10 Things to do in Hong Kong for First Timers

Hong Kong is a busy, but truly amazing city to visit - from eating delicious food, to exploring the different neighbourhoods, to shopping at the markets, and wandering through the neon-lit streets at night.

This guide is for first timers visiting Hong Kong, including must-see attractions and some of our favourite experiences. We’d recommend spending at least 5 days to eat and explore the main spots.

1. Victoria Peak & Peak Tram

Victoria Peak (also known as ‘The Peak’) is a must-visit for your first time in Hong Kong. The views from the top are incredible and it’s one of the most popular attractions for this reason.

To get there, we’d recommend taking the Peak Tram - one of Asia's oldest funiculars, operating since 1888. The steep 6-minute ride offers incredible views of the city as you reach closer to the top. However, it can get really busy, so try to go before 10am on a weekday and avoid weekends if possible. We went around 9am on a weekday and there were only a few other people!

✍️ Tip: On the way up, sit on the right side of the tram for the best views

Once you reach the top, you’ll find The Peak Tower, which has various restaurants, cafe and shops. If you want an even better panoramic view, make sure to visit Sky Terrace 428 - the highest viewing platform in Hong Kong, standing 428 metres above sea level.

Buy tickets with discount code FEASTONITKLOOK

2. EAT !!

Hong Kong is a foodie’s paradise. There’s lots of delicious food to eat here! Some of our favourites include:

Egg tarts from Bakehouse. There’s a few different locations, but we went to the one in Tsim Tsa Tsui. Make sure to start lining up at least 15 minutes before it opens, since there’s always a long queue and the egg tarts can sometimes sell out fast.
Cheung Fun / Rice Noodle Rolls from Hop Yik Tai (in Sham Shui Po). These are silky steamed rolls and they were SO good. We kept going back for more!

Yum Cha at Dim Sum Here (Temple Street)
Wonton Noodles at Mak’s Noodle (Central)
Temple Street Night Markets, and make sure to check out the mochi stall on the corner of 206 Temple Street. They sell mango mochi and the owner is really nice!

3. Ding Ding Tram

Make sure to ride on the ‘Ding Ding’ tram - Hong Kong’s famous double-decker tram and their oldest mode of public transportation. It’s an affordable and unique way to get around and see Hong Kong. We were so excited to do this!

🎟️ Tickets: Fixed cost of HK$3.30 for adults, regardless of the distance travelled. Pay when you get off the tram with an Octopus card or Credit Card, or with cash (but no change is given).
🚆 Routes: There are 6 routes that run along Hong Kong Island’s northern coastline, from Shau Kei Wan to Kennedy Town, with lots of stops in between like Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. You can refer to the official website for their schedule and interactive map.

4. Victoria Harbour

Victoria Harbour is one of Hong Kong’s most iconic landmarks - famous for its panoramic skyline views, especially at night when the city lights up.

You can enjoy the harbour in a few ways:

Take the Star Ferry between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui - it’s a scenic ride with beautiful views.
Stroll along the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade or Avenue of Stars.
Watch the free Symphony of Lights show (10 minutes), where buildings on both sides of the harbour light up to music every night at 8pm. We watched this from the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, but compared to other light and sound shows we’ve seen (such as Singapore’s Garden’s by the Bay light show), this is less impressive!

5. Museums

Hong Kong Museum of Art: Our favourite! This is free (except for special exhibitions) with 5 levels to explore. You could honestly spend so much time here since there’s a lot to see and we really loved this museum. There’s also a nice view of Victoria Harbour from one of the levels.
M+ Museum is Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture. There are some free exhibitions, but most you’ll need to pay for. This museum is located in West Kowloon, so it’s further away from the main tourist areas and not as easy to get to compared to the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

6. Explore Central

Central is the centre of Hong Kong’s metropolitan areas, with lots of shops, restaurants and street art.

Things to do in Central:

Go on the world’s longest outdoor covered escalator (Central-Mid-Levels Escalators). It starts at Queen's Road Central, connects to the Central Market, and ends at Conduit Road.
Shop around Central Market.
Discover street art, including the popular mural by Alex Croft at the intersection of Graham Street and Hollywood Road.
Eat delicious wonton noodles at Mak’s Noodle.

7. Explore Wan Chai

Wan Chai is another neighbourhood in Hong Kong, and was once a small fishing village populated by Chinese settlers.

Things to do in Wan Chai:

Explore and shop at Tai Yuen Street Market (Toy Market)
Check out the ‘Blue House cluster’ - a group of 3 colourful, interlocking houses: Yellow House, Orange House, and Blue House.

8. Explore Mongkok

Mongkok is another neighbourhood in Hong Kong with lots of different shops and markets:

Ladies Market - a mix of clothes, bags and souvenirs
Flower Market Road - for flowers and plants
Sneaker Street - sports shoes and apparel

9. Nan Lian Garden & Chi Lin Nunnery

If you need a break from the busy city, make sure to check out the beautiful gardens at Nan Lian Garden, which also has offers interesting rock and bonsai exhibits.

Also, right next door and connected by a footbridge is the Chi Lin Nunnery, which you can also explore.

🎟️ Admission: Both are free
🚂 How to get there: catch a train and take the MTR Kwun Tong Line to Diamond Hill Station. Exit at C2 and then walk around 2-3 minutes to get to Nan Lian Garden.

10. Day Trip to Macau

If you have time, we’d highly recommend a day trip to Macau from Hong Kong.

How to get there?

⛴️ Go from Hong Kong to Macau via ferry with TurboJET.
🎟️ Tickets: Get up to 10% off via Klook.com with our code FEASTONITKLOOK.

Buy tickets here with discount code FEASTONITKLOOK

Things to do in Macau:

Explore the Historic Quarter: Senado Square, Ruins of St. Paul’s and Mount Fortress
Explore the Taipa Village: Rua do Cunha for food (including the famous Portuguese Tarts from Lord Stowe’s Bakery and almond biscuits from Koi Kei). Also, check out Café Vong Kei for their popular pork chop bun and iced milk tea or Sei Kee Cafe for more milk tea.
Explore the Cotai Strip: often called the ‘Las Vegas of Asia’ due to its large-scale resorts, casinos, luxury shopping and entertainment similar to Las Vegas. The hotels are themed after Venice (’The Venetian’), Paris (’The Parisian’) and London (’The Londoner’), with attractions like indoor gondola rides at The Venetian, a half-scale Eiffel Tower replica at The Parisian and a life-size Big Ben and red telephone boxes at The Londoner.