1. Watch 'Symphony of Lights' - the light and sound show from TST promenade
Definitely one of the best 'free' attractions in Hong Kong. Symphony of Lights is basically a light and music show where most of the large buildings that are situated on main Hong Kong island synchronised together and participate in light show.
The best way to witness this famous show (World's largest permanent light and sound show as per Guinness World Records) is to get to Tsim Sha Tsui promenade and find a suitable spot to sit back and enjoy. The show starts everyday at 8pm and lasts for 8-10 min.
2. Hike to Victoria Peak or Ride a Peak Tram
Victoria peak is another famous attraction that provides one of the best views of the city. You can get both day and night views which are amazing in their own ways too! So far, I could only get a night's view since I can't get up early and hike to the peak. Definitely something you should keep in your bucket list while visiting Hong Kong.
There are three ways you can reach to the top of Victoria peak; 1. hike to the peak, 2. Ride a bus, 3. Ride the peak tram! While first two options provide different view while reaching the peak; riding a peak tram itself is an amazing experience and something you should definitely consider having. It's just like what you experience while riding a funicular in Europe. Only issue with Peak tram is you have to stand in long queues (as lots of tourists & locals want to experience it) both ways! (while ascending the peak and returning).
3. Visit Madame Tussauds Museum like a tourist
If you visit the Victoria Peak then you can also enjoy visiting Madame Tussauds museum which is situated right next to the peak. If you been to one of these museums globally then you know what to expect here. It basically has wax statues of well-known celebrities globally and also some of local celebrities. Only catch here is that it's a bit on expensive side.
4. Explore smaller outer islands of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is surrounded by smaller outer islands that provide a good option of taking a break from a bustling Hong Kong main island. There is a ferry terminal at Central called 'Central Pier' from where you can get ferries to all the outer islands including Cheung Chau island, Lamma island, Peng Chau island, Discovery Bay, etc.
It also connects Hong Kong main island with Kowloon and new territories via ferry route. Central Pier also has a Maritime museum that provides detail information about Hong Kong's harbour and how it has been evolved over the years. If you are a history buff or fond of marine life then you should visit the museum for a quick tour.
Islands such as Cheung Chau and Peng Chau provide plenty of sea food to feast on and few hiking spots too. They also represent the smaller communities of people residing on these islands and surviving on traditional professions like fishing and selling sea food. You will also see few traditional Chinese temples on these islands that are preserving the local culture and providing a place for locals to pray and meditate.
It's quite normal in Hong Kong for locals to stay at outer islands and visit the city for work through ferries. I personally think it's too much to travel on daily basis.
5. Enjoy a day out at Hong Kong beaches
If you are fond of beach life then do visit the Discovery beach that has a cleaner beach to spend an afternoon with your loved ones. Good place to play some beach sports with your friends too. Lot of locals also stay there as it provides an isolation from city chaos and do daily commute to main Hong Kong island for work during the day.
There are lots of other options to explore beach fun such as Repulse Bay beach, Stanley beach, Deep water bay beach and various others. All of these beaches are dispersed across the city. My personal favourite is the Repulse Bay that has a large beach side and also plenty of bars nearby for people to hangout and have a fun evenings.
6. Hike at famous trails of HK - Dragon's back, Wilson Trail and Hong Kong Trail
For all the hikers out there, Hong Kong provides numerous hiking options on almost all the islands including nearby outer islands. Hiking is a kind of weekend routine for most locals and expats due to plenty of options around. The most famous hiking trail is the Dragon's back trail. That one is more appropriate for the expert hikers covering a distance of around 8km. Lots of locals and expats hike there more often. There are various other hiking trails such as Wilson trail, Hong Kong trail, Braemar hill that's suitable for all types of hikers; be it beginners or experts.
These hiking trails provide stunning views of the city along the way and you can't really put a price to that. Hiking is free and you can make the most of it in Hong Kong! My personal favourite hiking lookout spots are Jardine's lookout on Hong Kong trail and top of Mount Butler. They provide amazing city landscape views. For more details do checkout my blogs on Mount Butler and Braemar hill.
7. Enjoy Dimsum and Hotpot Meals
Hong Kong is known for its food! especially dims sums and hotpots. Dim sums are just like Momos in India or Gyoza in Japan. One of the famous variation of dim sums is Dumplings. I personally like pan-fried dumplings which are crispy on one side and soft on the other. Dim sums represent a type of cuisine thats a highlight of Hong Kong food. It represents small bite size portions of food that is either steamed, boiled or fried before serving.
Hotpots are another speciality food in Hong Kong which is nothing but a giant pot that keeps heating the broth when you sitting on a table; and you basically keep cooking the ingredients that are served along with it. You can pick and choose the ingredients such as varieties of veggies and meat. You can also choose the type of broth (spicy vs. clear broth) depending on your preference. Spicy broth is typically red while clear one is white. You should definitely consider having a hotpot meal at least once while travelling across Hong Kong.
8. Party late night at LKF (Lan Kwai Fong)
This is the ultimate party place of Hong Kong. You get a vibrant crowd and perfect atmosphere to have a drink or two with your gang. You will see most of the locals hanging out here during late evenings after finishing the day's work. It's a narrow lane with pubs on either sides. Typically, around evening time these pubs start putting loud music to lure customers. This area also hosts some exciting events throughout the year such as having a Halloween parade. Locals and expats show up with interesting outfits for the Halloween parade at LKF every year.
9. Visit Tian Tan Budhha and Po Lin Monastery in Ngong Ping Village (Lantau island)
This is one of the spiritual gateways you can enjoy in Hong Kong. Most interesting thing about visiting these two attractions is that you need to take a cable car that runs for 30 min. and crosses 3-4 large mountains. It can be a scary sight for faint hearted! I personally have a height phobia and when I had ride on these cable cars, I was scared (honestly speaking!).
Once you reach the spot, you enter into an artificial village (known as Ngong Ping village) that's been setup around the large statue of Budhha. You would see few tourist friendly restaurants (Subway, KFC, McDonalds), choreographed shows demonstrating the traditional side of Hong Kong, 4D shows giving aerial views of Hong Kong's famous spots (Lantau island, Lamma island).
Tian Tan statue is quite picturesque. You have to climb few stairs (around 250+ steps) to get to the basement of the statue. It's a sitting Buddha statue which is gigantic in size and can be easily seen from far distance while riding in cable car before reaching the village.
Right next to the statue there is a Po Lin Monastery. This is a century old monastery which.
10. Do bird watching at Edward Youde Aviary
This is a lesser known attraction that may be of an interest for some of the bird watchers and nature lovers (like me). Yes, Hong Kong has a small aviary to offer right in the middle of the city which goes by the name 'Edward Youde Aviary'.
It has fleets of different types of birds. You feel like walking right into the nature when you start hearing these birds chirping. Aviary has done a decent job of providing them with ample amount of natural habitat and also seemed to have maintained the hygiene well around the area. It takes an hour or two to explore the entire area of Aviary that is situated right next to the Hong Kong park in Central part of the main island.
11. Get a panoramic view of city from Sky100 at ICC tower
The most typical touristy thing you can do in most of the global cities is to visit the city tower and get a panoramic view of the city. You can basically do the same thing while in Hong Kong. Sky100 is one of the tourist attractions that provides a 360 degree panoramic view of Hong Kong city from 100th floor of ICC tower that is situated in Kowloon side of Hong Kong.
12. Have couple of drinks at the tallest bar in Asia - 'Ozone Bar'
In the same tower (ICC) where you have Sky100; It also has a bar right on the top floor of the tower, i.e. 118th floor! Yes, You read that right. You get to experience the best view of the city while having a drink along with your great company of friends and family.
By the way, it's not that expensive either. Two ways you can visit the bar namely; 1. Make a reservation upfront, 2. Stay in Ritz Carlton Hotel in ICC tower and get a free entry on the spot at Ozone bar.
13. Go on an evening walk at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Sai Ying Pun
This park is popular amongst locals, especially couples with kids. There is a plenty of space to go and spend an afternoon in the park. Lawn area is massive where you would see kids playing around and couples sitting and spending time together. Lots of fitness conscious people jog or run around the park while senior citizens take a stroll along the water. A decent place to just go and relax a bit amidst the city chaos. I would definitely recommend to visit their late afternoon so that you get to see both day and night view of the other side of water including the ICC tower. Great place to have an evening walk.
14. Compare your hands against celebrity handprints at the Garden of Stars
Another lesser known attraction that is more popular amongst locals than tourists is the Garden of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui. It has a statue of Bruce Lee and collection of numerous handprints of some of the famous personalities locally. It is a public garden situated in Kowloon side of Hong Kong. It provides a peaceful place for senior citizens and couples seeking privacy to sit back and relax. You will usually witness that locals try comparing their hands against the handprints of the famous celebrities at the garden.
There are hell lot of things you can do in Hong Kong, however I tried to summarise some of my personal favourite things to do in Hong Kong. I hope it gave you some ideas to plan your visit and shortlist the activities to do. Do let me know how did you find this blog and also share some of your personal experiences while exploring Hong Kong. Would love to hear them. Happy travelling!
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