A few months ago over dinner with a few friends, my best friend Rui told us he was going to Hong Kong this summer.
Jokingly, I told him to take me with him. That joke became serious, and we booked our flights for June.
Here’s everything that was on our Hong Kong itinerary.
We were going to spend two weeks in Hong Kong, and it would be my first time in Asia.
We visited during the humid month of June, and it was tough walking outside no matter what we wore, but we managed.
A lot of our first week was spent shopping at different malls and getting a feel of the culture in Hong Kong.
Our second week is where we did a lot more touristy stuff, but here’s our Hong Kong itinerary featuring some of the best things to do during your visit!
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1. Shop in Mong Kok
You can’t visit Hong Kong without adding shopping to your Hong Kong itinerary!
I actually preferred the very local malls in Mong Kok as opposed to the bigger ones such as IFC.
A lot of the stores in the big malls are the same ones you can find anywhere else in the world, while Mong Kok is filled with more unique and hole-in-the-wall finds.
Plus, the prices are pretty dang cheap!
LOCATION: Mong Kok (near Mong Kok MTR Station) | Website
2. Walk along Victoria Harbour
We didn’t really do any actual touristy activities until we met up with our friend Vivian later during our first week.
That day, we went out for dim sum, visited different malls, and explored Victoria Harbour.
Victoria Harbour is a lovely little waterfront area with a gorgeous view of the Hong Kong skyline.
It’s pretty during the day, but even prettier at night with all the lights!
LOCATION: Victoria Harbour (near East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station) | Website
3. A boat tour in Sai Kung
We spent our first weekend on a boat with Rui’s family in Sai Kung.
The views from the water were absolutely stunning.
Although it might’ve been nicer to swim around on a sunny day, the gloominess made for some cool photos!
LOCATION: Sai Kung | Website
Afterwards, we went to a seafood restaurant nearby. I saw these beautiful lanterns laid out in front of the water.
4. Eat conveyor belt sushi
One night, Rui and I circled around the Times Square area for at least a half hour trying to find Genki Sushi.
It ended up being literally right where we started.
We called it our “scenic route” and I managed to get some nice photos.
Conveyor belt sushi is a unique experience, and definitely worth trying at least once while you’re in Hong Kong!
It’s basically all-you-can-eat-sushi, but you get to grab whatever you want on a conveyor belt.
LOCATION: Various locations | Website
We’d visited Victoria Harbour at night once before, but very briefly.
We came back and just sat there on the edge above the water until security asked us to move to a safer spot from behind the gate.
5. Relive your childhood at Hong Kong Disneyland
Everyone who’d gone convinced me that Hong Kong Disneyland wasn’t that great.
We decided to go anyways, and I actually had a wonderful time.
It was the first time I’d been to any sort of Disney theme park and it made me feel like a little kid again.
LOCATION: Lantau Island (near Disneyland Resort MTR Station) | Website
6. Wander around Cheung Chau Village
We visited Cheung Chau Village the next day, and it fascinated me more than any other place in Hong Kong did.
It felt very local, and the atmosphere was completely different from areas of Hong Kong I’d already explored.
It’s a very unique village, and so cool to wander around!
LOCATION: Cheung Chau Village | Website
7. Explore Ngong Ping Village on Lantau Island
We visited Lantau Island on the same day and went to see Ngong Ping Village.
We walked up to see the Big Buddha statue and rode the gondola.
The views on this day were astonishing.
LOCATION: Lantau Island | Website
8. Hike up to Victoria Peak
The day after, we went to go see Victoria Peak.
I got at least 10 mosquito bites, but it was worth it for the view.
LOCATION: Victoria Peak | Website
9. Ride the Hong Kong Observation Wheel
One night, we went on the Hong Kong Observation Wheel in Central.
The view was pretty at nighttime, but there were a lot of reflections so we couldn’t get any nice photos.
LOCATION: 33 Man Kwong St. (near Central MTR Station) | Website
10. Stroll around Stanley
The day before I left, we went to Stanley.
We thought it was a park, but it’s actually a whole village filled with scenic views, shopping, and diverse restaurants.
You can also walk around these giant rocks.
We watched the sunset here and it was incredible!
LOCATION: Stanley | Website
The best things to do in Hong Kong:
- Shop in Mong Kok
- Walk along Victoria Harbour
- A boat tour in Sai Kung
- Eat conveyor belt sushi
- Relive your childhood at Hong Kong Disneyland
- Wander around Cheung Chau Village
- Explore Ngong Ping Village on Lantau Island
- Hike up to Victoria Peak
- Ride the Hong Kong Observation Wheel
- Stroll around Stanley
After two weeks in Hong Kong, I came home.
It felt really strange to be in a place where the predominant language wasn’t English.
The extent of my Cantonese-speaking skills were knowing a few random words here and there, and locals couldn’t even understand me behind my Canadian accent.
My friends have called me white-washed many times before, but never have I ever felt as white-washed as I did in Hong Kong.
The next time I visit HK, I’d love to be somewhat fluent in Cantonese.
Besides the heat, crowds, and culture shock, I actually did enjoy Hong Kong.
Rui’s family took us to and told us where all the coolest places were, and I’m really grateful to have met them.
Check out my Hong Kong vlogs (part one and part two) to see more of our trip!
Have you been to Hong Kong before? What was on your Hong Kong itinerary? Let me know on Twitter or Instagram!
If you’re planning a trip to Hong Kong, here are some other posts to help you plan your perfect trip:
- The best Hong Kong restaurants
- What to wear in Hong Kong
- Why you must visit Hong Kong Disneyland
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Hong Kong looks amazing but that flight would kill me! I just can’t seem to sleep on planes, so |I would need a day to recover on both sides. I loved your pics, and definitely think I would like to visit HK, but I agree that it might be too much to live there full time!
I’m the same way with flights – the one-way flights there and back were absolutely grueling! I definitely think it’s worth visiting at least once though! 🙂
The pictures look amazing!!! I’m making my parents take me there coz i’ve been dying to go haha i really gotta visit toronto some day!! it requires some serious saving and planning tho lol
I would love to visit Hong Kong one day! (and Toronto) Sooner rather than later, to be honest, lol! I’ll save these recommendations for my future trip 🙂
What a dream! ,😍😍😍 to go to the other side of the world. Wow!
Looks like an amazing time! Love all the pictures!