Incense-filled temples at the foot of skyscrapers, a century-old ferry and the history that redrew the map of Asia.
Hong Kong was born as a British trading port after the Opium Wars, survived the Japanese occupation and in 1997 became a Special Administrative Region of China. Within a few streets you'll find smoky temples, glass bank towers, double-decker trams and night markets. Three free self-guided walks to explore it at your own pace, through Sheung Wan, Central and Kowloon.
Choose your free tour
All routes are free and can be combined. If it’s your first visit, start with the mixed route.
A landing on a beach that no longer exists, Sun Yat-sen's school, a prison that once held Ho Chi Minh and a courthouse that became the Japanese military police headquarters.
Souls waiting to go home, oaths sworn over a chicken's head, poisoned bread, a nameless grave and two skyscrapers locked in a feng shui duel.
Cross the harbour on a ferry founded in 1888, stroll past Asia's most famous skyline and finish among fortune-tellers, incense and claypot rice in Kowloon.
The map
The routes cross in the old town. Tap a point to see which story awaits you there.
Filled points already have a published article; the rest are in the works.
Loading the map…
Itineraries
We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.
All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.
See the itinerary 2A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.
See the itinerary 3The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.
See the itineraryWhat to eat
The dishes you can’t leave without trying, and the classic spots that have been serving them for years.
Prawn har gow in translucent wrappers, pork siu mai, steamed char siu buns: dim sum is eaten at midday with a teapot that never runs dry, in what the Cantonese call yum cha, «drinking tea». Luk Yu Tea House, opened in 1933 and on Stanley Street since 1976, still has its ceiling fans, dark wood and white-jacketed waiters.
Where to try it
Char siu is pork glazed with honey and soy sauce and roasted until the edges caramelise; roast goose, with crackling skin and spiced juices, is the other great classic of the Cantonese roast shops. Yung Kee, a house founded in 1942 that now fills an entire building on Wellington Street, makes a perfect dinner a few minutes from the end of the mystery walk.
Where to try it
Ultra-thin egg noodles, still springy, in a broth of dried fish and shrimp, with wontons filled with whole prawns. They come in small bowls, with the spoon under the noodles so they don't go soft. On Wellington Street, Mak's Noodle and Tsim Chai Kee, a few steps apart, are the ideal lunch in Central.
Where to try it
Rice cooked in a clay pot over the flame, with Cantonese sausage, chicken or spare ribs, and drizzled at the end with sweet soy sauce; the best part is the toasted crust at the bottom. It's a dinner dish: Four Seasons Pot Rice on Arthur Street, and Hing Kee, one of the few licensed dai pai dong on Temple Street, cook it in the evening, right by the end of the mixed walk.
Where to try it
A wobbly, glossy egg custard in shortcrust or flaky pastry, descended from English custard tarts and turned into a local icon. Tai Cheong Bakery, founded in 1954, sells them fresh from the oven on Lyndhurst Terrace: perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack before heading up to PMQ.
Where to try it
Very strong black tea, strained through a cloth bag that earned it the nickname «silk stocking tea», and smoothed with evaporated milk. It goes with a pineapple bun, a soft roll with a sweet, crackled crust and no pineapple at all. Lan Fong Yuen, on Gage Street since the fifties, claims to have popularised this tea; in Kowloon, Mido Cafe, opened in 1950 beside the Tin Hau Temple, is a snack stop straight out of the movies.
Where to try it
