Welcome to Hong Kong! A dazzling metropolis where tradition blends seamlessly with modernity. Whether it’s your first visit or you’re a seasoned traveler, Hong Kong never fails to amaze with its vibrant street markets, serene temples, iconic skyscrapers, and incredible culinary delights. In this 5-day itinerary, I’ll guide you through the very best experiences Hong Kong has to offer. From the bustling streets of Kowloon and the magical world of Hong Kong Disneyland to the breathtaking views from Victoria Peak and the cultural treasures of Hong Kong Island.

Índice
1. 5-Day Hong Kong Itinerary (Including Disneyland)
2. Accommodation
3. How to Get to Hong Kong
4. Best Time to Visit Hong Kong
5. Getting Around – Octopus Card
6. Money During Your Trip – N26 Card
7. Other Hong Kong Posts on the Blog
8. Money During Your Trip – N26 Card
Choi Hung Estate and Lok Wah South Estate

5-Day Hong Kong Itinerary (Including Disneyland)

Day 1 – AFTERNOON ARRIVAL AND KOWLOON
    • Midday: We arrive in Hong Kong, take the Airport Express from the airport to the city, and check in at the hotel. We stayed in Kowloon, so we took the train to Tsing Yi and then transferred to the Tung Chung MTR Line to Olympic Station. We arrived in less than 45 minutes.
    • Afternoon/Evening: We head to the Temple Street Night Market in Kowloon. This bustling market is a must-visit for its lively atmosphere, delicious street food, and stalls selling everything from clothing to electronics. If you’re staying in Kowloon, you can easily walk there from your hotel.
Day 2 – KOWLOON
    • Morning: We start the day at Lok Wah South Estate, famous for its photogenic blue circular structures. It’s a popular spot for photographers and influencers. Our next stop is Choi Hung Estate—another place you’ve probably seen on Instagram, known for its basketball court surrounded by colorful public housing blocks.
    • Afternoon: We visit the peaceful Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery. These beautifully designed gardens and temples offer a tranquil escape from the city’s hustle and bustle, featuring traditional Tang Dynasty architecture and serene ponds. Our next stop is the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple, one of Hong Kong’s most famous temples, renowned for its Kau Cim fortune-telling practice. It’s one of my favorite places in Hong Kong, so don’t miss it!
    • Evening: We explore Sham Shui Po, a district known for its local markets and street food. We also stop by Ap Liu Street Market, famous for gadgets and all kinds of electronics.
Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple
Day 3 – HONG KONG DISNEYLAND
    • All day: We spend the entire day at Hong Kong Disneyland. I’ll write a separate blog post sharing my full experience. You can purchase your tickets on this page.
Day 4 – HONG KONG ISLAND
    • Morning: We start the day with breakfast at a dim sum restaurant in Sheung Wan, then walk to the Sai Ying Pun neighborhood, where many buildings feature colorful street art (Art Lane). Our next stop is the historic Man Mo Temple, dedicated to the gods of literature (Man) and martial arts (Mo). It’s one of the oldest temples in Hong Kong and offers a fascinating insight into traditional Chinese religious practices.
    • Afternoon: From Man Mo Temple, we walk to the Ferry Pier to take the ferry from Hong Kong Island to Tsim Sha Tsui. This short ferry ride offers spectacular views of Victoria Harbour and the city skyline. Once in Tsim Sha Tsui, we explore the Avenue of Stars and K11 Musea.
    • Evening: We spend a relaxing evening in Tsim Sha Tsui, have dinner there, and then head back to the hotel.
Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui
Day 5 – HONG KONG ISLAND
    • Morning: We take the Peak Tram to Victoria Peak (tickets here). We enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the Hong Kong skyline, Victoria Harbour, and the surrounding islands. You can also visit the Sky Terrace 428, the highest observation deck.
    • Afternoon: We head back down to Hong Kong Island by bus and take a scenic ride on the Hong Kong Tramways (also known as the “Ding Ding”) to explore the city. My recommendation is to take it from the Central or Wan Chai area to Quarry Bay. Once there, we visit the Monster Building (Yick Cheong Building), famous for its endless residential blocks. It is a striking example of Hong Kong’s urban architecture and a popular photography spot. Afterwards, we head to Causeway Bay to do some shopping.
    • Evening: It’s the end of the trip, so we have dinner in the area we enjoyed the most before heading back to the hotel.
EXTRA – Day 6 – LANTAU ISLAND & BIG BUDDHA

We didn’t visit this area ourselves, but if you’re staying an extra day, I would definitely recommend visiting the Big Buddha, as it’s one of Hong Kong’s most famous attractions.

    • Morning: We start the day by taking the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car (tickets here) from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping Village. The ride takes approximately 25 minutes and offers beautiful views of Lantau Island and the South China Sea. We then visit the Big Buddha (Tian Tan Buddha), an impressive 34-metre-tall bronze statue. You can climb the 268 steps to enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding area.
      • The cable car costs HK$195 (€23) one way per person or HK$270 (€32) return, and you can book it on this Klook page.
    • Afternoon: After visiting the Big Buddha, we head to the nearby Po Lin Monastery, one of the most important Buddhist temples in Hong Kong. Here, we can explore the gardens and enjoy a meal at the monastery restaurant. Afterwards, you can also visit Ngong Ping Village, a traditional Chinese-style village with souvenir shops, cafés, and cultural performances.

Accommodation

Hong Kong offers accommodation options for every taste and budget, although I generally found it quite expensive. These are the areas I recommend staying in. They are all well connected, so the best choice will mainly depend on your itinerary. The prices listed are from late October, so they will also vary depending on the month you travel.

Monster Building and Quarry Bay

How to Get to Hong Kong

Getting to Hong Kong is very easy. You have several options:

        • By plane: Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) is the main gateway, with flights from major cities around the world.
          • From the airport, you can reach the city centre by taking the Airport Express, a taxi, or one of the airport buses. We took the Airport Express and it was excellent.
        • By train: High-speed trains connect Hong Kong with mainland Chinese cities such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen. West Kowloon Station is the main terminal for these services.
        • By ferry: Ferries are available from Macau and mainland China, offering scenic routes to Hong Kong. Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal and China Ferry Terminal are the main ferry ports.

Best Time to Visit Hong Kong

      • Best Time: October to December is ideal, with pleasant weather, mild temperatures, and low humidity, making it perfect for sightseeing. We visited in mid-March, so I would also recommend travelling between then and June.
      • Avoid: Typhoon season (June to September), as it can bring heavy rain and strong winds.
      • Events: Chinese New Year (January/February) and the Mid-Autumn Festival (September/October) offer unique cultural experiences and vibrant celebrations. However, I would avoid Chinese New Year because you’ll find many places closed and large crowds everywhere.
Buildings in Kowloon

Getting Around – Octopus Card

Having an Octopus Card is essential when travelling around Hong Kong. It is incredibly versatile and convenient, allowing you to travel cash-free and make purchases in many places, as it is not just for transportation but a comprehensive payment solution that covers a wide range of services:

    • Public transport: use it on buses, trams, ferries, and the MTR (Mass Transit Railway).
    • Food: pay at various restaurants, cafés, and food stalls.
    • Entertainment: hassle-free payments at cinemas, theme parks, and other attractions.
    • Shopping: accepted at convenience stores, supermarkets, and retail shops.

For this type of trip, I always take out travel insurance with IATI so we can travel with peace of mind in case something happens. We once had an incident in Japan, and it worked out brilliantly for us. We usually choose the “IATI Basic” or “IATI Standard” plan, although depending on the destination, you may want to consider the “Star” or “Backpacker” option. Additionally, you can add or purchase trip cancellation insurance. There is an “IATI Premium Cancellation” option specifically designed to cover costs associated with trip cancellations (flights, accommodation, excursions, among others), up to a limit of €6,000, if you are unable to travel for one of the reasons covered by the policy. By clicking this link, you can purchase any IATI insurance policy with a 5% discount: https://www.iatiseguros.com?r=81717716852618.

Hong Kong Tramways

Money During Your Trip – N26 Card

The currency used in Hong Kong is the Hong Kong Dollar (HK$). As a rough guide, HK$100 is approximately €12. We used our credit card to pay for everything during this trip and had no issues. I got this card for a trip to Iceland, and it has been fantastic on every trip ever since. As I’ve travelled to Japan and other non-euro countries many times over the past few years, I got tired of paying exchange fees at airports or currency exchange offices, the approximately 3% fee my bank charged for every card purchase, or withdrawal fees… So I looked for a solution because even though the percentage seems low, it really adds up over time. So now, whenever I travel, I pay for everything with my N26 prepaid card. You can order yours through this link. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

    • I opened my account free of charge.
    • If you want the physical card, you can order it for €10.
    • Adding money to the card is very easy, as it is done by bank transfer.
    • Some important things to keep in mind while travelling with this card:
        • You can pay in any currency other than the euro. N26 does not charge fees for payments made abroad, even when another currency is involved. The exchange rate applied is provided by Mastercard.
        • If you have a standard N26 account and want to withdraw cash from an ATM outside Europe, you will have to pay a 1.7% foreign exchange fee (but nothing for the withdrawal itself). With an N26 You or Metal account, this fee is waived. I use the Standard account.

All the payments I’ve made in countries using currencies other than the euro have had excellent exchange rates (Visa’s exchange rate is applied in this case). I constantly compared it with currency converters to check the daily exchange rate, and the rate they used was actually even better than the one I found online. If you have any questions about this, feel free to send me an email and I’ll be happy to help. The process is really very simple. Here’s the link again: N26.

Other Hong Kong Posts on the Blog

For this type of trip, I always take out travel insurance with IATI so we can travel with peace of mind in case anything happens. We once had an incident in Japan, and it worked out perfectly for us. We usually choose the “IATI Basic” or “IATI Standard” option, although depending on the country, you may want to consider the “Star” or “Backpacker” plans. Additionally, you can add or purchase trip cancellation insurance. There is an “IATI Premium Cancellation” option specifically designed to cover the costs associated with trip cancellations (flights, accommodation, excursions, among others), up to a limit of €6,000, if you are unable to travel for one of the reasons covered by the policy. By clicking this link, you can purchase any IATI insurance policy with a 5% discount: https://www.iatiseguros.com?r=81717716852618.

Hong Kong Disneyland

Money During Your Trip – N26 Card

Hong Kong uses the Hong Kong Dollar (HK$, HKD). To give you an idea of the exchange rate, HK$100 is approximately €12. We used our credit card to pay for everything during this trip and had no issues at all. I got this card for a trip to Iceland, and it has been fantastic on every trip ever since. As I had travelled to Japan and other non-euro countries several times over the past few years, I got tired of paying exchange fees at airports and currency exchange offices, the approximately 3% fee my bank charged me for every card purchase, and withdrawal fees… So I decided to find a solution because, even though it seems like a small percentage, it really adds up over time. Since then, I pay for everything while travelling with my N26 prepaid card. You can order yours through this link. Here are a few important things to keep in mind:

    • I opened an account free of charge at Spanish and Eurozone ATMs, as long as they support contactless payments.
    • If you want the physical card, you can order it for €10.
    • Adding money to the card is very easy, as it is done via bank transfer.
    • Some important things to keep in mind while travelling with this card:
        • You can pay in any currency other than the euro. N26 does not charge any fees for payments made abroad, even if another currency is involved. The exchange rate applied is the one provided by Mastercard.
        • If you have a standard N26 account and want to withdraw cash from an ATM outside Europe, you will have to pay a 1.7% foreign currency conversion fee (but there is no withdrawal fee). With an N26 You or Metal account, this fee is waived. I personally use the Standard account.

All the payments I have made in countries using currencies other than the euro have had an excellent exchange rate (Visa is used in this case). I compared it regularly with currency converters to check the daily exchange rate, and the rate they used was actually even better than the one I found online. If you have any questions about this, feel free to send me an email and I’ll be happy to help. The process is really simple. Here’s the link again: N26.

Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple
Chi Lin Nunnery
Nan Lian Garden
 
Lok Wah South Estate
Café in Sham Shui Po
Hong Kong Milk Tea
Some of the dishes we ate around Kowloon
Peak Tram to Victoria Peak
%Arabica Café and K11 Musea
Man Mo Temple
Neon lights in Mong Kok