Your ultimate guide to hiking Tai Lam Chung Reservoir

The hike to Tai Lam Chung Reservoir begins at Wong Nai Tun Tsuen in Yuen Long. To get there, take K66 from the Bus Terminus at Long Ping MTR Station or Yuen Long Commercial Centre and alight at Tai Tong Wong Nai Tun Tsuen. When you arrive, there will be a sign that points you towards a path leading to the reservoir.

Follow the yellow railing along the path and you’ll pass by Yeung Ka Tsuen, a Hakka-walled village that dates back to the early 30s. During specific periods of the year, you can visit the farms in the village to pick grapes and strawberries grown by the farmers and purchase homemade cured meat and Chinese sausages.

Keep walking along the path with green railing until you see a sign that points towards Wong Nai Tun Reservoir, which marks the beginning of your hike. Once you get up the flight of stairs, don't be thrown off by the forks in the road. Keep following the signs that point towards Wong Nai Tun, and you'll be in the right direction. 

During your hike, you’ll pass by Wong Nai Tun Reservoir. Built in 1957, this reservoir might not look that wide, but it's fairly deep. When the water slightly recedes, you can walk down the set of narrow steps nearby to admire the reservoir from a closer distance – but remember to proceed with caution!

Continue on the hike and follow the signs that lead towards Reservoir Islands Viewpoint. Eventually, you'll end up at a large open space that makes way for a sweeping view of Tai Lam Chung Reservoir. Rest on the curb to catch your breath, stretch your legs, and use the portable toilet if needed. Once you're ready to go, carry on to the path ahead, which will take you onto Section 10 of the MacLehose Trail.

Follow the signs that lead towards Reservoir Islands Viewpoint and keep walking for about 30 minutes until you see a colourful sign that depicts the viewpoint. Then, turn right and walk uphill for approximately 200 metres until you're greeted with the sprawling vistas of Tai Lam Chung Reservoir. 

Once you're ready to leave, head back down to the colourful sign. Here, you can either turn right and walk to Tai Tong (roughly 6km; around two hours or so) to admire the sweet gum trees; or turn left to continue along Section 10 of the MacLehose Trail and walk about 4 to 4.5km to reach So Kwun Wat in Tuen Muen or the Gold Coast within an hour and wrap up your hike. As you descend from your hike, you'll also pass by the dam of Tai Lam Chung Reservoir where you can see the Reservoir Islands from a closer distance.

If you finish at So Kwun Wat, take the 43 or 43S minibus in front of the Tin Hau Temple to arrive at Gold Coast or Tuen Mun MTR station. Alternatively, if you finish at Tai Tong, you can take a short walk to Pak Sha Tsuen to catch the 39 minibus and alight at Yuen Long MTR station.