Ng Tung Chai Waterfalls

The Ng Tung Chai hiking route takes about 3.5 hours total, and almost 90% of the path is shaded mountain trail, crossing four waterfalls hidden deep in the mountains along the way. Free water play and a cool breeze, this is a top-tier route for summer hiking in Hong Kong, and a cool escape for couples. Route Difficulty: 3 out of 5 stars (moderate, some of the stone steps are steep, watch your footing) Time: about 3.5 hours total at a slow pace, with photos and playing in the water Route: Ng Tung Chai Village → Man Tak Yuen → Bottom Falls → Middle Falls → Main Falls → Scattered Falls → Lam Kam Road How to get there Take the MTR to Kam Sheung Road Station Transfer to the 64K bus, get off at Kadoorie Farm station Follow the signs for Man Tak Yuen and walk into the hills Warning: the rocks around the waterfalls, near the cliff edges, and in the stream are very slippery, be careful on rainy days. Ng Tung Chai Waterfall is in Tai Mo Shan Country Park, and it’s Hong Kong’s biggest and most beautiful waterfall group. Getting there is easy, the difficulty is low, it doesn’t demand much physical fitness, and after getting off the bus it’s only about half an hour’s walk to arrive, so it’s really suited to a weekend trip with friends. On top of that, the whole way is shaded by dense forest, the air is cool, the mist drifts around, the negative ion density is basically off the charts. The waterfall group is mainly made up of four falls, and each one has its own distinct look. Bottom Falls: the lowest waterfall, hidden in the dense forest, the pool is clear, good for atmospheric photos. Middle Falls (Horsetail Falls): the most popular photo spot, the flow is wide, the mist hits your face, very cooling. Main Falls: Hong Kong’s tallest natural waterfall, about 35 metres high, very impressive. On a sunny day you can even see a rainbow. Scattered Falls: the waterfall at the very top of the group, the water spreads over the rocks like strands of hair, dreamy. How to get there: MTR Tai Po Market Station Exit A2 → take the 64K bus, get off at Ng Tung Chai station → enter the village and walk Man Tak Path → Man Tak Yuen → Bottom Falls → Middle Falls → Main Falls → Scattered Falls → either walk back the same way or continue up to Tai Mo Shan. Notes: After getting off the bus, it’s about 30 minutes’ walk to Bottom Falls, and from Bottom Falls to the highest one, Scattered Falls, only takes another 15 minutes. If you’ve got the fitness for it, you can keep going to the summit of Tai Mo Shan, but that takes a lot longer and demands more stamina. There are no supply points along the whole mountain trail. There’s a public toilet at the entrance to Ng Tung Chai Village. Estimated time: 5–6 hours Outbound transport: from Lok Ma Chau on the East Rail Line → Tai Wo Station Exit A → bus stop at Tai Wo Plaza, take the 64K → get off at “Ngau Lan Wo” → once off the bus, walk back and look for the “Ng Tung Chai” sign, go in past Man Tak Yuen and start climbing. Return transport: come down from the Visitor Centre, at the “Tai Mo Shan Country Park” bus stop take the KMB 51 → get off at “Sheung Tsuen Terminus” → walk 2 minutes to “Sheung Tsuen Playground” stop → take the 64K to Tai Wo Station → East Rail Line back to Lok Ma Chau. Hiking route: Man Tak Yuen → Ng Tung Chai Waterfalls (Bottom Falls → Middle Falls → Main Falls → Scattered Falls) → Tai Mo Shan Grass Lawn → Cat House → Weather Radar Station → down the winding mountain road → Tai Mo Shan Country Park Visitor Centre → bus stop. Warning: all four waterfalls have clearly marked signs, don’t turn off onto an unmarked path toward some unnamed waterfall. We weren’t paying attention to the route tracker the whole time and ended up taking a wrong turn and getting our shoes wet. Check the app 1933-KMB.LWB for bus timing, the KMB 51 doesn’t run that often, you might be waiting 30–40 minutes for one, if it’s getting late you can just grab a taxi instead. Strongly recommend downloading an offline map track, there’s no signal anywhere on the mountain. Go with others. If it’s raining, this isn’t recommended for first-timers.