Things to do in Hong Kong
Three days of cha chaan tengs, wonton noodles and one very good dinner.
This is Hong Kong for the traveller who wants to eat where the queues are locals, not tourists, and spend money on food rather than a room. Three days move from Central's colonial core to Causeway Bay's neighbourhood rhythm to Sham Shui Po's gloriously unglamorous market streets, with one proper splurge dinner each evening to close the day out right.
Day 1: Central: old city, good noodles
A morning of milk tea and heritage buildings leads into Kau Kee's legendary beef brisket, an escalator ride up the hill, and yakitori skewers at night that more than justify the tab.
- 9:30 AM
Lan Fong Yuen
Iconic cha chaan teng, order the milk tea and pineapple bun, a Central institution locals queue.
Map - 10:30 AM
Former Central Police Station Compound (Tai Kwun)
16 heritage buildings of the old police compound turned arts centre, browse galleries and the restored cells.
Map - 12:30 PM
Kau Kee
Great-value noodle shop every local knows, get the beef brisket ho fun, cash only, arrive hungry.
Map - 2:15 PM
Central-Mid-Levels Escalator System 中環至半山自動扶手電梯系統 Central-Mid-Levels Escalator System
Ride the world's longest outdoor covered escalator up to Mid-Levels, a free, genuinely useful HK landmark.
Map - 7:30 PM
Yardbird
Whole-bird yakitori at a loud Sheung Wan counter; get the meatball, chicken skin and the KFC cauliflower.
Map
Day 2: Causeway Bay at its own pace
Victoria Park at its quietest, flame-seared Japanese for lunch, a wander through Fashion Walk's indie lanes, and an acclaimed Cantonese dinner that is the meal of the trip.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:30 AM
Victoria Park 維多利亞公園 Victoria Park
Loop past the Queen Victoria statue and the model boat pool while the tai chi groups finish their sets.
Map - 12:30 PM
ABURI-EN HK
Charcoal-seared rice bowls on the sixth floor of Times Square; a quick, filling lunch between walks.
Map - 2:30 PM
Fashion Walk
Fashion Walk's open-air lanes are where Causeway Bay locals actually browse, indie boutiques, no mall pressure.
Map - 7:30 PM
Hong Kong Cuisine
Silas Li's Happy Valley room; order the crispy chicken and the steamed egg white with crab served in the shell.
Map
Day 3: Sham Shui Po, all the way
Cross the harbour for Australia Dairy Company's scrambled eggs, a deep dive into SSP's fabric and electronics markets, hand-pulled wonton noodles on Fuk Wing Street, and Mong Kok roast meats with serious wok hei to finish.
- 9:30 AM
Australia Dairy Company
Order the set: scrambled eggs on toast, macaroni with ham and iced milk tea. Fast, brusque, closed Thursdays.
Map - 10:30 AM
Sham Shui Po Market
Wander the fabric lanes, electronics stalls and hawker alleys, the working-class market heart of SSP.
Map - 12:30 PM
Lau Sum Kee (Fuk Wing Street)
Great-value hand-made wonton noodles on Fuk Wing Street, a neighbourhood institution, cash only.
Map - 2:00 PM
Lui Seng Chun 雷生春 Lui Seng Chun
A restored 1931 Chinese medicine shophouse turned heritage landmark, free to visit and beautifully kept.
Map - 7:30 PM
Ming Court (Mong Kok)
Ming Court's acclaimed Cantonese is the one splurge worth it, dim sum-style roasts and serious wok hei.
Map
Where to stay
The Mira, Hong Kong, China
Well-positioned in Tsim Sha Tsui for the harbour crossing to SSP and a short hop to Central, with a style-forward room that does not charge for the view.
Kimpton Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, China
Kimpton in Tsim Sha Tsui sits midway between all three days, one MTR hop from Central or Sham Shui Po.
Make Hong Kong your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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Book ahead
- M+: a few days ahead
- Hong Kong Palace Museum: a few days ahead
- Victoria Peak: a few days ahead
- Ngong Ping 360: a few days ahead
- The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course: weeks ahead
- Hong Kong Golf Club: months ahead
Skip these
- A Symphony of Lights, be on the promenade for the skyline not the widely panned show itself.
- Ladies Market and Temple Street as shopping, tourist tat at haggling prices, Temple Street is for food.
- Sky Terrace 428, a paid deck for a view Lugard Road gives free without the mall funnel.
- Copy watch, tailor and electronics touts on Nathan Road, follow nobody and buy only at authorised chains.
The full Hong Kong travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around