Tai O Village

Travel Guide

Tai O Village featuring markets
Tai O Village featuring a bay or harbor, boating and mountains
Tai O Village
Photo provided by Hong Kong Tourism Board
Photo provided by Hong Kong Tourism Board
Not far from Hong Kong’s very modern airport is an old fishing village with houses built on stilts. Visit this town for a glimpse of traditional life in China.

Although Tai O is less than 9 miles (15 kilometers) southwest from Tung Chung, the one-way trip to the village will take one hour by car, two by bus, or three on the more direct hiking route. You’ll feel as if you’ve traveled centuries into the past.

Over 300 years ago, fishing families lived on houseboats or on homes built on stilts above the tidal flats on the western side of Lantau Island. They fished in the rich waters of the South China Sea, in virtual isolation from the traders and sailors using the rapidly developing harbors of Hong Kong Island. Tai O is itself an island separated from the mainland of Lantau by two narrow rivers.

Visit Tai O to see and photograph the peaceful local culture. Walk across the manually operated pedestrian drawbridge to tour the small town of homes clustered along the rivers’ shores. Observe how the unusual houses seem to be floating on water at high tide, while at low tide they rise precariously from thin stilts stuck into thick mud.

Historically the town has been a center for salt production, illegal immigration and smuggling, but fishing has been a mainstay for the villagers over the centuries. Visit Tai O to see descendants of these families at work mending nets, sorting their catch and creating a specialty shrimp paste. As their children grow up, however, they often look for greater opportunity in larger cities, and the town’s population dwindles.

Tourism is important to the town. One landmark building, the Tai O Police Station, has been converted to a hotel and restaurant. Visit the Yeung Hau Temple, constructed in 1699, and a historically preserved building. Take a trip with a local boatman to see Chinese dolphins. Buy some shrimp paste and watch the sunset.

If you are in Central, the easiest and most scenic way to get to Tai O is by ferry to Mui Wo and then the Number 1 bus to Tai O. Alternatively, take the train to Tung Chung and then the Number 11 bus or hiking trails through Lantau North Country Park.

ibis Hong Kong Central And Sheung Wan
ibis Hong Kong Central And Sheung Wan
3.5 out of 5
No. 28 Des Voeux Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
The price is P5,370 per night from 1 Apr to 2 Apr
P5,370
P6,068 total
includes taxes & fees
Apr 1 - Apr 2
Stay at this 3.5-star eco-certified hotel in Hong Kong. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast (surcharge), and a fitness center. Our guests praise the helpful staff and ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (1,582 reviews)
"Easy and smooth check in. Staff were friendly and helped us out with a later check out, we just paid half of a daily charge (considering we checked out at 6 pm). The bed and pillows were a bit stiff to our liking but again staff did everything to organise a topper and exchange pillows."

Reviewed on Mar 11, 2025

ibis Hong Kong Central And Sheung Wan
Four Points By Sheraton Hong Kong, Tung Chung
Four Points By Sheraton Hong Kong, Tung Chung
4 out of 5
9 Yi Tung Road, Tung Chung, Lantau Island, Tung Chung
The price is P5,536 per night from 16 Mar to 17 Mar
P5,536
P6,255 total
includes taxes & fees
Mar 16 - Mar 17
Stay at this 4-star hotel in Tung Chung. Enjoy free WiFi, 2 restaurants, and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in ...
9/10 Wonderful! (1,090 reviews)
"Great"

Reviewed on Mar 10, 2025

Four Points By Sheraton Hong Kong, Tung Chung
Disney's Hollywood Hotel
Disney's Hollywood Hotel
4 out of 5
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Lantau
The price is P10,662 per night from 7 Apr to 8 Apr
P10,662
P12,048 total
includes taxes & fees
Apr 7 - Apr 8
Stay at this 4-star family-friendly hotel in Lantau. Enjoy free WiFi, an outdoor pool, and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff in our ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (1,000 reviews)
"Very accommodating and friendly staff"

Reviewed on Mar 6, 2025

Disney's Hollywood Hotel
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
TOWNPLACE WEST KOWLOON
TOWNPLACE WEST KOWLOON
5 out of 5
10 Lai Ying Street, Kowloon
Stay at this 5-star luxury aparthotel in Kowloon. Enjoy free WiFi, an outdoor pool, and a 24-hour front desk. Popular attractions Victoria Harbour and Nathan ...
9/10 Wonderful! (84 reviews)
Incredible view and everything brand new!
"Brand new hotel, we’re fortunate enough to be arranged to a harbour view studio. Gym and rooftop BBQ place are one of the highlights we enjoyed very much. Only downside is the studio is incredibly small so with a small family is a bit of a stretch, they have a cot which is a big plus!"

Reviewed on Feb 2, 2025

TOWNPLACE WEST KOWLOON
Two MacDonnell Road
Two MacDonnell Road
4 out of 5
Two MacDonnell Road, Mid-Level, Hong Kong
Stay at this 4-star aparthotel in Hong Kong. Enjoy free WiFi, room service, and parking (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (642 reviews)
"Great 👍 place"

Reviewed on Feb 28, 2025

Two MacDonnell Road
Ying’nFlo, Hong Kong, Wan Chai by Langham Hospitality Group
Ying’nFlo, Hong Kong, Wan Chai by Langham Hospitality Group
4 out of 5
3-5 Wan Chai Gap Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Stay at this 4-star aparthotel in Hong Kong. Enjoy free WiFi, daily housekeeping, and dry cleaning or laundry services. Our guests praise the helpful staff and ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (369 reviews)
Nice stay, friendly staff
"There is a steep hill to access the hotel and most taxis will not drive up this hill.."

Reviewed on Mar 10, 2025

Ying’nFlo, Hong Kong, Wan Chai by Langham Hospitality Group
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit