A 48-Hour Guide to Hong Kong
Hong Kong, one of the most vibrant and fastest cities in the world, knows how to entertain visitors with unique activities, sights, tastes and sounds in every corner. A short two-day trip will surely leave you wanting more, but this 48-hour guide will help you know what Hong Kong is all about, from dim sum cruises and trash cans to temples and local design.
Day One
Tuck into a typical local breakfast at a cha chaan teng
Meaning "tea restaurant" in Cantonese, these are informal and affordable restaurants that serve a menu of Western Hong Kong classic dishes such as macaroni with tomato soup and pork chop buns. Be sure to try their exclusive ying yang, a drink that combines tea with milk and coffee.
Ride the Central-Mid-Levels escalator and try dim sum
After breakfast, explore the streets of SoHo. This neighborhood in the central district is home to more than 200 boutique stores, trendy restaurants, fancy bars and art galleries. While here, go up the Central-Mid-Levels escalator, an 800-meter-long (2,624-foot) escalator that connects the Central business district with the Mid-Levels residential district further up the hilly terrain.
For lunch, enjoy a dim sum place. The cuisine that probably best represents Hong Kong, dim sum, refers to small bites the size of a bite, meatballs and other tasty or sweet Chinese dishes, which are usually taken with a teapot in the first part of the day. One of the most beloved dim sum establishments in the city is Dim Sum Square, which serves delicious classics such as barbecued pork buns and glass shrimp dumplings.
Discover traditional temples and contemporary local design
Start your afternoon with a walk on Tai Ping Shan Street. Meaning "Peace Mountain" in Cantonese, this street was once home to gambling and opium lairs, and was the area most affected by the Hong Kong bubonic plague epidemic in 1894. Today, It is a bohemian and relaxed center with a series of small fashion stores, ceramics and household items, art galleries and cafes focused on design. Near Hollywood Road is the Man Mo Temple, one of the oldest and most famous temples in Hong Kong, where parents often come to ask Man Mo, the god of literature, to help their children with their studies . Located in the middle of a hill of modern skyscrapers, the ancient temple is an intriguing (and installable) view.
To test the local design, go to the nearby PMQ. A historic building that was formerly the Central School, the first government school in Hong Kong, and later the headquarters of the Married Police (PMQ), which provided government-subsidized housing to junior police officers in Hong Kong and their families , PMQ was restored and reborn in 2014 as A creative lifestyle destination. You will now find local designers who exhibit their work in the numerous studios and commercial spaces, along with several well-known restaurants and coffee shops. Enjoy a meal or a drink at Sohofama or Cafe Life, and examine the vibrant markets that take place on certain weekends of the year.
Take a tram tour
Now is the time to experience a transport icon. The double-decker tram, commonly known as "ding-ding" in reference to its distinctive ring that warns pedestrians of its approach, is the cheapest and most ecological, but also the slowest, mode of transport on Hong Island Kong However, it is also a wonderful way to see urban landscapes while traveling from one destination to another. Make the most of your tram ride with a one-hour guided audio tour of TramOramic in a 20-year-old open tram. The tour begins at the Western Market Terminus in Sheung Wan and ends at Causeway Bay.
Indulge your inner shopaholic in Causeway Bay and dine on the water
One of the places that best captures the atmosphere of “bright lights, big city” in Hong Kong is Times Square in Causeway Bay. This mega mall is where you will often see the most elaborate holiday decorations of the Chinese New Year, Christmas or others. The shopping center and the surrounding streets are full of luxury stores of international brands, sports boutiques and small local stores. If you are looking for shopping therapy, Times Square is a shopping destination to visit.
For dinner, try some sumptuous local seafood in an unusual gastronomic environment. Hong Kong often has to prepare for typhoons: powerful tropical cyclones. Typhoon shelters are bays or coves along the coast with a narrow opening to the sea, where local fishermen take refuge during tropical storms. To get an idea of a fisherman's life, reserve a table at Shun Kee Typhoon Shelter, where you can enjoy a dinner of fresh Cantonese-style seafood aboard a sampan (a Chinese wooden boat) floating in the bay.
Party in Lan Kwai Fong
End your first day in the city with a night out at Lan Kwai Fong, the liveliest nightlife spot in Hong Kong. Relax and watch people while enjoying a cocktail in Insomnia, or dance all night on the 843 square foot (743 square meters) dance floor of the Play nightclub.
Day Two
Get your caffeine fix before taking on Victoria Peak
First stop: breakfast at Elephant Grounds. This coffee in the middle levels is a good place to recharge with a healthy breakfast and a cup of coffee to start the day. Breakfast products include yogurt and egg granola parfaits in any way you like with avocado, quinoa and fermented toast. If you feel like something sweet, try the banana toast with peanut butter.
Admire the breathtaking view from Victoria Peak, without a doubt, it should occupy a prominent place in your list of things to do in Hong Kong. With 552 m high (1,811 feet), Victoria Peak is the highest hill on the island of Hong Kong and one of the best places to enjoy the panoramic views of the city. One of the most popular and memorable ways to reach the peak is through the Peak Tram. One of the oldest funicular railways in the world, this tram amounts to 396 m (1,299 ft) above sea level. In an optical illusion, while traveling uphill, the skyscrapers on your right seem to lean towards the top. Once in Victoria Peak, behold the views from Sky Terrace 428, the 360-degree observation deck on the architectural icon, Peak Tower, and learn about the funicular's history at the Peak Tram Historic Gallery.
Now head to Kowloon in the Star Ferry. From Central Pier 7, this romantic and ancient ferry will take you from Hong Kong Island through Victoria Harbor to the Tsim Sha Tsui Star ferry dock in Kowloon.
Enjoy a moment of peace at the Chi Lin Nunnery
Start the afternoon quietly with a walk and lunch at the Chi Lin convent. This majestic complex of Buddhist temples on Diamond Hill is built of cedar wood in the style of traditional Tang dynasty architecture and is currently the largest handmade wooden building in the world. Opposite the convent is the Nan Lian Garden, a beautifully maintained garden where you can take a relaxing walk before stopping at the popular vegetarian restaurant Chi Lin to enjoy a lunch of tasty Buddhist vegetarian dishes. To reach the Chi Lin convent, you can take a taxi or a train from the MTR Tsim Tsa Tsui station to the MTR Diamond Hill station.
Scope out bargains and street art in Sham Shui Po
Filled with old crowded buildings, the nearby Kowloon neighborhood of Sham Shui Po has a realistic but intriguing atmosphere and is a great place to look for bargains, including electronic products, computer devices, children's toys, old or old coins. vinyl records Explore the stalls and shops of the flea market on Apulia Street, and you'll find everything from cheap headphones to remote controls of used TVs. Stay tuned for the Man Fung building, a residential building on Tai Nan Street completely covered with a mural by Madrid-based street artist Okuda San Miguel titled Rainbow Thief.
Marvel at the world’s largest permanent light and sound show, and then hit a night market
At 8 pm. Every night, the city organizes a 10-minute multimedia laser show called A Symphony of Lights, where the iconic high-rise towers around Victoria Harbor on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon show their laser beams, LED screens and reflectors to create a show of audiovisual lights. An excellent way to enjoy the show is at the Aqualuna Symphony of Lights Dinner and Cruise, where you can see both sides of the show from an old Hong Kong garbage ship sailing through the harbor and then dine at a Sichuan restaurant. Aqualuna garbage leaves Pier 1 of Tsim Sha Tsui.
No trip to Hong Kong would be complete without a trip to a night market. The largest and busiest night market in Hong Kong, Temple Street in the Jordan area of Kowloon is the place to go to outdoor street stalls selling snacks, fake Gucci bags, watches, housewares, shoes and jewelry of jade, all at extremely affordable prices. prices. Here you will also find fortune tellers, who will read your palm for a fee.
Wind down with a nightcap on Knutsford Terrace
Knutsford Terrace, a strip in Tsim Tsa Tsui that houses lively outdoor bars, is a good place to have a drink before calling it a night. If you still have a little energy left, Joe’s Billiard & Bar is the perfect place for a game of pool and perhaps a glass of wine or a Bailey's before bedtime.
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