FROM MY TRAVELS
Hong Kong
Last updated: October 2026
Hong Kong has given me the Monster Building, rainbow colours at Choi Hung and a supposedly serious pose at Chi Lin Nunnery that was really just the sun in my eyes. For the two nights I had in 2025, I’d start with the harbour and give the city one full day.
Route overview
Stops are approximate. Dashed lines show the order, not the roads. Optional stops are swaps, not extras.
Select a stop below to locate it. Drag to pan; use the controls or arrow keys to explore.
Before you go
- Carry Hong Kong dollars for small eateries and markets. Cards are useful at hotels and larger shops; Hong Kong uses a separate currency from mainland China.
- An Octopus card is useful on participating transport and at many shops. Check purchase and top-up arrangements for the physical or visitor app version you choose.
- Use MTR routes and station exits for city trips, and check ferry times separately. A cross-border train or airport service needs its own fare and boarding plan.
- For taxis or ride-hailing, save the destination in Chinese and English and confirm the pickup side of the road.
- English signage is widely useful; Cantonese is the local spoken language. ‘M̀h gōi’ is useful for thanks or excuse me when receiving a service.
- Choose a Hong Kong SIM or eSIM; mainland coverage is not automatically included. Keep passport details available for required SIM registration.
Sorting out the practical bits? See the tools I use when I travel for data, bookings, gear and China payment tips.
A note on the links I may earn a commission from bookings or purchases through these affiliate links.
A route for your visit
Includes arrival and departure days, which also link to the next part of the trip.
Arrival · Settle in before choosing the first walk
Allow for the airport journey, luggage and check-in before deciding how much of the afternoon remains. A nearby meal and a short waterfront walk are enough for a late arrival. If you have more time, start the harbour route below. Just don’t buy a timed ticket that relies on your flight and transfer going perfectly.
Cross the harbour and stay for a while
Take the Star Ferry between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui as part of the route, not there and straight back. I’d arrive on the Kowloon side, walk the waterfront and spend a little time on the Avenue of Stars before dinner. Allow a few hours for the crossing, walk and meal. The skyline changes as the light fades, so you don't need several paid viewpoints on top of it. Choose a meal on the side where you want to spend the evening.
The Star Ferry is how locals cross the harbour. It’s more than a skyline backdrop. Use it to get across, then spend time on the other waterfront.
Central’s steep streets and layers of old and new buildings show a different city from the waterfront panorama. Leave time for the smaller lanes off the main route.
Full day · The Peak or more of Central
When visibility suits, allow the Peak a substantial window for the journey, queues and time outside. Keep Central and the Soho escalator area as the other part of the day. In poor visibility, use that time for a longer street-level outing and meal instead. Pick Mong Kok or the harbour for the evening, depending on where you want to end up. Don’t cross the city twice to do both.
The Peak reveals how densely Hong Kong fits between steep terrain and the harbour. Pick a clear window for the view. Don’t go just because a time slot is free.
Mong Kok’s busy shopping streets give the evening a neighbourhood energy different from the harbour. Do a small loop and stop for dinner. You won’t see every market.
Street art in Hong Kong. If you choose the ticketed version, compare Peak Tram and viewing-deck options and check whether the viewing deck, tram or both are included.
Evening · Pick one setting
Mong Kok offers a different evening from the harbour, with streets and market areas to walk through before dinner. Alternatively, stay by the water and check the current evening programme. Choose one. Crossing back and forth to collect both experiences takes time from the part of the evening you actually want to enjoy.
Departure · Protect the Guangzhou connection
Confirm the departure point, ticket conditions and cross-border requirements for the service you book. Leave room to retrieve luggage and reach the terminal or station. A short local breakfast fits more reliably than another major attraction. The original two-night stop is the basis here; an extra sightseeing day requires another night, not a compressed departure morning.
What to budget
Prices checked September 2026. These are for the named ticket or service. Check your date and what’s included before you pay.
- Central–Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry: HKD 4–6.50 one way — Adult fare varies by deck and weekday versus weekend/public holiday. This is the regular crossing, not a harbour tour. Price source
Budget HKD 60–150 per person for a simple meal. That’s a rough guide. Drinks and nicer restaurants cost more. Price transfers separately, especially private drivers, boats and airport trips.
A few photo tips
- From the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, use blue hour for the Hong Kong Island skyline and leave walking space behind the camera.
- On the ferry, photograph from a permitted seated or stable position without obstructing boarding.
- At the Peak, pick the viewing area that suits the light. If it’s hazy, enjoy the closer view.
If the weather changes
Use a museum and a longer Central meal; move the Peak to a clearer window and check ferry operation during severe weather.
The final day and your flight
Morning flight: stay within reach of Hong Kong International Airport the night before, then keep the morning for checkout and the transfer. Allow for the airline’s check-in time as well as the trip.
Afternoon flight: keep any walk near your bags and allow the airport journey; for the recorded Guangzhou leg, follow the booked cross-border departure and document checks instead. Work out the transfer and bag pickup time before deciding when to finish.
Following the architecture photos
Chi Lin Nunnery can be the focus of a separate outing. Choi Hung and the Monster Building are residential settings, so check current visitor guidance and respect access and photography restrictions. Don't turn those older photos into a cross-city checklist for one short afternoon.
Booking checks
Confirm the Guangzhou connection and any attraction ticket. Keep the Peak flexible around visibility.
Useful booking links (optional)
Connected, from arrival.
Keep maps, hotel details and bookings close at hand. Find an Airalo eSIM for your next trip.
15% offNew Airalo usersANDYPANELNEW10% offAll Airalo usersANDYPANELCodes apply automatically through these links. Valid until 30 June 2027.
Before you buy, check your phone is unlocked and supports eSIMs, and look at the coverage, data and activation rules.
I may earn a commission through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.