How to spend five days in Hong Kong: what to eat, see and do across the glittering city

The pair of us have spent the past two decades covering what Hong Kong eats and how it lives – and we still can’t agree on who makes the city’s best milk tea. Along the way, we’ve written and edited dozens of guides, ranging from single neighbourhoods to Hong Kong as a whole, and sat on numerous judging panels, all to help visitors get to know this place and fall in love with it the way we have.

What follows is a first-timer’s guide to the essentials: the places we take friends who are new to the city, and the ones we make a point of revisiting ourselves because they never stop being fun.

Part of what keeps us here is how much Hong Kong fits into a small space. In a single day, you can eat dim sum beside retirees studying the racing pages, ride a tram that’s run along the island since the early 20th century, hike a trail overlooking the South China Sea and end the night with world-class cocktails. Only about a quarter of the territory is built up, with much of the rest protected country park, so beaches and fishing villages are often an easy bus trip from the busiest streets. Public transport makes it easy to reach all of this, and we’ve built each day around it, so you can spend your time exploring rather than retracing your steps.

Day one

Morning

Kick things off with breakfast at Wah Lok, a nostalgic cha chaan teng (a uniquely Hong Kong, East-meets-West diner) that’s been going since the 1940s; grab a booth seat, scrambled egg sandwich and silky-smooth milk tea. Suitably fuelled up, wander down to Hollywood Road for a moment of tranquillity among the gigantic incense coils at Man Mo Temple – one of the city’s oldest Taoist temples.

Keep strolling to Cat Street antique market; the various trinkets, ceramics, jade ornaments and vintage-style posters might stretch the definition of “antique”, but it’s ideal for browsing or picking up a souvenir. Caffeine fiends can pause to refuel at Halfway Coffee; their brews being served in vintage Chinese crockery somehow makes the coffee taste even better.

Afternoon

Mosey down to Tai Kwun, an arts and culture hub comprising 16 beautifully restored heritage buildings including the former Central Police Station and Victoria Prison, with exhibitions and guided tours that delve deeper into its history.

All that exploring works up quite the appetite, so head down the Mid-Level Escalators – the world’s longest outdoor covered escalator – to Mak An Kee, a gloriously old-school wonton joint for your fill of bite-sized prawn dumplings and springy noodles.

From there, it’s just a short walk to Central Market, a striking Bauhaus-style building that previously housed one of Hong Kong’s oldest wet markets. Nowadays, you’ll find retro-style souvenir shops, quirky local brands and casual eateries – including freshly-made gai daan zai (egg puff waffles) at Mammy Pancake.

Evening

Close the day in style with an unforgettable seasonal tasting menu at Mono, where Venezuelan chef-owner Ricardo Chaneton brilliantly fuses Latin American flavours with European technique, before sneaking in a creative cocktail nightcap at acclaimed Japanese bar Gokan.

Day two

Morning

Despite its reputation as a concrete jungle, 40 per cent of Hong Kong comprises protected country parks – so get a dose of the great outdoors by hitting the Morning Trail. Starting at Hatton Road in Central, the incline is steep, but the incredible views as you ascend to The Peak are more than worth it.

Reward yourself with a heaven-sent sourdough egg tart from Bakehouse, before soaking up more wow-worthy vistas strolling the Peak Circle Walk. Hop onto the iconic Peak Tram – Asia’s first funicular railway, in operation since 1888 – and admire the dizzying cityscapes as you whizz down to Central.

Afternoon

The tram’s Central Terminus helpfully deposits you a short walk from the peaceful greenery of Hong Kong Park. Say hi to the turtles in the lake and admire 60-plus bird species at Edward Youde Aviary, before stopping for a refined lunch of vegetarian dim sum in the traditional teahouse setting of LockCha – where you can choose from over 100 varieties of Chinese tea.

Evening

Head down to Pacific Place Mall and take the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) to the ever-bustling Causeway Bay, where you can live out all your retail dreams; think luxe designer flagships, Asian beauty meccas, stylish independent boutiques and 17 floors of everything you could ever need at SOGO department store. For dinner, treat yourself to an Indian fine dining feast at Leela, where regional specialities meet Hong Kong-inspired creations for a one-of-a-kind culinary journey.

Day three

Morning

Start the day in Sham Shui Po, a vibrant urban neighbourhood in Kowloon. Grab a plate of the silkiest, freshly made cheong fan (rice noodle rolls) doused in the perfect ratio of sesame, sweet and soy sauce at Hop Yik Tai – they sell 5,000 of them daily.

Wind your way to Apliu Street and embrace the chaos of its flea-market stalls overflowing with every vintage electronic imaginable; craft fiends will also love wandering around nearby Ki Lung Street, Nam Cheong Street and Yu Chau Street to admire their aesthetically pleasing rows of colourful buttons, ribbons and beads.

Afternoon

Jump back on the MTR to Mong Kok for lunch at the nostalgic London Restaurant, where trolleys piled high with steaming baskets of dim sum weave between the tables. From the chaos to the calm; take a 10-minute taxi to Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden, a peaceful Buddhist temple complex filled with tranquil gardens, lush landscaping, traditional wooden buildings and a spectacular golden pavilion. The contrasting skyscraper surroundings make this serene escape feel even more special.

Evening

Snag a taxi back to Sham Shui Po for another quintessential Hong Kong experience – eating at a dai pai dong (open-air food stall). Opened in 1956, Oi Man Sang is one of the oldest still standing; watch the chefs cooking up a storm in the street (yes, there will be flames), before feasting on the spoils. Don’t miss the salt-and-pepper squid and black pepper beef and potatoes.

Day four

Morning

Make your way to Tung Chung to ride the Ngong Ping 360 cable car to the Big Buddha; daredevils can opt for a crystal cabin, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with vertigo-inducing views. Once you’ve arrived, gird your loins for the 268-step hike to the Big Buddha – granting you an up-close look at this majestic 34-metre statue cast from 260 tonnes of bronze. Camera roll filled, it’s time for some island exploring. Take the Lantau Bus 21 to Tai O, Hong Kong’s oldest fishing village, famed for its picturesque stilt houses teetering atop the waterways.

Afternoon

Head to the UNESCO-recognised Tai O Heritage Hotel (the former Tai O Police Station) for a relaxing lunch at its glass-roofed restaurant, Tai O Lookout. Bask in ocean vistas while sampling signature dishes crafted with local ingredients like shrimp paste and mountain begonia.

Walk off lunch with a leisurely wander around the island, taking in the coastal scenery while snacking on a sugar-dusted sa yong (oversized fluffy Chinese doughnut) from Tai O Bakery. Catch the Lantau Bus 11 back to Tung Chung, then MTR to Jordan in time for some evening fun.

Evening

Make the most of golden hour with a tipple or two on the leafy rooftop terrace at Terrible Baby. Duly refreshed, head to Temple Street Night Market for sensory overload in the best possible way – think jam-packed souvenir stalls, traditional fortune tellers, live Cantonese opera performances and street food galore.

If you fancy something more substantial for dinner, amble over to Hing Kee on Nathan Road for a showstopper serving of typhoon shelter crab – wok-fried whole and loaded with addictively crunchy garlic, black beans, scallions and chillies.

Day five

Morning

Set sail to Tsim Sha Tsui via the Star Ferry, a Hong Kong icon that’s been carrying passengers across the harbour for over 120 years; the journey lasts mere minutes, but the skyline panoramas are pure cinema. Once you disembark, walk along the waterfront for more gorgeous vistas; you’ll also spot the historic former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower standing tall and a bronze statue of kung fu legend Bruce Lee.

Afternoon

Make your way to the ultra-glam Rosewood Hong Kong for lunch – in the form of afternoon tea. Yes, we’re making it a thing. The city’s British colonial past means that afternoon tea is something of an institution here – and the one at Rosewood’s elegant Butterfly Room runs from noon onwards. Indulge in picture-perfect finger sandwiches, buttery scones with all the accoutrements and divinely decadent desserts.

Float down from your dessert high to grab a quick taxi to West Kowloon Cultural District, where you’ll find M+ – Asia’s global museum of contemporary art, housed in an impressive Herzog & de Meuron-designed building. Dive into 33 immersive galleries of twentieth- and twenty-first-century works spanning visual art, design and architecture, including an exhibition dedicated to Hong Kong’s retro neon signs.

Evening

Walk to The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong and take your evening to new heights (literally) with sublime sundowners at Ozone – the world’s highest rooftop bar, with sensational views as standard.

Jump back onto the MTR to Central and make a beeline to Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong, to end your trip with some major culinary fireworks at Lung King Heen, their two-Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant. Enjoy one last dose of those magnificent harbour views while savouring a banquet of exceptional Cantonese cuisine – their succulent char siu barbecue pork is the perfect finale to your Hong Kong experience.