Hong Kong Holiday – So Much to Do!
Keen for a Hong Kong Holiday? Keen to avoid all the typical tourist traps? Well, you’ve come to the right place! This off the beaten path Hong Kong holiday guide will give you all the information (and hopefully the inspiration) you need to not only avoid Hong Kong’s tourist traps but to also access the essence of what Hong Kong is truly about. Whether it’s Christmas, Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, Ching Ming Festival or any other Hong Kong public holiday, if you read on you’ll find experiences that will allow you to adventure and eat like a local, and best of all, you’ll be able to do the vast majority of them for free.
Below, we are going to cover where you can go hiking in Hong Kong, where you can eat some super authentic Dim Sum in Hong Kong, where you can try your luck at spotting Hong Kong’s famous (and sadly declining) pink dolphin population, and even where you can see 10,000 Buddhas! If you’re traveling with little ones, consider staying at any of these five child friendly hotels in Hong Kong. If you prefer hostels and thrift oriented travel, check out this Hong Kong backpacking guide. Ultimately, the Special Administrative region is not short of fantastic things to do. And as usual, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave us a comment below, and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
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If you’d like us to guide you on any of these experiences, click below, and we’ll start making plans with you for your very own Hong Kong holiday!
1. Experience Suicide Cliff If You Dare
If you’re a thrill seeker, and at least an intermediate hiker, we suggest you hike Suicide Cliff. If your Hong Kong holiday affords you the ability to wait for good weather, we suggest you do so in order to see the most spectacular views from this most spectacular vantage point. Hiking up here is serious business, but the pay off is worth it.
2. Eat Traditional Dim Sum at Lin Heung Tea House
Of course, you’ll need to eat something on your Hong Kong holiday, so why not experience some authentic dim sum in Hong Kong? This local specialty is comprised of bite sized dumplings of dozens of varieties, and it’s a super fun and enjoyable way to have a meal. We recommend Lin Heung Tea House (pictured above), because unlike most modern dim sum restaurants, they still bring the dim sum around in steamer-carts. The food here is super fresh and delicious, and the steamer carts are a relic of Hong Kong’s past.
3. Watch for Pink Dolphins
It’s sad for us to say this, but at the time of writing, many experts expect Hong Kong’s famed Pink Dolphin to be extinct in the next 5-10 years. So, while you still can, go on a Pink Dolphin watching trip on your Hong Kong holiday. When we went, we saw a few of the remaining dozen. They were beautiful!
4. Hike Devil’s Peak on Your Hong Kong Holiday
If you want a family friendly hike, you should definitely hike Devil’s Peak. This 3 km route is super easy, and it also offers spectacular views of Victoria Harbor, Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. At the end, you can enjoy some seafood in a traditional Hong Kong fishing village. This would be great to do at any point during your Hong Kong holiday!
5. Waterfront Promenade Picnic on Your Hong Kong Holiday
The Central and Western District Promenade is a perfect place for a picnic. The Hong Kong Government has invested a lot of money in this promenade, and it’s paid off quite well! The promenade is located right on Victoria Harbor, and it has both the grassy area (pictured above) as well as a fantastic playground area. Both are perfect spots for a picnic during your Hong Kong holiday! Along the promenade, there are a few restrooms, water fountains and even a snack and drink shack.
6. Hike Razor Edge Ridge
Located way up in the New Territories, when you hike Razor Edge Ridge, you’ll have to put in some effort to get way up here. However, if you do, you’ll be rewarded with fantastic views of a very off the beaten path part of Hong Kong. Expert hikers are the only ones that should attempt this challenging hike.
7. Eat Hong Kong Soul Food
There are a handful of Hong Kong soul foods, and if you don’t sample them during your Hong Kong holiday, you’ll simply be missing out. While we recommend the particular restaurants in the above link, you’ll be able to find these Hong Kong soul foods all over the place. So, if you don’t try our favorite spots, at the very least, make sure to order some of these delicious dishes wherever you may be in Hong Kong.
8. Hike Lion Rock
A Hong Kong holiday would not be complete without at least an attempt to hike Lion Rock. And while Lion Rock itself is not off the beaten path, one of the routes we suggest (suitable only for expert hikers) is indeed very much off the beaten path.
9. Explore Tung Lung Island
If you can’t already tell, we think your Hong Kong experience should take you to many of Hong Kong’s green areas. To this end, we highly recommend you hike Tung Lung Island. You can even go camping here if you’re prepared! Tung Lung Island is one of the easiest islands to get to, and the views you’ll get there are absolutely stunning. If your family is keen on hiking and hikes somewhat regularly, definitely consider this a family friendly option too.
10. Hike Lamma Island on Your Hong Kong Holiday
If you want to experience another beautiful and easy to get to island on your Hong Kong trip, we suggest you hike Lamma Island. If you’re here November 1st to May 31st, you can even check out one of the last remaining turtle nesting sites in South East Asia. But, don’t attempt to visit even one day following the closure time, as it’s illegal and can land you with a HK$50,000 fine.
11. The Venice of Hong Kong – A Walking Tour
Have you ever heard of Tai Po? It’s a GREAT place to experience local Hong Kong culture, and what better way to do so than on this Tai Po Walking tour – The Venice of Hong Kong? We can’t think of one. Enjoy the waterways up here and the long stretches of coastline that make this the Venice of Hong Kong.
12. 10,000 Buddhas and a Riverside Cycle on Your Hong Kong Holiday
Can you count all 10,000 buddhas? 
Cycling along the Sha Tin waterfront
This day trip to Sha Tin will indeed take you a whole day. However, it’s well worth spending a day of your time in Hong Kong to experience 10,000 Buddhas, a secret local noodle shop as well as a beautiful waterside cycling route. By the end of this ride, if you don’t feel like cycling all the way back, leave your bike at the end, and take public transit or even a taxi home.
13. Hike a Hong Kong Waterfall
If you want to experience a Hong Kong waterfall on your Hong Kong holiday, we highly recommend you hike Ng Tung Chai. This is challenging hike, but nothing in life worth having comes easily, and this experience is definitely something you’ll want to have. Ng Tung Chai is best in the warmer months, as you can go swimming, but it’s also nice in the cooler months when you’ll more likely have the falls all to yourself.
Plan Your Own Hong Kong Holiday
If you have any questions or comments about the suggestions we’ve made in this guide, please leave us a comment below, and we’ll get back to you in a flash. In the mean time, safe travels, and have a wonderful Hong Kong holiday! And again, if you’d like a guide for any of this, just click below, and we’ll start planning with you!
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2 Comments
Hi Seth / Julia, I found your blog while planning for my trip to HK later in the year (hopefully). Thanks so much for all the recommendations. I live in Singapore, pretty similar to HK, just that it lacks all the nature and hiking trails! Btw, was wondering how is the current ground situation in HK now? It such a pity that such a beautiful city is at a current stand still 🙁
Hi Janice,
Thank you for the kind words, and good question. While we feel safe in our day to day lives, and while we have found it easy to avoid any of the protest related violence (as most of the protests are published online), there is still a tangible sense of discontent among many of the people we interact with on a daily basis. Do let us know when specifically you’ll be in Hong Kong as we’d love to show you around!