Hong Kong's Big Buddha is one of the most visited places in the city. The huge bronze statue of the seated Buddha is located atop Ngong Ping Hill on Lantau Island near Hong Kong HKG Airport.
You'll also see it referred to as the Tian Tan Buddha in information materials.
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The journey to the Buddha statue itself is a great experience, as it takes a suspended cable car with spectacular views.
The Buddha statue was built in 1993 and is part of the adjacent Po Lin Buddhist Monastery.
Visiting the statue - entrance fee
Over 34 metres high, the Buddha statue sits on a small hill above Ngong Ping village and all visitors must climb 268 steps on their way to the base.
The interior of the statue is not open to the public, but from the gallery around the Buddha you can enjoy beautiful views of the forested mountains of Lantau Island and the sea in the background.
Admission to the gallery is free and it is open from 10:00-17:30.
Ngong Ping Monastery and Tourist Village
An oasis of tranquility as well as beneficial shade is Po Lin Monastery with its public gardens.
However, the monastery itself is strictly off-limits to visitors and only monks are allowed inside.
Between the cable car station and the monastery is the tourist village of Ngong Ping with its many souvenir shops, restaurants and snack bars.
Ngong Ping Cable Car 360
A suspended cable car called "Ngong Ping 360" takes you to the top of Ngong Ping village, where you can walk to the Buddha statue in 5 minutes.
The ride itself is a great attraction. The cable car covers a distance of 5,700 metres, an elevation gain of 440 metres and the ride takes 25 minutes.
Along the way, you'll get breathtaking views of forested hills, the airport or even the bridge leading to China and Macau.
How much do tickets cost?
Tickets for the cable car can be purchased at both the lower and upper stations and can be paid for with cash, regular Visa/Mastercard, Octopus card or the mobile apps MPay, Union Pay or WeChat.
If you purchase tickets online via the official website np360.com.hk/en/ticketing, you can use the express queue on site with a shorter waiting time. Generally, however, there are not very long queues for the cable car and you will wait up to 20 minutes at most.
You can pay extra for a ride in the so-called "Crystal Cabin" with a glass bottom.
| Adults | Children up to 11 years old | |
| One way - Standard Cabin | 195 hkd | 95 hkd |
| One way - Crystal Cabin | 235 hkd | 135 hkd |
| Return - Standard Cabin | 270 hkd | 135 hkd |
| Roundtrip - Crystal Cabin | 350 hkd | 215 hkd |
If you decide to use the cable car, for example on your way to the airport, you can also use the luggage storage at the ticket office in the lower station.
Transportation to the cable car
The lower station of the cable car is near the international airport and just outside the Tung Chung subway terminus.
The fastest way out of the city centre is by far on the orange "Tung Chung" subway line, which runs from both the Central area of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Octopus Card fares from Central Station cost 23,60 hkd.
The airport can be reached from the lower station about every 5 minutes by bus lines S1, S56 and S64.
Getting to Ngong Ping by bus
Bus routes are a significantly cheaper way to get to the top to the Big Buddha statue.
The journey is longer than by cable car and takes about 35 minutes from Tung Chung subway station.
- Line 23 - Tung Chung Metro, Cheung Sha Beach
- Price - 23,20 hkd
- Frequency - 30 minutes
- Line 21 - Tai O
- Price - 17,60 hkd (weekends); 7,60 hkd (weekdays)
- Frequency - 60 minutes
- Line 2 - Mui Wo, Cheung Sha Beach
- Price - 33,90 hkd (weekends); 19,60 hkd (weekdays)
- Frequency - 60 minutes
For timetables and current ticket prices, visit the carrier's website: nlb.com.hk/route.
Accommodation Ngong Ping
Right at the top near the monastery you will find simple accommodation YHA Ngong Ping SG Davis Youth Hostel with separate rooms but shared bathroom facilities. Prices start at 55 usd per night.
Large modern hotels can be found at the lower Tung Chung cable car station.
Hiking
The upper station of the Ngong Ping cable car is also the starting point for several hiking trails.
The main and most used is the Lantau Trail stretching down the centre of the island. From the cable car, for example, you can climb the 934m Lantau Peak, the second highest mountain in all of Hong Kong, within 3km and a dramatic elevation gain.
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