7 Fun Hong Kong Attractions You Must Visit
Hong Kong is a wonderful city, with things to suit all ages, tastes, and budgets. In our humble opinion, travelling to far-flung corners of the world is all about having fun.
So with that in mind, here’s our list of 7 fun Hong Kong attractions that you must visit during your stay.
1. Visit Dragon’s Back
If you like walking, if you crave stunning views, and if you’d love to get a completely different perspective of the madness that is the city of Hong Kong, then taking a walk along the “Dragon’s Back” is something you shouldn’t miss.
It’s been named the “world’s best urban walk,” and is accessible about 20 minutes from the frenetic Central district of Hong Kong.
The hike itself covers 8.5km of undulating footpaths through Shek O Country Park.
The Dragon’s Back is the ridge the path follows, reaching the dizzy heights of 284 metres to a viewing platform. Believe us, the effort it takes to walk up there is worth every step.
Watch the ocean waves finish their epic journeys to land on sparkling beaches. Get a bird’s eye view of the surrounding islands, and even watch paragliders hurling themselves into the thermals below.
2. Hong Kong Disneyland
You can’t visit Hong Kong without going Disney! You’ll find all the favourite characters here (Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and the gang) as well as some amazingly fun attractions.
Some of the highlights of Hong Kong Disneyland include Toy Story Land, Main Street USA, and Tomorrow Land.
There’s fun and frolics here for all the family, from shows to gardens, white-knuckle rides to those more suitable for the little ones. Don’t forget to check out the special offer page before you visit…
3. Sky 100 Hong Kong Observation Dock
The tallest building in Hong Kong, the Sky 100, gives visitors an unrivalled view of the famous city skyline and Victoria Harbour.
Open every day from 10:00 to 21:00 (22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays), this is the place where you’ll learn the true meaning of a 360-degree view.
To make it even more special, head up towards the end of the afternoon, watch the sunset over the horizon, and enjoy the twinkling lights as Hong Kong reveals it’s nighttime outfit…
You can even watch the Symphony of Lights show that takes place across the harbour every evening at 20:00.
4. Take a Trip on the Star Ferry
Since 1888, the Star Ferry has been ferrying passengers across Victoria Harbour, between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.
Today the route still serves as a commuter route, but has also become a fun tourist attraction as well. Millions of people use this route every year. Indeed, National Geographic rated the Star Ferry crossing in their list of “50 places to go in a lifetime.”
Probably one of the most photographed harbours in the world, a view from the water is one place that you don’t want to forget to bring your camera.
But be prepared, because when you see this epic commute that so many people take every day, yours is going to look somewhat dull in comparison…
5. Ride a Hong Kong Tram
They might not traverse the whole of the city, but riding the Hong Kong trams is like taking a step back in time to yesteryear.
This historical method of transport has been travelling the north corridor of the city since 1904, and takes you through some of Hong Kong’s most colourful districts.
Jump on and off as you please, with each journey only costing a flat fare of HK$ 2.30 – no matter how long you stay on board. For the best views of areas such as the Western District, Wan Chai, Happy Valley, Causeway Bay, and North Point, head up to the top deck.
The trams run every day from early in the morning until midnight. You can also use the pre-payment Octopus Card to pay your fare (also valid on all other MTR public transport in the city).
6. Watersports!
Being as Hong Kong is a series of islands, it’d be rude to come here and not get into the water.
The city isn’t all about shopping, you know… This is a wonderful place to windsurf, and the Windsurfing Association of Hong Kong encourages people of all ages and abilities to take part.
There’s also kiteboarding, wakeboarding, surfing, stand up paddle boards… There are all sorts of ways to get out onto the waters of the South China Sea.
One of the reasons windsurfing is so popular is the Olympic gold medal-winning prowess in the 1996 Atlanta Games by Hong Kong local boy, Lee Lei-shan.
You do have to travel a little way from the city centre to take full advantage of all these fantastic water sports – but it really is worth the effort.
Lantau Island, the largest of all the islands that make up Hong Kong, is a particularly good place to take advantage of the great beaches, watersports schools, and amenable waters.
7. Ocean Park
This massive marine life theme park combines the thrills and spills of roller coasters with the wonder of marine animals and other wildlife.
It opened in 1977, and since then, it has been entertaining and educating the millions of visitors that flood through its gates every year.
The most famous residents have to be the giant pandas – An-An, Jia-Jia, Le-Le, and Ying-Ying.
But there’s plenty more to see – from the largest, most ferocious sharks, the scariest jellyfish, the amazing sea turtles… Not to mention wonderful corral, stunningly coloured fish, sea cucumbers, starfish – the list of marine animals you can watch, learn about, and even touch (in some cases) is endless.
There’s also a superb dolphin show that takes place 4 times daily (11:30, 14:00, 15:30, and 17:30). It’s hugely popular, as you can imagine, so get there about 30 minutes before the show starts to secure a seat.
And for those who like their amusement park to be a little more high adrenaline – well, there’s plenty here for you as well. There’s also some less “high octane” rides for those who prefer their feet to stay a little more firmly on terra firma…
Ocean Park is open every day from 10:00 to 19:00.
