Hong Kong is an incredibly vibrant, diverse, and even paradoxical city. It seamlessly blends the rural with the urban, boasting as many temples as it does skyscrapers. Comprising over 200 islands, Hong Kong is a unique fusion of Eastern and Western cultures. With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to decide what to do in this dynamic city.
The essence of Hong Kong is perhaps best reflected in its impressive collection of world records and remarkable achievements. For instance, the city consumes more than three times the global average of tea annually, offers the world’s most affordable Michelin-starred dishes for under $2, hosted the sale of the world’s most expensive bottle of wine ($232,692), and uses Feng Shui principles to influence the design and positioning of its buildings. Additionally, it is home to the world’s largest permanent light and sound show, “A Symphony of Lights.”
But with so much to see and do, we’ve listed the top ten things to do in Hong Kong that no visitor can afford to miss.
1. Hong Kong Open Top Bus Tour
While there are plenty of tour operators in Hong Kong, the best way to truly experience the city is by taking an open-top bus tour. Given the city’s vast size, a bus tour allows you to fully see, hear, and immerse yourself in all that Hong Kong has to offer. A well-guided tour will take you past some of the city’s most stunning temples, bustling shopping areas, vibrant open-air markets, and breathtaking panoramic viewpoints.
Interesting Fact: Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers of any city in the world, with 8,000 buildings of 14 floors or above.
2. Dragon’s Back Hike
Recognized by Time Magazine as Asia’s top urban trail, the renowned Dragon’s Back trail takes hikers through lush bamboo groves and across the rolling peaks that connect Shek O Peak to Wan Cham Shan. From the summit of Shek O Peak, where kite flyers and paragliders often soar, you’ll be treated to sweeping views of Shek O, Tai Long Wan, and even Tung Lung Island.
Interesting Fact: The Dragon’s Back hike gets its name from the strange appearance of the path, which resembles the jagged backbone of a dragon.
3. Victoria Peak
Just like a beautiful painting, one of the most breath-taking ways to view Hong Kong is from afar; without a shadow of doubt, the best place to do this is from Victoria Peak. Looking down on the city from this famous vantage point really puts into perspective just how splendid and improbable Hong Kong’s skyline really is. If you don’t believe us, just google it.
Interesting Fact: Alexander Finley Smith was the first to propose a railway to the top of Victoria Peak. His aim was to bring customers to his hotel, located at the summit. Unfortunately the hotel was destroyed in a fire in 1938, though the railway has survived till the present day.
4. Macau Island Excursion
A bit of a cheat, since Macau isn’t actually a part of Hong Kong, but a cheat we’re choosing to ignore, since those in the region really can’t afford to miss out on what Macau offers: the Na Tcha Temple, the Ruins of St. Paul, the Old City Wall, Mount Fortress, and the remarkable Macau Tower. There are numerous vendors offering day trip from Hong Kong to Macau, so getting there shouldn’t be too hard.
Interesting Fact: Macau has the highest population density of any place in the world, but also boasts the second highest life expectancy.
5. Lantau Island
Lantau Island is the largest island in Hong Kong, and is home to the city’s famous stilt houses, the Po Lin Monastery and its vegetarian restaurant, the Ngong Ping 5.7 km-long cable car journey, Tung Chung Fort, the Trappist Haven Monastery and, of course, Hong Kong Disneyland. With all this, and so much more, trip to Lantau Island is one not to miss.
Interesting Fact: Nong Ping’s Giant Buddha statue is a whopping 26 metres tall, making it one of the largest Buddha statues in the world.
6. Lin Heung Tea House
Hong Kong is, in many ways, one of the most modern cities in the world. But something of the city’s exciting history and mysterious aura is kept very much alive at the Lin Heung Tea House, where it’s perpetually 1920. The decades-old parlour, located in Hong Kong’s central district, offers some of the most delicious traditional culinary treats and delicacies.
Interesting Fact: Lin Heung Tea House first opened in 1926, and has barely changed in appearance since that time.
7. Temple Street Night Market
Temple Street comes alive at night, when the traders set out their wares, the street-food vendors begin cooking, and Chinese opera troupes and fortune tellers begin to come out of the woodwork. A favourite location for Hollywood directors, the Temple Street Night Market epitomises Hong Kong’s rough-and-ready ghetto reputation.
Interesting Fact: Temple Street is home to many traditional Chinese medicine clinics. But those who run them are not called doctors, and instead prefer the term “masters”.
8. Star Ferry
Journey across Hong Hong’s iconic harbour on the Star Ferry and you’ll see shipping vessels of all shapes and sizes, absorb huge views of the Hong Kong coastline, and enjoy something that has, for centuries, been at the very heart of Hong Kong life – the smell, noise, and movement of the ocean.
Interesting Fact: The Star Ferry Company was established in 1888 and operated with a single vessel, The Morning Star. Today the Star Ferry Company owns 12 diesel and electric powered vessels, and some have the capacity to hold 750 passengers.
9. Charter a Junk
A junk, or motorised pleasure vessel, can be hired relatively cheaply in Hong Kong. If you’re going with a large group of friends, splitting the cost of a chartered boat can be a great and affordable way to see the place as it has appeared to hundreds of thousands of fishermen and pirates before you. If you’re lucky, and you ask the captain nicely, you may even get to view “A Symphony of Lights” from the water.
Interesting Fact: Junk boats are symbolic of Hong Kong’s maritime history, so much so that the Hong Kong Tourist board uses one as their logo.
10. Roof of the IFC Mall
The rooftop to the IFC, a central Hong Kong waterfront mall, houses many high-end bars and restaurants. But the comfortable sofas, tables, and armchairs that occupy the “no-man’s land” between the bars and eateries are free for anyone to use, meaning that you can enjoy the incredible views the IPC offers even when you’re not hungry or when you’re at the end of your trip and running low on cash.
Interesting Fact: In 2003, the Financial Times, HSBC, and Cathay Pacific put an advert on the IFC that stretched over more than 50 storeys.
Of course, there are many great attractions that we didn’t have the space to include on our list. But we feel as though these ten activities and sites will give anyone visiting Hong Kong are real glimpse of what the city is like, and a whole host of great memories.