All destinations
From Victoria Peak and the harbour to the Big Buddha on Lantau, Tai O's stilt houses, Sai Kung's geopark, dim sum in Kowloon and a day trip to Macau
Must-visit destinations
Central and Sheung Wan — Hong Kong's financial core and antique district
Colonial and contemporary architecture, PMQ creative hub and independent design shops
Hong Kong Disneyland — park guide, ticket types and honest tips
Families with children aged 3–12, Castle of Magical Dreams (unique to HK park)
Lantau Island — Big Buddha, Tai O, hiking trails and beaches
Tian Tan Buddha (world's largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha), Ngong Ping 360 cable car (25 min scenic ride from Tung Chung)
Macau — casino strip, UNESCO heritage and Portuguese-Chinese food
UNESCO World Heritage Historic Centre (22 monuments, free), Ruins of St. Paul's — the iconic facade of a 17th-century Jesuit church
Mong Kok — Kowloon's most intense market district
Ladies Market on Tung Choi Street (bargain clothing and accessories), Flower Market Road (wholesale and retail flowers daily)
Ngong Ping and the Big Buddha — cable car, monastery and mountain plateau
Tian Tan Buddha — largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha in the world, Ngong Ping 360 cable car — 25-min aerial crossing of Lantau mountains
The Peak — Hong Kong's highest viewpoint and the Peak Tram
The definitive Hong Kong skyline panorama, Peak Tram historic funicular ride
Tsim Sha Tsui — the Hong Kong waterfront every visitor reaches first
Victoria Harbour panorama from the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, Star Ferry crossing to Hong Kong Island (most scenic 7 min in HK)
More to explore
Aberdeen and South Side — floating villages, sampans, and Hong Kong's quieter coast
Sampan boat tour of Aberdeen Harbour and Ap Lei Chau, Ap Lei Chau (Aberdeen Island) seafood restaurant row
Causeway Bay — Hong Kong's densest shopping and dining district
Times Square mall and Sogo department store, Jardine's Crescent street market (bargain clothing and accessories)
Cheung Chau — the island of temple festivals, windsurfers and fish balls
Pak Tai Temple and Cheung Chau Bun Festival (4th lunar month), Cheung Po Tsai Pirate Cave — famous historical hideout
Lamma Island — seafood village, family beaches and a car-free escape
Fresh seafood at Sok Kwu Wan restaurants (famous Rainbow Restaurant row), Inter-village hiking trail: Yung Shue Wan to Sok Kwu Wan (1 hour, easy)
Sai Kung — geopark coastline, seafood villages and wild beaches
UNESCO Global Geopark sea arches and volcanic rock formations, Kayaking to remote beaches (Sharp Island, Kiu Tsui)
Sha Tin — Ten Thousand Buddhas, Che Kung Temple and the New Town
Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery (free, 500 steps, extraordinary), Che Kung Temple for Lunar New Year
Sham Shui Po — Hong Kong's electronics, fabric, and budget shopping district
Apliu Street flea market for electronics, cables, and second-hand tech, Fabric and notions market on Ki Lung Street and Nam Cheong Street
Tai O — Lantau's stilt fishing village and Pink Dolphin coast
Stilt house village walk and hand-pulled rope ferry, Chinese White Dolphin (Pink Dolphin) boat tours
Taipa and Coloane — egg tarts, village streets and quiet beaches
Lord Stow's Bakery — original Macau Portuguese egg tart (Coloane Village), Taipa Village — Portuguese colonnaded shophouses, Taipa Houses Museum
Wan Chai — Hong Kong's grittiest and most layered urban neighborhood
Authentic wet market experience at Wan Chai Market, Cha chaan teng breakfast culture (real local cafes)
Off the beaten path
Cotai — the Venetian, galaxy resorts and Macau's casino strip
The Venetian Macao — gondola rides and the world's largest casino building, The Parisian Macao — half-scale Eiffel Tower replica on the Cotai Strip
Guangzhou day trip from Hong Kong — dim sum, Cantonese opera and visa planning
Authentic Cantonese dim sum at the source — morning tea (yum cha) is an institution here, Guangzhou Museum and Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (Qing dynasty architecture)
Kowloon City — the Walled City Park and Hong Kong's best Thai food district
Kowloon Walled City Park (site of the former anarchic enclave, free), Thai food district on Nga Tsin Wai Road — genuine Thai grocery shops and restaurants
Peng Chau — the smallest and quietest outlying island
Car-free village walks on a genuinely quiet island, Lung Mo Temple and the inter-island trail circuit
Repulse Bay — Hong Kong Island's best accessible beach
Best accessible beach on Hong Kong Island, Kwun Yam Shrine (temple of a thousand gods on the waterfront)
Shenzhen day trip from Hong Kong — electronics markets, parks and visa reality
Electronics and gadget shopping (Huaqiangbei market district), Window Canopy City eco-architecture at OCT Creative Culture Park
Stanley — colonial waterfront, market, and the quieter south coast
Stanley Market — eclectic mix of linens, sportswear, art prints, and souvenirs, Murray House colonial building (relocated from Central in 2001)
Tai Po — heritage market town, wetland park and reservoir trails
Tai Po Hui Market (authentic wet and cooked-food market), Hong Kong Railway Museum (free, heritage KCR station)
Tuen Mun — Ching Chung Koon Temple, Gold Coast and ferry to Macau
Ching Chung Koon Taoist Temple complex (free, largely un-touristy), Hong Kong Gold Coast beach and hotel swimming pools (day access available)
Wong Tai Sin — Hong Kong's most visited Taoist temple
Wong Tai Sin Temple — the most significant Taoist temple in Hong Kong, Kau cim fortune stick reading (the most atmospheric divination experience in HK)
Yau Ma Tei — Temple Street Night Market and old Kowloon
Temple Street Night Market — antiques, curios, clothing, and street opera, Jade Market on Battery Street (daytime)
Most-booked experiences in Hong Kong and surroundings
Whichever destination you choose, these are the activities travellers book most.
Hong Kong: Victoria Peak Tram & Sky Terrace 428 ticket
Ngong Ping 360: Cable car return tickets and combos
Hong Kong: Victoria Harbor night cruise Symphony of Lights unlimited drinks
Hong Kong: Macau day tour with round-trip ferry lunch and pickup
Hong Kong Disneyland: Park tickets
Hong Kong: Street food tour with locals dim sum and wonton
Hong Kong: Sai Kung Geopark private boat tour and pickup
