Great Wide Open Travel guides and transformative journeys

Hong Kong in a Week: From the Harbour to the New Territories

Seven days, two bases: the harbour first, then the New Territories at a resident's pace

Overnight visitors to Hong Kong stayed 3.1 nights on average in 2025, the Tourism Board reports, and most of them see the harbour city. A week lets you see the other one: beaches and fishing harbours on the island's south side, temples and gardens in north Kowloon, and the New Territories, where most Hong Kong people live, with river paths, hills and the open sea. This itinerary spends four nights by the harbour, then moves you out to Sha Tin.

There are two ways to use extra days. One is breadth: more sights from the same hotel. The other is depth: settling into one ordinary place and letting the city show you its daily life. This week does both, and chooses depth for its end. The last two nights are in Sha Tin, where we stay ourselves, and they change how Hong Kong feels.

7 days · 6 nights · two bases, Tsim Sha Tsui or Jordan (4 nights) then Sha Tin (2) · MTR, ferry, tram, bus, bicycle and on foot · Tsim Sha Tsui to the airport

We have been coming to Hong Kong since 1980 and now stay about a month at a time. Every day here is one we have spent ourselves, except the East Dam on Day 7, which we have not yet visited; that stop is researched, and it says so. With only three days, take our three-day itinerary: its days are the first three of this week. The Hong Kong hub has the wider picture.

Last updated 10 October 2026

The itinerary, day by day

Open one day, or all seven.

Day 1Hong Kong Island — the harbour, the Peak and the old westferry, bus and tramStar Ferry The Peak Hong Kong Park Man Mo Temple

The first three days follow our three-day itinerary, shortened here; open it for the full account of each stop. Day 1 crosses to the island and climbs it.

  1. Early
    The Star Ferry to CentralSeeStar Ferry·Victoria Harbour

    The ten-minute crossing is still the best introduction to the city: water at eye level and Central's towers growing as you cross. Breakfast in Central.

    Central's skyline seen across the water from the Star Ferry's deck
  2. Citybus 15 from Exchange Square, top deck.
  3. Morning
    The Peak and Lugard RoadSeeLugard Road·the harbour from above

    Walk the level Lugard Road circuit for the whole harbour below you, best before the haze thickens. It takes under an hour, and is easy with a pushchair. Our Victoria Peak guide has the detail.

    The harbour and Kowloon seen through the trees from the Peak
  4. Afternoon
    Hong Kong ParkSeethe aviary·the Museum of Tea Ware

    Green quiet among the towers, an aviary, and the Museum of Tea Ware in Flagstaff House, a deliberate slowing of the day. See our parks guide.

    A quiet tea room with a round window in the Museum of Tea Ware
  5. Tram west to Western Market.
  6. Late afternoon
    Hollywood Road and Man Mo TempleSeeMan Mo Temple·the antique shops

    The older city beneath the new: antique shops, scroll sellers and the smoky, red-lit temple. The lanes up from the harbour are steep, and some are flights of steps. Dinner nearby, then the Star Ferry back after dark. Part of Central and Western.

    Inside Man Mo Temple, red pillars and incense in the low light

Sleeping here · Tsim Sha Tsui or Jordan, nights 1 to 4. Stay a few minutes from an MTR station on the Kowloon side: the Star Ferry is a walk away and the lines run north to the markets, west to Lantau and across to the island. A mid-range hotel or serviced apartment suits the first half of the week. Rooms are small; choose the location before the view. Our where to stay guide compares the areas.

Travel
Star Ferry, Citybus 15, the tram — all on one Octopus card
Stay
Tsim Sha Tsui or Jordan — nights 1 to 4
Eat
Central at lunch; Sheung Wan's local restaurants for dinner
Check
Tea Ware museum shut Tuesdays. Man Mo Temple closes at 6pm
Day 2Kowloon — morning tai chi, markets and the waterfrontMTR and on footShek Kip Mei Pei Ho Street Flower Market TST waterfront

Day 2 stays on the Kowloon side and goes where Hong Kong lives, working south from Sham Shui Po to the harbour.

  1. Early
    Shek Kip Mei ParkSeemorning tai chi·the Nam Shan estate

    Early morning belongs to the people who exercise here, and joining a tai chi group at the back is the gentlest way into the city's day; nobody minds. Then congee and fried dough at Nam Shan, as the estate eats. Our tai chi guide explains how.

  2. Morning
    The markets around Pei Ho StreetSeePei Ho Street·Apliu Street·Mei Ho House

    Sham Shui Po is where Hong Kong shops for itself: toys, buttons, clothes and electronics, cheaper and louder than anywhere near the harbour.

    Tenement blocks crowding a Sham Shui Po market street
  3. MTR to Prince Edward.
  4. Late morning
    The Flower Market and Goldfish StreetSeethe Flower Market·the Bird Garden·Goldfish Street

    Orchids heaped outside florists, songbirds in carved cages at the Bird Garden, goldfish in bags along Tung Choi Street. Lunch in Mong Kok, then the Ladies’ Market if you like.

    Goldfish in water-filled bags hanging along a Tung Choi Street shopfront
  5. Dusk
    The Tsim Sha Tsui waterfrontSeeKowloon Park·the island skyline

    Walk down through Kowloon Park to the promenade as the island's towers begin to glow. Temple Street's night market is a short walk north at Jordan.

    The lit Hong Kong Island skyline reflected in the harbour, from Tsim Sha Tsui
Travel
MTR between districts, the rest on foot
Stay
Tsim Sha Tsui or Jordan — night 2
Eat
Congee in Sham Shui Po, noodles in Mong Kok, Temple Street at night
Check
Ladies' Market opens at midday. Kowloon Park's Bird Lake shut 10–19 Nov 2026
Day 3Lantau — the Big Buddha, Po Lin and Tai OMTR, cable car and busNgong Ping 360 Big Buddha Po Lin Tai O

Day 3 leaves the city for Lantau, the largest of the islands. Start early. Our Islands District profile sets the scene.

  1. Morning
    Ngong Ping 360Seethe cable car·Tung Chung Bay

    The cable car from Tung Chung is the moment the city gives way to green: water, then forest, then the Buddha on its peak.

    A Ngong Ping 360 cabin crossing towards the hills of Lantau
  2. Late morning
    The Big BuddhaSeeTian Tan Buddha·the view to the sea

    Scale and stillness together on a hilltop above the sea. Climb the 268 steps and stay a while; a small road serves visitors who cannot manage them, so ask at Ngong Ping. See our Tian Tan Buddha guide.

    The Tian Tan Buddha in mist above the trees of Ngong Ping
  3. Midday
    Po Lin MonasterySeethe halls·vegetarian lunch

    Gold and red halls heavy with incense, and a vegetarian lunch: where the day slows down.

    Three gilded Buddhas on the altar inside a hall at Po Lin Monastery
  4. NLB bus 21 down to Tai O.
  5. Afternoon
    Tai OSeethe stilt houses·the creeks

    Stilt houses over tidal creeks and fish drying in the sun: another Hong Kong. Ask before photographing anyone at home.

    Stilt houses over the water at Tai O, with a small boat moored below
Travel
MTR, cable car, bus 21; back by bus 11, or bus 1 and the Mui Wo ferry
Stay
Tsim Sha Tsui or Jordan — night 3
Eat
Vegetarian lunch at Po Lin; seafood and snacks in Tai O
Check
Cable car stops for maintenance and wind; NLB bus 23 goes up instead
Day 4The south side — coast path, Stanley and Aberdeenbus, minibus and on footDeep Water Bay Stanley Aberdeen Ap Lei Chau

Day 4 crosses the island to its southern shore, where Hong Kong turns to beaches, headlands and fishing harbours. It is our own favourite day on a fine morning. Our Southern District profile has more.

  1. Morning
    Deep Water Bay to Repulse BaySeethe coastal promenade·Repulse Bay·the Tin Hau shrine

    People come to this stretch of coast for the sea itself: a promenade that follows the shore from one sheltered bay to the next, the water clear and green below, the city suddenly far away. The path is paved and railed, with a flight of steps at the Deep Water Bay end. At Repulse Bay, the Tin Hau shrine on the beach is worth a pause. In good weather, bring a swimming kit; both are lifeguarded beaches.

    Repulse Bay beach seen from the coastal promenade
  2. Bus on from Repulse Bay to Stanley.
  3. Midday
    StanleySeethe waterfront·Stanley Market·Stanley Plaza

    Stanley feels like a seaside town that happens to be in Hong Kong: a waterfront for lunch, a breeze off the bay, and the market's lanes of gifts, silk and souvenirs below. Find lunch along the waterfront or in Stanley Plaza. Our Stanley guide has the rest.

    Stanley's bay and pier seen from the waterfront
  4. Green minibus 52 to Aberdeen.
  5. Late afternoon
    The Aberdeen promenadeSeethe typhoon shelter·the sampans

    Aberdeen is where Hong Kong's fishing past is still on the water: sampans, working boats and the typhoon shelter, best seen as the light softens. Walk the waterfront slowly and watch the harbour at work.

    Boats moored in Aberdeen's typhoon shelter with Ap Lei Chau's towers beyond
  6. Across to Ap Lei Chau.
  7. Evening
    Ap Lei Chau Main StreetSeeMain Street·the seafood restaurants

    Finish where the fishing families eat: seafood on Ap Lei Chau, the island across the channel, in small restaurants that have fed the harbour for generations. Then the MTR back from Lei Tung.

Travel
Citybus from Central to Deep Water Bay; minibus 52; MTR home from Lei Tung
Stay
Tsim Sha Tsui or Jordan — night 4
Eat
Stanley waterfront at lunch; seafood on Ap Lei Chau for dinner
Check
Bus route numbers on the south side change; check the Citybus app before you go
Day 5Kowloon to Sha Tin — a temple and a garden on the wayMTRSha Tin Wong Tai Sin Nan Lian Garden Shing Mun River

Day 5 moves you from the harbour to the New Territories, with two of Kowloon's most loved places on the way. Our Wong Tai Sin District profile has more on both.

  1. Morning
    To Sha Tin with your bags

    Check out and take the MTR straight to Sha Tin, so the bags are off your hands for the day; leave them at your new hotel.

  2. MTR back down the line via Tai Wai and Diamond Hill.
  3. Late morning
    Wong Tai Sin TempleSeethe main hall·the fortune sticks·the Good Wish Garden

    People come here to ask: for health, for a job, for a good match, shaking bamboo fortune sticks until one falls and having it read. The noise, the smoke and the crowds of worshippers are the point. It is very much in use, every day of the year.

    The main hall of Wong Tai Sin Temple at the top of its steps
  4. One MTR stop to Diamond Hill.
  5. Early afternoon
    Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian GardenSeethe nunnery halls·the gold pavilion·the lotus ponds

    Here the mood turns. Visitors describe the nunnery's timber halls and the garden's ponds, pines and gold pavilion as the calmest hour in Kowloon, a classical garden laid out so that each turn of the path frames a new view. Walk it slowly, and have a vegetarian lunch nearby.

    Nan Lian Garden's golden pavilion and red bridge, with the towers of Diamond Hill beyond
  6. MTR back to Sha Tin.
  7. Dusk
    The Shing Mun RiverSeethe river path·Sha Tin Park

    Sha Tin is a New Town of riverside paths, parks and big shopping centres, where many Hong Kong families live, and where we stay ourselves. Walk the river path as the lights come on along the water: the first taste of the slower half of the week.

Sleeping here · Sha Tin, nights 5 and 6. Stay near Sha Tin or Tai Wai MTR stations, close to the river and the East Rail line. A mid-range hotel suits; rooms are often larger and cheaper than by the harbour. Our where to stay guide covers Sha Tin. Read our Sha Tin District profile before you arrive.

Travel
MTR: Sha Tin, then via Tai Wai to Diamond Hill and Wong Tai Sin, and back
Stay
Sha Tin — nights 5 and 6
Eat
Vegetarian lunch near Nan Lian Garden; Sha Tin's shopping centres at night
Check
Temple and garden hours vary; visit both by mid-afternoon
Day 6Sha Tin — the river by bike, a temple and the townbicycle, MTR and on footTai Wai CUHK Science Park Che Kung Temple New Town Plaza

Day 6 is the one we would not give up. It is a resident's day: a bicycle along the river, coffee on a university hill, a temple where people come for luck, and wontons for dinner where Sha Tin eats.

  1. Early
    Bicycles at Tai WaiSeethe Shing Mun River·the cycle track

    The river is where Sha Tin goes to breathe: families, runners and cyclists on a track separate from the traffic. It is flat along the river for just under 5 km, then climbs in places towards Tolo Harbour, with a dip and a climb through a tunnel near the university. Hire bikes in the shops opposite Tai Wai station; children's bikes and tandems are hired along the cycle track, but we could not confirm child seats, so ask before you set off. It is a long morning in the saddle.

    The Shing Mun River in Sha Tin, with its riverside paths and housing towers
  2. Ride north along the river and the harbour.
  3. Morning
    Coffee at the Chinese UniversitySeethe campus·Tolo Harbour views

    The Chinese University sits on a green hill above the harbour, and a coffee on campus is a quiet half-hour among students rather than tourists.

    A lake among the trees on the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong
  4. Ride on to Science Park.
  5. Midday
    Lunch at Science ParkSeethe waterfront·the cycle track home

    The ride's reward is Science Park's waterfront: a quiet harbour edge to sit beside over lunch, among the people who work there, before the ride back.

    Hong Kong Science Park's waterside square
  6. Ride back to Tai Wai, then the MTR to Che Kung Temple.
  7. Afternoon
    Che Kung TempleSeethe fan-wheel·the drum

    Che Kung Temple is where Sha Tin comes for luck: people turn the metal fan-wheel and strike the drum for a good year ahead. Our Sha Tin profile explains the general it honours.

    Che Kung Temple's main hall with incense stands before it
  8. MTR back to Sha Tin.
  9. Evening
    Wontons at New Town PlazaSeeNew Town Plaza·the wonton shops

    End where Sha Tin eats: a bowl of wonton noodles in New Town Plaza, the shopping centre above the station, among families out for the evening.

Travel
Hired bicycle on the cycle track; MTR to Che Kung Temple and back to Sha Tin
Stay
Sha Tin — night 6
Eat
Coffee at CUHK, lunch at Science Park, wonton noodles in Sha Tin
Check
Some bike shops take cash only. Ride on the track, not the footpath
Day 7Sai Kung and the Geopark, then the airportbus, minibus or taxiSai Kung East Dam Lunch in Sai Kung Airport

The last day goes east to Sai Kung, the New Territories' seaside town on a coast of islands and headlands. Check out first and leave your bags at the Sha Tin hotel; you collect them on the way to the airport. Our Sai Kung District profile sets out the area.

  1. Morning
    Sai Kung waterfrontSeethe waterfront·the fishing boats·the islands

    Sai Kung is the New Territories on holiday: a harbour of fishing boats and sampans, seafood tanks along the promenade, and islands offshore. We have spent our own mornings here, and it is the easiest way to feel the coast without a hike.

    Small boats at the public piers on Sai Kung's waterfront
  2. By minibus or taxi to the East Dam.
  3. Late morning
    High Island Reservoir East DamSeethe hexagonal columns·the East Dam·the open sea

    This is the stop we have not yet made, so it is researched. Visitors come for the hexagonal volcanic columns of the UNESCO Global Geopark, standing in ranks beside the dam with the open sea breaking beyond: rock that visitors describe as unlike anything else in Hong Kong. There is nothing to buy at the dam: bring water and food.

    Hexagonal volcanic rock columns beside the East Dam, High Island Reservoir
  4. Midday
    Lunch in Sai Kung

    Back in town, eat seafood along the waterfront, or something simpler in the lanes behind it.

  5. Bus 299X to Sha Tin, then on to the airport.
  6. Afternoon
    To the airportSeeHong Kong International Airport

    Collect your bags in Sha Tin, then take an airport bus or the MTR and Airport Express. Airlines usually ask you to arrive two to three hours before an international flight: work back from that, and leave Sai Kung in good time.

Travel
Bus 299X; minibus 9A or taxi to the dam; airport bus or Airport Express
Eat
Seafood on the Sai Kung waterfront
Check
East Dam access is restricted at weekends; see the note under Before you commit
Pause and notice · Che Kung Temple, Day 6

Inside, take a turn at the fan-wheel. The metal is cool and worn smooth by countless hands, and it is heavier than it looks: put your weight behind it, and it begins to spin, a low whirr that fills the hall. Someone strikes the great drum, and you feel it in your chest before you hear it. Incense thickens the air. Around you, people do the same thing for the same reason, hoping the coming year turns their way. Stand back, and listen to the wheel slow.

Before you commit

The hardest move is the last day: Sai Kung and the East Dam, then a flight. The dam is far out on the Sai Kung peninsula, and getting there depends on the day of the week. If your flight is early, keep to Sai Kung's waterfront and skip the dam.

Nothing on this route has to be booked far ahead. Ngong Ping 360 is worth buying online for a weekend or a public holiday, and it is also the route's biggest single cost; check its site for fares. Get an Octopus card when you land: it pays for almost every ferry, bus and train here. Our getting around guide explains it.

With children · Every MTR station has a step-free entrance, and the Peak circuit, the waterfronts, Tai O and Sai Kung are level, so much of this week works with a pushchair. The hard parts are the lanes off Hollywood Road, Kowloon's crowded markets, the Big Buddha's 268 steps and the Day 6 ride. Ngong Ping 360 is free under three, with a child fare to eleven. Our Hong Kong with children guide has more; Ocean Park or Hong Kong Disneyland can replace a day.

What a week still leaves out: Macau, the hills of the MacLehose Trail, the outlying islands beyond Lantau, and the theme parks. Each needs a day of its own; our day trips page sets them out, and the best time to visit says which months suit the walking and the cycling.

Reaching the East Dam

The volcanic columns are worth the effort, but access is restricted. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, green minibus 9A runs from Pak Tam Chung to the dam; on weekdays a taxi from Sai Kung is the way. In August 2025 the government proposed a weekend taxi ban from 13 September 2025; we could not confirm whether it took effect, so check with the Geopark or AFCD before you go.

Make it yours

The week holds its shape if you shorten it or swap a day.

Three days only

Take Days 1 to 3 as they stand in our three-day itinerary, which gives each stop in full. You lose the south side and the New Territories.

Five days

Drop Day 4 and Day 7: the harbour city, then Sha Tin. You keep the change of pace that makes the week; you lose the beaches and the Geopark.

A day in Macau

If you want a second city, swap Day 4 for the ferry to Macau: Portuguese streets, temples and food. Our Macau day trip has the crossing. You trade the south side's beaches for another city.

Cheung Chau instead of the south side

For a quieter Day 4 on an island with no cars, take the ferry from Central to Cheung Chau: a fishing harbour, temples, small beaches and seafood. You trade the coast path and Stanley for a slower day.

A hill walk

On a clear, cool Day 4, walk Dragon's Back above Shek O instead: ridges, sea views and a beach at the end. You lose Stanley and Aberdeen. Our walking trails guide sets it out.

Rain or heat

If Day 1 or Day 3 is wet, swap it with a drier day and spend the wet one in the museums; our museums guide has the best. You lose a view, not the day.

If the route slips

Weather is the usual reason a Hong Kong day fails, in summer and early autumn above all. Under a Typhoon Signal No. 8 or a Black Rainstorm warning, expect ferries, the cable car and many buses to stop and much of the city to close; we could not find one official list of what stops, so check the Observatory and each operator on the day.

Recover in this order. Protect your flight on Day 7 first. Then move Lantau, the south side and the Day 6 ride to the clearest days, since all three are outdoors. If Day 6 is wet, skip the bikes: take the MTR to Che Kung Temple and walk on to the Heritage Museum, and rejoin the route at New Town Plaza for dinner. Drop the East Dam before anything else.

A final word on a week in Hong Kong

Three days show you the harbour city. A week shows you that Hong Kong is also a place where people cycle by a river on a Sunday, spin a wheel for luck, and eat wonton noodles under the station. That second city is the one we keep coming back for.

Andrew + Margaret

Scroll to Top