I had just one day in Hong Kong, a single stop on a 15-day cruise around Asia on the Norwegian Sun, slotted in between Coron and Taiwan. It turned into one of my favourite days of the whole trip. The ship docked over in Kowloon, and I crossed to Hong Kong Island on the Star Ferry, with the skyline coming closer the whole way across.
This was my first time in Hong Kong, and my first real encounter with China. The thing that hit me first was the landscape. The skyscrapers don’t sit on a flat grid. They climb straight up steep green hillsides and stop at the water’s edge. You’re always looking at sea on one side and jungle on the other. It kept reminding me of Rio de Janeiro, that same drama of mountains meeting the coast.
What stuck with me was how clean the city is, how green, and the easy buzz on the streets. One day in Hong Kong is not enough, and I won’t pretend I saw it all. But the main sights sit close together and the transport is fast, so you can fit a lot into a single day. So here’s exactly what to do in Hong Kong in one day. It works whether you’re off a cruise like I was, on a flight stopover, or just here for 24 hours in Hong Kong, and I’ve added the practical things I wish I’d known.
Things to know before visiting Hong Kong
First, a quick feel for the city:
- Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China and a former British colony, handed back in 1997. It still runs on its own system, currency and border control.
- Around 7.5 million people live here, in one of the densest cities on earth, with more skyscrapers than anywhere in the world.
- The city splits into Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories, plus 260-odd outlying islands. Victoria Harbour runs between the Island and Kowloon.
- Despite all the concrete, it’s surprisingly green and hilly. Country parks and peaks cover most of the land, which is exactly why the views are so good.
- Cantonese and English are both official, so you’ll get by easily in English.
And a few practical things:
- Most of us don’t need a visa. EU citizens get 90 days visa-free and UK passport holders get 180. Check your own passport, but for a short stop there’s usually nothing to arrange.
- Get an Octopus card when you land. It’s a tap-and-go card for the MTR, buses, trams, the Star Ferry and even shops.
- The currency is the Hong Kong dollar (HKD), around 7.8 to the US dollar. Cards work almost everywhere, but keep a little cash for the trams and markets.
- For data I used an Airalo eSIM, cheap and working the moment I landed. My code RALUCA2435 gets you a discount on your first one.
- Book your Peak Tram tickets online before you go. It’s the one thing I’d tell anyone doing Hong Kong in a hurry.
Where to stay in Hong Kong – best areas and hotels
I was only passing through, so I didn’t stay the night, but here’s where I’d base myself.
Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) is the obvious pick for a first visit. It’s on the Kowloon waterfront, walkable to the Star Ferry, the Avenue of Stars and the best harbour views. Central sits near the Peak Tram. Causeway Bay is the loud shopping heart, and Mong Kok is cheaper and full of markets.
Here are my picks, by budget. Click each one to check prices and availability:
- Low budget:Stanford Hotel. – a solid budget base right in the thick of Mong Kok, next to the Ladies’ Market and a short walk from Sneaker Street and the MTR. Rooms are compact, but you’re surrounded by markets and street food
- Mid-range:The Bauhinia Hotel – Central. – a sleek, modern spot on Hong Kong Island, a two-minute walk from Sheung Wan MTR and a tram stop, with Central, Victoria Harbour and SoHo all close by. Smart rooms with streaming TVs and proper workspaces
- High-end:Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. – star waterfront landmark in Wan Chai, with floor-to-ceiling views over Victoria Harbour, a big heated outdoor pool, a spa and nine restaurants. The MTR is right there by skybridge
My one day in Hong Kong itinerary
It was my first time in Hong Kong and the clock was against me, so there was no time to waste. The rough plan: Hong Kong Island for the Peak and the trams, Kowloon for the waterfront and the markets, with the ferry linking the two. Here’s my full one day in Hong Kong itinerary, in the order I’d do it again.
Start with the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour
If your ship or hotel is on the Kowloon side, cross to the Island on the Star Ferry, which has been running since 1888. These stout little green-and-white boats cross Victoria Harbour in about ten minutes, and the fare is around HK$5, under a dollar. Head up to the upper deck. From there the skyline rises on both sides, close enough to pick out single towers. For the price of nothing, it’s the best stretch of water in the city.
Ride the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak is the one sight you really shouldn’t skip, and getting up there is half the fun. The Peak Tram is a steep little funicular, hauling people up the mountain since 1888. It tilts back so far the towers outside the window look like they’re leaning. A return ticket costs about HK$116 (around US$15). The combo with the Sky Terrace 428 platform at the top is around HK$180 (about US$23), and that’s the one I’d go for.
Book your Peak Tram tickets online before you go. You scan a QR code at the turnstile and skip the ticket-office queue, which can swallow a big chunk of your day.
It won’t always get you past the separate queue to board the tram, and there’s a pricier fast-track pass for that, but for most people the online ticket is enough. You don’t have to take the tram at all, either. Walk up, grab a taxi, or ride up and wander back down through the trees. And go early if you can, because by midday it’s heaving.
The best views in Hong Kong, from Sky Terrace 428
The views are the reason everyone climbs up here, and from the top you finally see how tightly Hong Kong is built. The skyscrapers fan out directly below, packed so close they look fused together.
The harbour threads between them, with green ridges rolling away behind. A few of the viewpoints are free, like the terraces around the Peak Galleria, and they’re good enough for most people. The Sky Terrace 428, the platform right at the summit, costs a bit more but gives you the full circle. For me it was worth it.
One heads-up: it’s busy, every hour of every day. I had to wait my turn and elbow in at the railing for a clear shot.
The mall with the famous windows
Don’t rush past the mall at the top, either. The Peak Tower and Peak Galleria are the usual mix of shops and restaurants. But they’re wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass, and the escalators run right alongside the windows. Riding up them, you get the whole city laid out behind the glass. Not what I expected from a shopping centre on a mountain. I stayed up there longer than I’d planned.
Try the egg tarts at Bakehouse
You’ll want to stop and eat, and in Hong Kong the thing to eat is an egg tart. It’s the local cousin of the Portuguese pastel de nata (tried them in Lisbon). The most talked-about version comes from Bakehouse, a bakery with a near-permanent queue out the door.
The pastry is all flaky, croissant-like layers around a soft, just-set custard. I got one with a raspberry tart and a coffee, sat down with the lot, and understood the fuss after a single bite.
Ride the ding ding trams through the city
Down at street level, don’t miss the trams. These tall, narrow double-deckers have rattled through Hong Kong Island since 1904, and locals call them “ding ding” after the clang of the bell.
They cost a flat HK$3, about 40 cents, no matter how far you ride, and you pay on your way off. Climb to the top deck and take the very front seat if it’s free. With the windows open and the city sliding by at walking pace, it was the part of the day I’d most want to repeat.
Causeway Bay, the Times Square of Hong Kong
The trams drop you in Causeway Bay, which is Hong Kong at its loudest and most frantic. Neon signs, giant screens, and shops stacked on top of shops.
The crossings get so crowded that when the light changes, a solid wall of people moves at once. It reminded me of Times Square in New York more than anywhere else. I stood off to one side for a while just to take in the scale of it.
The Avenue of Stars and the Bruce Lee statue
Over the harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui, the Avenue of Stars is a waterfront promenade celebrating Hong Kong’s film industry. Think the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, but with the best skyline in the world as a backdrop.
The reason most people come is the Bruce Lee statue, caught mid-pose, and yes, I queued for my photo like everyone else. Time your visit for 8pm and you’ll catch the Symphony of Lights, when the towers light up across the water.
Sneaker Street and the local style
Two things stayed with me around Kowloon. The first was how people dress. The local women have this effortless, slightly avant-garde sense of style, and I spent half my walk discreetly studying outfits.
The second is how specialised the shopping gets. One street in Mong Kok, Fa Yuen Street, is known to everyone as Sneaker Street, lined end to end with shops selling nothing but trainers. You don’t need to buy a thing to enjoy walking it.
Temple Street Night Market
End the day in the markets. Temple Street Market is strung with red lanterns and packed with stalls of souvenirs, trinkets and food stands. It made a good last stop before heading back to the ship.
It’s where I picked up my favourite thing I brought home from the whole trip: a painting of that crowded Causeway Bay crossing, double-decker trams and all. It’s on my wall now, and it pulls me straight back to that day every time I catch sight of it.
If you have more time in Hong Kong
This one day in Hong Kong itinerary covers the icons. With longer, I’d add:
- The Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, reached by the Ngong Ping cable car
- A Victoria Harbour cruise, ideally at sunset
- The Ladies’ Market in Mong Kok, for more bargain hunting
- A day trip to Macau, an hour away by ferry
Best tours in Hong Kong
A few booked tickets go a long way here. I use Klook across Asia.
The ones worth booking ahead are your Peak Tram and Sky Terrace 428 tickets, the big time-saver. Add a Victoria Harbour night cruise, and a Big Buddha and Lantau day trip if you get a second day.
Hong Kong in one day: FAQ
Is one day in Hong Kong enough?
It’s enough for a strong first taste, and plenty of visitors, cruise passengers included, see the headline sights in a day. What you won’t reach is the outlying islands, the hiking trails or the deeper food scene. If Hong Kong is a stopover, one day is well spent. If it’s your main trip, give it three or four days.
Is Hong Kong expensive?
It has the reputation, but it really splits in two. Hotels and cocktails are genuinely pricey, especially on Hong Kong Island. Everything else is a bargain. The metro, trams and Star Ferry cost pennies, and you can eat very well at a local noodle shop or cha chaan teng for a few dollars. Keep the hotel budget sensible and the rest of the day stays cheap.
Is Hong Kong safe for tourists?
Very. It has low crime and ranks among the safer big cities in Asia for visitors, day or night. Normal city sense still applies, so keep an eye on your bag in packed markets and on crowded trains. I walked around after dark without a second thought.
How do you get from the airport to the city?
The fastest way is the Airport Express train, about 24 minutes to Hong Kong Station in Central for around HK$115 (US$15), with departures every 10 minutes. The city buses, the A routes, are far cheaper at roughly HK$40 but take over an hour. A taxi runs about HK$250 to HK$350, depending on where you’re staying.
What food is Hong Kong known for?
Far more than egg tarts, as good as those are. The city is famous for dim sum, roast goose and char siu, wonton noodle soup, clay-pot rice, and milk tea from a cha chaan teng, the local diners.
Even on a tight schedule, I’d carve out time for one proper dim sum meal. If you’d rather taste a bit of everything in one go, a guided food tour is a great shortcut.
When’s the best time to visit Hong Kong?
Autumn, from October to early December, is the sweet spot: dry, clear and comfortably warm, which matters when half the point is the view from the Peak. Spring is pleasant too. Summer is hot, humid and prone to typhoons, and winter can turn surprisingly chilly.
The cruise gave me just a day in Hong Kong, and I spent the sail-away already planning how to come back. I loved the whole mix of it: skyscrapers against green hills, clean streets, the old trams, an egg tart I’m still thinking about. If a day is all you have, take it. It won’t be your last trip here.
