Hong Kong itinerary for first-timers

Hong Kong's old trading quarter: dried-seafood and herbal shops on Wing Lok Street, the red-brick Edwardian Western Market and steep lanes climbing up from the waterfront.

• Wing Lok Street
• Western Market
• Cooked food centre

Antique shops and galleries along Hollywood Road, the street market on Graham Street, the old stone Mee Lun Steps and Gough Street, then down the hill on the Central–Mid-Levels Escalator, the long covered escalator that carries commuters between Central and the hillside homes.

• Hollywood Road
• Graham Street Market
• Gough Street
• Mid-Levels Escalator

The escalator runs downhill in the early morning and uphill for the rest of the day; walk the steps alongside it to go the other way.

The steep Peak Tram climbs from Central to the top of Victoria Peak, and the shaded Lugard Road path circles the hillside with the whole skyline and harbour spread out below.

• Peak Tram
• Lions Pavilion
• Lugard Road viewpoint

Queues for the tram are longest in the late afternoon; walking Lugard Road gives the same view as the paid terrace.

The towers of Central lit up after dark, the elevated walkways down to the pier, and the classic green-and-white ferry across Victoria Harbour to Tsim Sha Tsui with the skyline reflected on the water.

• Bank of China Tower
• Central footbridges
• Star Ferry crossing

The promenade on the Kowloon side with the full Hong Kong Island skyline across the harbour, the old clock tower by the ferry pier and the shopping streets behind it.

• Harbourfront promenade
• Clock Tower
• Skyline view

Kowloon's main artery, a long straight road of malls, jewellers, side-street markets and stacked signs, running north from Tsim Sha Tsui through Jordan and Yau Ma Tei to Mong Kok.

• Nathan Road
• Jordan
• Yau Ma Tei

One of the most crowded neighbourhoods on earth: the aquarium shops of the Goldfish Market, the tarpaulin-covered stalls of the Ladies' Market and the trainer shops of Sneaker Street.

• Goldfish Market
• Ladies' Market
• Fa Yuen Street

Kowloon's best-known night market, a long street of stalls under neon signs with roadside food and open-air dai pai dong cooking.

• Temple Street stalls
• Dai pai dong food
• Tin Hau Temple area

The stalls get going after sunset; bargaining is normal here.

Hong Kong's most visited temple, where worshippers shake bamboo cylinders of fortune sticks in front of the main altar, with the quiet Good Wish Garden behind.

• Main altar
• Fortune sticks
• Good Wish Garden

It is an active place of worship: keep voices low and don't photograph people praying up close.

A Tang Dynasty-style garden of ponds, pines and a golden pavilion, next to the wooden halls of Chi Lin Nunnery, one of Hong Kong's largest Buddhist complexes.

• Golden pavilion
• Nan Lian Garden
• Chi Lin Nunnery

The quieter side of the island: the cafés of the Star Street precinct, St. Francis Yard, the tram line on Johnston Road, Lee Tung Street and the market on Cross Street.

• Star Street
• Lee Tung Street
• Cross Street market
• Johnston Road trams

Hong Kong's brightest shopping district: Times Square, packed crossings on Hennessy Road and backstreets like Jardine's Crescent full of small stalls.

• Times Square
• Jardine's Crescent
• Hennessy Road