Hong Kong translates to “fragrant harbor” in Cantonese. It’s a kaleidoscopic neon metropolis that’s always in motion with frenzied traffic and a hectic pace. Its MTR subway, taxis, ferries, trams, buses, minibuses, and funicular, all encourage efficient movement. HK offers a feast for the senses and of course your stomach because Hong Kongers think about eating all day. You’ll happily bump elbows at communal tables whether you’re grabbing a meal in daylight or enjoying siu yeh (midnight snacks). Hong Kongers also love to shop till you drop at small streets named after the goods and at giant megamalls.

The best views of the skyline are from the 55th floor of IFC2 or 43rd floor of Bank of China. During Chinese New Year, watch a half-hour fireworks extravaganza while locals decorate the city, eat special dishes, and play mahjong.

Adventures | Must Sees | Food | Transportation

ADVENTURES

Dukling

Sail on Hong Kong’s last authentic junk. Sailing junks and their red sails once roamed HK’s fragrant harbor, islands, and the Pearl River Delta. See the city’s skyscrapers from the water as the Dukling circles Victoria Harbour from Central to Causeway Bay.

Bowen Road

Run along car-free Bowen Road in Mid-Levels. The route is 4 km with stellar views of the cityscape. In this forested refuge, it’s easy to forget the frenetic city below.

 

MUST SEES

Victoria Peak

Ride the funicular to the anvil-shaped Peak Tower with its shops and restaurants, but you’re really here for the cityscape. From this commanding position, you can gaze at Victoria Harbour and the sparkling skyscrapers lining the coast.

Temple Street

Once the sun goes down, everyone is here to find what they need. Shoppers haggle over clothing, watches, and trinkets. Bask in the colorful neon and frenetic energy of its stalls. Or recharge with siu yeh (late-night snacks) at a dai pai dong (open-air food stall).

Jade Market

For millennia, the Chinese have linked the semiprecious gemstone with transcendental qualities. There are hundreds of jewelers displaying the green symbols of prosperity and immortality. A jade Chinese zodiac animal makes a great gift or souvenir.

Hong Kong Park

Hong Kong Park is an oasis beside the city’s business jungle and skyscrapers instead of trees. At the giant water lily pond, you can spot frogs, turtles, and dragonflies. You can also explore its tai chi garden, greenhouse, and aviary.

Lantau Island

Lantau is a peaceful escape from HK’s urban commotion. The Big Buddha sits on a lotus flower throne high on a hill. Climb 268 steps to get a closer look and soak in the coastal scenery. You can also have a vegetarian lunch at the Po Lin Monastery below.

Symphony of Lights

At 8 pm, find a seat at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and prepare for a spectacle. Once the sonic narrative begins, lights synchronized to the music paint the skyline. Lasers dance from the Bank of China Tower to the spaceship-inspired HSBC building and land on the IFC2 razor.

Flower Market

The Flower Market at Mong Kok overflows into the sidewalks. Freshly cut flowers and houseplants dot the park benches. Before Chinese New Year, auspicious plants, the roadside is full of orchids, mandarin orange trees, chrysanthemums, nipplefruits, and lucky bamboos.

Sai Kung

From the pier, step into a seafood lover’s paradise. At Hung Kee, point to your dinner in the massive tanks and dine al fresco. Feast on sea urchin-steamed egg, pissing shrimp, razor clams in black bean sauce, scallops on the shell, and sliced geoduck.

Avenue of Stars

This is Kowloon’s answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The waterfront celebrates the luminaries of HK cinema and has a statue of Bruce Lee. Plaques with handprints also honor stars such as Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li, and Gong Li. This is the best spot to view HK Island’s skyline.

Happy Valley

In Hong Kong, people go out every night and Happy Valley Racecourse is where you go on Wednesdays. If you know the right people, you can view horses at the parade ring before the race. After the race, head to the Hong Kong Jockey Club restaurant for fine dining.

Lan Kwai Fong

LKF is Hong Kong’s hot spot for nightlife with over 100 restaurants, bars, and clubs.

Times Square

Times Square has a vertical mall with global dining options. In the basement, City’super is an upscale grocery with aspirational items such as a $22 strawberry. The new year’s countdown occurs outside by the giant digital billboards.

Tsim Sha Tsui

Next to Victoria Harbour, Tsim Sha Tsui has the best viewpoints of Hong Kong’s skyline. Walk around its shops, malls, restaurants, and bars. Visit Chungking Mansions and its mix of South Asian, Middle East, and African cultures.

Victoria Park

Victoria Park is Hong Kong’s largest park and home to numerous events and festivals. The park’s facilities feature tennis courts, a swimming pool, play areas, and abundant lawn areas.

Kowloon Walled City Park

Densely populated Kowloon Walled City had 33,000 people crammed into a concrete slum the size of one city block. Until its demolition in 1994, it was a lawless den of vice. A Qing Dynasty Jiangnan-style garden park replaced the dystopia.

FOOD

Wonton

Wontons are plump pork and shrimp dumplings in delicate paper-thin wrappers. The fish-based broth is flavorful. The egg noodles are thin, firm, and wiry. On the first bite, the fragrant sesame oil flavor shines through.

Dim Sum

Enjoy small plates of delectable snacks with tea. Bring a group so you can try everything. The staff pushes carts stacked high with steamer baskets. Start with har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings), BBQ pork buns, and egg tarts.

Claypot Rice

The highlight of the claypot is the crunchy layer of rice at the bottom. Customize your rich flavorful rice with toppings, such as chicken and mushroom, sausage, bone-in pork ribs, and eggplant. You need to wait until removing the lid of the lava-hot claypot.

Egg Tart

These circular pastries have flaky crusts with smooth and silky egg custard. The best classic tarts balance subtle sweetness with a gelatinous custard. Portuguese egg tarts have heavy cream for a creamier filling and butter for a richer crust. Sample the city’s best egg tarts and decide which type is best.

Char Siu

Barbecued pork char siu is tender, marbled, and juicy. It has a lacquered honey glaze with charred edges and a reddish glow. The glaze is caramelized to the point where the meat almost crackles with each sweet and savory bite. Cantonese roasted meats shops have roasted cuts of char siu hanging by the window.

Double Skin Milk

The skin refers to the thin layer that forms on top when milk cools. The steamed milk pudding is smooth and cold like a panna cotta, but silkier, richer, and creamier. Go to Yee Shun for the best double skin milk. You can also get a hot version or one with ginger, egg, or papaya.

Roast Goose

Roasting geese is an art form, from the spice mix to the air drying and finally the barbecue process. Locals prefer the leg over the breast and will pay more for it. Enjoy the succulent and rich goose flesh with rice or a bowl of rice noodles with broth. Go to Yat Lok or Kam’s Roast Goose, for crispy goose skin; they both have a Michelin star.

Shark Fin Soup

Shark fin soup has always been a luxurious delicacy, reserved for wedding banquets and bygone emperors. The broth is luscious and velvety from chicken, ham, black vinegar and shiitake mushrooms. The fin is sliced into long fine threads for a snappy and gelatinous texture. Enjoy the soup according to your conscience.

Snake Soup

Hong Kongers slurp snake soup in the winter for its health benefits. The slithering soup has snake meat, fish maw, chicken, ham, dried mandarin peel, and wood ear fungus. The snake tastes like chicken and the dish is like hot and sour soup. At many of the eateries, you can also find plates of rice with lap cheong and liver sausage.

 

 

TRANSPORTATION

Octopus Card

The Octopus Card is a rechargeable smart card that can be tapped on a reader to pay for public transport. It’s the easiest way to access HK’s MTR subway, buses, minibuses, ferries, trams, and Airport Express.

Star Ferry

The famous Star Ferry is the best way to cross Victoria Harbour between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Nine green boats now cruise from Central and Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon.

Airport Express

The Airport Express is the fastest way from HKIA to Central on Hong Kong Island, in just 24 minutes. It’s also much cheaper than taking a taxi.

 

 

Mid-Levels

The Central–Mid-Levels escalator is the longest outdoor covered escalator in the world. The 20 escalators and three inclined moving walkways are 2,600 feet long and climbs 443 feet from Central to Mid-Levels. Commuters return to their homes in the steep hillside.

Tram

Affectionately known as “Ding Dings,” the double-deckers are great for navigating between districts. Board at the rear and pay when you exit at the front. Tram No. 68 has a balcony perfect for a sightseeing ride between Western and Causeway Bay.

 

 

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