I have an overwhelming affinity with Hong Kong with happy memories of great holidays, business trips and a layover at the famous now closed Kai Tak airport where the plane flew between the skyscrapers to land (showing my age now!). When I knew that a Hong Kong visit was on the cards, it filled me with excitement and anticipation as it’s impossible not to have a good time there. So, visit Hong Kong with me and find out why, “you can leave Hong Kong, but it will never leave you”.
There’s so much variety in Hong Kong, that there’s not a moment to get bored. Plan your stopover, city break or longer stay to include: temples and traditions, luxury shopping and night markets, horse-racing and rugby, trams and ferries, street food and Michelin starred treats. Hong Kong is ‘east meets west’, and ‘old alongside new’. It’s fabulous!
Hong Kong is in East Asia on the southern tip of China’s Guangdong Province, nestled between the South China Sea and Pearl River Delta.
Time Difference – Hong Kong is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and 7 hours ahead of British Summer Time.
Despite having a relatively small land mass at only 428 square miles, Hong Kong has a population of 7.5 million people, making it the fourth most densely populated area in the world after Singapore, Monaco and Macau).
Hong Kong is spilt into four major areas:
📌 Hong Kong Island – the largest island.
📌 Kowloon – on the mainland.
📌 Outlying Areas (including Lantau Island)
📌 New Territories – stretches north from the Kowloon peninsula.
Despite Hong Kong Island (7%) and Kowloon (4%) only accounting for a total 11% of the Hong Kong land mass, 47% of the population live between these two islands. As a result, you’ll see densely packed skyscrapers on these islands as the city operates at different levels of elevation to accommodate so many people. A Hong Kong visit may hurt your neck, as you’ll be looking up a lot!
You won’t find any fourth floors here as the Chinese word for the 'number 4' is too similar to the word for 'death'.
Move out into the New Territories or Outlying Areas and you can be in woodlands, wetlands and protected country parks, as well as more urban sprawl. There are 260 islands dotted around the archipelago; most of the islands are uninhabited, yet others like Lantau Island are more developed – it’s where the airport and Disneyland are located.
It’s not all skyscrapers in Hong Kong. There are plenty of mountains to climb for great vantage points, the most famous being Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island.
Hong Kong started out as a fishing village and, because it sat on the ancient Maritime Silk Road, traded in salt, tea, silk and porcelain. By the 19th century, the British Empire was heavily dependent on Hong Kong for these goods, but was unable offer goods of equal volume in return.
This large trade imbalance was ‘fixed’ by the British selling large quantities of Indian opium to the Chinese people resulting in conflict with the British – the first opium war took place between 1839 to 1842. China was defeated, forcing them to cede Hong Kong Island to the British under the Treaty of Nanking in 1842.
On-going friction, about who controlled the right to import opium in China, resulted in a second opium war between 1856 and 1860. Again, China was defeated, and the British gained a perpetual lease over the Kowloon Peninsula, and a 99-year lease over the New Territories & Outlying Islands.
Under British rule, Hong Kong flourished, first in manufacturing and then commerce. By the 1980’s, Hong Kong was one of the wealthiest places in the Far East.
Do you remember “Made in Hong Kong” stickers on your birthday presents in the 1970’s? It was a sign of quality and indicator that the toy was going to last.
As the end of the 99-year lease was approaching, China declared that it wanted the region back. Hong Kong and all the surrounding territories were transferred back to the People’s Republic of China on the 1 July 1997. It is now the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China.
Hong Kong has continued to grow and attracts 50 million visitors a year, mostly from the Chinese mainland. On each Hong Kong visit, I notice how much the skyline changes, and how more land is reclaimed from the sea to make space for ever more, and taller, skyscrapers.
Hong Kong makes a great location to visit regardless of how long you have available. Your itinerary can be easily shaped to fit who you are travelling with and how long you are staying for. The following sections aim to help you plan the perfect trip to Hong Kong.
There’s something for everyone on a Hong Kong visit, so you can plan your trip according to who you’re travelling with:
Couples – you can easily tailor a Hong Kong visit to the type of activities you enjoy as a couple, whether it’s a city tour, hiking along the Dragon’s Back trail on Hong Kong Island, enjoying a day on the beach at Repulse Bay, or taking a Victoria Harbour Night Cruise in a traditional Chinese junk.
Solo travellers – if you’re travelling solo, Hong Kong is easy enough to navigate on your own. However, if you’d enjoy some company, you could join a guided tour around Kowloon’s Walled City Park or a trip to the Big Buddha on Lantau Island. The Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tours are also a good option.
Young Adults – Hong Kong is an exciting 24-hour city of electric neon lights, food hawkers, busy markets and incredible architecture. Visit the vibrant night markets and join a Street Food Tour or take a trip on the Star Ferry to watch the Symphony of Light show at 8pm is always a winner and Instagram friendly. Then head to Mid-Levels for dim sum in the SoHo area, before joining a tour for a bar hop along Lan Kwai Fing.
Empty Nesters and Midlife Travelers – if you have more time, you could happily spend a week on a Hong Kong visit. Once you’re settled in, and have explored Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, then head out to some of the other islands. Having a night in Repulse Bay and hiking to Stanley, with stunning views over Deep Water Bay, is a great option. Alternatively, visit Macau – I only spent 24 hours in Macau but wished I had longer as there’s a lot to do.
Families – most of the good hotels have swimming pools which give the kids something to look forward to after morning sightseeing activities. You are not short of ideas for the kids in Hong Kong – there’s an aquarium at the Ocean Park theme park, Hong Kong Disneyland, lots of beautiful beaches with lifeguards on Hong Kong island, the Hong Kong observation wheel, a space museum, and don’t forget the free laser light show every night in Victoria Harbour.
The weather can make a significant impact on your Hong Kong visit, so make sure to consider which season for your travel plans.
Spring and Autumn – these are the best times for a Hong Kong visit when temperatures are cooler, averaging between 20-28 degrees Celsius, and the humidity is lower with clear skies. The Hong Kong Sevens rugby event takes place in late March.
Summer – is typically hot, very humid and rainy with temperatures often above 30C. These conditions are not ideal for sightseeing as the heat and humidity will wear you out quickly. Typhoon season is between July and September.
Winters – are colder, usually around 12-20 degrees Celsius. These cooler temperatures might suit some people for sightseeing.
The Chinese lunar year takes place between with the New Moon around 20 January to 20 February. Whilst it’s a busy time in Hong Kong, it is also an exciting one with many major events such as the Dragon boat festivals, decorations and light shows.
Historically, before the Middle East developed as a key airport hub, Hong Kong was a favourite place for an airport layover for those travelling long-haul from the west. So, if you were travelling from the UK to Australasia or the Far East, you might have broken up the journey with a couple of days (or in some cases hours) in Hong Kong.
Whilst that still happens, travellers now have a lot more choice about where they stop, and an increasing number of non-stop flights available. However, don’t forget about Hong Kong as an option – it offers a fantastic base for a flight stopover, a city break (long haul flights allowing) or a longer destination stay.
In my view, Hong Kong is more than worthy of being the ‘real destination’ of a trip, which I hope the following section will highlight.
There are many reasons to plan a Hong Kong visit, such as these highlights below:
East meets West / Old and New – Given its history, Hong Kong is a fusion of ‘east meets west’ and ‘old and new’. The busier islands have incredible skyscraper cityscapes peppered with colonial buildings, whilst the less populated islands transport you back in time with simple fishing villages and countryside vistas.
Island life and ferries – there are 263 islands in the South China Sea comprising the Hong Kong archipelago. This means that you are likely to catch a ferry at some point in your Hong Kong visit. You can quickly get ‘out of town’ on the ferries to visit another area of the city. Make sure to include a trip on the iconic Star Ferry on your trip.
Culture – Hong Kong is full of temples and Buddhas of various shapes and sizes, many of which you can visit on tours. Many of the temples have traditional fortune tellers outside. The city comes alive at night with numerous night markets, a light show over the harbour, and has an Avenue of Stars along the waterfront at Tsim Sha Tsui celebrating Hong Kong famous names such as martial artist turned actor Bruce Lee.
Food – the food is a major highlight on a Hong Kong visit. There are options at every price point, from street market options to Michelin starred dim sum at Tim Ho Wan or the roast dishes (char siu, suckling pig and goose) at Kam’s Roast Goose House (both still at affordable prices.) In fact, there are 76 Michelin starred restaurants in Hong Kong, drawing on flavours and tastes from all over the world. Just follow your nose there will be a steaming bowl of wonton soup waiting for you on the next corner.
The brave can book onto a Street Food Tour to sample offal skewers, snake soup or fermented tofu (sounds better than it smells!), washed down with a cup of chrysanthemum tea. For the less adventurous, drop into a Cha Chaan Teng (tea house) to sample Yuenyeung – a hybrid drink of black coffee (3 parts) and milky tea (7 parts).
Make sure to try Kwan Kee Bamboo Noodles, where Jook-sing min—traditional bamboo noodles—are still made by hand using a bamboo pole to flatten the dough. It’s labour-intensive and sadly, a dying art.
Shopping – there is no shortage of shopping options on a Hong Kong visit, with discount malls, designer boutiques, and vibrant street markets, all tax free; there is no VAT or GST (Goods and Service Tax) in Hong Kong. You can get a suit made in 24 hours to 3 days at Sam’s Tailors in Mong Kok on Hong Kong Island, shop for goldfish at the Goldfish Market in Tung Choi Street, or leave with a waving Lucky Cat, or two.
Sport – Hong Kong is a busy location for sporting fixtures including horse racing at the famous Happy Valley Racecourse (or the alternative, Sha Tin Racecourse), the Hong Kong Seven’s Rugby tournament, and the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival.
Theme parks – as mentioned earlier, Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau Island and Ocean Park Hong Kong in Wong Chuk Hang on Hong Kong Island.
Overall, it is a vibrant, pulsating city – one which will leave you exhausted, but wanting more, if you embrace all that it has to offer.
This obviously depends on how long you are visiting Hong Kong for – If you are only in town for 24 hours then you are likely to focus your time between Kowloon and the Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island. With more time then you can visit further afield and travel to some of the other islands, or the far side of Hong Kong Island.
On this Hong Kong visit, I gave myself 4 days which I organised as follows:
Kowloon – temples and gardens (Chi Lin Nunnery, Nan Lian Gardens, Wong Tai Sin Taoist Temple), horseracing at Sha Tin Racecourse, the Symphony of Lights and Avenue of the Stars, Temple Street Night Market and Ladies Market.
Hong Kong Island – the Star Ferry, Big Bus HoHo Tour, Victoria Peak Tram, Central business district and Mid-levels Escalators, Mong Kok, Ding Ding trams, Aberdeen, Deep Water Bay, and Stanley.
Lantau Island – the Tian Tan Buddha (‘Big Buddha’), Po Lin Monastery, Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car, Tai O stilt fishing village, and Hong Kong DisneyLand.
Macau – the fishing villages of Taipa and Coloane, old Macau and signs of Portuguese influence, the Cotai casino strip, giant pandas, temples, and great food: Lord Stowe’s egg custard tarts and legendary Macau pork chop buns.
Anthony Bourdain – throughout our time in Hong Kong and Macau, I tried to visit some of the places where chef Tony had eaten, or at least to take inspiration from his experiences.
Make sure to include some down-time in-between all your excursions. Hong Kong can be a sensory overload so you will appreciate being able to relax at your hotel for a bit, take afternoon tea, and regroup before the next section of your trip.
Hong Kong is a 12-hour flight from the UK, or slightly longer if you stopover in the Middle East on the way. On this Hong Kong visit, we flew with Ethiad from Manchester, changing flights in Abu Dhabi which took 16 hours with the connection. The longer travel time isn’t so bad, as you can stretch your legs on the changeover, and it might work better for your flight arrival times, allowing you to maximise your time.
As soon you get off the plane in Hong Kong, you will be struck how organised, well planned and spotlessly clean Hong Kong airport is. We had a good experience on arrival and were straight through immigration within 15 minutes (hand luggage only!).
Hong Kong International Airport is at Chek Lap Kok on Lantau Island and there are multiple methods to get into town.
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is recognised as the 6th best airport in the world. After a seamless arrival and departure, I’d put it at No. 1!
Whilst taxis and buses are plentiful, I would recommend using the MTR to move around the Hong Kong area; it is quick and well connected.
At Hong Kong International Airport, there is a MTR station in the Arrivals Hall, with a kiosk for assistance if needed.
Depending on where you are staying you can either, catch the MTR Airport Express:
Directly to Kowloon Station (22 minutes) and onto Hong Kong Station (24 minutes) which costs HK$ 100 for a one-way ticket (about £10)..
First, to Hong Kong Station, followed by a quick walk to MTR Central to catch the Tsuen Wan Line - 40 minutes in total. I found this to be the quickest way to get to Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side from the airport.
Buying tickets for the MTR – like western tube systems, the MTR accepts bank cards/smart phones for entry (‘Tap on/Tap off’), or you can buy an Octopus Card if you want to avoid any bank charges for foreign transactions. You need to purchase the Octopus card with cash, but then you can top it up with cash or bank card during the trip. You can buy an Octopus Card from the kiosk at the Airport Arrivals Hall MTR station.
Fares are higher at weekends and on public holidays, so try to travel on a weekday where possible.
The MTR information boards are in Chinese and English and there are spotlessly clean free public toilets in every station. The train carriages are like new – clean, with no graffiti.
No eating or drinking is permitted on the MTR and all passengers respectful of their fellow passengers. Similarly, have your phone on silent on the MTR. My phone went off and an elderly lady sat next to me gave a very powerful stare to convey her disapproval, lesson learnt!
There’s a hotel for every budget in Hong Kong – hostels, budget hotels, business hotels to the Luxury market. Check out the range of options on Booking.com.
In terms of where to locate yourself, because it’s so easy to get around then it doesn’t really matter whether you’re on Hong Kong Island or Kowloon.
We stayed at the IHG Intercontinental Grand Stanford on Mody Road using IHG points which worked well.
Make sure to check the advice of your relevant government body before your Hong Kong visit, the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) in the case of the UK.
Crime – Hong Kong has relatively low crime rates and an exceptionally well-trained police force. Petty crime and pickpocketing are a rare event, and violent crime against foreign nationals is extremely rare. Organised crime groups, such as the triads, are present, but pose no threat to travellers. All that said, be alert and know where your valuables are at all times, just in case you are unlucky.
Passports – for British Citizens travelling to Hong Kong on a full British passport, your passport should be valid for at least one month after the date you plan to leave Hong Kong. Special guidelines are given for those with dual nationality (see FCDO advice).
Visas – Hong Kong is part of the People’s Republic of China but is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) with its own immigration controls. As a British Citizen travelling on a full, valid passport, you can visit Hong Kong as a tourist for up to 6 months without a visa.
Insurance – there is no requirement for visitors to have appropriate health insurance to cover all healthcare needs, however private healthcare is expensive and use of public healthcare in emergencies you will be charged a premium for using the services.
The local population proudly identify as ‘Hong Kongers’ and most speak Cantonese. However, English is widely spoken on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon. So, if you are getting a taxi or hoping on a bus, language shouldn’t be a barrier.
The further out you travel into the territories, the less English is spoken; since moving back under Chinese control, it is now more common to hear Mandarin speakers conversing.
However, all transport signs are in Chinese and English, with public announcements on the metro in both languages.
Currency – the currency is Hong Kong Dollars (HK$).
Payments – You can buy an Octopus Card, or download a smart one, and they are accepted everywhere, especially at smaller eateries or coffee shops and on the transport network link. The locals use Union Pay, Alipay and Wechat for electronic payments.
There are loads of currency exchange places – you’ll find ATMs in banks everywhere (HSBC, Standard Chartered, Citibank) with no charges for withdrawing cash; larger shops and restaurants take VISA and Mastercard; all the hotels where we stayed accepted AMEX. On Hong Kong Island or Kowloon, all western payment methods are fine, however if you move out into the Territories, take some cash as back up.
Tipping – Hong Kong does not really have a tipping culture, so small gestures are appreciated, such as, rounding up your taxi fare.
Most restaurants add a 10% service charge and it’s up to you whether you want to add more; smaller coffee shops or street food vendors will have a tip jar at the counter. Bars might also add a 10% service charge, but if not, and if you’ve had a good time then simply round up the bill.
Up-market hotels will expect tips for porters, but HK$20 will suffice, and its customary to leave a tip HK$20 per day for housekeeping staff.
As a rule on organised tours, such as those booked through Get Your Guide, tip your tour guide (and driver if relevant) 10-20% of the tour cost if it’s been good.
Always give tips in cash.
What you pack for your Hong Kong visit, will depend on the time of year when you visit. Here are some highlights:
For most of the year, Hong Kong is hot and humid, so packing light, breathable clothes is the best suggestion. If you’re travelling in winter, then take a jumper or two for chillier days.
Don’t travel to Hong Kong without a mini umbrella as it can rain at any point, even in the wetter seasons; however, rainfall is often in short tropical downpours which quickly clear. It will be too hot and humid for a poncho or cagoule!
Ladies, if you are going to be visiting temples, then take a scarf with you in case there’s a requirement to cover up shoulders, knees or even head. That said, Hong Kong seems more relaxed about this than in other areas of the country or other countries. Also, a scarf is useful for air-conditioned buildings which can be chilly after the heat outside.
Your camera may steam up in the humidity so you might have trouble from time to time, particularly moving from air-conditioned rooms to the humid air outdoors.
To stop your camera lens from fogging up, seal your camera in an air-tight plastic bag before entering a warm, humid environment. Only take it out, once your camera has acclimatised to the outdoor temperature.
The British type G plug is used in Hong Kong, so no adaptors required.
In closing
On this return, I explored further afield this time and included a trip to Macau. Whilst elements of the old Hong Kong are still there and visible, the city is changing very quickly: more land is being reclaimed from the sea, so that more skyscrapers can be built to accommodate an ever-increasing population. This makes the pockets of greenery and tranquil temple spaces even more special.
The positives - it is easy to get around Hong Kong and the food is incredible. It’s a perfect place for a first taste of Asia, and one I’m sure you’ll want to return to.
It's true - you can leave Hong Kong, but it will never leave you!
Join thousands of travelers looking for inspiration from our FREE Planet Travel newsletter!
Your step-by-step framework for stress-free, unforgettable trips — from first idea to final itinerary.
Your step-by-step framework for stress-free, unforgettable trips — from first idea to final itinerary.
Join thousands of travelers looking for inspiration from our FREE Planet Travel newsletter!
