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 3 days

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

Three days give you time to leave the centre and find another Hong Kong: the Taoist temples of Kowloon and the green mountains of Lantau, where a giant Buddha looks out to sea. Each day keeps to one area and its own rhythm, with mornings on foot, afternoons built around two well-chosen sights and Cantonese meals in long-established places. It suits anyone who wants to know the city without watching the clock.

Day 1From ferry to summit

The first morning belongs to “From the Star Ferry to Temple Street: Hong Kong highlights”: the ferry crossing, the Clock Tower, The Peninsula Hotel and the Tin Hau Temple in Yau Ma Tei. Take the MTR back to Central for dim sum at Luk Yu Tea House. Afterwards, the Peak Tram leaves from Garden Road, a few minutes away: ride up Victoria Peak, walk Lugard Road and stay to watch the city light up. Come down, cross on the Star Ferry and end on the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade with the Symphony of Lights.

  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, running since 1888, climbs from Garden Road to the top of the island. Up there, Lugard Road loops round the mountain under the trees and gives you the classic harbour view. Queues often build at sunset, so check whether booking is worthwhile.

    Directions

    Symphony of Lights

    A nightly show of light and music involving dozens of buildings on both sides of the harbour. You can watch it free from the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront promenade. It is short, so check the time and arrive early to get a good spot.

    Directions

Day 2Colonial history and Kowloon's gods

Start with “From the 1841 flag to the 1997 handover”, from Western Market and Possession Street to St John's Cathedral and Statue Square. Have siu mei for lunch at Yung Kee on Wellington Street. In the afternoon, the MTR drops you right by Wong Tai Sin Temple, one of the busiest in the city; if you have time, Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden are one stop away. Then head back to Mong Kok and lose yourself in its markets as the neon comes on.

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

  3. Afternoon

    Wong Tai Sin Temple

    A Taoist temple dedicated to the immortal Wong Tai Sin, known for the fortune sticks worshippers shake while kneeling. It stands beside the MTR station of the same name. One stop on, at Diamond Hill, you will find Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden.

    Directions

    Mong Kok markets

    Whole streets turned into markets: the Ladies' Market on Tung Choi Street, the flower market and the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden, where locals bring their caged songbirds for an outing. Visit the birds and flowers first, as they close earlier, and leave the Ladies' Market for last.

    Directions

Day 3Lantau's Buddha and the city by night

Set off early on the MTR to Tung Chung and ride the Ngong Ping 360 cable car up to the Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery. Head straight back to Central on the MTR and have wonton noodles on Wellington Street. Rest for a while, then at dusk follow “Ghosts, oaths and feng shui at dusk”: Man Mo Temple, Pak Tsz Lane and the gas lamps of Duddell Street. To finish, cross to Yau Ma Tei for claypot rice near Temple Street.

  1. Morning

    Ngong Ping 360 cable car

    The cable car links Tung Chung with the Ngong Ping plateau, gliding over mountains, bay and airport. Some cabins have glass floors. It can close for wind or maintenance and queues are common, so check before you go and book if you can.

    Directions

    Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery

    A seated bronze Buddha, completed in 1993, reached by a climb of more than two hundred steps. Opposite stands Po Lin Monastery, founded in the early twentieth century, with colourful halls and a vegetarian restaurant. Allow most of the morning to enjoy it properly.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

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

  3. 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

  4. Dinner

    Try Claypot rice at Four Seasons Pot Rice (四季煲仔飯). Arthur Street 46-58, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon

The map

Hong Kong in 3 days, on the map

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

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Hong Kong in 3 days

  • For Lantau, leave early and check the status of Ngong Ping 360 before setting off: if it is closed or the queue is huge, the bus from Tung Chung also goes up to Ngong Ping.
  • Over three days an Octopus card more than pays for itself: it usually works on the MTR, trams, the Star Ferry, buses and ferries to the islands, and you can top it up at stations and shops.
  • If you prefer museums to temples, swap the afternoon of day two for West Kowloon: M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum sit on the waterfront, a short way from Tsim Sha Tsui. Check which day they close.

Questions

Hong Kong in 3 days: your questions

What should I see in Hong Kong in 3 days?

The three walking routes through Central, Sheung Wan and Tsim Sha Tsui, Victoria Peak, the Symphony of Lights, Wong Tai Sin Temple, the Mong Kok markets and Lantau's Big Buddha. It is a mix of city, temples and nature without having to change hotels.

How far will I walk in 3 days?

The routes add up to about 8.3 km: 3.9 km on day one, 2.3 km on day two and 2.1 km on day three. Add Lugard Road, the markets and the steps up to the Buddha. Spread over three days, it is a comfortable pace.

Can I go to Macau or Lamma Island instead of Lantau?

Yes. Macau is roughly an hour away by ferry, or by bus over the bridge, but you need your passport and most of a day. Lamma, a short ferry ride from Central, offers fishing villages and a trail between beaches. Check ferry times before you go.

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