I discovered a stunningly beautiful and super off-the-beaten-path mountain and sea trail in Hong Kong for a one-day trip
Having been to Hong Kong so many times, I’m sharing a day trip route that’s both photogenic and less crowded❗️
✅Highlights
🌸Ride the glass cabin cable car overlooking the mountains and sea (P10)
🌸Authentic Ngong Ping Village Market (P7)
🌸34-meter tall Tian Tan Buddha (P6)
🌸Breathtaking mountain and sea trail (P1)
🌸“Venice of the East” Tai O fishing village, also Hong Kong’s “cat island,” with many cats in the streets and alleys (P8)
✅Route
❶ Morning
Ngong Ping Cable Car Station (next to Tung Chung Station 🚇) → Take Ngong Ping Cable Car (25 minutes) → Ngong Ping Village Market → Tian Tan Buddha → Po Lin Monastery
❷ Afternoon
Take Bus No. 21 to Tai O fishing village → Walk around Tai O fishing village → Visit Tiger Hill Lookout → Take Bus No. 21 back to Ngong Ping and take the cable car back
🌟Refer to our itinerary schedule:
10:00: Ngong Ping Cable Car Station
10:25: Cable car arrives at Ngong Ping Village Market, visit the market, Tian Tan Buddha, Po Lin Monastery
12:00: Lunch at the market
13:20: Take Bus No. 21 from Ngong Ping Village Market to Tai O fishing village (departs at 20 minutes past every hour)
13:30: Explore Tai O fishing village
15:30: Visit Tiger Hill Lookout
16:45: Take Bus No. 21 from Tai O fishing village back to Ngong Ping, then take the cable car back
✅Trip tips
✔️Time arrangement: Cable car operating hours 10:00~18:00, recommended to arrive at the cable car station between 10:00~11:30 to start the trip
✔️Time arrangement: Last bus from Tai O fishing village to Ngong Ping is at 16:45, remember to return before then
✅How to get to the starting point Ngong Ping Cable Car Station
✔️If coming from Shenzhen or Zhuhai, the Cross-Border Island Express bus goes directly there
✔️If coming from within Hong Kong city, take the MTR directly to Tung Chung Station
✔️Exit from Tung Chung Station Exit B and walk 200 meters
✅Photo spots
P1, 3, 4, 11: Tiger Hill Lookout
P2: Tai O heritage hotel 🏨, perfect for afternoon tea by the sea
P5, 10, 18: Ngong Ping Cable Car
P6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 16: Ngong Ping Village Market
P13: Tai O fishing village
P9: Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok South Road
Below is a Hong Kong travel guide compiled based on the latest 2025 information, covering pre-trip preparation, transportation, accommodation, attractions, food, and practical tips to help you plan efficiently:
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### **1. Pre-trip Preparation**
1. **Documents and Visas**
- Mainland visitors need to apply for the “Home Return Permit” and valid endorsements (G endorsement for individual travel, L endorsement for group travel). Cross-location application is supported, taking about 7-15 working days, costing 80 HKD.
- At immigration, use the self-service channel, prepare fingerprint and facial recognition, and fill in the “Customs Passenger Fingerprint Service” QR code in advance.
2. **Currency and Payment**
- Most malls and chain stores support Alipay/WeChat Pay, but it’s recommended to exchange a small amount of HKD (about 500-1000 HKD per person) for street snacks, Star Ferry, etc. Exchange rates at border crossings are poor; prioritize booking exchange at mainland banks.
3. **Communication and Electronics**
- SIM card: Recommended to buy “MySIM” card after arrival (33 HKD/month for 50GB), cheaper than international roaming.
- Power adapter: Hong Kong uses British three-pin plugs; bring an adapter or USB charging cables.
4. **Luggage Suggestions**
- Light backpack, sunscreen, sun umbrella (Hong Kong summers are hot and humid), sports shoes (expect a lot of walking). Hotels do not provide toothpaste or toothbrushes, bring your own.
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### **2. Transportation**
1. **Airport to City**
- **Airport Express**: 24 minutes direct to Central, fare about 115 HKD, suitable for time-sensitive travelers.
- **Bus/Taxi**: A-line buses cover main areas at affordable prices; taxis are more expensive (red/blue/green taxis serve different areas).
2. **City Transportation**
- **MTR**: Covers the whole city, recommended to use Alipay “Travel” QR code or buy an Octopus card (150 HKD including deposit, refundable).
- **Special transport**: Star Ferry (4 HKD), tram (2.3 HKD) are great for experiencing city vibes.
- **Ticket options**:
- **One-day pass** (65 HKD): Good for frequent MTR rides within 24 hours, but not valid on Airport Express or Lo Wu station.
- **Airport Express Tourist Ticket** (250-350 HKD): Includes one-way/round-trip Airport Express and 3-day MTR pass.
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### **3. Accommodation Recommendations**
- **Luxury hotels**: Tsim Sha Tsui (The Peninsula), Central (Mandarin Oriental), near shopping and attractions.
- **Budget hotels**: Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei offer good value, recommended “Metropark Hotel Mongkok Hong Kong.”
- **Avoid**: Chongqing Mansions and unlicensed guesthouses, especially for female travelers.
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### **4. Must-visit Attractions and Suggested Itineraries**
1. **Classic route (5 days 4 nights)**
- **Day 1**: Victoria Harbour night view + Star Ferry + Peak Tram (best night view).
- **Day 2**: Disneyland (must-see fireworks) or Ocean Park (animal shows + rides).
- **Day 3**: Mong Kok street snacks + Tsim Sha Tsui shopping (Harbour City, K11).
- **Day 4**: Cheung Chau Island (seafood + beach) or Lamma Island hiking.
- **Day 5**: Central historic district (PMQ) + Lan Kwai Fong nightlife.
2. **Off-the-beaten-path experiences**
- **Sai Wan Swimming Shed**: Sunset photo spot.
- **Shek O Village**: Colorful houses and beach, filming location of “King of Comedy.”
- **Temple Street Night Market**: Affordable night market with Hong Kong movie vibes.
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### **5. Food Recommendations**
- **Must-try at cha chaan teng (tea restaurants)**: Silk stocking milk tea, pineapple bun, wonton noodles (recommended “Mak An Wonton Noodle”).
- **Street snacks**: Curry fish balls, egg waffles, shark fin soup (Mong Kok Fa Yuen Street).
- **Seafood and roasted meats**: Typhoon shelter crab (Lei Yue Mun), Yung Kee Restaurant roast goose.
- **Dessert shops**: Yee Shun Milk Company (double skin milk), Jiajia Dessert (black sesame soup).
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### **6. Shopping Guide**
1. **Cosmetics**: Sa Sa, Bonjour (check expiry dates), counters (Times Square Causeway Bay).
2. **Luxury goods**: Harbour City (most brands), Citygate Outlets (discounts).
3. **Jewelry and watches**: Nathan Road “Gold Street” (Chow Sang Sang, Chow Tai Fook), Emperor Watch & Jewellery (Rolex agent).
4. **Streetwear and sneakers**: Mong Kok Sneaker Street, Tsim Sha Tsui THE FOREST mall.
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### **7. Practical Tips**
- **Smoking ban and fines**: No smoking in public places; eating and drinking in MTR fined 2000 HKD.
- **Customs limits**: Duty-free allowance of 1 liter alcohol, 19 cigarettes, 1.8 kg milk powder.
- **Safety tips**: Keep valuables safe, avoid walking alone in remote areas at night.
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This guide combines core information on transportation, attractions, and food; you can adjust the itinerary based on your personal interests.
Victoria Harbour, located between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, stretches from Lei Yue Mun in the east to Tsing Yi Island in the west. It is a natural deep-water harbor, ranking among the world's three largest natural harbors. Victoria Harbour boasts important facilities such as the Kwai Chung Container Terminal, and its Star Ferry route has been listed by National Geographic as one of the "50 Places to See Before You Die."
Victoria Harbour, with its wide and deep waters, is not only an Asian shipping hub but also a landmark of Hong Kong. During the day, you can take the century-old Star Ferry across the azure waters, overlooking the giant ships and the city skyline. At night, the skyscrapers on both sides illuminate a world-class night view, and every evening at 8 pm, the "A Symphony of Lights" light and music show creates a stunning audio-visual feast with lasers and searchlights. The Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade or the Central Ferris Wheel are recommended as the best viewpoints, blending nature, urban life, and art to encapsulate the soul of Hong Kong.
Victoria's nightscape truly lives up to its reputation. And today, with National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival both being celebrated, the neon lights and distant lights intertwine beautifully. A Star Ferry cruise, taking in the scenery on both sides of the strait, is truly a unique experience.
✨During the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, I met with my friends in Hong Kong and visited the classic attractions around Victoria Harbour - the Star Ferry, the Bauhinia Cruise, and the Avenue of Stars. The whole journey was full of Hong Kong style...✨ [Scenery] The beautiful Victoria Harbour scenery is worth the trip. [Fun] It is still very good to take pictures and check in life photos, but if you bring children👩🍼, the fun is just average. [Value for money] Many free landscapes are super value for money. Food and drink are another matter, because water is very expensive😭! 🚇Full score for transportation convenience The connection between Victoria Harbour attractions is super smooth. The Star Ferry runs every few minutes, and the ticket price is only a few dollars. It is super pleasant to cross Victoria Harbour with the sea breeze; the MTR East Tsim Sha Tsui Station goes directly to the Avenue of Stars, and the Bauhinia Cruise Terminal is also nearby, so you don’t have to worry about transportation throughout the journey. 🍃The environment and atmosphere are full The Victoria Harbour during the day is a postcard-like urban landscape, and it turns into a neon fantasy at night. The handprints and bronze statues of the stars on the Avenue of Stars are a must-see, and the cruise ship deck is a great place to take photos (but it is crowded during holidays, so it is recommended to go in the evening). ☕️ Food interspersed experience The "Regal Ice Cream" mobile car near the Star Ferry is a childhood memory; the dinner on the Bauhinia Cruise includes a buffet, the taste is average but the night view is worth the price. The "Hua Sao Ice House" in Tsim Sha Tsui is recommended nearby, the signature pineapple bun with iced lemon tea is amazing! 😆 Surrounding Easter egg recommendations There is the Hong Kong Museum of Art at the end of the Avenue of Stars (free!), and don't forget to go to the rooftop of the Ocean Terminal to watch the sunset when shopping in Harbour City. A friend said "It's like walking into a Hong Kong drama camera", the overall experience is four and a half stars!
Hong Kong🇭🇰【Victoria Harbour】 Victoria Harbour, also known as Victoria Harbour, is a seaport located in Hong Kong, between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula, with both sides of the harbor being the central business district of Hong Kong. Due to its deep water and wide harbor, Hong Kong is also known as the "Pearl of the Orient". The British saw the potential of Victoria Harbour as an excellent port in East Asia. Later, during the First Opium War and the Second Opium War, the British signed the Treaty of Nanjing and the Treaty of Beijing to cede Hong Kong from the Qing Dynasty, and built Hong Kong with Victoria Harbour as the center, as a base to develop its maritime trade in the Far East. Victoria Harbour has always dominated the development of Hong Kong's economy and tourism industry, and is one of the keys to Hong Kong becoming an international metropolis.
[Scenery] This place is worth visiting. Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong is a seaport between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula. It is one of the three largest natural harbors in the world. [Fun] We took a cruise to visit and felt that this harbor was particularly beautiful, especially when we were sitting on the boat to see the whole scenery of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is full of high-rise buildings. Seeing a modern building complex that is particularly magnificent and spectacular. Due to the wide harbor and deep water, Hong Kong, China is also known as the "Pearl of the Orient" and "the world's three major night scenes". The name of Victoria Harbor comes from Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Victoria Harbor has always influenced the history and culture of Hong Kong, China, and has dominated the economic and tourism development of Hong Kong, China. It is one of the keys to Hong Kong, China becoming an international metropolis. It is free to enter and exit here all year round. In the early years, the British had the potential to become an excellent port in East Asia. Later, they seized Hong Kong from the Qing government and developed its maritime trade business in the Far East. At the same time, it can be used as a berthing place for aircraft carriers. Now Hong Kong has returned to the embrace of the motherland, and our country has become prosperous and strong. Through the visit, I feel more powerful and proud of our country. The tour requires about two hours on a cruise ship. [Cost-effectiveness] We organized the tour as a group and the cost was not expensive.
Walk along the Avenue of Stars in Victoria Harbour and see the handprints of the stars. Victoria Harbour is filled with people of all skin colours, languages and faces from all over the world. At this moment, Hong Kong is the most international metropolis. Order a cup of coffee at Starbucks, feel the sea breeze, and watch the Star Ferry shuttle through the city. Until the lights come on, the sea is sparkling, and the skyscrapers on both sides are like a dream. I like the hustle and bustle of Victoria Harbour and will set foot on this land again in the future.
Victoria Harbor has blue sky, white clouds and clear water during the day. Small boats and 10,000-ton ships enter and exit the harbor without interfering with each other. At night, the lights are even brighter, creating a magnificent night view of the "Pearl of the Orient". There are many kinds of sea sightseeing boats in Hong Kong, among which the Star Ferry is the most popular. The Star Ferry mainly travels between urban tourist spots such as Central, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui, and was once listed as one of the "50 Must-Visit Attractions in Life" by the American National Geographic Magazine. Victoria Harbor can dock aircraft carriers and is one of the largest ports in the world. It is open 24 hours a day and the coast is free to visit. It is cost-effective and worth recommending to all friends.