowloon roughly an hour later on the MTR
Tips and Transport truths nobody puts in the brochures
The NP 360 Cable Car, to and from the Big Buddha
Do NOT queue for the NP 360 cable car first thing in the morning unless you enjoy 60 - 90 minute lines.even on weekdays the cable car starts at 10am and 9am on the weekend and public holidays and the lines then are just a nightmare.
The problem you face is there are essentially 4 lines for the cable car depending on what cabin option you choose
Standard Cabin, Crystal Cabin, Crystal Cabin + and a Private Cabin
... and to further confuse matters you can buy a skip the line ticket so basically queuing is a total nightmare
the only real option to not queue is to book a private cabin which has an outrageous price.
A private cabin on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car costs approximately HK$4,200 for a standard cabin (up to 10 guests, round trip) or HK$4,800 for a Crystal cabin (up to 10 guests, round trip). For a one-way trip on the new Crystal+ private cabin, the price is around HK$3,050 per person (adult, child, or senior)
They also encourage buying tickets online, if you do not then you have to basically stand in 2 lines, the very long wait to actually purchase a ticket and then you have to join another line depending on which cabin you booked!
I have never encounted any of this mayhem coming back from the Big Buddha to Tung Chung in the late afternoon!
For me personally I have never quite understood why people book a 2 way ticket, it simply does not work if you are planning to go to Tai O Fishing Village as the cable car does not go there (you still have to get a bus or taxi there and back) plus the view is the same on the cable car both ways and frankly a bus ride to Tai O (or taxi) is very interesting!
Finally it is important that you check the NP 360 official website, on the home page there will be a banner at the top of the page advising when the Cable Car will be down for scheduled maintanence which can be from anywhere from 1 day to 2 weeks
Other points
• There are only 75 blue Lantau taxis exist for the entire island. I have tried using taxi apps and for blue cabs Apps often quote “1 hour” because that’s the truth.
• Bus 21 frequency from Tai O to Ngong Ping and the Big Buddha is still every 30 - 60 minutes. There is only one small-seat bench at the bus stop and standing in the heat and humidity in the summer months is taxing and rather frustrating
• Bus 23 Ngong Ping | Big Buddha to Tung Chung in the afternoon is packed with coach groups, be prepared for a long wait
The Hong Kong Government talks big on promoting “eco-tourism” but refuses to increase the blue-taxi quota or run proper shuttles or increase the frequency of the franchised public bus service or even increase the quota for private cars which is very frustrating for everyone. They have big plans for Eco Tourism on Lantau Island but for me anyway it is pointless unless you have adequate transport
They want it both ways.
Food options at the Big Buddha and the Tai O Fishing Village
Skip the Po Lin Monastery vegetarian restaurant unless you have unlimited time. It’s bland and expensive and eats up an hour of your time. Bring snacks or grab something quick in Ngong Ping Village which links the Big Buddha to the NP 360 Cable Car
At Tai O I always head for Fook Moon Lam restaurant, the food is excellent and it is an old school Chinese restaurant, well worth it and very reasonably priced and yes, it has an English Menu and I have never had a problem ordering even though I do not speak Cantonese.
The bottom line
Lantau Island is still beautiful particularly from the NP 360 cable car (a 25 minute ride) and still worth seeing once no matter the weather on the day, but if you want to keep your sanity in 2026, either:
Pay for a proper private guide who knows the reverse routing and has the contacts for blue taxis or can do everything by private car because they have the permit
or
Accept that the cheap group version is exactly what you pay for: queues, volume and zero personal space, upselling tactics and you find out on the tour that a lot of things cost additional money oh and yes, you are using public transport.
One company in particular on Viator and Tripadvisor has 3 different tours to Lantau Island, 3 options with different prices which is utterly confusing and naturally most people do not bother reading the small print and book the basic and cheapest tour option, wow what a bargain! and then reality kicks in you find out that you are travelling on public transport and at Tai O with any food or the boat ride is an extra cost and then at the Big Buddha any food is an extra cost and the kicker - the NP 360 Cable Car is NOT included in the cost and that is very expensive, it is no wonder people get peeved.and feelthey have been conned (and good luck trying to get a refund)
Some of these neferious companies add on at the end of the tour a coach ride downtown to a jewellery factory | souvenir shop and use high pressure sales tactics, quite ludicrous really, after spending 7 hours on Lantau they spend an hour taking you for a spot of shopping which is pretty much of no interest to anyone.
I still love showing people the Big Buddha and Tai O. I still enjoy the reverse itinerary because it works., I also now offer an option to visit the Big Buddha only which makes for a 4 - 5 hour day.
The days when you could wander these places on Lantau in peaceful silence are, sadly, long gone, these days there are mobs of cheap group tours with 40 + people and a guide talking through a microphone which is a particular problem at the Tai Fishing Village and makes the Big Buddha feel like a tourist trap
Finally, the quality of your experience depends entirely on the guide you choose, so choose wisely, the old cliche of “you get what you pay for” well, never a truer word spoken.
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Just a few of my guests I have taken to Lantau Island | all images taken by Jamie
Jamie, 53 years and counting living in Hong Kong
I am a Yorkshireman and English, we should have no communication problems!
Yes, I am able to take last minute bookings for my Private Tours
My insider tip 1
Please note that in general if you book a tour on Viator or Tripadvisor you generally have NO control over what guide will lead your Lantau Island Excursion Tour and this is the most important component of the tour. I urge you to check the actual company website and book via their website and do not forget to read Tripadvisor reviews as well
My insider tip 2
For the Lantau Island tour, if you are researching tour companies you need to read what is offered and then read it again as many as the companies (Viator, Tripadvisor, Get Your Guide etc) offer tours of 5,6, 7 and 8 hours and it can get very confusing.
Anything that is less than 8 hours generally means that something is being left out, my tour is 8 hours and I have covered above what we will be doing and seeing.
My insider tip 3
Please check the NP 360 Website as quite a few times of the year the cable car is down for maintenance which can be anywhere from 3 - 21 days, they always have a banner on their home page advising of any down time - please note I can still do the tour by bus if it is down (which I have done more than a few times)
My insider tip 4
My Private Tours are a combination of walking and using public transport and we go at a pace that suits you, I have never owned or driven a car in Hong Kong and I am somewhat of an expert on public transport, you want to know what makes Hong Kong tick well, travelling on the subway, buses, ferries, trams etc gives you that insight an insight you will not get sat in the back of a car and it enables us to cover a lot more ground on our tour.
© Jamie Lloyd | J3 Consultants Hong Kong | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong |
| 2010 - 2025 All rights reserved. |
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