Ngong Ping 360 cable car and Big Buddha are must-do Hong Kong highlights
Before we get started, I know I promised a recap of our Hong Kong Disneyland adventure at the end of our last post here but that’ll have to wait. Instead, I’m going to move forward with recaps and reviews of our other Hong Kong and Tokyo experiences before doing deeper dives into our time at the Disney parks. I’ll eventually have deeper dives into our Disney experiences, so please stay tuned!
• • •
After an amazing, full day at Hong Kong Disneyland, it was a little tough to get moving the next day but it was our last full day in Hong Kong and we had a busy day planned. We were headed back to Lantau Island to take the Ngong Ping 360 cable car to the Tian Tan Buddha (also known as the Big Buddha). On top of that, we couldn’t afford to get a late start because we had a 2 p.m. late lunch reservation at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel’s Crystal Lotus Restaurant for Disney-themed dim sum.
Ngong Ping 360 and Tian Tan Buddha don’t open until 10 a.m., which was both a blessing and a curse for us. We effectively had 3 hours to do the whole round trip cable car ride, see the Tian Tan Buddha, explore the Po Lin Monastery and shop in the Ngong Ping village. We figured we wouldn’t need to shop much, as we had heard the shopping village wasn’t anything too unique — a touristy mall of sorts next to the Big Buddha but I was worried we wouldn’t have enough time to fully enjoy Tian Tan or the monastery. If only Ngong Ping 360 had opened earlier we could’ve carved out some extra time, but 10 a.m. was the earliest. Honestly, we probably couldn’t have made it much earlier anyway, since the previous day at Hong Kong Disneyland had really wiped us out. Still, we were on a time crunch and had to hustle, which continued the running theme of our time in Hong Kong.
The trip out to Lantau Island’s Tung Chung MTR station from our Airbnb in Times Square took roughly an hour, so we were grateful to find the station was attached to an outlet mall where we were able to find a restroom and a Starbucks for some caffeine and a quick bite. The Ngong Ping 360 terminal is located just outside the mall, making it pretty convenient and straight-forward for directions. No matter where you are in Hong Kong, just follow the MTR to Tung Chung station for Ngong Ping, just be sure to take Exit B from the Tung Chung MTR station. We arrived to the Ngong Ping 360 terminal not too long after 10 a.m., so we were doing pretty good on time. We had booked our tickets through Klook and were able to skip the standby line altogether and hop in Klook’s dedicated (and empty) ticket line. The standby line wasn’t super long at the time we arrived but the Klook line still helped speed up the process, which we were grateful for. I’d guess the Klook line is normally a better option than the standby line, based on the amount of switchback queue they had set up for both but I think we also just arrived at a good time on a mid-week morning. Regardless, we had our tickets and were getting our picture snapped as we entered a gondola fairly quickly.
The journey aboard the Ngong Ping 360 to the Ngong Ping Village shopping mall at the base of the Tian Tan Buddha is about a 25-minute journey each direction. It’s not for the faint of heart, especially if you opt for the glass-bottomed Crystal Cabin like we did. The round trip aboard the Crystal Cabin was only a $10 price difference ($27 vs. $37) when we were booking our tickets on Klook, so we decided to go for it. The glass bottom was a bit of a overcome-your-fears experience for me, too, and I think I did pretty well. Of course, if the glass bottom is too much for you, you can always opt for a regular gondola.
Klook.com
What we quickly realized was just how much of an attraction Ngong Ping 360 really is. We could have easily taken a bus or taxi to the Big Buddha, but the price of the cable car isn’t much more than a taxi ride, is actually the fastest transportation option out to Tian Tan Buddha, and just seemed more fun. When we planned this, we expected this to be fun transportation with the real attraction being the Tian Tan Buddha. After a whirlwind couple of days in the city and Disneyland, Ngong Ping 360 was thrilling in its own right but also gave us time to just relax and take in some amazing views. This isn’t just a quick ride to the main attraction; it’s a 5.7 km (roughly 3.5 miles) ride that clocks in around 25 minutes each direction, making Ngong Ping 360 an attraction in its own right that could arguably rival the Tian Tan Buddha itself.
Flying over Tung Chung Bay and into the mountains of Lantau Island is great but the real magic happens when you catch your first glimpse of the Tian Tan Buddha in the distance. Really, the whole cable car trip is pretty magical and you fly over sea, mountains and rivers, giving you a really spectacular overview of the island’s landscape. I’m really glad that we opted for the Crystal Cabin because the added ability to look directly down onto what we were flying over was really special and unique.
Klook.com
Even through the haze, watching the Big Buddha come into view in the distance was really remarkable.
Klook.com
After arriving, you pass through the requisite Ngong Ping 360 gift shop before you head out toward the Ngong Ping Village, which has ample shopping and dining opportunity if that’s your thing.
Ngong Ping Village is a cute shopping district and we did pop in a couple shops that had plenty of Hong Kong-specific and Tian Tan Buddha souvenirs, but we were on a time crunch and couldn’t linger long so we moved along.
Of course, it’s tough to care about shopping when the buddha is towering over, commanding your attention.
Once you get past the shops, there’s a short walk to a large, open promenade between the shopping village, the base of Tian Tan Buddha, and the gateway to the Po Lin Monastery.
The Tian Tan Buddha is a stunning experience for its sheer scale. The 112-foot bronze statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, symbolizes the stability of Hong Kong, man’s harmonious relationship with nature, peace on earth, and acts as a guardian for the city. The Tian Tan Buddha took 12 years to plan and sits perched on a lotus throne at the top the peak of Mount Muk Yue. The climb to the top is a somewhat intimidating 268 steps but there is an accessible route for handicapped guests. Completed in 1993, the Big Buddha is only 25 years old, but its neighboring Po Lin Monastery was founded in 1906 and has been on the site in some capacity ever since.
Looking back down toward the Po Lin Monastery from the top of the stairs to the Tian Tan Buddha.
The Six Statues of Bodhisattvas sit just below the Big Buddha — three on each side — offering flowers, incense, a lamp, ointment, fruit, and music.
View looking back over Lantau from behind the Big Buddha
We were all pretty impressed once we got to the top. The whole experience had been breathtaking and magical — from the cable car ride to climbing to the top of the steps — without a doubt a highlight of our trip. But at this point — after climbing to the top, taking photos, soaking it all in, taking photos, and FaceTiming with our parents back in the U.S. — we had started to run low on time and needed to head back to make it to our lunch reservation at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. The rest of the group decided to skip the Po Lin Monastery and head back toward the Ngong Ping Village for a restroom break and some quick souvenir shopping before hopping back on the cable car for our return trip. I couldn’t pass up the monastery, though, and had about 15 minutes to see what I could. I speed-walked, as respectfully as I could, through only a portion of the monastery’s grounds, which were beautiful. It’s a bummer we ran out of time because I would have loved to take my time here as there’s a lot to explore in the complex: Hall of Skanda Bodhisattva, the Main Shrine Hall of Buddha, the Grand Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the Bell and Drum towers, the Meditation Hall, and more. I was happy enough to be able to get a peek at the stunning, golden Grand Hall of the Ten Thousand Buddhas (no photography allowed) and would love to return in the future and spend more time here exploring the monastery complex, its various gardens and the Wisdom Path. Below, the San Men Mountain Gate that leads to Po Lin Monastery.
Anyway, I was out of time and I had to meet up with my group and hop on a gondola back to Tung Chung.
It seemed like we timed our visit pretty well, though. As we left, arriving cable cars were pretty full but not many people were heading back to Tung Chung yet. We were able to snag a Crystal Cabin to ourselves for the return journey which was a great opportunity for us to spread out a bit, relax, take some pictures, and FaceTime again with our families to show them just how cool our Ngong Ping 360 ride was. Nick and Chuck also conquered their own fears and laid on the glass bottom of the Crystal Cabin, eventually convincing Sally and me to do it as well. I won’t share those photos here though, as they’re just too awkward to put on the Internet.
I don’t think I need to really gush about this experience anymore than I already have but if you’re planning a trip out to Hong Kong, we really can’t recommend visiting the Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery enough. My only regret is that we weren’t able to spend more time here. To be fair, an argument can be made that Tian Tan Buddha requires a lot of effort to see and there’s not much to really do once you climb to the top of those 268 stairs. I think that’s a fair point but only to an extent. For me, travel is a give-and-take between dense experiences like great museums or theme parks and more leisurely, meditative experiences like this. There’s a lot to be said for a breathtaking ride on a cable car to a temple nestled in the mountains and in a wildly modern and metropolitan city like Hong Kong, taking a break from the city for a destination like this can be a much-welcome change of pace.
Our biggest tip if you plan to visit the Tian Tan Buddha via Ngong Ping 360 is to be sure to carve out sufficient time. We had three hours and I could easily recommend at least five hours, if not more. That may seem like a lot but the cable car ride itself takes about an hour of that time on its own and that’s not including any queueing you may have to wait through for it. Keep in mind also that the climb to the top of the Buddha’s peak is significant and can take a while depending on your age and fitness level. Not to mention, if you’d like to shop in the Village, grab a bite to eat, properly explore the Po Lin Monastery, or walk the Wisdom Trail, then a trip out to the Big Buddha could easily take up the better part of your day, depending on your touring pace. If you’re reluctant to head out of the city just for the Big Buddha, you can also pair your visit with a half-day trip to Tai O Fishing Village, also on Lantau Island. We didn’t visit the Fishing Village but it was one of many things we looked into doing during our Hong Kong visit and is well-recommended in Hong Kong travel guides. Or, Hong Kong Disneyland could be a good afternoon/evening add-on here for casual theme park guests. An evening half-day was something we considered for our time after Tian Tan, since we figured two full days at the small theme park might be overkill but one might not be quite enough for us. Regardless, no matter how much time you’re able to make for this, you should absolutely consider it a must-do for your Hong Kong itinerary.
NGONG PING 360
Tung Chung, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, China
np360.com.hk
Open 10 a.m. — 6 p.m. on weekdays; 9 a.m. — 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Admission prices vary depending on options, round-trip tickets ranging from ~$27-37 USD.
Discounted tickets via Klook are highly recommended.
TIAN TAN BUDDHA & PO LIN MONASTERY
Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, China
plm.org.hk
Tian Tan Buddha open daily, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Po Lin Monastery open daily, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Free
Klook.com
