Hong Kong walking tour & city guide

Hong Kong Island and Kowloon

Central is the financial heart of the city, a canyon of glass towers with old colonial buildings and steep lanes of shops and street stalls in between. The Mid-Levels Escalator, the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world, climbs from here towards the bars of SoHo and the antique shops of Hollywood Road, home to the incense-filled Man Mo Temple.

Across the harbour, Tsim Sha Tsui has the best view of the island skyline, especially in the evening when the towers light up. Nathan Road runs north from here through Yau Ma Tei, with its Temple Street Night Market, to Mong Kok, one of the most densely packed places on earth, with whole streets given over to goldfish, flowers, sneakers and electronics.

A classic walk: Central, the Peak and the harbour

Start in Central and ride the Peak Tram up the mountainside, one of the steepest funicular railways anywhere. At the top, skip the shopping malls and walk Lugard Road, a level path that clings to the hillside and gives the famous view straight down over the skyscrapers and the harbour; continue on Harlech Road to make a loop of about an hour.

Back in Central, walk down to the pier and take the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour to Tsim Sha Tsui, a crossing that has run for more than a century. Stroll the harbourfront promenade and the Avenue of Stars as the lights come on, then head up Nathan Road to the stalls of Temple Street Night Market.

Good to know

October to December brings the clearest skies and most comfortable temperatures; summers are hot and humid, with typhoons possible between July and September. An Octopus card, or a contactless bank card, works on the MTR, buses, trams and ferries. The double-decker 'ding ding' trams along the north shore of Hong Kong Island are one of the cheapest and most enjoyable ways to see the city.