A Family Day Trip To Lantau Island: Big Buddha, Ngong Ping Village & More!

Looking for the perfect day out with the family? One of our favourite islands to visit in Hong Kong (and the largest one) is Lantau, whether with our children or out-of-towners. Mark your calendars for a trip to Lantau Island where you can visit the Big Buddha – aka Tian Tian Buddha – and take a scenic ride on the Ngong Ping Cable Car.

Between Hong Kong’s iconic skyscraper skyline and impressive dining scene right in the heart of the city, it can be easy to forget it’s actually home to over 200 islands. When deciding on a day trip with the kids, Lantau is a no-brainer for us because it has everything – delicious food, beautiful hiking trails, Hong Kong Disneyland, wild cows roaming free, Tai O fishing village, and of course, the massive Big Buddha that never fails to impress. Not sure where to start? Read on for our guide to the perfect family-friendly trip to Lantau Island!

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Ngong Ping
Big Buddha

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Ngong Ping

Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car: How To Get To Ngong Ping

While you can take bus 23 from Tung Chung Tat Tung Road Bus Terminus to Ngong Ping (in just under an hour), our favourite way to get there is by cable car! Take Exit B from the Tung Chung MTR Station and walk for five minutes to find the Ngong Ping 360 Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal. Our kids love staring out the windows at the beautiful, unobstructed views and it gives their little legs (and our backs) a break too. As long as your children aren’t afraid of heights, this is easily the best way to get to the Big Buddha and Ngong Ping Village.

Alternatively, you can also take a ferry from Central to Mui Wo and then the Lantau Bus No. 2 to Ngong Ping Bus Terminus, or simply a Lantau Island taxi.

Sassy Mama Tip: You cannot take a stroller up the Big Buddha, but there is a luggage storage facility in Ngong Ping Village you can use, or opt to store your stroller in the Citygate locker by the bus terminus.

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Ngong Ping Cable Car Ticket Prices And Opening Hours

Ngong Ping Cable Car and Ngong Ping Village is open daily from 10am to 6pm. Ensure you check the site during festive seasons as the hours may vary, and bear in mind the cable car usually doesn’t operate in extreme weather. We recommend trying to get on one of the first cable cars out as it’s much less crowded so you won’t have to worry as much about queues, and you might even get a car to yourself without having to pay for the Private Cabin!

The Standard Cabin offers one of the world’s best cable car experiences that’ll afford you incredible views of Lantau. You can also take it a step further for just an additional $70 per person to snag a Crystal Cabin with a glass bottom for the ultimate bird’s eye view of rolling slopes and glistening waters, and skip the queues (if you bought a Standard Cabin ticket for kids, you can upgrade for free at the counter). Both options only take 25 minutes to get to Ngong Ping from Tung Chung. There is also now a new, more expensive cabin called Crystal+ in which basically everything is glass. We haven’t tried that one yet, but it sounds exhilarating!

Note: Children under 2 years don’t need tickets, the child fare is for kids aged 3 to 11.

Round-Trip Standard Cabin: $295 for adults, $150 for kids, $155 for seniors.
Round-Trip Crystal Cabin: $365 for adults, $220 for kids, $235 for seniors.
Round-Trip Crystal+ Cabin: $545 for adults, $400 for kids, $405 for seniors.
Private Cabin (maximum of 10 people): $4,200 for Standard Cabin, $4,800 for Crystal Cabin.
Annual Pass (worth it if you go at least twice a year): $620 for adults, $295 for kids, $320 for seniors.

Book your Ngong Ping Cable Car here.

Sassy Mama Tip: Make sure you check Ngong Ping 360’s promotions page before booking your tickets as it often runs amazing deals like discounted tickets for seniors and great-value packages. There are different queues depending on where you bought your ticket from (like Klook) and third party booking platforms usually have longer lines, so you’re better off buying directly from the official page.

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Ngong Ping Village

So, you’ve hopped out of the Ngong Ping Cable Car with your kids in tow, now what? There’s a ton to do in Ngong Ping Village with the family, with several dining options, kid-friendly entertainment, photo op spots and shops all sprawled out in the plaza.

If it’s a particularly hot day (as it often is in Hong Kong), get some respite from the heat at Motion 360, an immersive theatre experience that kids love. This indoor spaceship ride flies over the Big Buddha and under the sea, letting you marvel at Lantau’s beauty in a completely different way – remember you might get a little wet! You can also wander through the Ngong Ping Nature Centre that dives into the history and culture of Lantau, complete with a game corner and landscape models.

When the kids get peckish, you’ll have your pick of choices from egg waffles at Color Chacha to sushi at Matsuzaka Express and Chinese classics at Bachelor Tea & Dim Sum. There’s a handy Starbucks close by for when you need a caffeine break. You can also opt to get local bites at Po Lin Monastery’s Vegetarian Kitchen (open from 11:30am to 4:30pm) for some truly authentic tastes.

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In and around Ngong Ping Village, there are plenty of spots where you can stop, take a break and snag a quick pic. Keep an eye out for Bodhi Tree and Blessing Drums, Stupa Square (especially during festive seasons) with Big Buddha’s profile in the background, Wisdom Path (closed until the end of 2026) for beautiful scenery and of course Po Lin Monastery. This Chan Buddhist monastery on Ngong Ping Plateau was founded in 1906, making it 120 years old this year. It is home to three bronze statues of the Buddha and several Buddhist scriptures. Here you’ll find the Main Shrine Hall of Buddha, the Grand Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas and the Hall of Skanda Bodhisattva, plus you can pick up unique wooden bracelets that are only available for sale near the Tian Tian Buddha.

Once you’ve finished your visit at the Big Buddha and you’re ready to leave, but want a souvenir to remember the day, don’t stress! There are five different souvenir shops, each one centring a different attraction, whether it’s the Cable Car, Tian Tian Buddha or Motion 360. There’s also Pick Light where your child can pick out a doll for themselves (you’ll find familiar characters here from Disney, Sanrio, Kirby and more), Chopstick Gallery if you’re looking for beautifully ornate gifts and Crystal Forest that stocks a wide variety of – you guessed it – crystals, in the form of sculptures and jewellery.

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Big Buddha

How To Get To Big Buddha

Also known as Tian Tian Buddha, Hong Kong’s Big Buddha is one of its most popular tourist destinations. It sits next to the Po Lin Monastery and is only a 10-minute walk from Ngong Ping Village (or slightly longer if you’re wrangling easily distracted kids!). Once you’re at the village, it’s quite hard to miss given its sheer size and amount of helpful signage, but remember that it takes over 260 steps to get to the top and most kids will need several breaks (or to be carried) to make it that far. While walking to and from Big Buddha, please bear in mind that this is a place of worship for many and should be treated as such.

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Big Buddha Opening Hours And Prices

The Big Buddha is open daily to visitors from 10am to 5:30pm (giving you enough time to get the last cable car home). It is free to get to the Big Buddha via the stairs, but there is a fee of around $40 to go inside and get a complimentary, vegetarian snack at the monastery.

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