Hong Kong Travel Guide

Hong Kong is such a fun city to travel to. When Jon and I went at the very start of this year, I had very few expectations. The end of the previous year had been so crazy that I didn’t really plan for the trip. We had been visiting my family in Australia for Christmas and decided to do a few days in Hong Kong on the way back.

I didn’t expect to fall in love with the city as much as I did. The vibe and energy is so fun. It’s fast-paced like NYC but not as dirty. Plus there are hikes and beaches not far from the city center. In my mind that’s the best of both worlds. And of course, I couldn’t talk about how much I loved Hong Kong without talking about the FOOD. We primarily ate our way through the city. I’d give anything to go back and have some dim sum right this second.

If you’re looking for a city trip mixed with culture and nature, this trip is one for you. Read on for my full Hong Kong travel guide and start planning your trip!

Interested in more travel guides? Find all the cities I’ve visited in my travel diaries.

Xx, Kelsey

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed at Hotel Icon, and it was hands down the best hotel experience I’ve ever had. What we didn’t know when we booked it, was that the hotel is actually used as part of the Hong Kong School of Hotel and Tourism Management. This meant the best hotel service of my life. Both Jon and I were blown away by how helpful and courteous all the staff was.

Some of my favorite things about the hotel included the amazing views of the harbor from our room, the rooftop swimming pool (also with a view), and the amazing breakfast buffet. We ended up getting a really good deal because of the protests (more on that later) and it was so worth it. Highly recommend!

THE PROTESTS

One of the main questions we got asked when we returned was how we were affected by the Hong Kong protests. We initially booked the non-refundable plane tickets about two weeks before the protests started. While we were a little apprehensive about the trip, we ended up not having any issues. There was no moment when I didn’t feel safe in the city. We stayed on the Kowloon side to avoid the majority of the areas where protests had been reported. And we found this website that updated regularly with any reports of unrest. The only thing that happened while we were there was a peaceful sit-in on education reform. Which we didn’t even see!

Of course, the best thing you can do is be smart if traveling during a period of unrest. Don’t get drunk in an area you’re unfamiliar with. And don’t go looking for the trouble. If you don’t feel comfortable, of course don’t book anything to an area where unrest is reported. But if there’s one thing I learned, it’s also not to let the media blow things out of proportion. Hong Kong tourism has been majorly suffering because of the protests, so I’m happy we were able to help in our small way.

WHERE WE ATE & DRANK

The Market – The food in our hotel was incredible. So much so that we ate breakfast at the hotel buffet every morning. They had a full American and English breakfast, fruit bar, fresh pressed juices, dim sum, noodles, and sushi. Literally anything you could want.

Above & Beyond – This is the hotel’s penthouse restaurant. With a stunning view of the harbor at night, Jon and I were obsessed with the Cantonese offerings. He had kung pow chicken and I had kung pow tofu. Both of us were beyond satisfied and ate our fill. I also had some very delicious red wine with my meal.

Yardbird – Not traditional Asian food, but Yardbird was probably one of my favorite meals in Hong Kong. The hipster restaurant is known for the sweet corn tempura. My favorite was the KFC (Korean fried cauliflower). It was so good Jon and I placed a second order for it.

YUM CHA – IF you’re into Instagrammable dim sum, this is the place to go. Think dumplings that look like they’re puking out their insides and little buns shaped like piggies.

Social Place – While I thoroughly enjoyed making my dumplings puke at YUM CHA, Social Place was my favorite for the food. Although it didn’t have a crazy number of vegetarian options, there were a few things I could eat on repeat forever. Namely the purple sweet potato piggy buns, charcoal tofu (you’ve never tasted tofu like this before), and dragon beard kale.

Egg Waffles – I saw these on more than one Hong Kong travel guide, so I knew we had to try them. The final morning we stopped by a stand and picked these up for breakfast before heading to the airport. They were so warm and delicious, and thankfully not too sweet.

Ozone Bar – We didn’t do a lot of bar hopping in Hong Kong, but I wanted to make sure we didn’t miss the highest bar in the world. 119 stories up in the Ritz Carlton is the Ozone Bar. Cocktails are of course quite pricey, but it’s worth it to grab one and check out the most insane view of Hong Kong.

Honi Honi Tiki Bar – This place would be really fun if you came with a group. Jon and I swung by one night after Yardbird and had fun drinks in the over-the-top tiki themed spot.

WHAT WE DID

Hiked Victoria Peak – We wanted to remain active on our trip, so we decide to hike up Victoria Peak. Let me tell you it was VERY confusing trying to figure out how to get to the hiking trail. There’s one paved trail that loops flatly around the mountain (and includes the stellar view you always see photos of). We ended up veering off this path and climbing a very steep path all the way to the top. It was a short but breathless climb. We were super confused when we got to the top because we couldn’t find the view we’d seen online. We ended up going back down to the paved flat road to find it.

Big Buddha & Po Lin Monastery – Jon and I definitely wanted to get some culture in during our trip. We did a day trip and took the cable car up to Ngong Ping. When we first stepped off, things felt very cheesy – almost like a Disneyland. But after walking through the little village, we came upon the monastery and Buddha. The Buddha statue sits atop the hill and is a pilgrimage site for Buddhists all across Asia. The Po Lin Monastery was also very beautiful. At both sites we were able to see people praying and paying homage. It was a really beautiful and special thing to witness and definitely belongs on any Hong Kong travel guide.

Angsana Spa – Our flight from Sydney was 9 hours, so we decided to spend our first day relaxing. We did a couples massage, and I followed up with a facial. It was very relaxing, and a great way to start the trip.

Dukling Harbor Cruise – One of the most famous things about Hong Kong is the Victoria Harbor light show. After reading a few Hong Kong travel guides, we decided to see it from the Dukling boat our first night. It’s a traditional Chinese fishing boat (now powered by gas). It was inexpensive and a fun way to see the lights.

Temple Street Night Market – One evening we decided to walk the night market. While it was fun to see Hong Kong at night a bit more, it honestly wasn’t crazy different from most markets in Europe. We ended up buying a painting of Hong Kong to hang in our apartment.

Shopping – A Hong Kong travel guide wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the shopping. Oh man could you spend a LOT of money in Hong Kong. There are shopping malls all over the city. I’m pretty sure there was a Chanel store on every block. In particular, I enjoyed checking it out the K11 Musea. If I were going to do some luxury shopping, this is where I would go. Even if you don’t plan to buy anything, it is totally worth checking out the stunning interior.