Overview

There's virtually no chance you'll run out of things to do and see in Hong Kong. From tram rides up to Victoria Peak to a Star Ferry cruise around the harbour, the scenery in this buzzing Asian city hits you in the face everywhere you turn. Comprehensive museums, world-class theme parks like Ocean Park, and interesting and authentic temples ensure you can tailor a well-rounded trip to whatever strikes your fancy.

Victoria Peak

Hong Kong's highest hill (392m) is a legendary point for jaw-dropping vistas (if the chronic haze allows). Should you be in the city on a crystal clear day, make a trip here your priority. From the Peak Tram Station you'll be ferried up the hill in just eight minutes. The modern Peak Tower is here, and its rooftop viewing platform offers panoramic vistas that are magnificent. You can also walk to Victoria Peak.

Ocean Park

This mix of amusement park and marine life centre is a must-see whether you have kids or not. The first-class facilities offer one of the world's finest aquariums, the Atoll Reef, as well as sea animal performances and educational exhibits. The theme park has thrilling rides like roller coasters and the entire complex is perched along a dramatic rocky bluff with amazing scenery to boot.

Hong Kong Museum of Art

It's worth paying a visit to this interesting art museum when you're exploring the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront area. It's just minutes from the Star Ferry terminal and contains a wonderful collection of Chinese antiquities and artwork on its three floors. There are five permanent galleries and two that continually rotate exhibits.

Man Mo Temple

Hong Kong's most important Taoist temple is also its oldest. Built in the 1840s, Man Mo was one of the island's first traditional temples to be built, but what's so impressive is that today it is just as lively as ever. Devotees still flock here in droves every day to light massive coils of incense that hang from the ceiling in hopes that their wishes will be granted. It's a hazy, fragrant scene well worth taking in.

Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware

Hong Kong's oldest colonial structure is a classic example of the city's architecture around 150 years ago. It may sound dull to visit a tea ware museum, but the collection here is one of the finest in the world and presents the essential Chinese art of tea making and drinking in an interesting manner. You may be pleasantly surprised, and it pays to learn the roots of this ubiquitous Hong Kong activity.

Hong Kong Museum of History

This institute is the best place in Hong Kong to learn the complete history of its people, legacy and how it came to be the metropolis it is today. Exhibits begin with the geology and Neolithic settlements of the island, move on to its life as a fishing village, and finish with its transformation into one of the planet's busiest and most legendary cities. If you want to know the story behind Hong Kong, this is it.

Wong Tai Sin

Hong Kong's most popular Taoist temple is special because it draws devotees of three of China's traditional religions: Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. The architecture is fantastic, evoking a time of spiritualism that seems long lost. The extensive grounds are great to wander, and the people-watching is fantastic as followers of all three religions worship here daily.

Po Lin Monastery

Situated on Lantau Island and easily accessible by ferry, this Buddhist monastery is home to an enormous Buddha statue constricted in 1993. Visitors can enjoy a vegetarian lunch prepared by monks during their visit or shop for the wooden bracelets the monastery is famous for.

Overview

Hong Kong is a flurry of activity, and when the locals aren't working they like to play. As a tourist, there are plenty of fun activities that are requisite to-dos while in Hong Kong. A Star Ferry cruise provides a special perspective of the skyline, while the historic trams are ideal for seeing the city from street level. Horse racing is the king of sports in Hong Kong, but there are also dozens of hiking trails, golf courses and beaches where you can indulge in the natural side of the city.

Hong Kong ferries

You can't come to Hong Kong and not take a trip on one of the iconic green and white ferries that have been plying the harbour since 1898. Star Ferries run between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, and although the ride is a mere five minutes, it is the most scenic flash of time imaginable. For a longer cruise, take a ferry to an outlying island from Central Ferry piers.

Riding the tram

Hong Kong's historic trams are the street equivalent of its ferries. They are the most entertaining way to experience the city, and just as fun at night when Hong Kong goes neon. Trams run straight through the heart of Hong Kong, from Shau Kei Wan in the east to Kennedy Town in the west.

Horse racing

Without question, going to the horse races is the number one pastime of Hong Kong's locals. When the season opens, from September through June, a huge proportion of the city hits the tracks. Supreme among them is the modern Sha Tin track, which can hold 90,000 spectators.

Golf

Golfing is a popular activity in Hong Kong, and its courses are incredibly scenic considering the limited space available. Courses are always crowded so you'll need to book a tee time well in advance. The scenic Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau is one of the world's finest public courses and your best bet of getting on the links. A number of private clubs are open to the public on weekdays, but they aren't cheap.

Hiking

There are a surprising 23 national parks in Hong Kong, comprising 40 per cent of the territory's space. Trails include easy family trails, informative nature trails and serious hiking trails. Hardcore hikers should try the famous MacLehose Trail, which runs 100kms through eight parks. Lantau Trail is another gruelling circuit, but both of these long trails can be broken into short afternoon hikes of varying difficulty.

Tai chi

Chances are you've heard of the ancient Chinese fitness regime known as shadow boxing (tai chi). Hong Kong offers the perfect chance to try your hand at this exercise program. Visitors can join free one-hour lessons, given in English, every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 08:00 at Tsim Sha Tsui's waterfront promenade. Just show up and you'll learn the moves from a real tai chi master.

Beaches

There are about 40 beaches scattered around the territory that are free and open to the public. From April through October, many of them have lifeguards on duty, snack bars and changing rooms. Hong Kong Island has several, the most popular of which is Repulse Bay, which gets packed to the gills on summer weekends. Deep Water Bay, Stanley, Shek O, Big Wave Bay and South Beach are also great spots for sunbathing and swimming.

Dining and shopping

Dining out is taken to new levels in Hong Kong, where the sheer variety and quantity of restaurants, food stalls and eating spots rivals anything on earth. With some 11,000 places to dine in this city you'll have no excuse not to discover at least a handful of memorable gastronomic experiences.

Chinese cuisine dominates the scene in Hong Kong, which reportedly has the world's greatest concentration of Chinese restaurants. You can explore countless menus highlighting traditional Cantonese, Pekingese, Sichuan, Shanghainese and Chiu Chow dishes. But you'll by no means be limited to Asian fare. There are world-class Italian, French, and Indian restaurants in Hong Kong, as well as those serving the cuisine of virtually every other ethnicity in existence.

Japanese cuisine is a particular favourite in this city, and the sushi is as fresh as it comes. Hong Kong's best known and most prestigious restaurants of any genre are located in the city's hotels. SoHo, the uber-trendy district along the elevators connecting the Central and Mid-Levels, is the place to find the hottest dining scene in the city, but in reality you can find something to eat on every corner.

Most Chinese cuisine in Hong Kong is Cantonese style, which is characterised by fast cooking at high temperatures. Dim sum is another famous Cantonese creation. Peking cuisine is hearty fare with rich, sweet and slightly oily dishes. Sichuan-style cooking relies on fiery hot chile peppers for its spicy and intricate flavours. The only places you need to be wary of the quality of the food are at the street vendors, as many of them are unlicensed.

Hong Kong is a shopper's heaven, not least because it is a duty-free port with no sales tax. The city is literally overflowing with boutique shops, flashy malls, and street markets. You'll have no problem finding opportunities to loosen your purse strings in Hong Kong, but some districts are better than others for bargains.

Chinese products are a great buy in Hong Kong for obvious reasons. Jade, silk, traditional Chinese clothing, exotic teas and porcelain are all superb purchases here. Artwork and antiques from the mainland are also hot items. On the other end of the spectrum, Hong Kong is legendary as an electronics hub. Luxury goods such as handbags, watches and cosmetics are also popular and cheap.

The greatest concentration of shops in Hong Kong can be found in Tsim Sha Tsui. Nathan Road is a four kilometre strip of one shop after another, running through Kowloon from the harbour all the way to the edge of the New Territories. Everything can be found along Nathan Road, so if you don't see it here then it probably doesn't exist.

International designer and luxury goods are clustered around Central district, where upscale shopping is the theme. Causeway Bay is another good choice for shoppers, since it caters to the local scene and tends to offer lower prices on popular items. If you're hunting for antiques or curios, then head straight to Cat Street and Hollywood Road in the Western District. There are some real treasures here.

Keep in mind, however, that there is also a thriving counterfeit market scene in Hong Kong, especially in the street markets and at the small vendors plying the corners of popular tourist hubs. If the price is too good to be true, that Rolex was probably made in southern China, not Switzerland.

With more than 11,000 restaurants in Hong Kong, it's no easy task assembling a top 10 list. Some of planet's most highly regarded restaurants are located here along with a who's who roster of superstar chefs from around the globe. Some of the tastiest meals can be found in the humblest cafés but if you really want to indulge your taste buds and get adventurous, then the sky's the limit (especially when you get the bill).

Overview

Hong Kong International Airport is one of the world's best, and the main gateway for arriving international travellers to the city. You can catch a direct flight to Hong Kong from virtually anywhere in the world. Once you get here, you'll find one of the most organised and efficient public transport systems on earth. Ferries, light rail trains, buses, trams, and taxis will get you around the city with ease.

Airports

Hong Kong International Airport is one of the most modern and user-friendly airports on earth. It is located on reclaimed land just north of Lantau Island, about 32kms from the central business district. Nonstop flights arrive daily from North America, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the Middle East. Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flagship carrier, is a premium airline and services much of the world.

The terminals at the airport are state-of-the-art and easy to negotiate. Once you pass Customs, be sure and drop by the Hong Kong Tourism Board counter, where you can pick up a wealth of information about the city and ask questions in a number of languages. The terminal is real joy to wander, offering every amenity imaginable.

There are several ways to get into the heart of Hong Kong, and one of the easiest and cheapest is the slick Airport Express Line. These light rail trains run every 12 minutes between 06:00 and 01:00, taking just 20 minutes to reach Kowloon Station (where you can access Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei) and 24 minutes to Hong Kong Station in the Central District. Free shuttle buses provide transfers from both of these stations to most major hotels.

There are also several dedicated airport buses that run from the terminal to most of the major downtown hotels. The most expensive option is the Airport Shuttle, which offers door-to-door service to most hotels. This option is ideal if you're carrying loads of luggage. Cityflyer Airbuses stop at many more destinations, and are the slowest option, but they're cheap. Taxis are the most expensive but easiest transport choice.

Public transportation

Hong Kong is a major port of call for cruise ships, and there's also frequent ferry service from Guangdong Province. TurboJet boats zip between Macau and Shenzhen every day as well. There are countless ways to get around Hong Kong depending on where you need to go. Cross-harbour ferries run by Star Ferries are a great way to move between Hong Kong and Kowloon. They depart from the famous Star Ferry Terminus.

The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) operates six lines throughout the territory, even between islands. It's quicker than the ferry but a bit more expensive. These trains run from 06:00 to 01:00. The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCR) operates trains from 13 stations and is ideal for accessing the New Territories.

Public buses run all over the territory, crossing the harbours through underwater tunnels. Destinations in all public transport are marked in English and Chinese. Trams are a fun way to get around Hong Kong Island, and should be tried at least once. Old-fashioned rickshaws, though quickly disappearing, still carry tourists around some parts of the city.

There are enough taxis in Hong Kong and Kowloon to service a small country. Red taxis serve Hong Kong Island and southern Lantau Island. Green taxis serve the rural New Territories, and blue ones handle Lantau Island. Most drivers can speak a little English and expect a small tip. You can hire a car and driver, or rent your own car but both of these options are not popular in Hong Kong due to the excellent public transport system and compact nature of the territory.