Tian Tan Buddha and Ngong Ping: Lantau Visit Guide
Plan a Lantau visit to the Tian Tan Buddha, Po Lin Monastery and Ngong Ping with cable car and bus options, opening hours and the 268 steps.
Contents
The Tian Tan Buddha, often called the Big Buddha, sits beside Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island: a bronze statue 34 metres high including its base, completed in 1993, with 268 steps leading up to it.[1] Ngong Ping is the surrounding plateau and village, not another name for the statue. From the Ngong Ping cable car terminal it is a further 10-minute walk to the monastery.[2]
Plan the statue, the monastery and the village as nearby but distinct stops. The Thus Come Thus Gone Exhibition has its own location and hours, which differ from those of the outdoor statue.
Choose your way up to Ngong Ping
For a scenic approach, the Ngong Ping 360 cable car runs between Tung Chung and Ngong Ping, a ride of about 25 minutes over 5.7 kilometres, with views of Lantau's green mountains and the water below.[1] Tickets are sold as single trip or round trip, with standard cabins and Crystal Cabins, and the two trips of a round-trip ticket are valid on the same day only.[3] The Tung Chung cable car terminal is next to Tung Chung MTR Station, a five-minute walk from Exit B. The cable car and Ngong Ping Village open from 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and from 09:00 to 18:30 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, with different hours on some designated dates.[4]
The bus is the other way up. Lantau Bus 23 runs from the bus station outside Tung Chung MTR Station to Ngong Ping Bus Terminus in about 45 minutes. You can also take the First Ferry from Central Pier to Mui Wo and Lantau Bus 2 from there to Ngong Ping, about 35 minutes from Mui Wo.[2]
Things to Do
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Allow for the steps and the monastery's separate schedule
You climb 268 steps to reach the statue.[1] The staircase is the main physical effort of a Buddha visit. If steps are a problem for you, ask the monastery about access on (852) 2985 5248.[2]
The Big Buddha is open daily from 10:00 to 17:30, the monastery from 09:00 to 18:00, and its vegetarian kitchen from 11:30 to 16:30, including public holidays.[2] The Thus Come Thus Gone Exhibition is in the Hall of Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha and the Hall of Bodhisattva Amitabha in front of the monastery's Buddha Hall, open from 10:00 to 17:00, seven days a week. It explains how the Buddha was built from 202 bronze pieces and how it was restored from 2020 to 2022.[5]
Decide whether to add Tai O
If you want a longer Lantau day, Tai O, the old fishing village, makes a separate stop after Ngong Ping. Lantau Bus 21 runs from the bus stop in Tai O to Ngong Ping Bus Terminus in about 15 minutes.[2] Plan your return journey before you go.
Keep the cable car plan flexible
Rainstorms or thunderstorms may suspend the cable car, and on scheduled servicing days the cable car stops while Ngong Ping Village stays open. Check the operator's FAQ and website announcements, or call its Guest Services hotline on (852) 3666 0606, before you set out.[3] The bus is the alternative if the cable car is not running.
For a short visit, focus on the Buddha and monastery, and add Tai O only if you have time for the extra journey. For more ideas, continue with GoAsia's Hong Kong destination guide.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Hong Kong Tourism Board: The Big Buddha. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [2] Po Lin Monastery: Visitors: Lantau routes and opening hours. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [3] Ngong Ping 360: FAQs: operating hours and bad-weather service. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [4] Ngong Ping 360: Tourist Guide: opening hours and getting here. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
- [5] Po Lin Monastery: Tian Tan Giant Buddha Thus Come Thus Gone Exhibition. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Big Buddha is the Tian Tan Buddha statue. Ngong Ping is the surrounding plateau and village, and Po Lin Monastery is beside the statue. From the Ngong Ping cable car terminal it is a further 10-minute walk to the monastery.
268 steps lead up to the statue. If steps are a problem, ask Po Lin Monastery about access to the upper platform.
The Ngong Ping 360 cable car takes about 25 minutes from Tung Chung and gives views of Lantau's mountains and water. Lantau Bus 23 from outside Tung Chung MTR Station takes about 45 minutes. Both start at Tung Chung, so the choice is the ride against the road connection. The cable car can be suspended in bad weather.
Yes. Lantau Bus 21 runs from Tai O to Ngong Ping Bus Terminus in about 15 minutes. Plan your return journey before you go.
The Big Buddha is open from 10:00 to 17:30, the monastery from 09:00 to 18:00 and the vegetarian kitchen from 11:30 to 16:30 daily, including public holidays. The cable car and Ngong Ping Village open from 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and from 09:00 to 18:30 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, with different hours on some designated dates.
No. The Thus Come Thus Gone Exhibition is open from 10:00 to 17:00 daily in two halls in front of the monastery's Buddha Hall, while the Big Buddha is open from 10:00 to 17:30.
Yes. Rainstorms or thunderstorms may suspend the cable car, and scheduled servicing days also pause the service. Check the operator's announcements or call (852) 3666 0606 before you travel.
