Hong Kong is a destination to visit in its own right. However, it’s also conveniently placed on the map, making it a gateway to lots of other countries. There is loads to see and do in this bustling city, and below are my tips if you have one day in Hong Kong.
I will start by saying you won’t be able to see everything, but you can see a lot of great places and maximise the time you have. I came to Hong Kong with a friend of mine, but these suggestions will work for a family or a solo trip.
The order of this list is based on your one day starting early, but you can always move things around to suit whatever time you arrive at Hong Kong airport.
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Why I went
Bali was our final destination on this holiday, however there are no direct routes from London to Bali. They all involve a stopover, and this differs depending on which airline you fly with.
I’m lucky enough to have already travelled to Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, which are the other popular stop-off places. Plus Cathay Pacific flights for the dates we wanted were the best option. Staying for one day in Hong Kong was the same price as a four hour stopover in the airport. It was therefore an easy decision to add another destination to my list. Bonus!
There are places we didn’t get to see, most notably the Big Buddha on Lantau Island. We skipped this because the cable car was undergoing maintenance. It would also have meant going backwards and forwards more times as its beyond the airport. Being limited to one day, we prioritised other activities, so I’ll need to return to Hong Kong at some point in the future.
The adventure ahead
Transportation
Hong Kong has a great public transport system, similar to the London Underground. It’s called the Mass Transit Rail (MTR) and one of the lines goes through the airport. This makes the MTR an incredibly convenient option to get you into the city centre.
It takes under 30 minutes to reach Hong Kong Island, and it passes through Kowloon as well, if you happen to be staying in that area.
You can stop at the travel desk in the airport arrivals hall to collect your MTR travel card. Most MTR stations are interconnected so you can swap onto other lines to get around the city easily. There are several options for you to purchase, and I recommend getting the three day pass for HK$350 (approx £34). The card is durable like the London Oyster card or the Melbourne Myki card.
Even if you are only here for one day, this ticket covers you for two airport trips (outbound and return), unlimited travel for three consecutive days on the other MTR lines, and some bus routes. This is a very reasonable way of getting around the city, and is easier and cheaper than getting a taxi. You can read more about this ticket option here.
At the end of your 24 hour stopover, you can return the travel card to the service desk in the airport arrivals hall, and get back HK$50. They will only give you the refund in cash, regardless of how you paid for the travel card initially. It can be good though as then you have just enough to get a drink and a snack, or some small souvenirs, once you’ve gone through to the departure area.
One big thing to mention about the Hong Kong MTR, is that there are so many different exits at most of the stations. What can help is looking in advance which exit is closest to your desired destination. It can save you a good 15 minutes walk… I speak from experience!
Cash and phone services
Most places in Hong Kong take cards, both credit and debit, but sometimes it’s better to have some cash on you. This is important if you plan to visit any of the market areas. There are plenty of cash points in the airport arrivals hall.
We both withdrew HK$600 (approx £60) free of charge to cover the 24 hours, and planned to use it for small purchases and presents. I also figured if I had anything left over, I’d pay for a cocktail at one of the bars we would be visiting in the evening!
I brought a portable WiFi device with me, and picked up a local sim card at the airport. It turns out that most places (bars, malls, buses and the Star Ferry to name a few) have really good free WiFi available, so save your money and just access the web for free whenever you can.
Based on our experience, I recommend you allow around an hour after you land to get through customs and collect any baggage. Also factor in around 30 minutes in the arrivals hall which will give you time to collect your MTR pass, get cash out and make your way onto the MTR platform heading city bound. The MTR from the airport runs around every 10 minutes.
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Luggage storage
There are options to store your luggage at the airport if you only want to take a minimal amount with you into the city. We didn’t choose this method, but if it’s of interest, here is a link to the airport luggage storage information.
We decided to get a hotel on Hong Kong Island, one where they will hold your luggage for you at no extra cost. By doing this you can drop your bags off first thing, before you go out exploring. You’ll have the opportunity to find out where your hotel is, and your luggage will be there if you end up needing anything from it later on.
There are so many hotel options in different areas of the city. Our hotel was in Wan Chai, so using our MTR passes, it took us around an hour to get from the airport. With the help of Google Maps (which I recommend you download to be available offline) we found a quick route to our hotel. After leaving our stuff with the concierge service, we were off!
As a side note, the airport MTR line ends at Hong Kong station, and interchanges with Central station for most lines on Hong Kong Island. It doesn’t look too far on the map but the walk is underground between the two stations, and takes around 15 minutes.
Plan a route
With the city being quite spread out, a plan of action is a good idea if you only have one day in Hong Kong, like we did. Look at what you want to see and work out a rough route to cover those spots. You can always deviate when you see something else, but it does help.
Every time I travel somewhere, I add all the locations I want to visit (plus the hotel I’m staying in) to Google Maps. You can do this by finding a place, clicking save and choosing either Favourites (red heart), Want to Go (green flag) or Starred Places (yellow stars). I use the green flags when I’ve not visited somewhere and then change it to the yellow stars. By doing this you can visually see where everything is, making route planning a bit easier.
Our route worked really well to see a lot of key places in one day. We wanted to start with Victoria Peak, before heading over to Kowloon and seeing Ladies Market. Our plan also included a stop back at the hotel, so we could freshen up and change our clothes. Some bars in Hong Kong have a smart dress code in place, so we wanted to glam up a bit before hitting the town at night.
We mostly stuck to this and it worked well for the time we had. The pedometer showed we walked over 15 miles! It was worth it and important to make the most of our one day, and thankfully there were times we weren’t on our feet.
So here’s an overview of what we saw and did in one day in Hong Kong.
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak lookout is a “must do” when you’re in Hong Kong. It’s an iconic viewpoint, and worth taking the time to see the city high rise skyline.
During my research, I’d read the Peak Tram often has queues for several hours, for a journey time of less than 10 minutes! If you’re in Hong Kong on a Saturday or Sunday, the queues will be long pretty much all day.
I was therefore delighted when I came across this blog post providing a step-by-step guide for taking the bus to the Peak. It also suggests a free lookout point with great views. If you want to maximise time, and minimise costs, this is ideal.
You take Bus 15 from the bus terminal at Central. It runs regularly, and we only had a 10 minute wait when we arrived. The road up to the Peak can get busy as cars, taxis and buses are all heading that way. The journey time was around 30-40 minutes, but the view on route is great. Plus you save some money, as the bus is much cheaper.
Take a light jacket or jumper with you as there is air con on the bus, as well as a bit of a breeze once you get to the top of the Peak.
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From the bus stop you can get to the lookout in about 15 minutes, and it’s so worth it. The view of the city below is unobstructed! We arrived around 10:30am and there were only a couple of other people at the spot; the weather was nice, if a little overcast. But it is a worthwhile spot where you can take your time, and a lot of photos.
The Peak Tram
The Peak Tram is an icon of Hong Kong. As mentioned above, we really didn’t want to waste any of our one day standing in a long queue. And we were glad we didn’t.
However I get the appeal of doing something so well known in a city. So if you really want to take a ride in it, take the tram back down. The queue from the top is so much shorter than the queue to come up – we were in line less than 15 minutes.
I did find that with so many other people all on board, if you are not getting on first, your pictures will include lots of other people’s hands holding their cameras and phones. It’s just the nature of everything these days, and yes I’m aware I’m doing this as well…
Another benefit of only going one way on the tram is that it’s cheaper, and your MTR card can be used to cover the HK$37 single journey fee.
The Star Ferry
After you exit the tram, it’s a nice walk through the city (all downhill) to make your way to the Star Ferry port.
This white and green ferry is a staple of life in Hong Kong, and it runs across the bay between the main land and Hong Kong Island in 10 minutes. You have the option to board either the upper or lower level on the boat. Both cost the same, but you get better views of the skyline (and less fumes) if you travel on the upper deck. Again you can use your MTR card to pay for the journey, it’s only about HK$3 (less than 50p) for a single trip.
You do have the option to take the MTR from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, but this boat journey is worth doing at least once. The ferry runs most days between 6:30am-11:30pm so you should be able to fit this in at some point during your one day in Hong Kong.
Ladies Market
If you’re looking for souvenirs and a place to barter, Ladies Market is in Kowloon. Several roads are lined with market stalls and whilst there are many selling the same thing, it’s an option if you’re looking to buy clothing, magnets, bags and shoes… and if you have room in your suitcase. Just don’t take the first price any seller offers.
There are many food options here, particularly if you want to be more adventurous, such as octopus on a stick! It wasn’t something I wanted to try so I had pizza!
I would say if you are pressed for time, in my opinion Ladies Market isn’t a must see area. We managed to pick up some presents, but out of everything we did, looking back this is what I’d skip.
Yick Cheong or Monster Building
After we’d gone back to the hotel to freshen up and change for an evening out in the city, we headed to the east of Hong Kong Island. Specifically, we were in search of Yick Cheong Building. This place has become popular on Instagram accounts (including mine). It’s five interconnected buildings giving a unique photo opportunity.
The blocks of flats are located closer to Tai Koo MTR station, not Quarry Bay MTR, as we found. There is often a queue for getting up onto one of the raised brick platforms, but your pictures will be worth the wait.
We got there around 6:15pm, not too long before sunset. It was actually perfect lighting, and only a few people queuing in front of us. This place is worth fitting into your 24 hour itinerary. My favourite photo from Hong Kong is this one my friend took of me!
Rooftop bars
There are several rooftop bars dotted around the city, that give you a great view of the buildings all lit up at night. It’s true that cocktails and alcohol can be quite expensive but, as you’re on holiday, treat yourself at least once!
We visited Sugar, which is not too far to walk from Yick Cheong Building. Sugar is on the 32nd Floor of the East Hotel building and has a different, but still good, view of the harbour. The cocktail menu has items on it that are not generally found elsewhere, so it’s a good option to try something new. 5:30pm is opening time, meaning you can generally catch the sun setting and watch the buildings light up and brighten up the bay.
I was also impressed with the view from the ladies room – not something you see all the time! Definitely a bar to visit during your one day in Hong Kong.
Harbour view daily light show
After the rooftop bar, we headed back towards Central taking the MTR. There is a daily light show where buildings on the Kowloon side light up with different patterns.
We took the Star Ferry over so we could take some pictures whilst out on the water. It was also good to see the skyline of Hong Kong Island all lit up.
I found the light show a little underwhelming, so if you’re not in this area in the evening, don’t go out of your way for it. However if you happen to be in the harbour, the show is only on for a couple of minutes. As far as I’m aware it starts every evening promptly at 7:45pm, 8:00pm and 9:00pm.
Central mid-level escalators
The Central mid-level escalators are a set of escalators that run downhill from the Peak during the day, usually taking the commuters to work. At night they change direction and help ferry the tipsy revelers back uphill. I’m sure I read somewhere that they are affectionately known as the “escalators to drunkenness”, however I now cannot find where I read this, so… we could have just made it up, when we were drunk!!
They are just escalators so not a must see, but they are the longest outside escalators in the world, so we decided we wanted to take a ride. We found them off of Des Voeux Road and Queen’s Road in Central.
Late night snack
For me, no holiday is complete without an ice-cream. I always indulge whenever I go on a trip. After our escalator journey, we were looking for a bar and walked past an ice cream shop Emack and Bolio’s. My eyes lit up!
The display of waffle cones in the window was impressive to say the least. You can get cones with sprinkles, ones with sugar, marshmallows, cereals, peanuts… you just have to choose (if you can). They also have other sweet treats that you can buy.
I chose maple pecan ice cream in a rainbow sprinkle cone. It was divine! I also bought some marzipan sweets to eat as my late night snack back at the hotel.
The trams
The trams in Hong Kong, also known as Ding Dings, are an alternative to the MTR system. They’re a little rickety, but by being above ground it means you can see the city as you travel. When we took them around 10:00pm they weren’t too busy. Just make sure you know which direction you need to go and get on the correct platform. Otherwise you end up crossing the road several times needlessly.
Evening entertainment
You’ll have plenty of options for your evening entertainment. There are an abundance of bars and restaurants in every part of the city. Bar hopping is a great idea to get a feel for Hong Kong after dark.
We ended up in karaoke bar From Dusk Till Dawn in Wan Chai, around the corner from our hotel. The cocktails were strong, and the band was great entertainment. It wasn’t a join in karaoke bar (as we’d planned for), just a group from Hong Kong singing various songs. It had an enjoyable atmosphere and is open til late. Both of us debated staying out all night, but sadly my sensible side won and we left around 3:00am!
You can also visit night markets if bars aren’t what you’re looking for – Temple Street and Ladies Market are both open late. As we only had one night in Hong Kong, we didn’t include a trip at night to either of these, but they’re meant to be good options, particularly if you’re a foodie fan.
Where to stay
If you’re making the most of a 24 hour stopover in Hong Kong, you’ll want somewhere that is centrally located and comfortable, but one that won’t break the bank.
Depending on whether you’re looking for a hostel or a hotel, there are lots of different options. Most search sites allow you to filter by area, accommodation type, or maximum budget. All of which are useful for narrowing down your options.
We chose to stay in The Harbourview in Wan Chai. It was close enough to the MTR station and had reasonable priced rooms (with Booking.com we paid £70 for a twin room, excluding breakfast). The beds are comfortable, and the facilities are ideal with only visiting the city for one day.
It was only after we went out to a couple of bars in this area we realised Wan Chai is Hong Kong’s Red Light District!!
We ended up having less than 5 hours sleep in our 24 hour stopover in Hong Kong, before we headed back to the airport for our morning flight. It was totally worth it for the epic experience of this city.
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Top five tips
- Wear comfortable shoes. In our one day in Hong Kong my friend and I walked over 15 miles! You’ll have seen from photos this city isn’t flat. You’ll be covering a lot of ground, even if you take public transport. Make sure your feet are looked after.
- Public transport is good value. Travelling on the MTR system in Hong Kong, is a very easy and cost effective way to get around. You can get a three day pass for under £35 that covers all of the MTR routes. When you get the card it has credit pre-loaded on it. This can cover other journeys such as the Peak Tram or the Ding Ding (regular trams) and some buses.
- Visit Victoria Peak. It is one of the top things to do in Hong Kong, and for good reason. The views are amazing as you can see pretty much all of the city! There are free lookout points as well as the Sky Terrace where you can get 360° views. Make Victoria Peak a stop during your trip.
- Know your exit. The MTR is a great system, as it’s easy to use and gets you around the city quickly. But the exit system can be really confusing as several stations have more than one. They are generally labelled A, B, C, D and so on. Try and look on Google maps which exit is closest to where you want to be. It can save you from walking around the long way.
- WiFi is available almost everywhere. Most people like to stay connected to the rest of the world when they are away. WiFi is available on the airport MTR, on most bus routes (including number 15 to The Peak), restaurants/bars and hotels. If you only have one day in Hong Kong, don’t bother getting a local sim card for WiFi access.
Why you should go
So in conclusion, it’s very possible to see a lot when you only have one day in Hong Kong. The city is vibrant and has something for everyone.
Hong Kong is located in a great place to be able to use it as a hub to head onto other places, such as Indonesia, Australia, Philippines etc. But it’s worth spending some time here, even if it is just one day.
The above are my recommendations of what to see and do on a 24 hour stopover. Feel free to swap the order around depending on the time you arrive in Hong Kong, and also to suit your personal interests and preferences.
Good to know
- If you are travelling to Hong Kong as a British Citizen, you’ll be able to stay for up to six months without the need for a visa. If you plan on visiting mainland China from Hong Kong, however you will need to arrange a Chinese visa in advance. Here is the UK advice page. Other countries may have other entry and visa restrictions.
- Hong Kong is made up of several islands, with the main ones being Lantau Island, Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories to the north of Kowloon. Most attractions visitors want to see, particularly if you only have one day in Hong Kong, are found on the first three islands.
- The international airport is on Lantau Island, but it takes less than 30 minutes to get to Hong Kong Island if you take the MTR. By taxi, depending on traffic it may take longer.
- As Hong Kong was previously a British colony, it uses the three-pin plugs. If you’re travelling from anywhere besides the UK, you’ll need to use an adapter.
- If you speak English, you won’t struggle. Most signs are displayed in both Chinese and English and we found English to be widely spoken.
- There are rooftop bars in several places in Hong Kong to give you some great photo opportunities and views of the harbour from above. Some examples include Sugar, Ozone, CÉ LA VI, and M Bar.
- As a general rule, the weather is good in Hong Kong with the lowest temperatures in winter generally being around 10°C, but in summer you get much better weather. In mid-March when we went, we only needed a light jumper, mainly in the evenings or at the Peak when it gets a bit breezy. Hong Kong can be affected by typhoons and the season is between May and November. Just something to consider when planning your trip.
- The currency used is the Hong Kong dollar, however credit and debit cards are widely accepted in most places, so you’ll only really need cash if you’re heading to the markets.
A quote to sum it all up
Despite being one of the destinations I’ve spent the least amount of time in, because we packed so much into our one day in Hong Kong, I’ve come away with fantastic memories. It’s a cosmopolitan city and really does have something for everyone.
“Live life with no excuses, travel with no regret”
Oscar Wilde
Have you been to Hong Kong? Did you love it? Have I missed anywhere that should be on a must-see list? Please let me know by leaving a comment…
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