Hong Kong 5-day itinerary — New Territories, hiking, and a second island
Hong Kong: Sai Kung Geopark private boat tour and pickup
Duration: 8 hours
What five days adds to a Hong Kong trip
The first four days of any Hong Kong visit are naturally spent in the areas most people know: Victoria Peak, Central, Kowloon, and either Macau or Lantau. These are rewarding and genuinely worth the time. But five days opens a different chapter.
Days 4 and 5 in this itinerary take you to two places that most visitors on shorter trips never reach: Sai Kung, a coastal town in the eastern New Territories with dramatic volcanic rock formations and some of the cleanest water in Hong Kong; and Cheung Chau, a small island off the southwestern coast with no cars, a working fishing harbour, and a pace of life that feels genuinely remote despite being 35 minutes from Central by ferry.
Neither of these requires a high fitness level. Sai Kung involves a boat trip and optional light walking or kayaking. Cheung Chau is flat and walkable. Both are achievable on a mid-range budget and are among the most memorable days you will spend in Hong Kong.
This plan follows the 3-day Hong Kong Island and Kowloon itinerary closely for Days 1–3. If you have already read the 3-day itinerary, you can skip to Day 4.
| Days 1–3 | Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Lantau (city and landmark essentials) |
| Day 4 | Sai Kung — Geopark boat tour, kayaking, seafood lunch |
| Day 5 | Cheung Chau — car-free island, Tung Wan Beach, Pak Tai Temple |
| Fitness needed | Low — no required hiking, boat tours and flat island walking |
| Total budget | HK$2,500–3,500 (USD $320–449), 5 days excluding accommodation |
| Best for | Active travellers, nature lovers, returning visitors |
Day 1 — Hong Kong Island
08:30 — Breakfast in Central
Start at a cha chaan teng in Central — milk tea (HK$22–28), egg sandwich (HK$28–35), or pineapple bun with butter (HK$18–25). The Wellington Street and Lyndhurst Terrace area has several reliable options with shared tables and fast service.
09:30 — Victoria Peak
Bus 12 from Des Voeux Road Central (HK$3.80) or walk to the Lower Peak Tram Terminus (12 minutes). Take the tram up (8 minutes, 27-degree incline). Sky Terrace 428 at 428 metres is the city’s most complete vantage point.
Book the Peak Tram and Sky Terrace 428 ticket in advance — walk-up queues on weekends and public holidays regularly exceed one hour.Check availabilityAfter the terrace, walk the Peak Circle Walk (3.5 km, 40–50 minutes, free, flat). The Peak guide covers what to see on the circuit. Take the tram back (HK$39) or walk down Old Peak Road (45 minutes free).
12:00 — Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Sheung Wan
The Central-Mid-Levels Escalator (free) connects the lower city to the Hollywood Road area. Man Mo Temple (free, 1847) on Hollywood Road. Lunch in Central and Sheung Wan — noodle shops and BBQ restaurants, HK$55–90. See the Sheung Wan and Central area guide for neighbourhood details.
14:30 — Wan Chai and Causeway Bay
MTR to Wan Chai (HK$5.8) — Blue House, Queen’s Road East traditional shops. Then Causeway Bay (HK$4.3) — Victoria Park, Noon Day Gun.
18:30 — Star Ferry and TST promenade
MTR to Central (15 minutes), Pier 7, Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui (HK$4.20, 8 minutes). Walk the Avenue of Stars. Symphony of Lights at 20:00. Dinner in Tsim Sha Tsui: Knutsford Terrace area restaurants (HK$150–250 per person).
Day 2 — Kowloon
09:00 — Dim sum in Jordan
Traditional dim sum, trolley service, HK$80–130 per person. See Hong Kong dim sum guide.
10:30 — Jade Market and Yau Ma Tei streets
Jade Market (Kansu Street, 10:00–17:00, free entry, bargaining expected). Temple Street by day — surrounding streets (Shanghai Street, Public Square Street) have traditional shops.
12:00 — Mong Kok
MTR to Mong Kok (HK$5.6). Ladies’ Market, Flower Market Road, Bird Garden, Goldfish Market — allow 2 hours. Lunch: local noodle shops near MTR station (HK$50–80).
14:30 — Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden
MTR to Diamond Hill (HK$9.3 from Mong Kok). Chi Lin Nunnery (free, Tang Dynasty-style wooden complex) and Nan Lian Garden (free, formal Chinese garden with lotus pond). Allow 60–75 minutes.
16:30 — Wong Tai Sin Temple
Walk 10 minutes to Wong Tai Sin MTR and the adjacent temple. Active Taoist place of worship with fortune-telling courtyard. Free entry. Full details in the Wong Tai Sin Temple guide.
19:00 — Temple Street Night Market
MTR or taxi to Jordan. Night market 19:00–21:00. Open-air cooking stalls: typhoon shelter crab, roasted pigeon, stir-fried clams (HK$100–180 per person for a meal).
Day 3 — Lantau Island
08:30 — MTR to Tung Chung, then Ngong Ping 360 cable car
Tung Chung Line to Tung Chung (20–35 minutes from hotel, HK$15–22). Cable car up to Ngong Ping plateau (25 minutes, HK$275 return standard cabin, HK$325 crystal cabin). Tian Tan Buddha (268 steps, free to climb). Po Lin Monastery lunch (HK$80–100 vegetarian set or Ngong Ping plaza restaurants at HK$80–120). Bus 21 to Tai O fishing village (30 minutes, HK$6.5). Boat tour of stilt houses (HK$25–30). Bus or cable car return to Tung Chung.
Day 4 — Sai Kung and the Geopark
09:00 — MTR to Sai Kung town
The MTR does not reach Sai Kung directly — take the MTR to Choi Hung Station (Kwun Tong Line), then minibus 1A or bus 92 to Sai Kung town. Journey time is approximately 45–60 minutes from Hong Kong Island. Alternatively, take a taxi from Diamond Hill MTR (HK$60–80).
Sai Kung is a town on Hong Kong’s eastern coast with a waterfront promenade, fresh seafood restaurants, and direct access to the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark — one of the most geologically significant areas in East Asia. The geopark protects volcanic hexagonal rock columns formed 140 million years ago, sea caves, and coastal arches.
Breakfast in Sai Kung town: the promenade has a mix of local noodle shops and bakeries (HK$40–70).
10:30 — Boat tour to the Geopark
Hire a kaito (small local motorboat) from the Sai Kung waterfront — boatmen approach visitors from the pier and negotiate trips to the outer islands and rock formations. A standard coastal tour to the hexagonal rock columns at High Island (Sharp Island) and the sea arches takes 2–3 hours and costs HK$150–250 per person depending on group size and destinations.
A private Sai Kung Geopark boat tour covers the hexagonal rock formations, Hidden Beach, and coastal sea arches with a captain who knows the area well — and allows you to pick your stops.Check availabilityThe volcanic rock formations at High Island Reservoir’s outer coast — vast columns of dark hexagonal basalt that rise directly from the water — are genuinely extraordinary. This is the landscape that makes the UNESCO designation understandable. Most visitors who come to Hong Kong as a city trip and add a Sai Kung geopark day consistently rate it the most memorable experience.
12:30 — Kayaking (optional)
If time and energy allow after the boat tour, kayaking around Sharp Island or in the inner harbour is available from operators in Sai Kung town. Single kayaks rent for HK$60–90 per hour; guided 2-hour tours run HK$180–250 per person.
A half-day guided kayaking adventure from Sai Kung explores the coves and coastal rock formations at water level — a different perspective from the boat tour.Check availability14:00 — Seafood lunch in Sai Kung
Return to the waterfront by 13:30–14:00 for a proper seafood lunch. The restaurants along the Sai Kung promenade are all broadly similar — tanks of live seafood (clams, crabs, shrimp, lobster, various fish) that you choose by pointing and then pay by weight. A mid-range seafood lunch of 3–4 dishes runs HK$200–350 for two. Order steamed fish (lighter and fresher-tasting), stir-fried clams, and whatever the day’s catch highlights are. This is genuinely excellent and far less expensive than equivalent quality in the city centre.
16:00 — Afternoon walk: Sai Kung Country Park
If you have energy after lunch, the Sai Kung Country Park trails are accessible from the town. The MacLehose Trail begins at Pak Tam Chung (15 minutes by taxi from town, HK$30). The first section to the Sai Wan beaches is achievable in 2–3 hours (one-way, moderate gradient). For a lighter option, the paths around Sharp Island (accessible by kaito, HK$30 return) have easy coastal walking.
18:00 — Return to Hong Kong
Bus 92 or minibus back to Diamond Hill MTR (45–60 minutes) then MTR to your hotel. Allow 90 minutes total. Dinner near your hotel or in the Kowloon or Island area you know best.
Day 5 — Cheung Chau Island
09:30 — Central Ferry Piers to Cheung Chau
Take the MTR to Hong Kong Station, walk to the Central Ferry Piers (Pier 5 or 6 for Cheung Chau), and board the Outlying Islands ferry. Ordinary ferry: HK$14–28 depending on class and timing, 35–55 minutes. Fast ferry: HK$33–37, 28 minutes. Ferries run frequently throughout the day.
Cheung Chau is a dumbbell-shaped island with a central isthmus and no cars (except emergency vehicles). The population of approximately 22,000 lives entirely on foot, bicycle, or golf cart. The contrast with the urban density of Kowloon and Central is immediate and striking.
10:30 — Cheung Chau village and Pak Tai Temple
The ferry arrives at the main Cheung Chau village on the eastern shore. The promenade and market area near the pier are busy with locals on weekends. Walk the narrow alleyways inland — generations of village architecture without any concession to tourism.
Pak Tai Temple (free entry) is the village’s most important religious site, dedicated to the deity Pak Tai (Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven). The Cheung Chau Bun Festival — one of Hong Kong’s most distinctive annual events — is based here, with enormous bun towers built in the temple forecourt each spring (dates vary, usually April or May).
11:30 — Walk to Tung Wan Beach
Cross the island (10–15 minutes on foot from the western to the eastern shore — Cheung Chau is very narrow at the waist). Tung Wan Beach is a proper white sand beach on the eastern coast, one of the best in the Hong Kong islands, with clear water and far fewer visitors than the beaches on Lantau or Hong Kong Island’s south side. Swimming is safe in calm conditions (check the beach flag system). Windsurfing equipment hire is available from shops behind the beach (HK$80–120 per hour) — Cheung Chau produced Olympic windsurfer Lee Lai-shan.
13:00 — Seafood lunch near the waterfront
Return to the western (village) side for lunch. The waterfront restaurants near the ferry pier serve fresh seafood at reasonable prices — steamed fish, typhoon shelter crab (seasonal), and squid are common. Lunch HK$120–200 per person. There are also cheaper dai pai dong options and bakeries on the market streets for HK$40–70.
14:30 — Cheung Chau Circular Walk
A coastal path circles much of the island — the southern section past the old pirate caves (associated with Cheung Po Tsai, a 19th-century Cantonese pirate) and the Cheung Chau Wan Tsai Nature Trail takes 60–90 minutes and has good coastal views with minimal elevation change. The path past the Warwick Hotel side has views south over open ocean.
Rent a bicycle near the ferry pier (HK$30–40 per hour) to cover more ground with less effort — the island is small enough to cycle most paths in 2–3 hours.
17:00 — Return ferry to Central
Regular ferries depart Cheung Chau throughout the evening. The 17:00–18:00 period can be crowded with Hong Kong residents returning from a day out — buy your ticket or use Octopus card and board early for a seat. Journey back to Central: 35–55 minutes.
19:00 — Final dinner in Central or Sheung Wan
End the 5-day itinerary with dinner in Central or Sheung Wan — good Cantonese restaurants, a dim sum dinner (yes, dim sum is served at dinner in Hong Kong), or a celebratory meal somewhere with harbour views.
Other outlying islands worth knowing about
Cheung Chau is this itinerary’s island day, but it is not the only option, and returning visitors sometimes prefer a different one. Lamma Island, reached by ferry from Central in about 30 minutes, has a similar car-free character with a stronger reputation for seafood restaurants and a genuinely quiet coastal walk between its two villages — see the Lamma Island guide. Peng Chau, smaller and less visited than either, suits travellers who want minimal crowds over maximum things to do.
If you are building your own version of this trip rather than following it exactly, the outlying islands guide compares all of Hong Kong’s ferry-accessible islands side by side. Sai Kung town itself sits close to another cluster of coastal villages and beaches worth a slower look on a future trip — see the Sai Kung Geopark guide for the fuller picture beyond the single boat tour in this itinerary.
Hiking beyond the MacLehose Trail sample on Day 4
The short MacLehose Trail section from Pak Tam Chung on Day 4 is a taste of what Sai Kung’s country parks offer, not the full experience. Hong Kong has a genuinely serious hiking scene for a city its size — the best hikes guide covers routes from easy to demanding, and the Dragon’s Back hike (accessible from Hong Kong Island rather than Sai Kung) is the most popular single trail in the territory if you want to add a dedicated hiking morning to a future visit.
Neither is required for this itinerary, but both are worth knowing about if five days turns into a repeat trip — the walking pace on Days 4 and 5 here is deliberately gentle, so treat proper hiking as a reason to come back rather than something to squeeze in.
Combining this itinerary with Macau instead
As the FAQ below notes, Sai Kung and Macau occupy the same structural slot in many Hong Kong itineraries — both work as a fourth day, and few visitors have time for both on a single trip. If reading through this plan leaves you leaning towards Macau’s colonial architecture and food over Sai Kung’s geology and seafood, the 4-day itinerary is built around that choice and covers the ferry logistics, border crossing, and a full Macau day in detail.
Practical information
Total 5-day budget (mid-range, per person, excluding accommodation):
- Transport (MTR, ferries, buses): HK$400–500
- Attractions (Peak Tram, cable car): HK$420
- Sai Kung boat tour: HK$150–250
- Meals (3 per day x 5 days): HK$1,250–2,000
- Total: approximately HK$2,500–3,500 (USD $320–449)
Getting around: All transport uses the Octopus card except the Ngong Ping 360 cable car (purchased separately). Load HK$400–500 at the start. See the MTR guide for route planning.
Best time for this itinerary: October to December for best weather. June to September is hot and humid with typhoon risk — Sai Kung boat tours are disrupted by weather more frequently, and Cheung Chau beaches are crowded.
Frequently asked questions about this 5-day Hong Kong itinerary
Is Sai Kung hard to reach without a car?
Not at all. The bus and minibus connections from Diamond Hill MTR are reliable and cheap. The journey takes 45–60 minutes — longer than if you had a car, but straightforward. Taxis from Diamond Hill MTR to Sai Kung cost HK$60–80 if you prefer a direct route.
Do I need to be fit for the Sai Kung geopark?
No. The boat tour itself requires no walking beyond boarding the kaito from the pier. The kayaking option requires basic fitness but is not technical. The country park hikes are optional — skip them if you prefer a slower pace. The seafood lunch in Sai Kung town is excellent and worth the trip even without any outdoor activity.
Is Cheung Chau worth visiting in winter?
Yes — it is actually better in winter (October–March) when the island is less crowded and the weather is cooler and clearer. The beach is cold for swimming but the walks and cycling are more pleasant. The Bun Festival (spring) brings enormous crowds if you want that experience, but the island itself is enjoyable year-round.
Can I swim at the beaches in Sai Kung?
Yes. Sai Kung’s outer islands (Sharp Island, Kiu Tsui) have clean, clear water. The main town beaches are less clean due to boat traffic. The outer island beaches are accessible only by kaito — most boat tours include a beach stop on request.
Should I do Sai Kung or Macau on Day 4?
This depends on your interests. Macau offers a completely different cultural experience — Portuguese colonial architecture, distinct food, the UNESCO Historic Centre. Sai Kung offers natural scenery and some of Hong Kong’s most dramatic geology. If you are choosing between the two and are undecided, the 4-day itinerary covers Macau on Day 4; this 5-day plan builds in both.
What is the best way to get from Sai Kung to Cheung Chau?
There is no direct connection — you return to the MTR network (via bus or taxi to Diamond Hill) and then travel to Central for the Cheung Chau ferry. The journey takes about 90 minutes total, so running Sai Kung and Cheung Chau on the same day is not practical. This itinerary correctly splits them across Days 4 and 5.
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