What should you go do in hong kong?

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Hong Kong is such an amazing city, and I am so fortunate to have been twice this past year (yes, that’s how much I loved it!). The streets are always busy with cars, people, and lit up by the most intense street signs I have ever seen. Whether you are into fashion, food, nature/hikes, photography, or just the Asian culture in general, Hong Kong should be on your bucket list for places to see ASAP! Here are a few of the many, many things you can do in Hong Kong:

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Victoria Harbor is one of the first things I always go see in Hong Kong. The harbor gives you a beautiful panorama view of the Hong Kong Island skyline and is a perfect way to start your stay in Hong Kong (as you kind of get a sense of how big and how insane it is). You can walk around the waterfront and enjoy the gorgeous skyline. Avenue of the Stars is also at the waterfront of Victoria Harbor, where you can walk through and relive some of the most celebrated moments in Asia’s movie industry with sculptures of a bunch of famous stars (while still enjoying the view of the skyline).
Symphony of Lights
Perhaps my favorite time to go to the waterfront to see the skyline of Hong Kong island is at night when all the lights are on. To make it even better, every night at 8pm the skyline of Hong Kong lights up to perform one of the world’s best light shows. With the help of LED screens, search lights, lasers, and lighting, the beautiful light show is performed. In my opinion, I was a little disappointed in the two light shows I saw. It was definitely cool to see and would recommend it to any first-time visitors in Hong Kong, but I was expecting something different.

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If you are a nature lover and like to go hiking, Dragon’s Back Trail is a really good place to start when in Hong Kong. I hiked Dragon’s Back when I was in Hong Kong for a class trip. I don’t generally love hikes but woooow it was worth it. Not just the views and whatever but just being there with some really cool people I luckily get to call my friends – honestly, priceless. Most of the hike was stairs and small uphill pathways (very 

fun at the time…) and walking through the woods towards our end-point. We ended our hike at the cutest little local beach called Big Wave Beach. Local surfers were surfing in the water while we, more specifically... me, were just relaxing on the beach after our 3-4 hour hike. Dragon’s Back is not the only hiking trail Hong Kong has to offer, but definitely one that should be on your to-do list.

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You cannot go to Hong Kong without visiting at least one temple! The first temple I ever visited in Hong Kong was the Wong Tai Sin Temple. Located in the north part of Kowloon, it is super easy to get to with the subway. Arriving at the temple, you will automatically smell the incense burning and see the locals and visitors praying to the Gods. It was pretty surreal being able to see such a big part of the Hong Kong culture. This temple was very colorful and very busy, and probably one of my favorite temples I’ve ever been to. Please remember to be respectful when entering such areas, don’t be a stupid tourist or a certain YouTuber.

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Not far from the Wong Tai Sin Temple is the Ten Thousand Buddha Monastery. Yes, there are ten thousand Buddha’s here (i mean .. maybe, I actually have no idea.. BUT there are definitely a lot). While walking up what feels like ten thousand steps, you will see a bunch of Buddha’s along the stairs. Each one seems to have a different face or characteristic; a really cool and unique thing to see. Once you reach the top, there is a bigger Buddha where locals or visitors worship and pray (so be respectful, kids). The monastery has more small Buddha’s and colorful smaller temples. Maybe when we went it was not during peak season as there were not many other visitors, so it was very calm and relaxing after a long day in the busy Hong Kong streets.

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Victoria Peak is located in Central on Hong Kong Island and rises above all the skyscrapers that Hong Kong has to offer. To get to the top, you can either hike up to the top (not what I did) or take the peak tram to the top (what I did). At the top, like any other tourist attraction, there is a place to buy souvenirs and eat over-priced meals. But, there is also a platform that gives you a 360 view of Hong Kong. This view is probably even more breathtaking than the view at Victoria Harbor. To get a nice picture, you will have to fight off some other overly excited tourists, but it will be so worth it! Peak tram tickets are fairly cheap and get you to the top pretty quickly; however, you will have to wait in the (long) lines to get onto a tram (still worth it, though).

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It is one thing to see Hong Kong streets in the daytime but seeing and exploring them in the evening is a completely different experience! Watch the streets light-up while exploring the streets of Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui, or Central at night. The streets are covered in street signs, most of them Chinese characters in bright colors. At night, you can also visit night markets if you are looking for some cheap 

clothes or souvenirs. If you are used to night markets in Taiwan (like me), these are a lot different… no food, no drinks, just cheap clothes and souvenirs – so we did not stay very long. Popular night markets people visit in Hong Kong are the Ladies Market and Temple Street night market.

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Ready to explore the night life Hong Kong has to offer?? Take a taxi to Lan Kwai Fong and explore the streets filled with bars, restaurants, and clubs. Going out in Lan Kwai Fong was one of the highlights of my first trip to Hong Kong. The streets were packed with people and music. Being in this amazing country, with these amazing people, having drinks with good music – again, priceless!!! We started our night at this little bar located on a street corner that had great deals on shots…😏 After, we headed to a club where we stayed for the rest of the night, enjoying each other’s company and loving life. The atmosphere in Lan Kwai Fong is one I hope everyone will one day experience.

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Alright so this was one of my “I HAVE TO GO THERE” when visiting Hong Kong for the first time. Located on Lantau Island, the Tian Tan Buddha is a little further from Hong Kong center than other tourist attractions. It took us about 1.5-2 hours getting there by subway and bus (and waiting in line to get onto the bus). There is a little shopping street before getting to the Big Buddha statue, where you can get souvenirs and other little items. To get right up to the Buddha, you can walk up the stairs on the hill while getting a nice view of the surrounding greenery. Please, please, please make time to go visit the Big Buddha!!!!

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If you are getting a bit sick of being in the middle of the busy street-life of Hong Kong, take a walk through Kowloon Park! The park has different sections and things to see, one of them being flamingos! Walking through the calm park surrounded by skyscrapers was a nice way to relax during my trip, even though I was always ready to go back into the busy city life.

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Hong Kong is known for its dim sum, so it is a must-try when visiting! My favorite restaurant for dim-sum in Hong Kong is Crystal Jade, which is located very close to Victoria Harbor in the shopping mall Harbor City. Here, you can get a bunch of different dim sum but also other dishes with noodles or rice – its veryyyyy good. There are a bunch of other more local restaurants that serve dim sum, so try and explore the streets a little bit until you find a place that you like (the dim sum will be good everywhere you go!)

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This location is a little bit more for those who are into taking photos and like cool, unique, and more local spots. In this estate, on top of some random parking lot, there is one of the coolest photo spots I have ever been to. I really don’t know how to describe it or what it is used for (besides instagrammers trying to get the perfect picture). On top of this parking lot you also get a nice view of typical Hong Kong apartment buildings; colorful and a lot of apartments in one building. If you want a cool picture and have some extra time -- take an Uber to the Lok Wah Estate.

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The Chi Lin Nunnery was a very peaceful and calming place. The nunnery is in the middle of the city and high-rise buildings, but it is a super quiet place. While exploring, you will see visitors pray and worship the Gods, so another place to experience this part of the Hong Kong culture. When you have seen everything, you can head down to the Nan Lian Garden to walk through another quiet and calm place in the middle of busy Hong Kong. The garden is a decent size, so take your time to enjoy it fully.

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Another location specifically for photographers, or anyone who loves some unique architecture. At the Choi Hung Estate Basketball Courts, you are in the midst of rainbow apartment buildings. The basketball court colors also have a retro feel to them. So the combination of rainbow buildings, nicely colored basketball courts, and local kids playing after school makes it a great stop on your to-see list in Hong Kong. It took us like 20 minutes to actually find the basketball courts, so after confusing the locals sitting outside for 20 minutes we were happy to finally find the photo-taking hotspot.

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Taking in the city of Hong Kong can be done by exploring the Central district of Hong Kong Island. Being in between all the tall buildings, walking through the busy streets, and trying some local foods is how you really get to experience a city. You don’t need to have a specific destination, as all the streets will lead you somewhere cool (whether you are looking for it or not). In Central you will find the art district, Statue Square, a never-ending escalator, Lan Kwai Fong, nice local restaurants, amazing shopping, and so much more!

Hong Kong is one of my favorite Asian cities I have traveled to, so I recommend it to anyone looking for their next destination! This lists only a few of the many things to do, so I hope to add to this list in the future when I visit Hong Kong again!

With love,
​Sara

PS: check out my video montage of my last trip to HK at the top of this post :)