A Complete Guide to Hong Kong's Ngong Ping Cable Car

The Ngong Ping Cable Car is one of Hong Kong’s premier attractions. This 5.7-kilometer (about 3.5 miles) ride offers breathtaking views over the thick green peaks of Lantau Island and the shining South China Sea. At the end of the ride lies the custom-built Ngong Ping village with its shops and the impressive 112-foot Tian Tan Giant Buddha, which is one of the biggest Buddha statues in the world.

The Ngong Ping Cable Car

The Ngong Ping is a gondola cable car that travels 5.7 kilometers between Tung Chung Town Centre and Ngong Ping Village on Lantau Island. The journey takes around 25 minutes. As you ride along in the transparent gondola cars, the 360-degree panoramic views really are stunning. It's a unique opportunity to grab a bird's eye view of Hong Kong’s often overlooked green outdoors.

Less impressive is the Ngong Ping village at the end of the ride. It’s supposed to be a culturally themed village, with a tea house and theater, but it is mostly just a collection of shops. Kids will enjoy the street entertainers and everyone will like the special events during Chinese festivals.

The Big Buddha

Past that, you’ll find one of Hong Kong’s most impressive attractions. The Tian Tan Buddha stands at a towering 112 feet and weighs in at over 200 tons. This makes it one of the biggest Buddha statues in the world, and it draws pilgrims from across Asia. You can climb the 268 steps right up to the feet of the bronze figure.

The statue is part of the wider Po Lin Monastery complex where you can wander the gardens and join the robed monks in their vegetarian canteen. If you want to find out more about Buddhism you can join the "Walking with Buddha" multimedia attraction back at Ngong Ping village. The 20-minute collection of videos and interactive displays will walk you through the story of Siddhartha Gautama on his journey to become Buddha. 

From the peak, there is also a selection of walking trails that let you explore the verdant countryside. From the Tian Tan Buddha, it's only a short walk to take the fantastic 70-kilometer Lantau Trail which weaves its way amongst the peaks. 

Ngong Ping Cost

A round trip on the cable car costs HK$235 and HK$110 for children up to 11. A package deal, the "360 Fun Pass," which includes entrance to the attractions at the Ngong Ping Village costs HK$290 and HK$180 respectively. Entrance to the Tian Tan Buddha is free. 

There is separate pricing for one-way tickets and for an upgrade to the "Crystal Cabin," glass-bottomed car or a private car.

The cable car will be suspended during typhoons or heavy winds. If it's a bit windy outside, check the website before setting off. There are also scheduled times for maintenance and any closure will be announced on the website.

How to Get to the Ngong Ping Cable Car

If you just want to visit the Tian Tan Buddha, you can use the local bus from Tung Chung. This will cost far less than the cable car. The Ngong Ping 360 main terminus is located at Tung Chung Town Centre, a shopping mall on Lantau Island. The upper Ngong Ping 360 terminus is located at Ngong Ping Village and much harder to reach. Almost everyone takes the cable car from Tung Chung Town Centre.

The easiest way to reach the Ngong Ping Tung Chung Terminal is via MTR. The Tung Chung line (Orange) runs from both Hong Kong Station and Kowloon station straight to Tung Chung Town Centre. The trip time from Central (Hong Kong Station) is around thirty minutes. Once at Tung Chung, the Cable Car Terminal can be reached through exit B of the MTR.

The only reason you would not want to use the MTR is if you have arrived at the airport and plan to travel directly to the Ngong Ping Cable Car. In this case, take a blue Lantau taxi for the ten-minute journey.

If you decide you would like to start your journey at Ngong Ping Village, the Number 23 bus from Tung Chung Town Centre or the Number 11 from Tai O Ferry Pier will take you there.