48 HOURS IN:
HONG KONG In Hong Kong on a quick layover? This buzzing metropolis-country has tons of exotic sights and foods to offer and you’ll be wanting to make the most of your limited time. We’ve put together a two-day itinerary with all of the most important stops and shops– hope you packed your walking shoes!
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DAY 1 After breakfast, leave your hotel in Central and find the Central–Mid-Levels escalator– the longest outdoor covered escalator in the world. The walkway and escalator will take you up through Central and SoHo to Mid-Levels, with photo-opp stops along the way, and leave you in the perfect spot to check out the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens on your way towards the Peak Tram. The gardens are free to enter and are home to primate and bird enclosures.
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9:00 AM
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10:30 AM
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Continue on towards the Peak Tram, a funicular railway that brings passengers to Victoria Peak. The tram is popular, but the line to board moves quickly in the morning. The tram deposits passengers into the Peak Tower, which is home to many souvenir shops and restaurants. For a bird’s-eye view, head to the observation deck up top–entrance can be purchased at the lower terminus with your tram ticket. If you’re on a budget, skip the Sky Terrace and just take in the views from the grounds of the Peak. There are walking trails that wend through the woodland vegetation around the peak and give way to stunning city views.
1:00 PM
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Take the tram down and descend back to Central for lunch on Wellington St. at Tsim Chai Kee. There’s a fierce rivalry going on between Tsim Chai Kee and Mak’s just across the street, but we think that Tsim Chai Kee is the clear winner on portion size and noodle quality. Go for the noodle soup with king prawn wontons and sliced beef–the beef is sweet and tender, and king prawn wontons are addictive. The wonton skins are thin and delicate–just strong enough to enclose large chunks of moist, meaty prawn. Don’t expect to linger.
Continue Northwest on Wellington St. towards Graham St., the location of Central’s best traditional wet market. This street market hosts vendors selling everything from fresh produce, sauces and dried ingredients, to meats and live seafood, and provides a wonderful look into everyday life in Hong Kong. The wet market on Graham Street is known as one of the oldest continuously running wet markets in Hong Kong, but word on the street is that this market will soon be closed down due to redevelopment in the area.
Image: Elspeth Velten
1:30 PM
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2:30 PM Now is your chance to take a ride on one of Hong Kong’s iconic double decker trams. Hop on at Central and head towards Causeway Bay, where you can spend an hour or two exploring and shopping. On the way back towards Central, your sweet tooth will thank you for making a quick stop at Honolulu Cafe. They’re known for their egg tarts–these flaky little custard treats may be some of the best in the city. This is also a good spot have a look at Hong Kong’s cha chaan tang culture, a simple and unique cuisine that’s a mix of east meets west.
10:00 PM
7:30 PM
Hit Lan Kwai Fong, the hive of Hong Kong’s night life. This small area of connecting streets is home to the largest concentration of clubs, wine bars, pubs and expat bars in the city. Don’t expect to drink for cheap, though.
Time for dinner. Above and Beyond and The Chairman are good options for Chinese food, especially if budget is not a concern. For a trendy twist, head to Yardbird, a yakitori joint dedicated to chicken. Every possible piece of the bird is available on a stick here and the place is descended upon by crowds of locals and tourists alike every night. For a traditional take on Taiwanese, head to Din Tai Fung, an upscale chain that’s been awarded a Michelin star. Peak in on the chefs speedily making dumplings behind glass near the front door and order accordingly–the place is known for its xiao long bao, or soup dumplings.
DAY 2
9:00 AM
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Board the scenic Star Ferry and cross over to Kowloon and then hop on the MTR to head straight Tim Ho Wan in Mong Kok–the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world– for its famous dim sum. The crispy cha siu buns are the restaurant’s most sought-after offering, and one bite into the barbecued pork center yields answers to why. Tim Ho Wan opens at 10AM, but get here early because a line outside the restaurant grows quickly.
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11:30 AM After dim sum, cross Nathan Road and wander Mong Kok’s street markets like the Ladies’ Market, fashion-focused Fa Yuen Street and the Goldfish Market, a collection of colourful and busy aquarium suppliers. If you like, you can head further north to peruse the exotic and familiar blooms on Flower Market Road and check out the chirping Yuen Po St. Bird Garden.
2:00 PM Grab the MTR or walk down Nathan St. back towards Victoria Harbour and the famous Peninsula Hotel. It would be a mistake to visit Hong Kong and not take high tea in the hotel’s beautiful lobby to the music of the Lobby Strings Orchestra. Expect cakes, egg tarts, macarons, cucumber, salmon and chicken tea sandwiches, mushroom tarts, and, of course, scones and clotted cream. Consider this upscale stop when you plan your outfit in the morning, and don’t be surprised to wait on line for a bit.
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4:00 PM Walk off all of those tea treats during a wander around the nearby Kowloon Park. This green-haven amongst Tsim Sha Tsui used to be an army fortress but is now open to the public and home to a Chinese garden with lotus ponds, an aviary with 29 species of birds, a rose garden, a sports center, weekly lion dance performances on Sundays and more. For a bit of an adventure, pop across the street into the Chungking Mansions for a quick look around the bottom level souk, where immigrants to Hong Kong sling cellphones, samosas and everything in between.
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6:00 PM Finish off your long day of walking with one more stroll–through the Temple Street Night Market, this time. It’s popular to hit the upper area of this market (around the Yau Ma Tei MTR stop) for dinner before walking back along Temple St. towards the harbour. For dinner, choose any one of the many restaurants that spill out onto the streets with communal tables; the best way to order is by pointing to what others around you have chosen. Fried oyster omelets and dishes of tiny steamed clams or mantis shrimp are popular, as are rice claypots topped with sliced meat or Chinese sausage. 18