Lantau Island Bus Tour: Big Buddha, Ngong Ping & Tai O Dolphins
Description
Discover the soul of Hong Kong’s largest island on this curated small-group tour (Max 20 guests). Avoid the crowds and travel in comfort with round-trip mini-coach transfers from a central Kowloon meeting point, accompanied by an expert English-speaking guide. Experience Highlights: VIP Access: Skip the long lines at the Ngong Ping Cable Car. Soar over the mountains with aerial views of the HKIA Airport and the world-record HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Spiritual Grandeur: Stand at the base of the majestic Tian Tan Buddha and explore the vibrant Po Lin Monastery. The "Venice of the East": Wander through Tai O Fishing Village. Your tour includes a scenic boat ride through historic stilt-house communities and a visit to the Tai O Heritage Hotel. Includes all admission tickets, boat fees, and expert narration.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Join us for a relaxing Day in your Hong Kong vacation. The adventure will begin every afternoon from Lantau Island, a popular place to experience another side of Hong Kong for travellers.
Tung Chung is the gateway to Lantau Island and home to the Ngong Ping Cable Car station. Surrounded by mountains and the South China Sea, it offers a modern shopping area and picturesque views, making it the perfect starting point for your journey to the spiritual and cultural attractions ahead.
In this tour, you will see breath-taking view by riding the Ngong Ping cable car, the best starting point to the Big Buddha. Ngong Ping Cable Car connects Tung Chung and Ngong Ping. The 5.7km cable car journey offers visitors spectacular 360-degree panoramic views of South China Sea, Hong Kong International Airport, North Lantau Country Park and Giant Buddha.
You will then take a coach to the historic Tai O fishing village. Traditional stilt houses and its market are very famous, not to mention the boat ride, you will feel the breeze on your face with fresh air! The boat ride will take you exclusively to the Tai O heritage hotel which previously was one of the earliest police stations built in New territories. In Tai O, you will see community of fisherfolks who’ve been living there for generations yet only a few old villagers remain to live in a traditional way there for now.
A must-go attraction in the village is the extraordinary bronze Big Buddha Amoghasiddhi statue (erected in 1993 and 34 metres high, weights 250 tons).
In Ngong Ping village (surrounded by lush mountains), you will see scenic and interesting attractions everywhere. Known as the "Buddhist Kingdom in the South", Po Lin Monastery is the most popular Buddhist temple in HK.
Hong Kong is a vibrant metropolis blending modern skyscrapers with cultural heritage. From bustling markets and world-class cuisine to serene mountains and coastal scenery, it offers a unique fusion of East and West, urban life and nature, making it a dynamic backdrop for this private Lantau Island tour.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Coach transportation between Tung Chung and Ngong Ping will be arranged as a substitute when the cable car service is suspended due to maintenance, or severe weather warning.
- Children aged 2 and younger are complimentary.
- For the Superior Bus Tour, please provide your hotel name and address at the time of booking. The exact pick-up time will be confirmed before 20:00 on the day prior to departure.
- Guests who fail to arrive at the designated pick-up location on time will be considered a no-show. The tour will be forfeited for that day, and a rescheduling fee of HKD 100 per person will apply for transfer to the next available tour date.
- Complimentary rescheduling is available for guests booked under the Private Van Tour option.
- If you have not received the pickup notification, please proceed directly to Holiday Inn at 09:30 AM to join the group; if you are unable to join today’s tour, we can offer a complimentary reschedule to the following day.
Reviews(50)
It is an experience different from the regular glitz and glamor of Hong Kong. Lantau, Po Lin Monastery and Tai O village were so serene, so idyllic...the Buddhist Monastery, the stilted houses but above all the food was wonderful. Strongly recommended
Enjoyed our tour with Ingrid! She even climbed the steps to the Big Buddha with us! Would definitely recommend.
Jovial is the best! Super energetic, helpful, and knowledgeable. She makes sure we were given all the history, facts and culture throughout the tour. We were having fun anf learning till we all said Goodbye at the end of the day. I highly recommend this tour and Jovita.
This was an awesome tour. I would highly recommend. There was lots of neat scenic views in the cable car
This was a great tour. I was able to see and experience so many things on my list without needing to figure it all out. If you're solo, bring a tripod. The guide doesn't offer to take your pics and you'll have free time to roam around on your own. This tour only offers hotel pickup from 2 hotels. So I had to catch the metro to get to the starting point.
This was a great tour. I was able to see and experience so many things on my list without needing to figure it all out. If you're solo, bring a tripod. The guide doesn't offer to take your pics and you'll have free time to roam around on your own. This tour only offers hotel pickup from 2 hotels. So I had to catch the metro to get to the starting point.
I was a bit disappointed in the tour operator not the guide. Yes, we got the tour, as far as places we went, that we expected. But we didn’t get the overall tour experience that we expected. We purposely chose a “small group” excursion! The tour guide was late because they were picking up a group at another hotel. We went into a very small seat bus with 20 people. And then we waited for another person of the group who was running late. We all were fine with that since Jonathan let us all know. But there was no opportunity for introductions from the guide or among the other people on the bus… which is usually what we are accustomed to with Viator small groups. I reached out directly to the tour operator and asked their definition of “small group” and the response was “normally 15 maximum” “sorry for the inconvenience”. But we didn’t get what we paid for! There were lots of logistics on this tour and Jonathan did the best he could with the different “levels” of paying customers he was trying to take care of in this larger group. Some had higher level cabins on the cable car, Some had paid for the lunch and some had not. He offered for all of us to join those eating lunch and he would buy us a soda. The restaurant was so crowded that we bowed out and went somewhere else to eat. If planning to book with this vendor, I would as specifics about size of group and the different type of options they have.
Thank you for your detailed feedback. We’re glad to hear you appreciated Jonathan’s effort and that you were able to visit the key sites as planned. However, we’re sorry that the overall experience did not fully meet your expectations regarding the “small group” concept. Our tours are operated as shared group departures, and group sizes may vary depending on daily bookings, with a general guideline of up to around 15–20 guests. On some dates, logistics such as hotel pickups, cabin upgrades, and lunch selections can result in mixed service combinations within the same group. We understand your concern about introductions and group experience, and we will take your comments into consideration to improve coordination and guest communication at the start of tours. We appreciate your feedback and hope to have the opportunity to provide a more seamless experience in the future.
The temple of the great Buddha is spectacular!! But best of all was our guide Jonathan. Made the whole experience super pleasurable, always watching the group, with humor and dedication
¡Muchas gracias por su comentario! Nos alegra muchísimo saber que disfrutó del Templo del Gran Buda y que Jonathan hizo su experiencia aún más especial. Nos enorgullece contar con guías tan atentos, dedicados y con buen sentido del humor. Esperamos darle la bienvenida nuevamente en otra experiencia pronto.
Good way to cover Lantau island as transport can be tricky. Fishing village quaint and boat trip was fab as we saw the famous dophins. Guide informative but also gave us time to explore area ourselves
Good way to cover Lantau island as transport can be tricky. Fishing village quaint and boat trip was fab as we saw the famous dophins. Guide informative but also gave us time to explore area ourselves
The ropeway trip was very enjoyable, Hope Buddha was a wonderful sight, numerous pictures were taken . Guide was very good
Thank you for your kind feedback! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the cable car experience and that the Big Buddha was such a memorable highlight for you. It’s great that you were able to take many photos and that your guide made the experience enjoyable. We hope to welcome you again on another tour soon!
Our tour guide, Becky Chan, was helpful, upbeat and knowledgeable. She went out of her way to help us and assist two other guests make their way to the airport after the tour. Our tour was great My only issue was the quality and price of lunch. The food was mediocre - noodles with minimal beef; fried rice; pork pieces with bones; U-peel shrimp; tofu; and small undercooked whole fish with bones. The food was overpriced at $25/pp USD.
Thank you for your detailed feedback. We’re very pleased to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that Becky Chan provided helpful, upbeat, and knowledgeable service, including assisting guests beyond the tour itself. Regarding your comments on lunch, we’re sorry to hear it did not meet your expectations. The meal provided is a set local-style menu designed to reflect traditional Hong Kong flavors, and we understand that taste and value perception can vary. Your feedback regarding food quality and pricing has been noted and will be shared with our operations team for review and improvement. We appreciate your comments and hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a more satisfying experience in the future.
