HONG KONG
5 days exploring the city
Quick facts
Country
Hong Kong
April
2024
5 days
4 nights
Language
Chinese and English
Currency
Hong Kong dollar
Highlight
Victoria Harbour
Hong Kong is a vibrant city where towering skyscrapers meet traditional streets, busy neighbourhoods and beautiful harbour views. From the panoramic skyline at Victoria Peak to the lively streets of Mong Kok, there’s plenty to explore. For us, the highlights were walking along Victoria Harbour, enjoying the city from the water and watching the skyline light up after sunset.
Hong Kong was a place of contrasts, with towering skyscrapers, busy shopping streets, waterfront promenades and neighbourhoods that each had their own atmosphere. We explored on foot, travelled by metro and ferry, and enjoyed seeing the skyline from different perspectives, especially from Victoria Peak and across Victoria Harbour.
We didn’t have the best experience with our accommodation, which taught us an important lesson about booking hotels in Hong Kong. However, we still enjoyed discovering the city, and some of our favourite moments were simply walking along the water or watching the skyline light up after sunset.
Currency
Prices in Hong Kong are usually shown in Hong Kong dollars (HKD). Getting familiar with the currency makes it easier to understand what you’re spending, especially when comparing prices for food, transport and sightseeing.
| Currency | HKD 90 ≈ |
|---|---|
| 🇦🇺 Australian Dollar | 16.35 AUD |
| 🇪🇺 Euro | 10.24 EUR |
| 🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar | 16.08 CAD |
| 🇺🇸 US Dollar | 11.48 USD |
| 🇩🇰 Danish Krone | 76.61 DKK |
* Exchange rates change constantly, so these are approximate values based on mid 2026 rates.
Places to visit
Tsim Sha Tsui and Victoria Harbour
Tsim Sha Tsui was one of the areas we returned to during our stay. Located on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour, it’s a great place to walk along the waterfront and enjoy views of Hong Kong Island’s impressive skyline.
We visited Tsim Sha Tsui Public Pier and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre area before exploring the promenade and the Avenue of Stars. The Avenue of Stars celebrates Hong Kong’s film industry, and along the waterfront you’ll find sculptures and tributes to famous figures, including Bruce Lee and Anita Mui. We also explored the K11 building and went up to its terrace to enjoy another view of the city.
Our tip
Visit the waterfront during the day and return after dark if you can. The skyline looks completely different once the buildings light up.
Victoria Peak and Sky Terrace 428
One of the highlights of our visit was heading up to Victoria Peak to enjoy the views over Hong Kong.
We visited Sky Terrace 428, an observation deck located 428 metres above sea level, and spent time exploring the Peak Tower shopping centre. From the top, you can appreciate the scale of the city, with its skyscrapers, harbour and surrounding hills.
Getting to the Peak was part of the experience itself, as the city gradually opened up around us. From above, Hong Kong looks almost endless, with dense clusters of skyscrapers set against green hills and the harbour. It was interesting to see how the urban landscape and surrounding nature coexist so closely.
We spent time walking around the Peak Tower shopping centre before heading up to Sky Terrace 428. Although the views were already impressive during the day, staying until sunset gave us the chance to see the city change as the lights came on. It was worth staying into the evening to experience both views in one visit.
Official information and tickets: Sky Terrace 428.
Sai Ying Pun and its street art
One of the things we wanted to see was the colourful street art painted across walls and buildings. The ARTLANE area, around streets such as Chung Ching Street and Ki Ling Lane, is known for its murals and is worth exploring on foot. We enjoyed seeing a different side of Hong Kong away from the main shopping areas and skyline viewpoints.
Mong Kok
It’s known for its dense and busy streets, shops, markets and lively atmosphere during both the afternoon and evening. Compared with the open waterfront around Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok felt much busier, with plenty happening around every corner.Be prepared for crowds, especially along the busiest shopping streets.
Accommodation
Accommodation was the most disappointing part of our stay. We won’t name the hotel, but our experience made us realise how important it is to check the details carefully before booking in Hong Kong. We stayed near the iSQUARE shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, a convenient location for exploring the area. However, our room was extremely small. We could barely fit on the bed, the toilet was tiny, and the service was unpleasant.
Hotels in Hong Kong can be expensive, so we’d recommend planning your accommodation well in advance rather than leaving it until the last minute. It’s worth comparing different options, reading recent reviews and checking the actual room size before making a decision.
Our accommodation tips:
Book early, particularly if your travel dates are fixed.
Read recent reviews about cleanliness, comfort and service.
Check the room dimensions
Compare the location and room quality before choosing the cheapest option.
Getting around Hong Kong
Hong Kong has an extensive public transport network, including the MTR metro, buses, trams and ferries. We used the metro to explore different parts of the city and the ferry to cross Victoria Harbour.
On foot
We explored several areas on foot, particularly Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok.
Walking allowed us to discover smaller streets, shops and places we might otherwise have missed. Keep in mind that Hong Kong has plenty of hills, stairs and busy pavements, so comfortable shoes are useful.
Ferries
The ferry was one of our favourite ways to experience Hong Kong. We particularly enjoyed the views while crossing Victoria Harbour. If you’re travelling between Tsim Sha Tsui and Hong Kong Island, consider taking the Star Ferry rather than relying exclusively on the metro. It gives you a completely different perspective of the city.
Public transport: MTR — the metro
The MTR was useful for getting between neighbourhoods and reaching places further away from where we were staying.
We initially found it confusing to understand the network and work out which route to take. Once you become familiar with the lines and stations, however, it becomes easier to navigate.
Food in Hong Kong
Food was part of our everyday exploration, particularly when walking around Tsim Sha Tsui and along Nathan Road towards Jordan Road, where we looked for restaurants and places to eat.
We don’t have a specific restaurant recommendation to share from this trip, but Hong Kong offers plenty of opportunities to explore local food, from traditional Cantonese dishes and dim sum to street snacks and international cuisine.
If you’re interested in trying local food, look beyond the busiest shopping centres and explore smaller restaurants and neighbourhood eateries as well.
Our Cost
*4 nights · 5 days · 2 people
| Category | Total (2 People) | Per Day (2 People) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🛏 Accommodation | 157 AUD | 39 AUD* | Hotel accommodation |
| 🚌 Transport | 45 AUD | 9 AUD | Local transport and ferry |
| 🍽 Restaurants | 70 AUD | 14 AUD | Food and meals |
| 🧾 Withdrawals | 59 | 12 | Recorded |
| Total | 330 AUD | 66 AUD | – |
* Accommodation is calculated per night, while the other categories are calculated per day. All prices are approximate.
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Would we recommend Hong Kong?
Yes, but we’d recommend planning your trip carefully, especially when it comes to accommodation. We think Hong Kong is worth visiting if you enjoy large cities, impressive skylines, busy neighbourhoods and exploring on foot. Even with limited time, you can experience a lot by combining a few different areas rather than trying to see everything.
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