Lamma Island Hiking & Seafood Itinerary
Almost everything worth doing on Lamma fits into a single day, and it fits into a single line on the map: sail to one village, walk the 5 km Family Trail across the island to the other village, then eat seafood on the pier-side row before the last ferry. The walk is easy and paved, about 90 minutes at a relaxed pace, which is why the island works so well on foot. The meal is why most people come. This page is the plan we would give a friend — which direction to walk, when to sit down for dinner, what the seafood row actually costs, and the ferry that has to bring you home.
The short answer:
- Walk: the Family Trail, Yung Shue Wan to Sok Kwu Wan. 5 km, about 90 minutes, easy, paved the whole way, with Hung Shing Yeh Beach and the Lamma Winds turbine on the route (the turbine itself was permanently shut down on 11 May 2026 and is due to be dismantled).
- Eat: the Sok Kwu Wan seafood row, a short walk from the ferry pier. Benchmarks run from HK$42 noodle bowls in Yung Shue Wan to HK$680 signature seafood plates in Sok Kwu Wan.
- Budget the day: two ferry singles, HK$55.80 on a weekday or HK$78.20 on a Sunday or public holiday, plus dinner.
- Never forget this: the last ferry to Central leaves Sok Kwu Wan at 10.40 p.m. and Yung Shue Wan at 11.30 p.m. If you want an unhurried dinner, walk towards Yung Shue Wan and sail home from there.
The Family Trail in 90 minutes
One path links Lamma's two villages, and it is the reason a day trip here works without a tour or a taxi. It is paved and signposted, with harbour views for much of the second half.
| Distance | Time | Difficulty | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 km | About 90 minutes at a leisurely pace | Easy — suitable for all ages | Yung Shue Wan → Hung Shing Yeh Beach → Lamma Winds (turbine site; permanently closed 11 May 2026) → Sok Kwu Wan |
What you pass on the way
Leaving Yung Shue Wan, the trail follows the island's north-west shore to Hung Shing Yeh Beach, one of Lamma's LCSD-managed beaches and the natural place for a swim in summer. From there it climbs gently past the Lamma Winds turbine — the turbine was permanently shut down on 11 May 2026 and is due to be dismantled, though the trail still passes the site — then drops over the ridge into Sok Kwu Wan, where you walk straight into the restaurant row. For both LCSD beaches and the rest of the island's shoreline, see our Lamma Island beaches and nature guide.
If you want more than 90 minutes
Two add-ons turn a half-day walk into a full one. The Kamikaze Cave detour adds roughly 2 km and 45–60 minutes to the Family Trail at a moderate grade, and leads to a cave system used by Japanese forces in the Second World War. Mount Stenhouse, at 353 m the island's highest point, is a different proposition: a 3.5 km round trip on a steep, partially maintained path that takes 2–3 hours and is for experienced hikers with proper footwear and water. Both are described in detail, with safety notes, in our Lamma Island hiking and adventure guide.
Which direction? This is the one decision that matters
Both villages have seafood restaurants, so either direction gives you the same walk. What changes is your evening: how late you can eat, how much choice you get beyond seafood, and which ferry carries you home.
| Option A — seafood first | Option B — dinner with slack | |
|---|---|---|
| Sail out to | Yung Shue Wan (~27 minutes) | Sok Kwu Wan (~30–40 minutes) |
| Walk | Yung Shue Wan → Sok Kwu Wan, about 90 minutes | Sok Kwu Wan → Yung Shue Wan, about 90 minutes |
| Eat in | Sok Kwu Wan: the full seafood row, pier-side | Yung Shue Wan: seafood plus Thai, Mexican, Spanish, Mediterranean and noodles |
| Last ferry home | 10.40 p.m. from Sok Kwu Wan | 11.30 p.m. from Yung Shue Wan |
| Best for | A seafood-focused day, an early evening, and a short walk to the pier after dinner | A later dinner, a wider menu, and 50 minutes more slack |
Option A is the classic: you sail in first, buy water on the way through the village, walk off lunch, and finish at the table. Option B suits anyone who wants a long dinner or has non-seafood eaters in the group — Yung Shue Wan's main street has the wider choice, and the later sailing means you are not watching the clock. The one thing not to do is walk towards the village with the earlier last ferry unless you intend to eat early.
Ferries: fares, journey times and the last boat home
Both Lamma routes leave from Central Pier 4 and are operated by Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry (HKKF). Fares below are the adult single-journey fares published by the Transport Department and effective from 1 April 2026.
| Route (both directions) | Journey time | Adult, Mon–Sat | Adult, Sun & public holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Pier 4 ↔ Yung Shue Wan | About 27 minutes | HK$24.90 | HK$34.70 |
| Central Pier 4 ↔ Sok Kwu Wan | About 30–40 minutes | HK$30.90 | HK$43.50 |
Because you arrive at one village and leave from the other, a return ticket does not work for this itinerary — buy two singles. On a weekday that is HK$24.90 out to Yung Shue Wan plus HK$30.90 back from Sok Kwu Wan, HK$55.80 per adult; the reverse direction costs the same. On a Sunday or public holiday it is HK$34.70 plus HK$43.50, HK$78.20. The operator's same-day return tickets only apply if your first trip starts from the island, which is why they are no use on a day trip from Central. Full timetables, downloadable schedules and the live "next ferry" tools are on our complete Lamma Island ferry schedule guide, at next ferry to Yung Shue Wan and next ferry to Sok Kwu Wan.
| Sailing | First departure | Frequency | Last departure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central → Yung Shue Wan | 6.30 a.m. (Mon–Sat; a Saturday-only sailing also runs at 2.30 a.m.) / 7.30 a.m. (Sun and public holidays; a 2.30 a.m. sailing also runs) | Roughly every 20–60 minutes | 12.30 a.m. the next day |
| Central → Sok Kwu Wan | 7.20 a.m. | About 11 sailings a day on Mon–Sat, roughly every 1¼–2 hours; more on Sundays and public holidays, some subject to demand | 11.30 p.m. |
| Yung Shue Wan → Central | 5.30 a.m. | Roughly every 20–60 minutes | 11.30 p.m. |
| Sok Kwu Wan → Central | 6.40 a.m. | About 11 sailings a day on Mon–Sat, roughly every 1¼–2 hours; more on Sundays and public holidays, some subject to demand | 10.40 p.m. |
Two timetable traps. The Sok Kwu Wan service is the sparse one: roughly eleven sailings a day rather than one or two an hour, so if you are sailing out to Sok Kwu Wan in the afternoon, plan backwards from a departure you have actually looked up. And the last ferry back from Sok Kwu Wan leaves at 10.40 p.m. even though ferries from Yung Shue Wan keep running to 11.30 p.m. — the 50-minute gap is the difference between a relaxed dinner and a sprint to the pier.
Lamma's weather decides ferries more often than any other factor in this plan. Before you commit, check our real-time ferry status and weather guide.
The Sok Kwu Wan seafood row: what it actually costs
Sok Kwu Wan exists for one meal: a working fishing harbour with a waterfront street of seafood restaurants, all within a few minutes of the ferry pier. Yung Shue Wan has seafood too, but its main street is the island's broader dining strip. Nothing here is a chain, and prices land in three clear tiers.
| Tier | Typical price | Where | Examples recorded in our restaurant research |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap and quick | HK$42–100 per person | Yung Shue Wan main street | Kuri Kuri cart noodles HK$42–58 a bowl; Jaybird mains HK$60–70; Little Thai dishes HK$58–98 |
| Mid-range | HK$45–200 a shared dish | Yung Shue Wan main street | Los Gangstas HK$60–120 a dish; Dale Candela tapas HK$45–200, three-course set lunch; Terracotta grilled and charcoal dishes, roast chicken HK$180 half / HK$320 full |
| Premium seafood | HK$300–700+ per person | Sok Kwu Wan waterfront | Lamma House: steamed sea crab with Sichuan peppercorn HK$680, steamed Lamma ma yau HK$680, signature fish soup HK$50. Terracotta's "Feed Me" set menu HK$400 per person |
As a planning figure rather than a menu, our dining price guide puts a standard dinner for two at HK$240–360 and a premium seafood dinner for two at HK$600–1,000. The full Lamma Island dining directory names the 13 places we have listed on the island; How Much Does Dinner Cost on Lamma Island? breaks the same prices down dish by dish, and How Much Does Beer Cost on Lamma Island? covers drinks.
Where to sit in Sok Kwu Wan
Lamma Rainbow Seafood Restaurant — No. 23–27 First Street, Sok Kwu Wan; telephone 2982 8100, WhatsApp 5175 6655; lammarainbow.net. Our food and dining page describes it as the best-known seafood restaurant on the island, with two branches in the village, both close to the ferry pier, and as one of the few Chinese restaurants on the island where it is possible to make a telephone booking to reserve a table, and all in English.
Lamma House — 1A–1B First Street, Sok Kwu Wan; telephone 2982 8338. The premium end of the row: live seafood, a waterfront setting, and the signature dishes above. Seafood is the whole point of the place, so this is where the HK$680 plates live, and reservations are sensible at weekends and on public holidays. Wai Kee Seafood Restaurant, near the Tin Hau temple, is one of the other long-established names on the same row.
Further up the island, Terracotta Lamma (47 Yung Shue Wan Main Street; terracottalamma.com) is the mid-to-premium Mediterranean option, open Wednesday to Monday from midday until late, and the one to book if you want a table with a view rather than a tank.
Confirm the price before you order. Fresh seafood is priced by whatever comes in that day, so the figures above are benchmarks recorded in our July–August 2025 restaurant research, not quotes. Ask the per-dish or per-weight price first — especially on the premium plates — and check the current menu when you sit down.
A worked day: two clocks
Option A — morning start, seafood finish
- 9.30 a.m. — ferry from Central Pier 4 to Yung Shue Wan (about 27 minutes).
- 10.15 a.m. — walk the main street, buy water and snacks for the trail.
- 11.00 a.m. — start the Family Trail towards Sok Kwu Wan.
- 11.45 a.m. — Hung Shing Yeh Beach; swim or just sit, depending on the season.
- 12.30 p.m. — pass the Lamma Winds turbine, permanently shut down on 11 May 2026; the trail still runs past the site.
- 1.15 p.m. — arrive Sok Kwu Wan; lunch on the row, or continue north for the Mount Stenhouse climb (2–3 hours, experienced hikers only).
- 6.30 p.m. — dinner on the seafood row.
- 10.30 p.m. — settle the bill and walk to the pier; the last ferry to Central leaves at 10.40 p.m.
Option B — afternoon start, later dinner
- 3.20 p.m. — ferry from Central Pier 4 to Sok Kwu Wan (about 30–40 minutes).
- 4.15 p.m. — start the Family Trail towards Yung Shue Wan, walking it in reverse.
- 5.45 p.m. — arrive Yung Shue Wan with time to change, rest or swim at Hung Shing Yeh Beach.
- 6.30 p.m. — dinner on the Yung Shue Wan main street: seafood, or the island's Thai, Mexican, Spanish and Mediterranean kitchens.
- 11.30 p.m. — last ferry to Central. There is no later sailing, so watch the time rather than the bar.
When to go — and when everyone else goes
Autumn and winter are the walking seasons — our hiking guide sets out the conditions season by season, and the Lamma Island weather guide covers temperature and rainfall month by month. The timetable above does not change with the season, but how full the trail and the ferries are certainly does.
- Chung Yeung Festival, Sunday 18 October 2026 — with the public holiday substituted to Monday 19 October, that long weekend puts the Family Trail among the most popular walks in Hong Kong. Go early or go midweek.
- Lamma Fun Day, Saturday 14 November 2026 — an all-day, free beach music festival at Tai Wan To Beach (known locally as Power Station Beach) in Yung Shue Wan, with around 50 acts across four stages. The Lamma8 charity run starts on the same morning at 8.00 a.m. (14 km) and 8.30 a.m. (8 km). Expect the busiest ferries and the fullest restaurants of the autumn; the Lamma Island culture and events guide has the detail.
- National Day, Thursday 1 October 2026 — a general holiday, and Central Pier 4 is busy from mid-morning.
Before you go
- Two singles, not a return. HK$55.80 weekday / HK$78.20 Sunday or public holiday.
- Water and sun. The trail is paved but exposed in places; supplies are much easier to find in the villages than on the trail itself.
- Take the maps offline. Our Lamma hiking trails map and Lamma restaurants map are downloadable, and there is a fuller maps and navigation guide for the island.
- Check the last sailing on the day. Timetables above are the Transport Department's, effective 1 April 2026; the operator's own Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry site carries live information, and the fares are published on the Transport Department ferry service details page.
More Lamma planning
If Lamma is one option among several, our comparison of Hong Kong's outlying islands sets it against the alternatives, and the Cheung Chau guide to the other islands looks at the same question from the island next door. Staying on Hong Kong Island itself? The Lamma Island complete guide on hong-kong-island.com covers the journey from that side of the harbour.