Top 20 Things to do and see in Hong Kong

Find the top 20 things to do and see in Hong Kong, including the best hiking trails and beaches.

Hong Kong: hate or love it, but it’s unlikely that this place will leave you indifferent. It’s a city where millions live in tiny apartments in the shadow of super-modern skyscrapers built in the small spaces reclaimed from the rainforest.

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (HKSAR) (here is my travel guide to China) right in front of Shenzhen. Every corner of Hong Kong offers some interesting views, especially if it’s your first time in Asia. There’s something for everyone: old temples, giant Buddhas, huge shopping malls, forest-covered mountains, beaches, traditional fishing villages, and uninhabited islands.

But I’ll be honest with you: I’m not a big fan of Hong Kong, probably because I’ve lived in Asia for a while and every time I have the chance to travel, I’d rather go somewhere quieter and cheaper.

Every time I visited Hong Kong, I had to renew my Chinese Visa. So, a visit to Hong Kong doesn’t feel like a holiday to me (renewing the Chinese Visa is always stressful), but at the same time, I also realize that this is my own experience. And despite my feelings towards Hong Kong, there are many exciting things to do and see in this city.

You’ll find many ideas to start planning your itinerary in this article.

Let’s start with something that wouldn’t probably come to mind when considering Hong Kong: the beaches.

Hong Kong Beaches

Being built on a series of islands, Hong Kong has a lot of nice beaches. These are some of the most popular.

Big Wave Bay Beach

Big Wave Bay Beach is near the Dragon’s Back hiking trail on Hong Kong Island. Big Wave Bay Beach is a favourite place for surfers, and it’s also home to prehistoric rock carvings showing animals and geometric designs.

How to get to Big Wave Bay Beach: MTR Shau Kei Wan Station, Exit A3, then take the bus n°9 to Big Wave Bay Beach.

Pui O and Cheung Sha Beach

The other two beautiful beaches are Pui O and Cheung Sha Beach. Cheung Sha Beach is one of the longest beaches in Hong Kong. You can enjoy some fantastic views of the sunset from these beaches.

How to get to Cheung Sha Beach: Ferry from Central Pier 6 to Mui Wo, then take the bus n°1 to Pui O Beach (about 15 minutes) or bus 1 or 2 to Cheung Sha Beach (about 25 minutes).
How to get to Pui O Beach: Ferry from Central Pier 6 to Mui Wo, then take the bus n°1 to Pui O Beach (about 15 minutes).

Repulse Bay Beach

Repulse Bay Beach is famous for its calm waters, white sand, and palm trees. It’s one of the best and most popular in Hong Kong. You’ll also find some award-winning restaurants in the area to make your day perfect.

How to get to Repulse Bay Beach: Bus 6, 6A, 6X, 66, or 260 from Exchange Square bus terminus (near MTR Hong Kong Station, Exit D), then get out at Repulse Bay Beach.

Hung Shing Yeh Beach – Lamma Island

Hung Shing Yeh is the most famous beach on Lamma Island. It attracts locals and tourists alike.

How to get to Hung Shing Yeh Beach: Take a ferry from Central Pier 4 to Yung Shue Wan. From the Yung Shue Wan Pier, turn right and walk along the Family Trail to the beach. It takes about 30 minutes.

Kwun Yam and Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach

Tung Wan Beach offers a charming night view of Aberdeen and Lamma Island. It’s the perfect beach for surfers. In a small nearby garden, a sculpture of a windsurfer commemorates Shan Shan’s achievement. Cheung Chau Beach is where Shan Shan (Lee Lai-shan) trained for the Atlanta Games in 1996 and won the gold medal.

How to get to Tung Wan Beach: Ferry from Central Pier 5 to Cheung Chau. From the Cheung Chau Ferry Pier, walk along Tung Wan Road for approximately 10 minutes.
Kwun Yam Beach: Walk another five minutes from Tung Wan Beach towards the Warwick Hotel.

This official Hong Kong website has updated info about beaches and swimming pools.

Top Hiking Trails in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has many hills, parks, and mountains that are great for hiking. In the list below, you can find the top 5 hiking trails in Hong Kong.

Dragon’s Back

Dragon’s Back is probably the most famous and well-known urban hiking trail in Hong Kong. It offers splendid and enchanting views of Hong Kong island’s rugged coast and beautiful beaches.

• Average hiking time: about 4 hours.
• Trail length: 8,5 Km.
• How to get to Dragon’s Back: From MTR Shau Kei Wan Station Exit A, walk to the Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus. Take bus 9, or the red minibus with the “Shek O” sign to the To Tei Wan stop on Shek O Road.

Po Toi Island

Po Toi is a beautiful granite island often called by the locals the “South Pole of Hong Kong.” You’ll find impressive rock formations and many dried seafood products the locals sell. Don’t forget to try the seaweed soup. The circular hike from Po Toi pier will take you to famous landmarks like Tortoise Rock, Ngau Wu Teng Pavilion, Nam Kok Tsui lighthouse, and Monk Rock.

• Average hiking time: about 2,5 hours.
• Trail length: 4 Km.
• How to get to Po Toi Island: Board a kaito (small ferry) at Aberdeen Pier (on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays) or from Stanley Blake Pier (on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays).

Wan Chai Green Trail (Wan Chai Gap Road)

Right into the heart of Hong Kong Island, you’ll find the Wan Chai Green Trail (Wan Chai Gap Road). You’ll have great city views while walking in the shade of the trees.

• Average hiking time: about 1,5 hours.
• Trail length: 3 Km.
• How to get to Wan Chai Gap Road: MTR Wan Chai Station Exit A3, then take the tram and get off at O’Brien Road. MTR Hong Kong Station Exit A then take buses 6, 6A, 15, or 66 from Central Bus Terminus to Amoy Street or buses 75, 90, or 97 to Southorn Playground.

Sunset Peak

Sunset Peak is the third-highest peak in Hong Kong (869m). It is quite a difficult hike. It is better to avoid the hottest months and hike this trail in Winter. You’ll have a panoramic view of the Lantau coastline from the peak.

• Average hiking time: about 4,5 hours.
• Trail length: 9 Km.
• How to get to Sunset Peak: From MTR Tung Chung Station Exit B, take the bus 3M, 11, or 23 at Tung Chung Bus Terminus and get off at Pak Kung Au.

Twin Peaks and Violet Hill

Twin Peaks and Violet Hill are beautiful mountain peaks offering a splendid view of Stanley Village, D’Aguilar Peninsula, and the ocean beyond.

• Average hiking time: about 3 hours.
• Trail length: 4,8 Km.
• How to get to Twin Peaks and Violet Hill: From MTR Causeway Bay Station Exit D, take green minibus 5 at the Jaffe Road and Cannon Street crossroad to Wong Nai Chung Reservoir. You can also take the 76 bus on Pennington Street.
  From MTR Hong Kong Station Exit D, take bus 6 at the Exchange Square Bus Terminus. You will see a petrol station at the Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Park bus stop. From there, cross the road and head up Tai Tam Reservoir Road to walk for about 10 minutes to Hong Kong Parkview. Wong Nai Chung Reservoir will be on your right.

Other things to do and to see in Hong Kong

Star Ferry

Star Ferry is the most famous and best way to enjoy the view of the Victoria Harbour skyline. Since 1888, Star Ferry has carried passengers from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon and back. Star Ferry connects the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier on the Kowloon Peninsula, the Central Star Ferry Pier, and the Wan Chai Star Ferry Pier on Hong Kong Island. The price of the ticket is only about US$0.25!

Ding Ding (Ride the Tram)

Ding-Ding (叮叮) is a narrow-gauge heritage tram system on Hong Kong Island between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, with a branch circulating through Happy Valley. It opened in 1904 when Hong Kong was under British rule, and it’s one of the public transport in the city.

Temple Street Night Market

Temple Street is one of the most famous night markets in Hong Kong. You’ll find pretty much everything from jade to fortune-tellers and antiques to street food (just like in Taiwan). This market is named after the Tin Hau temple. Get there after sunset.

Hong Kong Disneyland

Opened in 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland is a huge theme park located on reclaimed land in Penny’s Bay, Lantau Island. Between 6 to 7 million people visit the park annually. The cheapest ticket starts at about 80 USD, but you can save money if you buy it online.

Hong Kong Ocean Park

Ocean Park is the second largest theme park in Hong Kong. It is an amusement park, a marine mammal park, and an oceanarium that aims to educate people about endangered marine species conservation. The ticket price is about 65 USD.

Wong Tai Sin Temple

Wong Tai Sin Temple is one of the most interesting and newest temples in Hong Kong. It’s located in Kowloon and is made up of several buildings. The original temple was built in 1920 and was later replaced with a new building in 1968.

Peak Tram for Climb up The Peak

Peak Tram is the most convenient way to get to Victoria Peak, where you’ll have the best view of Hong Kong. With its 552m, the peak is the highest on Hong Kong island. The tram runs from 7 am until midnight. If you want to take pictures with a tripod, be prepared to get there well in advance. You’ll probably have to queue for at least one hour to get to the tram.

Meet the Big Buddha

Tian Tan Buddha is the world’s largest outdoor seated Buddha. To reach the statue, you’ll have to climb 268 steps. It was built in 1993. The Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail will give you stunning views of Lantau Island’s natural beauty and some great Big Buddha views.

Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery

Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is the most colourful and attractive Buddhist temple in Hong Kong. Interestingly, no monks reside at the complex, which is managed solely by laypersons. Despite its name’s translation, the monastery contains nearly 13,000 Buddha statues. The Monastery was founded in 1951 by the Venerable Yuet Kai.

The statues are modelled after those at a temple in Kunming (Yunnan’s capital), the hometown of founder Yuet Kai. The monastery is located on a hillside in Pai Tau Village.

Tai O Stilt Houses

Tai O is one of the few small fishing villages in Hong Kong where you can find the traditional bamboo house supported by stone columns in water (stilt houses). For more than 200 years, the Tanka, also known as ‘boat-people,’ lived in this village. If you visit the Tao O fishing village, don’t forget to taste the local dried seafood.

To get to Tai O, take the MTR to Tung Chung Station Exit B. Then take the Ngong Ping Cable Car to Ngong Ping Village. Take bus 21 to Tai O terminus.

Central–Mid-Levels escalator

Central–Mid-Levels escalator, with its 800 meters, is the most extended outdoor covered escalator system in the world. It opened in 1993 to better connect the Central and Mid-Levels districts on Hong Kong Island.

Goldfish Market

Goldfish are very important in Feng Shui since it’s believed that they attract wealth, and that’s why the Goldfish Market (Tung Choi Street North) is popular among Hongkongers. To enter the market, take the MTR to Prince Edward Station, Exit B2. Walk east along Prince Edward Road West until you reach the market.

Flower Market

Open every day from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm, the flower market is one of the world’s largest. This place is particularly popular during the Chinese New Year. The market is located on Flower Market Rd, Mong Kok.

Devour Dim Sum

A trip to Hong Kong is not complete unless you have tried the Dim Sum. It consists of small bite-sized food portions served in small steamer baskets or on a small plate. Here, you can find the list of the best restaurants in Hong Kong according to Condé Nast.

Float on a traditional junk boat

Very few cities in the world can rival the beauty of Hong Kong’s skyline. One of the things that make this city unique is the junk boats. These iconic boats, with their graceful teak-wood hulls and curved sails, were once popular in China and primarily used for fishing, ocean exploration, and trade. Today, there are only very few left. But you can still enjoy this experience with this company. They offer several tours, and you can even enjoy the Symphony of Lights (one of the best light shows) while sailing on the boat.

Explore the Sai Kung Peninsula

While Hong Kong’s Mong Kok district is the most densely populated place on Earth, almost 40% of Hong Kong remains undeveloped. So even in this city, it’s possible to avoid the crowds, especially if you decide to hike some of the trails I suggested.

One of the best places to find some peace is Sai Kung. Often called Hong Kong’s “green lung”, this pristine peninsula is home to fishing villages, beautiful beaches, miles of hiking trails, and some cool lava formations in the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark.

Best Cheap Accommodation in Hong Kong

Although the prices have decreased, Hong Kong is still a very expensive city to live in and travel to (here you can find the list of the cheapest and most expensive countries in the world). If you have a tight budget, you can expect to stay in some of the smaller hotel rooms in the world. I couldn’t believe how tiny my room was when I first visited Hong Kong. Here, you can find several options. If possible, avoid travelling to Hong Kong during the Chinese Holidays.

Best Transportation in Hong Kong

Getting around Hong Kong is very convenient. Recently, the new Hong Kong West Kowloon Station opened, now connecting Hong Kong to mainland China. You don’t need to get off the train once crossing the border since part of the train stations belongs to China (Hongkongers aren’t happy about this), and you’ll get your Visa checked there.

Final thoughts

Hong Kong is a vibrant place that might be your starting point to explore China. Although I’m not a big fan of this city, I hope to have the chance to get back there again, this time without having to worry about my Visa and explore it a bit more.

If you have any other suggestions about some of the most exciting things to do in Hong Kong, feel free to share them with a comment.

Here, you can find my travel guides to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, The Philippines, and Jordan.