Right so Hong Kong. I went on a stopover in 2023 — Auckland to Shanghai, four-day layover in HK, and it was honestly one of the more sensory-overloading cities I've been to. Mean, in the best way. I'd been expecting a smaller Singapore and got something genuinely different — denser, weirder, way more layered, with mountains coming out of the harbour and ferries dodging container ships and double-decker trams clacking down streets that look like they're in a Wong Kar-Wai film. Doris (the van) would have lost her mind in the traffic. Honestly so would I have if I tried to drive — public transport is the only way.
[IMAGE: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1536599524557-5f784dd0c7e9?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop | The Hong Kong harbour at golden hour with the Central skyline reflected, Star Ferry crossing, and the green hills of Kowloon side behind]
Quick orientation
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, formerly a British colony (returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 under the "one country, two systems" framework). Population around 7.4 million in 1,100 sq km of mostly steep hills and harbour. The dense bit — where you'll spend your time — is much smaller than the whole.
The geography splits HK into:
- Hong Kong Island — the financial heart. Central, Sheung Wan, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay. The Victoria Peak tram. Where most of the photographs come from.
- Kowloon Peninsula — across the harbour. Tsim Sha Tsui (the waterfront viewpoint side, museums, the Avenue of Stars), Mong Kok (chaotic markets), Sham Shui Po (working-class authentic).
- New Territories — the leafy hill country between Kowloon and mainland China. Hiking trails, fishing villages, walled villages.
- Outlying Islands — Lantau (the airport, the Big Buddha, Tai O fishing village), Cheung Chau, Lamma. Day-trips by ferry.
You'll spend most of your time on the island and Kowloon, with one or two day-trips to the outlying islands. Four days is the minimum to do justice; a week is better.
Getting in and around
Hong Kong's transport is genuinely the best in the world. Better than Singapore. Better than Tokyo. The MTR (metro) goes everywhere fast, the trams are still running on the island, the Star Ferry across the harbour is a HK institution, and the buses fill the gaps.
From the airport: Airport Express train — 24 minutes to Hong Kong station in Central, about HKD $115 ($15) one way. Reliable, fast, no traffic. Or the bus (A21 / A22 / A11 etc.) which is much slower (~50 min) but cheaper.
Octopus Card. The universal contactless card that works on all MTR/bus/tram/ferry plus a lot of convenience stores. Pick one up at the airport — HKD $150 includes $100 of credit plus $50 deposit (refundable). The single most useful purchase you'll make.
Star Ferry. The 110-year-old harbour ferry between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui. HKD $4 ($0.50) per crossing. Run all day. You take this just to take it.
Trams. HKD $3 ($0.40) flat fare, you board the back and pay when you exit at the front. The whole north-side island route is genuinely one of the best slow-tour experiences in the city. Sit on the upper deck.
Taxis. Plentiful, reasonable. Red taxis are HK Island and Kowloon. Green taxis are New Territories. Cash or Octopus.
The MTR map looks complicated but the colour-coded line system and the bilingual signs make it foolproof.
What to actually do
Pick four or five and do them properly:
Victoria Peak. The classic HK view. Take the Peak Tram (the historic funicular, opened 1888) up — about HKD $99 round trip including the Sky Terrace observation deck. The view from the top is the photograph. Go just before sunset to catch both daylight and the nighttime skyline. The walk around the Peak Loop (a 3.5km flat circular path) at the top is gorgeous and quiet.
Star Ferry + Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. Take the Star Ferry from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui. Walk the Avenue of Stars (Hong Kong's celebrity-handprint promenade, Bruce Lee statue, etc.). Stay for the Symphony of Lights at 8pm — the across-harbour light show, every night, for 10 minutes. Free.
Wong Tai Sin Temple. Active Taoist temple, free, locals doing fortune-telling with bamboo sticks. The contrast between the temple and the Diamond Hill skyscrapers behind is striking. About 30 minutes' visit.
Big Buddha at Po Lin Monastery (Lantau Island). Half-day trip. Take MTR to Tung Chung, then the Ngong Ping 360 cable car (HKD $235 round trip) up the mountain. The 34-metre bronze Buddha statue at the top, plus a working monastery, vegetarian restaurant. Spectacular. The cable car ride alone is worth it.
Sham Shui Po neighbourhood. Working-class Kowloon. Real Hong Kong street life. The Apliu Street electronics market, the Pei Ho Street wet market, dim sum at any of the small unassuming places. Way fewer tourists than Mong Kok. The most authentic-feeling neighbourhood I went to.
Mong Kok markets. Touristy but worth doing once. Ladies' Market (Tung Choi Street), Goldfish Market, Flower Market, Bird Market. All open-air, all sensory chaos.
Tai O fishing village (Lantau Island). Stilt houses, dried-seafood vendors, narrow waterways. Like a Hong Kong from before the city we know existed. Combine with the Big Buddha if you're already on Lantau. The dolphin-watching boat trips from Tai O are great — chance of seeing pink Chinese white dolphins.
Hike the Dragon's Back. 4-hour easy ridge walk from Shek O. The views down to South Bay Beach and across the islands are spectacular. Bus 9 from Shau Kei Wan MTR. Free.
Lan Kwai Fong + SoHo by night. The drinking district in Central. Touristy but the energy on a Friday night is part of the HK experience. Have one drink, then walk down to Wyndham Street and the SoHo escalator (the world's longest covered outdoor escalator) for a calmer feel.
Eating in Hong Kong
This is where Hong Kong destroys you. Hong Kong has more Michelin stars per capita than any city in the world, and at the cheap end the dim sum is unreal. Don't try to plan every meal — wander into anywhere with a queue of locals.
Dim sum. The HK breakfast/lunch tradition. Steamed dumplings, buns, rice noodle rolls, small dishes shared from carts or off a menu. Lin Heung Tea House (one of the last cart-trolley old-school places) is the experience; Tim Ho Wan (multiple branches) is the cheaper Michelin-starred option. About HKD $80-200 per person.
Cantonese roast meats. Char siu (BBQ pork), siu yuk (roast pork belly), roast duck, roast goose. Look for places with the meats hanging in the window. Yat Lok in Central is the legendary roast goose place — Michelin star, queue out the door. About HKD $80-150.
Wonton noodle soup. Hong Kong staple. Tsim Chai Kee in Central or Mak's Noodle (multiple branches) for the classic versions. About HKD $50-70.
Hong Kong-style milk tea. Strong black tea + evaporated milk + condensed milk. Drink at any cha chaan teng (HK-style diner). About HKD $25.
Pineapple bun (bo lo bao). Sweet bun with crackly sugar top (no actual pineapple). Available at any bakery. Eat with HK-style butter for the "pineapple oil" version. About HKD $10.
Fresh dim sum at sunrise. Locals' breakfast — get to a teahouse at 7am for the freshest dim sum off the carts. The post-9am crowds get the leftovers.
Late-night street food. Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok have stalls open until 1-2am. Egg waffles, curry fish balls, roasted chestnuts in winter.
Don't bother: Western-style chain restaurants. HKD prices are higher than London or New York and you came for the local food.
Where to stay
Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon) — best harbour view side, walking distance to museums and the Star Ferry. About HKD $1500-3000 ($190-380) for a mid-range hotel. The InterContinental on the waterfront is the legendary HK luxury.
Central / Sheung Wan (Hong Kong Island) — most walkable for nightlife and the SoHo area. Around HKD $1800-3500. The Mira Moon, The Pottinger.
Causeway Bay — shopping district, near the cooking and street life. HKD $1500-2500.
Mong Kok — cheaper, chaotic, real-life HK. HKD $800-1500.
I stayed at a small hotel on Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok for the four nights. Way cheaper than the harbour-view hotels and an absolute education in the actual rhythm of the city. Wouldn't change a thing.
When to go
October-December is the goldilocks. Cool (16-24°C), dry, comfortable. The famous Hong Kong winter weather. Christmas-New Year is peak.
March-May is mild and pleasant — but it's HK spring fog season so harbour views can vanish overnight.
June-September is hot, humid, typhoon season. Doable but uncomfortable. Daily afternoon thunderstorms in summer.
February has Chinese New Year — huge celebrations, parades, decorations everywhere, but lots of small businesses close for the holiday week.
I went in early November. Was perfect.
Practical bits
Visa. Most Western passports get 90 days visa-free. Check current rules.
Cash and cards. HK is mostly card/contactless now. Octopus Card covers transport and many small purchases. Carry some cash (HKD) for street stalls and older shops.
Language. Cantonese is the local language, Mandarin is widely understood, English is the second business language and widespread in tourist areas. Signs are bilingual everywhere. Service staff in tourist areas all speak some English.
Air quality. Variable. Can be poor on certain wind days — air pollution monitor app (Aqicn.org) is worth checking if you have asthma or kids.
Etiquette. Standard East Asian — quiet on public transport, don't eat on the MTR (it's actually illegal), let people exit before you board. Tipping is not expected (service charge is usually built into bills).
Combining the trip
HK works as a long stopover or as a 4-7 day destination in its own right. Common pairings: Shanghai (3-hour flight north), Tokyo (4 hours northeast), Bangkok (3 hours west). Or use HK as the gateway to mainland China — the high-speed rail from West Kowloon station goes direct to Guangzhou (50 min) and onward to Beijing (8 hours, sleeper option).
The Asia category page collects more from across the region. For tours in Hong Kong, most are HK-anchored short multi-day options.
For another dense Asian megacity at a similar scale, Shanghai is the natural next stop and a fascinating compare-and-contrast.
Official sources
Discover Hong Kong, the official tourism board site, has practical visitor info, current event listings, and seasonal recommendations. The MTR Corporation site has timetables and the route planner.
Last word
Mean, Hong Kong's a city that doesn't really exist in any other form anywhere else. The verticality (housing blocks 40+ floors tall stacked into the sides of green mountains), the food density, the way the harbour cuts through everything, the late-colonial-era infrastructure (trams, ferries) running alongside ultramodern MTR trains. Four days minimum. Get the Octopus card on arrival. Take the Star Ferry at least three times. Eat dim sum for breakfast. Climb Victoria Peak at sunset. Don't try to drive. Trust me, low-key one of the most extraordinary cities in the world. Doris would have hated the multi-level parking situation though.