Bowen Road For The Perfect Family Walk Or Run In Central, Hong Kong

Stretching from Mid-Levels to Wong Nai Chung Gap on Hong Kong Island, Bowen Road is one of the city’s most easily accessed walking trails.

If you’re coming from the Mid-Levels side, the trail begins at the junction with Magazine Gap Road (near the rail of the Peak Tram) and runs for four kilometers (2.5 miles) to the intersection of Stubbs Road, Tai Hang Road, and Wong Nai Chung Gap Road, right next to Adventist Hospital. There are also multiple access points along the trail, such as Bowen Drive and Borrett Road.

What’s so great about this path is that it’s a flat trail which is rare in a city like Hong Kong, where steep hills are the norm in most neighborhoods. The path is also relatively shaded for exercise without risking sunstroke, even in the summer heat. While vehicles are few and far between, they are permitted on the road, so it’s something to keep in mind if you’re a fast runner or have kids on bikes or scooters. There are also little exercise stations dotted along the path, which are great for a bit of circuit training or a quick break for the kiddos.

The trail does come with a bit of notoriety, being the site of numerous animal poisonings beginning in 1989 and continuing today. Despite this, the trail is still popular with dog walkers though it is strongly recommended that dogs are muzzled if they are prone to eating food off the ground.