Hong Kong is an autonomous region and the city has the highest number of skyscrapers compared to any other city in the world. Hong Kong is a major global financial hub and it is considered as the most expensive city of the world. Hong Kong is a great destination for shopping and it is a must visit place for foodies because you will find cuisine from all over the world. I would strongly recommend to spend at least 3 days during your visit to Hong Kong. Hong Kong airport is a also a major connecting hub of Asia and Hong Kong gives visa free entry to citizens of most countries around the world. A trip to Macau can be easily planned from Hong Kong because Macau is situated by just 1 hour ferry ride from Hong Kong. Hong Kong is named multiple times as the best city for commuters because of its very efficient Metro rail system. Octpus card is a prepaid card in Hong Kong and it is widely used in Hong Kong as a mode of payment in MTR and 7 Eleven stores.
Peak Tram, Madame Tussauds Museum and Victoria Peak – Victoria Peak is the most famous tourist destination of Hong Kong. The view from the peak has been featured multiple times in popular Hollywood movies. The peak tram is the best way to travel from central Hong Kong to the peak. The journey takes about 15 minutes but during the weekend there is usually a long queue in order to access the Peak Tram. I would recommend to buy a combo pass to Peak Tram, Peak Observation deck and Madame Tussauds museum because this will give faster access to the tram and you don’t have to wait longer. The peak tram connects Garden road Admiralty to Victoria peak via the Mid Levels and it provides great views of Victoria Harbor. If you buy separate tickets for each activity then the ticket price is significantly higher. The peak tram stops near the Madame Tussauds museum. The wax museum is the first museum is Asia and it features more than 100 wax statues. After visiting the was museum i went to the peak Observation deck. The deck was very crowded and there were lot of people queuing up for photographs. The night view of the city was magnificent and it should not be missed during your trip to Hong Kong. I would recommend to visit the Observation deck around evening time so that you can enjoy both day and night view of the harbor. I had to queue up around 1 hour for the return train journey to Admiralty.
Hong Kong Disneyland– Hong Disneyland is situated in the Lantau island close to Hong Kong International Airport. I took Tung Chung line from Central station situated in Hong Kong island and got down at Sunny Bay station. There are direct trains available to Disneyland resort from Sunny bay station and the whole journey takes about 10 minutes. You should buy Disneyland tickets at Klook.com because the tickets are usually 20% cheaper than the Official price. It takes entire day in order to cover all the sections of Disneyland Resort. I would recommend to visit the resort as early as possible because it starts getting crowded from 12 pm onwards and you might have to queue up longer in order to access popular rides. The evening fireworks and street dance performance is a must watch and should not be missed during your visit to the resort. I would strongly advice to carry some snacks items during your visit to the resort because inside the resort the food and drinks items are overpriced. It was a very long and tiring day for me because i started around 9 am from Central station and came back around 11 pm.
Ocean Park Hong Kong – Hong Kong Ocean park is located in Hong Kong island and it is a popular theme park in Hong Kong. There is also a Marine mammal park and Ocean Aquarium inside the ocean park. The park is well connected to central station by MTR and the whole journey takes about 20 minutes. The park is divided into two sections one section of the park is situated at top of the hill and the other part of the park is situated at the foot of the hill. The two sections are connected to each other via Cable car. The park offers wide variety of rides compared to Disneyland and the ticket to the park is 20 % cheaper than Disneyland. You should buy Ocean Park tickets at Klook.com because the tickets are usually 20% cheaper than the Official price. You can also enjoy dolphin shows at the ocean theater located inside the park. Disneyland is a great destination for kids and family but I had more fun at Ocean park because Ocean park offers far more thrilling rides than Disneyland. The average waiting time for the rides is around 30-45 minutes and one day feel too short to try all the rides around the park. I tried very hard to cover all the sections of the park and it was a busy day for me. The park is located on the top of the hill very close to the sea and the view from the rides are just incredible.
SKY 100 Observation Deck – Sky 100 Observation deck is situated in ICC tower. ICC tower is the 11th tallest building of the world and it is the Tallest building in Hong Kong. The observation deck is situated opposite to the Victoria peak on the Kowloon side and you get great 360 view of Hong Kong from the deck. The view of the Hong Kong island from the Observation deck was simply breathtaking. The observation deck also features a cafe and souvenir shops.
Po Lin Monastery & Tian Tan Buddha – Tian Tan Buddha is also known as Big Buddha and it is situated in Lantau island. There is a direct cable car service from Tung Chung station to Ngong Ping Village and the total journey takes about 25 minutes. I opted for crystal cabin because the cabin had a glass floor and it was completely unique experience for me. The 360 degree uninterrupted view from cable car was simply mind blowing,at one side it was sea and on the other side it was mountains and grassland. You pass through number of souvenir shops on the way to Big Buddha from Ngong Ping village cable car station. The Buddha statue is situated on the top of hill and you need to climb around 250 stairs in order to reach the base of the statue. The height of the statue is around 34 m and it was constructed from bronze pieces. Po Lin Monastery is a Buddhist monastery and it is situated inside Ngong Ping village. You get to see great views of Po Lin Monastery and Lantau peak from the Big Buddha statue.
Victoria Harbor Cruise and Clock Tower – Victoria Harbor cruise is a great way to enjoy the excellent views of Hong Kong Skyline. Victoria Harbor is situated just besides Harbor city mall which is one of the biggest malls in Hong Kong. Number of tour operators offer cruise around Victoria harbor but Star ferry service between Kowloon and Central side is the best way to enjoy the Victoria Harbor because it is cheap and convenient. You can also enjoy uninterrupted view of Symphony of Lights show from the Victoria Harbor Observation deck. The Observation deck situated near the clock tower and it is usually crowded with tourists all around the clock. The Clock tower was former site of Kowloon station and now it is an important landmark of Hong Kong.
Golden Bauhinia Square – Golden Bauhinia square is located on the Hong Kong island side just outside Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. The Hong Kong handover ceremonies were held at the Golden Bauhinia Square in 1997. A 6 m high Bauhinia flower statue is located at the center of the square. The site is a major tourist attraction in Hong Kong and you can see impeccable views of the Kowloon side skyline from the square.
Nan Lian Garden & Chi Lin Nunnery – Nan Lian Garden is a Chinese garden and it is located near Diamond hill MTR station. The garden features trees, rocks, wooden structures and a pavilion. The garden was recently opened to public in 2006. The Pavilion is located at the center of the garden and it is a great place to take some beautiful photo of the surroundings. Chi Lin Nunnery is located very close Nan Lian Garden. Chi Lin Nunnery is a Buddhist temple and it features Tang Dynasty architecture.
Lan Kwai Fong – Lan Kwai Fong is located near Central and it is famous for drinking, clubbing and dining. It is the most happening place in Hong Kong and Saturday night is probably the best time to visit LKF. The street is also famous for Halloween and New Year Party. LKF is a great place to hang around with friends because most people usually buy the drinks from the 7-Eleven stores and drink on the streets.
Stanley- Stanley is my favorite weekend hangout place in Hong Kong. Stanley is situated towards the southern part of Hong Kong island and it takes about 1 hour bus ride in order to reach Stanley from Central station. There are number of pubs and restaurants situated at the Stanley Promenade and it is a great place to watch the sunset. Stanley pier is the most beautiful pier in Hong Kong and it is famous for its unique architecture. Stanley market is situated towards the end of the promenade and its a great place to buy souvenir items. Every year annual Dragon boat festival is organized at Stanley.
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