Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong: Victoria Harbour, the Peak Tram, and the Star Ferry
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The Star Ferry, a historical transport service since 1888, connects Hong Kong Island to Kowloon across Victoria Harbour in 10 minutes; the ride offers an unobstructed view of both skylines and is an experience in itself. The upper deck allows standing on the open air, and riding at dusk as the city lights ignite is particularly memorable.
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Victoria Peak, on Hong Kong Island, is the highest point on the island (552 metres) and offers the definitive panoramic view of Hong Kong Harbour, Victoria Harbour, and the surrounding islands. The Peak Tram, a funicular opened in 1888, ascends from the city in 8 minutes; the Peak Tower at the summit offers 360-degree views and a glass floor for the daring.
The Central District, on Hong Kong Island's northern shore, is the financial heart of the city and contains the headquarters of major banks and trading firms in a stunning concentration of modern architecture. The Mid-Levels Escalator System — a series of covered escalators ascending 800 metres vertically through the hillside residential neighborhoods — is a unique piece of urban infrastructure and a pleasant way to ascend from Central to the quieter residential streets above.
Tian Tan Buddha (the Big Buddha), a 34-metre bronze statue seated on Lantau Island, is reachable by the Ngong Ping 360 aerial tramway — a 25-minute cable car ride offering views across the South China Sea. The journey is as significant as the destination; the Lantau coast, with its fishing villages and beaches, opens beneath the cable car.
The Kowloon Peninsula, where most cruise ships dock, contains the Temple Street Night Market (a noisy, crowded street market operating in the evenings with food stalls, clothing, watches, and traditional goods), the Jade Market (a daytime wholesale and retail jade market), and the Ladies' Market (a street market offering clothing and accessories at budget prices). These markets are within walking distance or a short MTR ride from the cruise terminal.
Hong Kong's food culture is legendary. Dim sum (a Cantonese tradition of small plates served with tea) is best experienced at traditional tea houses in the mornings. Michelin-starred restaurants exist alongside street-food stalls; the city has no shortage of exceptional dining at all price points.
Good to know
What to Expect
Ships use one of two terminals: Ocean Terminal, in Tsim Sha Tsui at the tip of the Kowloon peninsula, or the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, built on the runway of the old Kai Tak Airport. Your cruise line will tell you which. Ocean Terminal puts you beside shops, the Star Ferry and public transport, while Kai Tak has limited public transport and runs free shuttles to nearby transport links when ships arrive.
- Ocean Terminal is part of the Harbour City complex, and its rooftop Ocean Terminal Deck, free to visit, looks out over Victoria Harbour. Its posted hours are 7 a.m. to midnight. Check before you go.
- The Kai Tak terminal has two berths for ships up to 360 meters long, and its first ship berthed on June 12, 2013.
- From Kai Tak, buses and minibuses run to nearby districts where you can change to other buses and the MTR.
- Most taxis expect cash.
Hong Kong on Your Own
Hong Kong is easy to see on your own, because ferries, trams and trains reach the main sights. A short day can take in the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, the Star Ferry across the harbor and the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak.
- The waterfront: From Ocean Terminal, walk past the Star Ferry pier to the Clock Tower, all that remains of an old railway station, and on along the promenade to the Avenue of Stars, where local film stars left their handprints.
- Across the harbor: The Star Ferry crosses Victoria Harbour between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.
- Up the Peak: The Peak Tram climbs from its lower station on Garden Road, near St. John's Cathedral, to Victoria Peak. At the top, Lugard Road and Harlech Road make a level loop with views over the harbor.
- Paying your way: An Octopus card pays for the MTR, buses, trams, ferries and many shops. In 2026, contactless bank cards were also accepted on buses, trams, some ferries and the MTR.
- Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own. If your ship is at Kai Tak, allow time for the shuttle or taxi back.
Getting Around
Public transport is the way to get around Hong Kong: the MTR rail network, buses and minibuses, the trams on Hong Kong Island, and the ferries across the harbor. The Octopus stored-value card works on the MTR, buses, trams, ferries and green minibuses, though some red minibuses do not accept it.
- Contactless Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards were being rolled out across buses, trams, some ferries and the MTR in 2026.
- Most taxis expect cash, and only some take the Octopus card.
- The Star Ferry, founded in 1888, runs two routes across Victoria Harbour and carries more than 70,000 passengers a day.
- The MTR's South Island Line serves Ocean Park, and the Disneyland Resort Line branches off at Sunny Bay.
Dim Sum and Food
In Hong Kong, the custom of sitting down to tea with dim sum is called yum cha, and dim sum is served at breakfast and lunch. Egg tarts and Hong Kong-style milk tea soon became part of the city's food culture too.
- Shrimp dumplings (har gau), pork dumplings (siu mai) and barbecued pork buns (char siu bau) are the dim sum staples.
- Siu mei is the general name for Hong Kong-style roast meats.
- Wonton noodles, with dumplings usually made from minced prawn, are a comfort food for many people in Hong Kong.
- A cha chaan teng, or tea cafe, serves Hong Kong's own mix of Western and Chinese fast food, such as macaroni soup with ham.
- Restaurants do not usually serve tap water, so expect to buy bottled water.
Tipping and Currency
Tipping is not customary in Hong Kong, though a tip will not be turned down. In mid-range and upmarket restaurants, a 10 percent service charge is often added to the bill.
- Taxi drivers do not expect a tip, but passengers often round the fare up to the nearest dollar.
- The currency is the Hong Kong dollar, which is held within a band of HK$7.75 to 7.85 to the US dollar.
- Street vendors expect cash, though cards are widely accepted elsewhere.
- Some shops will not take HK$1,000 notes because of counterfeiting.
Victoria Peak and Culture
Victoria Peak, at 552 meters the highest hill on Hong Kong Island, is one of the city's main sights, with views over Victoria Harbour. The Peak Tram has climbed there since 1888 and was the first funicular railway in Asia.
- The tram reopened in August 2022 after a long upgrade, with new sixth-generation cars.
- From the Peak, Mount Austin Road climbs about 150 meters to Victoria Peak Garden, the closest public point to the summit, on the site of the governor's old summer residence.
- The Peak can also be reached by bus, minibus or taxi on the winding Peak Road, or on foot up the steep Old Peak Road.
- Back in Kowloon, the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront gives the classic view of the Hong Kong Island skyline, especially at night.
A Brief History
People have lived here for thousands of years, but modern Hong Kong began in 1841, when British forces took Hong Kong Island. It stayed under British rule, apart from almost four years of Japanese occupation, until its handover to China in 1997.
- Early settlers: By about 6,000 years ago the region was widely occupied, and the Qin dynasty brought it into China for the first time in 214 BCE.
- The last Song court: In the 13th century the fleeing Southern Song court stayed for a time in what is now Kowloon City, before its final defeat in 1279.
- Portuguese traders, 1513: Jorge Álvares, the first known European visitor, arrived in 1513, and Portuguese merchants traded in these waters until clashes in the 1520s drove them out.
- The Opium Wars: British forces took control of Hong Kong Island on January 26, 1841, during the First Opium War, and China ceded the island in the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. Kowloon followed in 1860.
- The New Territories, 1898: Britain leased the New Territories for 99 years, which set the date for the handover.
- War, 1941 to 1945: Japan attacked Hong Kong on December 8, 1941, hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and occupied it until the British returned on August 30, 1945.
- Postwar boom: Refugees and skilled migrants arrived from the mainland after 1949. Hong Kong industrialized in the 1950s and by the early 1990s was a global financial center and shipping hub.
- Handover, 1997: Under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, Hong Kong returned to China at midnight on July 1, 1997, after 156 years of British rule.
- A new terminal, 2013: Kai Tak Airport opened in 1924, and the first cruise ship berthed at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, on its old runway, on June 12, 2013.
- To learn more ashore: The Hong Kong Museum of History, at 100 Chatham Road South in Tsim Sha Tsui, tells the story of Hong Kong in its main permanent exhibition, The Hong Kong Story.
Traveling with Family
A family day in Hong Kong can be built around two old rides, the Star Ferry across the harbor and the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak. For a longer day, Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland are both on the MTR.
- Younger children: The level loop along Lugard and Harlech Roads at the Peak gives views without a climb, and Repulse Bay, on the south side of Hong Kong Island, is a large beach with facilities that suit young children.
- School age: The Hong Kong Science Museum stands opposite the Museum of History on Chatham Road South in Tsim Sha Tsui.
- Teenagers: Ocean Park, on the MTR's South Island Line, and Hong Kong Disneyland, on the Disneyland Resort Line, are the city's theme parks.
- In crowds: Pickpockets work in crowded places, so keep passports, cards and money close.
Accessibility
MTR stations provide step-free access, but the lift to the platform and the lift to the street can be at opposite ends of a station, so a step-free trip takes longer. Stations usually have one wider fare gate for wheelchairs and strollers.
- Ask your cruise line which terminal you will use, because Kai Tak has limited public transport, while Ocean Terminal is in the city.
- At Victoria Peak, the Lugard Road and Harlech Road loop is level, but Victoria Peak Garden is a climb of about 150 meters up Mount Austin Road.
Shopping & Local Markets
Shopping in Hong Kong runs from the malls of Harbour City, which takes in Ocean Terminal, to street markets in Kowloon that stay busy late into the night. Street stalls expect cash.
- Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei holds one of Hong Kong's busiest night markets.
- The street is named for the Tin Hau temple complex in Yau Ma Tei.
Beaches
Hong Kong has beaches within a bus ride of the city, many of them on the south side of Hong Kong Island, and quieter ones on the outlying islands. Repulse Bay is the big urban beach, with facilities that suit young children.
- Repulse Bay, on the south side of Hong Kong Island, has a colorful Chinese temple.
- Middle Bay, about a 20-minute walk from Repulse Bay, has lifeguards, showers, changing rooms, shark nets and a cafe.
- Shek O is popular with young locals and has restaurants and a good bus service from the north side of the island.
- Big Wave Bay is smaller, with cafes near the sand and waves that draw surfers.
- Hung Shing Yeh Beach on Lamma Island is about a 20-minute walk from the Yung Shue Wan ferry pier, reached by ferry from Central. There are no buses or taxis on Lamma.
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