Lantau Island Tour: Big Buddha, Tai O & Ngong Ping Cable Car

Soar above hidden villages and serene temples, then glide through stilt-house waterways

A small-group guided tour of Lantau Island covers the Big Buddha at Po Lin Monastery, the Ngong Ping 360 cable car with panoramic views, and Tai O fishing village with a heritage boat ride. The tour runs 6 to 7 hours from a central Kowloon pickup, includes all entry tickets and cable car fees, and travels by coach and boat with an English-speaking guide. Children under 2 are complimentary.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Lantau Island3h
2. Tung Chung20m
3. Ngong Ping 36030m · entry included
4. Tai O1h
5. Big Buddha1h
6. Po Lin Monastery30m

Explore Lantau Island highlights

• Meet at Kowloon central point
• Travel to Tung Chung
• Ride Ngong Ping Cable Car
• Visit Big Buddha statue
• Explore Po Lin Monastery
• Coach to Tai O fishing village
• Boat ride in Tai O village
• Visit Tai O Heritage Hotel
• Return to Kowloon

The experience

The tour begins at one of two Kowloon hotels (Holiday Inn Golden Mile on the Kowloon side or Renaissance Harbour View on Hong Kong Island), where you meet your guide and the rest of the small group (max 20 guests). From there, a coach takes you to Tung Chung, the gateway to Lantau Island and home to the Ngong Ping Cable Car station. The cable car itself is a 5.7km ride that climbs over mountains with 360-degree views of the South China Sea, Hong Kong International Airport, and the HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. The skip-the-line fast pass means you board without waiting in the queues that form at the station.

At the top, you walk to the Big Buddha (a 34-metre bronze statue of Amoghasiddhi erected in 1993 and weighing 250 tons), and explore Po Lin Monastery, known as the "Buddhist Kingdom in the South" and surrounded by lush mountains. After time there, a coach brings you down to Tai O fishing village, where you board a boat for a ride through the stilt-house communities. The boat takes you to the Tai O Heritage Hotel, a converted police station from the early colonial period, and you walk through the village market and narrow lanes where a small number of traditional fisherfolk still live. The breeze and open water are part of the route itself.

All admission tickets, the cable car, and boat fees are included in the price. The tour ends with a return coach journey back to your original Kowloon or Hong Kong Island pickup point. If the cable car is closed for maintenance or severe weather, coach transport replaces it for that leg. Public transportation is available near the meeting point if you prefer to make your own way there.

What’s included

• Round-trip coach transfers from a Kowloon or Hong Kong Island meeting point.
• skip-the-line fast pass for the Ngong Ping 360 cable car.
• entry to the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery.
• a boat ride through Tai O fishing village to the Heritage Hotel.
• an English-speaking guide.
• all admission and boat fees.

Options for this experience

3 options

Maintenance Period TourGuide in English · Only on 10 Nov · 09:00 and 09:30The cable car is temporarily out of service for scheduled maintenance. Duration: 7 hours. Vegetarian meal: a Po Lin Monastery vegetarian meal is included to enhance the cultural experience. Meeting point: self-arrival at the lobby of Renaissance Harbour View Hotel at 9:00 AM OR at the lobby of Holiday Inn Golden Mile at 9:30 AM. Vehicle: comfortable shared 22-seat coach bus. Alternative arrangement: round-trip land transportation to the Ngong Ping area is provided instead of the cable car.

Kowloon Basic Bus TourGuide in English · 09:30Standard Cabin cable car ticket is included. Meeting point: self-arrival at the lobby of Holiday Inn Golden Mile at 9:15 AM. Vehicle: comfortable shared 22-seat coach bus. Starting point: Holiday Inn Golden Mile Hong Kong by IHG, 50 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Central Basic Bus TourGuide in English · 09:00Standard Cabin cable car ticket is included. Meeting point: self-arrival at the lobby of Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel at 9:00 AM. Vehicle: comfortable shared 22-seat coach bus. Standard Cabin Cable Car Tour

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00 and 09:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 25

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Century Holiday OTA

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see Lantau's main sights (the Buddha, the monastery, the cable car views, and the fishing village) without arranging separate transport or tickets. The small group size (max 20) and fixed schedule mean the day holds together without you building it, and the afternoon departure works if your morning is already planned.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What is the Big Buddha on Lantau Island made of, and how tall is it?

The Big Buddha is a bronze statue of Amoghasiddhi that stands 34 metres high and weighs 250 tons. It was erected in 1993 and sits at the Po Lin Monastery complex.

Does the tour include the Ngong Ping Cable Car, or do I pay for that separately?

The Ngong Ping 360 cable car is included in the tour price, and you get a fast pass that lets you skip the line. The 5.7km ride offers 360-degree views of the South China Sea, the airport, and the HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

What happens in Tai O, and is there a boat ride?

Tai O is a historic fishing village where you walk through the market and stilt-house lanes, then board a boat that takes you through the community and to the Tai O Heritage Hotel, a former police station. The boat ride is included.

How long is the whole tour, and what time does it start?

The tour runs 6 to 7 hours. It departs in the afternoon from either Holiday Inn Golden Mile (Kowloon side) or Renaissance Harbour View (Hong Kong Island side). Your exact pickup time is confirmed before 8 p.m. the day before.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to pay for separately?

All admission tickets to the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery, the cable car, and the Tai O boat ride are included. Meals are not included. Gratuities are optional. The crystal cabin upgrade on the cable car costs extra if you choose it.

Are there any alternatives if the cable car is closed?

If the cable car is closed for maintenance or severe weather, coach transport between Tung Chung and Ngong Ping replaces it so the tour still runs.