In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Sai Kung is a harbour town in the north-east, reached by minibus from Diamond Hill or Hang Hau (HK$10.90 on green minibus 1A or 101M, about 20 minutes) or by KMB 92 (HK$7.80, about 43 minutes). The Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark’s hexagonal rock columns are at High Island Reservoir’s East Dam, which has a minibus (9A, HK$12.80) from Pak Tam Chung on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only; on other days you need a taxi. Add Sharp Island by kaito boat and dinner on the seafood promenade. Or book a tour: the Geopark yacht tourad (from HK$320, 4.5 stars from 140 reviews) sails to the volcanic rock sea arches without the transfers. See day trips from Hong Kong for the other excursions.
Getting to Sai Kung
| Route | From | Fare | Journey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green minibus 1A | Diamond Hill (Choi Hung Road) public transport interchange | HK$10.90 | About 21 minutes |
| Green minibus 101M | Hang Hau station | HK$10.90 | About 20 minutes |
| KMB 92 | Diamond Hill station | HK$7.80 | About 43 minutes |
| KMB 94 | Sai Kung bus terminus, for Pak Tam Chung and Wong Shek Pier | HK$7.80 to Wong Shek Pier | About 29 minutes to the end of the line |
| Green minibus 9A (Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays) | Pak Tam Chung to the East Dam | HK$12.80 | About 19 minutes |
Fares and journey times are from the Transport Department’s routes and fares data. Add the MTR to Diamond Hill: HK$15.80 by Octopus from Central or Admiralty and HK$9.20 from Tsim Sha Tsui (MTR fare data). Minibus 1A runs from 05:50 to 00:30 about every four minutes (GMB data).
The waterfront promenade at Sai Kung. Photo: Wpcpey, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tours and boat trips
The independent day is cheap: about HK$79 for the return by MTR and minibus to the East Dam on a weekend (HK$31.60 MTR, HK$21.80 on minibus 1A and HK$25.60 on minibus 9A). A tour buys a boat and a guide; the Geopark’s Ung Kong Group islands, to the south of High Island, have columnar-jointed cliffs with sea caves and sea arches, reached by boat (Wikipedia: Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark).
Geopark Four Sea Arches yacht tour
From HK$320 · 4.5 stars from 140 reviews · 2½ to 4 hours · private option available
Hong Kong UNESCO Geopark Four Sea Arches Volcano Yacht Tourad is a guided yacht trip along the Geopark’s volcanic rock formations and sea arches.
Geopark sightseeing boat tour
From HK$600 · 4.8 stars from 11 reviews · 2 hours · pickup available
Hong Kong: Geopark Four Sea Arches Volcano Sightseeing Tourad is a two-hour boat tour with a guide who explains the volcanic geology, with a private option.
Official fares or tour: the prices side by side
| Option | Operator’s price | Tour price | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTR, minibus 1A and minibus 9A, weekend return | About HK$79 from Central | n/a | The East Dam columns on foot |
| Geopark yacht tour | n/a | From HK$320 | Sea arches from the water, guide |
| Geopark sightseeing boat | n/a | From HK$600 | Two hours on the water |
Public transport is cheaper and gets you to the East Dam; the boats show the sea arches, which you cannot reach on foot.
The East Dam columns
The Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark was inaugurated on 3 November 2009, listed by UNESCO on 18 September 2011, and covers over 150 square kilometres in two regions, the Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region and the Northeast New Territories Sedimentary Rock Region (Wikipedia; official site geopark.gov.hk). The volcanic region is known for tuff rock with prismatic columnar jointing, and High Island, which includes High Island Reservoir and Tai Long Wan, is where it is best shown.
High Island Reservoir opened in 1978 and holds about 281 million cubic metres, the largest impounding reservoir in Hong Kong by capacity; its two main dams connect High Island to the Sai Kung Peninsula, and a memorial beside the East Dam commemorates five workers who died during construction (Wikipedia). The East Dam is where the hexagonal columns are easiest to reach.
The hexagonal rock columns at the East Dam. Photo: Minghong, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Minibus 9A runs from 09:30 at Pak Tam Chung, with the last departure at 18:40, and from the East Dam from 10:00 to 19:00 (GMB data). The service can be suspended when the road is closed for an event (Transport Department notice), so check td.gov.hk before you set out.
Sharp Island
Kaito boats, small wooden ferries, run from Sai Kung’s public pier to Sharp Island, known locally as Kiu Tsui. The Transport Department’s list of licensed kaito services gives the Sai Kung routes to Kau Sai Village and High Island at HK$65, and to Fo Tau Fan Chau at HK$80 for the return trip, which is paid in advance on the outward leg (Transport Department, fares from its ferry fares dataset). A tombolo, a natural bridge of sand and gravel, links the island to the islet of Kiu Tau. It is passable on foot only when the predicted tide at Ko Lau Wan is at or below +1.40 m, and submerged at high tide, so check the tide tables and leave time to get back. The island covers about 1 square kilometre and has two beaches, Kiu Tsui and Half Moon Bay (Hap Mun Bay), both managed by the LCSD (Wikipedia). The Geopark lists it as underlain by older volcanic-related sedimentary rocks, unlike the columnar tuff of High Island.
The shore at Sharp Island. Photo: Underwaterbuffalo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Seafood on the Sai Kung waterfront
Restaurants along the promenade keep their catch in tanks outside: shellfish, crabs, prawns and fish. You point to what you want, it is weighed, you choose how it is cooked and pay by weight plus a cooking charge. Ask the price before it is weighed.
Seafood tanks in Sai Kung. Photo: Jpatokal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
For a trip by ferry rather than minibus, see Cheung Chau and Lamma or Lantau and Tai O.
Common questions
How do you get to Sai Kung town from central Hong Kong?
Take the MTR to Diamond Hill or Hang Hau, then a minibus or bus. Green minibus 1A from the Diamond Hill (Choi Hung Road) public transport interchange takes about 21 minutes and costs HK$10.90. Green minibus 101M from Hang Hau station takes about 20 minutes and costs HK$10.90. KMB route 92 from Diamond Hill station takes about 43 minutes and costs HK$7.80.
How do you get to the East Dam rock columns?
On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, green minibus 9A runs from Pak Tam Chung to the East Dam of High Island Reservoir, about 19 minutes for HK$12.80, from 09:30 (first departure from Pak Tam Chung) to the early evening. To reach Pak Tam Chung, take KMB route 94 from Sai Kung bus terminus towards Wong Shek Pier. On other days a taxi from Sai Kung town is the way in.
Can you walk to Sharp Island's sandbar at any time?
No. Kaito boats run from Sai Kung's public pier to Sharp Island, and the sand and pebble spit across to Kiu Tau is only passable around low tide, so check the tide tables before you go and leave time to return.
How does ordering at Sai Kung's seafood restaurants work?
Restaurants keep live seafood in tanks outside. You point to what you want, it is weighed, you choose how it is cooked and the bill is by weight plus a cooking charge. Ask the price before it is weighed.
