The Best Places to Visit in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is located on the South East coast of China, close to the two megacities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Officially, Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. If you want to visit, you should know Hong Kong has it’s own immigration and border controls, separate to China. Over 7.5 million people live here, and the country is divided into 3 main regions; Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and New Territories + Outlying Islands. The most common language is Cantonese, but some English is spoken. The city of Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers in the entire world, with 1,000+ buildings over 100 meters high.
Capital: Hong Kong
Currency: Hong Kong Dollar
Language: Chinese, English
When to visit: October to December
1) Hong Kong (city area)
Hong Kong is an extremely dense, high-energy modern city, packed with high-rise buildings and supported by reliable public transport. At night, the city really comes alive, lit up by neon lights and huge LED screens that fill the streets with color. It’s well known for its advanced infrastructure and expansive modern development.
Things to do:
Just be sure to walk around and explore the extremely dense neighborhoods where you’ll find skyscrapers tower over you. The busiest area - Mong Kok - is known for its insane crowds and active urban life. You have malls and dining areas scattered everywhere, so for spenders you probably will never get bored here. You can really explore the whole city easily because the transit is fantastic.
How to get there:
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) is a major global airport, you can find flights from everywhere.
You can train from the nearby Chinese megacities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou, or cross from Macau.
2) Victoria peak
Victoria Peak is THE number 1 spot you have to visit when you’re in Hong Kong. Doesn’t matter what time of day; Morning, Night, Mid-day, it is the best location to get an incredible view of Hong Kong’s cityscape. If you’ve seen photos of Hong Kong, they were probably taken here.
What you’ll see:
Hong Kong’s skyline, the Central and Victoria Harbor, and amazing sunsets and sunrises.
How to get there:
Take the Peak Tram from the station on Garden Rd. It leaves every 15 minutes and performs a steep incline up to the peak.
You can walk, but it is tiring and takes a couple hours.
3) Tai Mo Shan
Tai Mo Shan is the highest peak in all of Hong Kong, and is a well-known mountain with numerous different hiking trails allowing you to ascend to the top, which is 957 metres high. There are some easy routes you can take to climb to the top. At the top of the mountain is some weather stations and communication towers/observatories, alongside the view overlooking the city.
Where is it:
It’s basically in the center of the Hong Kong region, outside and north of the main city area.
How to get there:
Take the MTR to Tsuen Wan Station, then take a bus to the Tai Mo Chan Country Park entrance and begin one the trails to the top.
4) Tai Lam Chung
Tai Lam Chung country park is a location not far from the main city area, but still completely different. It’s a beautiful nature spot with gentle hills and scenic water views. There are many possible trails in the area allowing you to get some amazing views and photos. It’s known for the Tai Lam Chung reservoir, AKA ‘Thousand Island Lake.’
Where is it:
In the Tuen Mun district in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It’s about ~45km North-West of the main city.
How to get there:
Take the MTR all the way to Tuen Mun Station, then take a bus to So Kwun Wat Tsuen village. The hike can start from Tin Hau Temple.