Sometimes unplanned trips turn out to be the most fun, and this birthday trip was exactly that. Off we go to Hong Kong. Hong Kong and Macau are two vibrant and exciting cities with a lot to offer visitors. From the skyscrapers of Hong Kong to the casinos of Macau, there’s something for everyone in these two special administrative regions of China.
This 5-day itinerary will help you experience the best of both cities. You’ll visit iconic landmarks, explore bustling markets, and try some of the best food in Asia.
Day 1-2: Hong Kong Island
We stayed at Central and Shang Wan during our stay in Hong Kong which is easy accesible to all the places. We started our day by take the Peak Tram to Victoria Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong Island. It ascends from 28m to 396m in just 8 minutes! Stroll along the Peak Circle Walk, and head to Sky Terrace, a viewing platform that’s 428m high. The views from the Peak are simply stunning. Once done we came back down on our first thing on the days agenda- Dim Sum. So many places to choose with some Great Dimsums around Hong Kong. We tried at a local one star Michelin restaurant and such good dim sums!!!!!!!!
In the afternoon, we decided to wander around the Mid-Levels, a trendy neighborhood with lots of shops and restaurants, and the world’s longest outdoor covered escalator. I know this one from Wong Kar Wai’s movie, “Chungking Express.” Hong Kong has many eye-catching photo spots that are sure to bring color to your Insta feed! We walked all the way to Man Mo Temple, a mid-19th-century temple dedicated to the gods of literature and martial arts. The neighborhood also has lots of antique stores around to pick up something for your collection.
Evening was dedicated to roaming around the popular Lan Kwai Fong. Love it or hate it, Lan Kwai Fong – or LKF – is Hong Kong’s party central. There’s a range of restaurants and bars packed into the neighborhood, from upscale joints to speakeasies and even louder pubs. We visited Iron Fairies for some great music and drinks and then moved the party over to Penicillin with a sustainability theme and creative herbal cocktails. It was judged one of the best bars in Asia sometime back.
Day 2: Macau
We took the ferry to Macau, a former Portuguese colony that is now a special administrative region of China. It has totally different feels than Hong Kong as a city. You can see Portuguese influence everywhere and even signs in Portuguese. We spent the evening and night exploring the casinos in the Venetian Macau, The Parisian and the newly opened Londoner. Inside there is a different world all together with iconic places from the cities supersized to fit inside a buidling as well as Eiffel Tower and mini Venetian waterways inside. All the three Casinos / hotels are connected and one can spend whole day in jjust these three shopping, eating and gambling. As they say Low-stakes gambling does not exist in Macau and the casinos don’t serve alcohol either. Since we were not big gamblers we stuck to our slot machines where we won some and we lost some.
Next Morning we headed to see the Ruins of St. Paul. All you can see is the remaining facade of the front elevation of the Church of Mater Dei and Na Tcha Temple. From here one can walk through the lanes on historic centre trying some great Beef Jerky and Portuguese Egg Tarts. Get lost in the lanes and you will reach Senado Square. It is the centerpiece of the extensive Historic Center of Macau. The whole area is full of shopping, eating and churches with great architecture.
Day 3-4: Hong Kong Island
Back to Hong Kong, once we checked into the hotel we decided to check out the Sneaker Street, a street in Mong Kok that is home to a number of sneaker stores. Mongkok is one of Hong Kong’s busiest districts — thriving arts and food scene, plus a shopaholic’s paradise. In the evening, we visited the Avenue of stars and from there saw the Symphony of Lights, a choreographed spectacle of multi-colored lasers beaming and flashing out of skyscrapers across Kowloon Bay.
Next day we visited Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage & Art – the former Police Police compound which is transformed into repurposed buildings, art galleries, as well as various bars and restaurants. From there we headed to Sham Shui Po area and then roamed around Causeway Bay for some upmarket shopping. Evening was dedicated to the famous Temple Street Night Market & Ladies Night market which are like flea markets with food, street side shopping and entertainment. Honestly after visiting the night markets of Taiwan, this was a bit underwhelming for us.
Since this was our last night, we went back to LKF for some dinner and then popular craft brewery called Carbon to enjoy some drinks and do people watching.
Day 5: Depart
Before we depart, there was one last thing left. Hong Kong’s most famous buildings on Instagram, Monster Building which first gained fame when it was featured in Hollywood blockbuster Ghost in the Shell and Transformers: Age of Extinction. Monster Building actually is a group of five connected buildings in Quarry Bay, namely Fook Cheong Building, Montane Mansion, Oceanic Mansion, Yick Cheong Building and Yick Fat Building and showcases how densly packed the city is espcially for low income residents.
And before we caught our flight one last last thing. Food at Michelin starred Tim Ho Wan known for its inexpensive but quality dimsums. It is one of the world’s cheapest Michelin star restaurant.
This is just a suggested itinerary, of course. You can customize it to fit your own interests and preferences. We did skip a lot of things like Star Ferry, Disney Land and trekking or visit to the island beaches. But no matter how you choose to spend your time, you’re sure to have an amazing time in Hong Kong and Macau.
Tips and Advice
- If you’re planning a trip to Hong Kong and Macau, here are a few tips and advice:
- Get a Hong Kong Tourist Pass or Octopus card. It gives you unlimited travel on public transportation, and it also includes discounts on attractions and activities.
- Book your accommodation in advance, especially if you’re traveling during the peak season.
- Learn some basic Cantonese phrases. It will help you get around and interact with the locals.
- Hong Kong is one of the countries that don’t stamp passports upon arrival. Instead, you will be given an entry card which will be proof of your entry to HK. Don’t lose it!
- Two of the main ferry companies plying the Hong Kong-Macau route are CotaiJet and TurboJet. You can buy tickets at the terminal itself.
- Cathay Pacific has great deals on their flights to Hong Kong. They also run free tickets giveaway very often so do keep checking their page or Hong Kong Tourism Page.
Hong Kong is truly East meets West. It is such an exicting and buzzing city with so much culture, food, shopping that we felt we had less time. As compared to other big cities like Singapore or KL or Jakarta, this didn’t feel mechanical. Old was intertwined with the modern and what they got was Hong Kong!
Chasing The Experience 