Night panorama of Hong Kong from above, with the lit-up skyscrapers of Central and Victoria Harbour beyond
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Hong Kong in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 8.3 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

Two days let you see Hong Kong from above and from street level: from the top of Victoria Peak and from the thick of the Mong Kok markets. Day one links the harbour, the mountain and the temples of Sheung Wan; day two pairs colonial history with an afternoon in Kowloon that ends with the light show over the harbour. It is a balanced plan, with trams, ferries and time for unhurried meals.

Day 1Harbour, peak and temples

Begin with “From the Star Ferry to Temple Street: Hong Kong highlights”, from Central Pier to the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower and Temple Street. Ride the MTR back to Central for dim sum at Luk Yu Tea House. From there, take the Peak Tram up Victoria Peak and walk Lugard Road; come down with time to spare and catch a tram west to Sheung Wan. At dusk, “Ghosts, oaths and feng shui at dusk” starts at Kwong Fook I Tsz and ends beneath the Bank of China Tower. Have siu mei for dinner at Yung Kee.

  1. Morning

    From the Star Ferry to Temple Street: Hong Kong highlights

    Mixed · 3.9 km · 2 h 30 min

    1. Star Ferry, Central PierA ferry founded in 1888 whose boats are named after stars, thanks to a Tennyson poem.
    2. Tsim Sha Tsui Clock TowerAll that remains of the terminus of the railway to Canton, with the scars of war on its walls.
    3. Avenue of StarsA waterfront promenade dedicated to Hong Kong cinema, with Bruce Lee on guard and the best view of the island.
    4. The Peninsula HotelThe grand 1928 hotel where, at Christmas 1941, the British governor surrendered to the Japanese army.
    5. Temple StreetKowloon's most famous night market, «Men's Street», with its entrance arch and its claypot rice.
    6. Tin Hau Temple, Yau Ma TeiThe temple of the sea goddess that gave Temple Street its name, surrounded by banyans and fortune-tellers.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Dim sum, the yum cha ritual at Luk Yu Tea House (陸羽茶室). Stanley Street 24-26, Central, Hong Kong

  3. Afternoon

    Victoria Peak and the Peak Tram

    The funicular climbs from Garden Road, next to St John's Cathedral, to the island's most famous summit. At the top, Lugard Road is a level walk with the best view of the harbour. Queues for the tram are often long, so check ahead and go early.

    Directions

    The “Ding Ding” tram

    Double-decker trams have run along the north of the island since 1904, nicknamed after the sound of their bell. They are slow and cheap, and you pay as you get off, usually with Octopus. Grab a seat upstairs and let it carry you to Sheung Wan.

    Directions

  4. Early evening

    Ghosts, oaths and feng shui at dusk

    Mysteries & legends · 2.1 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Kwong Fook I Tsz, the temple of soulsA shrine for those who died far from their homeland, on the street where the 1894 plague broke out.
    2. Man Mo TempleThe temple of the god of literature and the god of war, where oaths were sworn by cutting off a chicken's head.
    3. Pak Tsz Lane, the revolutionaries' hideoutA hidden courtyard where plots were hatched against the Qing dynasty, next to the spot where a revolutionary was murdered; his grave bears only a number.
    4. Duddell Street Steps and Gas LampsHong Kong's last gas lamps and the name of a merchant linked to the mass poisoning of 1857.
    5. HSBC Building and its lionsTwo bronze lions that survived the war and a rooftop of «cannons» behind a feng shui legend.
    6. Bank of China TowerThe skyscraper feng shui masters compare to a knife, built where a building once stood that had to be exorcised.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Siu mei: char siu and roast goose at Yung Kee (鏞記酒家). Wellington Street 32-40, Central, Hong Kong

Day 2The colony and Kowloon lights

Give the morning to “From the 1841 flag to the 1997 handover”: Possession Street, Sun Yat-sen's old school at PMQ, the courtyard of Tai Kwun and Statue Square. You finish in Central, so have wonton noodles on Wellington Street at Mak's Noodle or Tsim Chai Kee. In the afternoon, take the MTR to Mong Kok and work through its street markets, from the Ladies' Market to the bird garden. After dark, head down to Tsim Sha Tsui and find a spot on the promenade for the Symphony of Lights.

  1. Morning

    From the 1841 flag to the 1997 handover

    History · 2.3 km · 2 h

    1. Western MarketHong Kong's oldest surviving market building, in red brick with white stripes, in the district where the Chinese merchants settled.
    2. Possession StreetThis was the shoreline where, in January 1841, the British raised their flag and took possession of the island.
    3. PMQ, Sun Yat-sen's old schoolBeneath this design hub lie the foundations of the college that educated Hong Kong's Chinese elite.
    4. Tai Kwun, the former Central Police StationPolice station, magistracy and prison for over a century and a half, now an arts and heritage centre.
    5. St John's CathedralHong Kong's oldest Western church, the only freehold plot in the city and a Japanese club during the war.
    6. Statue Square and the Old Supreme CourtA square that lost its statues in the war and a courthouse that served as Japanese military police headquarters and as the legislature.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Wonton noodles at Mak's Noodle (麥奀雲吞麵世家). Wellington Street 77, Central, Hong Kong

  3. Afternoon

    Mong Kok markets

    Mong Kok is one of the most densely packed neighbourhoods on earth. The Ladies' Market fills Tung Choi Street with clothes and souvenir stalls; further north are the flower market and the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden. Go in the afternoon and haggle calmly.

    Directions

    Symphony of Lights

    Every night since 2004, dozens of skyscrapers on both sides of the harbour light up in time to music in a short show. The best place to watch is the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, beside the Avenue of Stars. Check the start time on the day.

    Directions

The map

Hong Kong in 2 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

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Before you go

Tips for Hong Kong in 2 days

  • Peak Tram queues tend to be longest in mid-afternoon and around sunset; see whether you can buy tickets in advance, or ride up by bus or taxi and save the funicular for the way down.
  • Cross between the island and Kowloon by MTR when you are in a hurry and by Star Ferry when you want to enjoy the ride: with Octopus you pay for both without reaching for your wallet.
  • If the day starts with low cloud, swap things around: Victoria Peak can vanish into mist and you will see nothing. Save the climb for day two and do the Mong Kok markets first.

Questions

Hong Kong in 2 days: your questions

Are 2 days enough for Hong Kong?

For a first visit, yes: you see the harbour, the colonial centre, Sheung Wan, Kowloon, Victoria Peak and the Mong Kok markets. Lantau's Big Buddha and the beaches on the south side of the island are left out; if they appeal, look at the 3-day plan.

How far will I walk in 2 days?

The routes add up to about 8.3 km: 6 km on day one and 2.3 km on day two. On top of that come Lugard Road on the Peak and your wanderings in Mong Kok. Sheung Wan is hilly, but the MTR, trams and ferry cut distances down a lot.

When is the best time to go up Victoria Peak?

On a clear day, in the late afternoon: you see the city in daylight and then watch it light up. That is also when queues are longest. This plan sends you up after lunch so you are back in Sheung Wan in time; if you want it at night, swap it with the dusk route.

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