The ICC tower and the Kowloon waterfront across Victoria Harbour, with green hills rising behind beneath a cloudy sky

East Asia

Hong Kong

One of the world's great cities, its towers ringed by hill trails, volcanic coastline and islands a ferry ride away.

Photo: Jimmy Whitson / Unsplash

Hong Kong begins with food. Early in the morning bamboo baskets of dim sum steam on round tables in old teahouses, at midday cha chaan teng cafés pour strong milk tea and serve pineapple buns with butter, and in the evening, on plastic stools beside a dai pai dong, one of the last open-air street kitchens, woks roar over a fierce flame. Every neighbourhood has its own rhythm: Sheung Wan smells of dried seafood and incense, Yau Ma Tei lives around its fruit market and night streets, and Sham Shui Po is a maze of fabric, button and electronics stalls.

The harbour ties it all together. The green Star Ferry has crossed Victoria Harbour for well over a century, and nothing has improved on those few minutes between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island: in the evening the towers light up, while the hills behind them stay dark green long after. On the West Kowloon waterfront, M+, a museum of visual culture, has redrawn the city's art map, while across the water on Hollywood Road, spiral incense coils hang from the ceiling of Man Mo Temple, smouldering for days on end.

What surprises most is how close nature is. Most of the territory is hills, woodland and protected country parks: in under an hour from the office towers you can be on the Dragon's Back ridge above the bays of the South China Sea, and on the Sai Kung peninsula and its islands the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark reveals hexagonal volcanic columns. On Lantau you can walk mountain trails to the Big Buddha or spend the night in the stilt-house fishing village of Tai O, and Lamma and Cheung Chau have no private cars at all. Hong Kong is best for those who taste it slowly, between the two sides of the harbour and the trails above them.

Why go

01
Hong Kong Island: Central and Sheung Wan
Double-decker trams, known locally as 'ding dings', rattle past the 1906 Western Market building, and Sheung Wan's lanes smell of dried seafood, tea and incense. Hollywood Road has its antique dealers and Man Mo Temple, the Mid-Levels escalator climbs the hillside, and on a clear evening Victoria Peak opens onto the whole harbour.
02
Kowloon: markets, teahouses and M+
The Yau Ma Tei fruit market early in the morning, Temple Street at night and the Tin Hau temple, then Sham Shui Po with its fabric and button streets and simple cafés serving rice noodle rolls and tofu pudding. In the West Kowloon Cultural District stand M+, the museum of visual culture, and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, with a waterfront promenade that leads towards sunset over the harbour.
03
Sai Kung and the UNESCO Global Geopark
The Sai Kung peninsula is Hong Kong's backcountry: seafood restaurants by the pier, boats to empty beaches and the start of the MacLehose Trail. In the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, hexagonal volcanic rock columns rise around the High Island Reservoir and on the islands, and the trail to Tai Long Wan passes small villages right on the South China Sea.
04
Lantau, Tai O and the outlying islands
Lantau is Hong Kong's largest island: the Lantau Trail climbs Lantau Peak and Sunset Peak, the Tian Tan Buddha sits on the Ngong Ping plateau, and on the west coast the fishing village of Tai O stands on stilts. On Lamma and Cheung Chau, reached by ferry, there are no private cars, only footpaths, temples and seafood by the water.

Ways to travel

Ways to experience it

Ways to travel aren't separate paths — the best journeys often bring several together.

Culture & discovery
Dim sum teahouses, cha chaan teng and dai pai dong, the Man Mo and Tin Hau temples, M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum and, depending on the season, Chinese New Year, dragon boat races or the lanterns of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Adventure & active travel
The Dragon's Back ridge, sections of the MacLehose and Lantau trails, kayaks and boats among the geopark islands, with the level of effort and the heat weighed together so the walking stays a pleasure.
Exceptional stays & escapes
High above the harbour with a view of the lights, in a characterful Sheung Wan hotel or on Lantau's quiet coast: combining a few different kinds of stay shows the city from more than one angle.
Tailor-made journeys
Hong Kong is often the beginning or end of a longer Asian journey, so we shape the days here around what comes next: Japan, South Korea, Vietnam or Singapore.
Family journeys
Trams, ferries and the funicular up Victoria Peak, beaches in Sai Kung and car-free islands: for children, Hong Kong is often a real adventure, as long as the pace stays gentle.

Hong Kong

Journey inspiration

Illustrative ideas for how a tailor-made journey could look. Not bookable packages: no prices, dates or inclusions are implied.

016–8 days
Harbour, trails and islands
Sheung Wan and Central, Kowloon's markets and M+, the Dragon's Back and the Sai Kung geopark, and finally Lantau, Tai O and a day on Cheung Chau or Lamma.
Culture & discovery · Adventure & active travel
Plan something like this
0214–18 days
Hong Kong and Japan
A few days of Hong Kong's food and harbour, then a flight to Japan for Kyoto, Tokyo and, if you like, the Japanese Alps.
Tailor-made journeys · Culture & discovery
Plan something like this
035–7 days
A family week of trams and ferries
Double-decker trams and the Star Ferry, the funicular up the Peak, a beach day in Sai Kung, bicycles on Cheung Chau and the Big Buddha on Lantau.
Family journeys · Adventure & active travel
Plan something like this

Planning your journey

When to go

October to December is generally the most pleasant time: usually drier, cooler and clearer, and good for hiking. January to March is cooler and can be misty or damp. From May to September it is hot and very humid with frequent downpours, and roughly May to November typhoons are possible, when ferries and hikes are sometimes cancelled, so plans need to stay flexible. In summer, hikes start early in the morning. Conditions vary from year to year.

How long to allow

A week is a good length to see both sides of the harbour, at least one hill trail and Lantau. Distances are small and public transport excellent, so two or three bases are enough: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Lantau. If Hong Kong is part of a longer Asian journey, even three or four days give a real feel for it.

Natural combinations

Hong Kong makes a natural start or finish for a longer Asian journey, with easy flights on to Japan, South Korea, Vietnam or Singapore. Macau is reached by ferry or across the bridge over the estuary, for a night or two among Portuguese squares and Cantonese kitchens.

Areas to explore

Hong Kong Island
Central, Sheung Wan, Victoria Peak and the Dragon's Back in the southeast.
Kowloon
Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei, Sham Shui Po and the West Kowloon Cultural District.
Sai Kung and the New Territories
The geopark, the MacLehose Trail, beaches and walled villages.
Lantau
Ngong Ping and the Tian Tan Buddha, the Lantau Trail, Tai O and quiet Mui Wo.
The outlying islands
Lamma and Cheung Chau: footpaths, temples and seafood, with no private cars.

General guidance only. Weather, seasons and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

Sample journey