Although I would never claim to be an expert on how to spend time in Hong Kong, I recently spent just under 24hours there on my return trip from Australia. My friend and I landed in Hong Kong International Airport at around 4am in the morning and were not due to depart until 11:50pm. Safe to say, we couldn’t just sit around and do nothing for the time we were there. I thought I would share with you what we got up to during that time if you ever find yourself having a layover in Hong Kong.
We opted to pay for a stay at the Regal Airport Hotel as here you can book a room for a day rather than having to do a night. This meant that we could check in from 7am and be out by 11pm the same day1. We were supposed to land at 6am but we were early; the staff very kindly allowed us to check in early. This is a very fancy hotel and we did feel very out of place in our leggings and jumpers from the flight, surrounded by business men. I wouldn’t say this is necessarily necessary if you’re having a layover that is around the 20hrs mark but, I did have a good sleep when we landed and that meant that we had more energy to explore the city. Although it was fancy, it wasn’t too expensive to split the room between the two of us either.
From Airport to City
Getting from the airport to the city is surprisingly easy. As you head out of arrivals, there are huge signs directing you to the shuttle train. The train departs every 24minutes to Central and operates between 05:54am and 00:48am2. We had no idea of the exchange rate between GBP and HKD but this cost around $115 dollars which was approximately £12.30 in February 2023. This is a fairly easy journey and very easy to navigate on both ends of the train line. If you want to spend your time at Hong Kong Disneyland, you can also get the train from here and change at Tsing Yi station.
Central Pier Star Ferry
My friend had been given recommendations of things to do in Hong Kong, one of which was to get the Star Ferry across to the other side of Hong Kong, away from the island that houses the airport. Central Pier area is a nice place to have a wander around before heading across on the Star Fleet. It transports passengers from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui. Not only are there attractions to see but the views during the ferry crossing are worth the trip alone. You get a great view of the city skyline as you’re crossing. According to the Star Ferry website, prices have changed since I used the service in February and, as of April 2023, an adult will pay $5 on a weekday and up to $6.50 on a weekend or public holiday3. With the current (June 2023) exchange rate, this costs only 50-65p. It is worth noting that the ferry is cash only. We used an ATM in the shopping centre that the airport shuttle terminates at in Central.
Harbour City
If you’re wanting to do a little bit of shopping whilst you’re in Hong Kong, Harbour City is a great place to do it. This is almost the first thing you’ll see when you depart the Star Ferry. We didn’t head into the shopping centre itself but, we did sit outside and eat sandwiches that we’d bought from 7-Eleven on the giant bunnies that were outside. I’m not sure what the display was for and we were swiftly told we weren’t allowed to eat on them but, it was cool to see nevertheless. Shops include: Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch, Alexander McQueen, Burberry etc. I think it is safe to say you’ll be pleased here if you’re looking for designer shops.
Sik Sik Yuen /Wong Tai Sin Temple
We then hopped onto the metro to Wong Tai Sin to visit the temple there. I was a little nervous about using the metro system but it was all very smooth sailing. Again, I believe the ticket machines were cash only so that is another thing to bear in mind. We got the Tsuen Wan line from Tsim Sha Tsui to Prince Edward before changing to the Kwun Tong Line to Wong Tai Sin. Note: you tap your ticket as you would contactless at the start of your journey but insert it into the machine once you have reached your final destination.
Wong Tai Sin Temple was really incredible to see. It was the first time I had ever visited a temple like this. We burned incense sticks and walked amongst the statues. People flock to the temple in order to present offerings and ask for good fortune. It is important to note that this is a place of worship and should be treated respectfully. It was also very crowded on this occasion although that could have simply been the time of year/day we visited. People were selling the incense sticks outside the metro station but this was not necessary as they can be picked up in the temple free of charge. Watch out for that!
Sham Shui Po Market
We got to Sham Shui Po by heading back along the Kwun Tong Line to Prince Edward and back onto the Tsuen Wan Line. This wasn’t a long journey at all. Here we came across a market which was just being set up. It mainly sold things like electronics, children’s toys and phone accessories. It is worth the visit to see the contrast in architecture between the very modern builds in Central and the more historical buildings you see in this area.
Walk along the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade
Of course, you can mix up the order of things here. But, we then headed back to Tsim Sha Tsui on the metro and walked along the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. I think this was actually one of my favourite things that we did during the day as we sat and had a drink and enjoyed the fabulous views that this promenade has. There is a clocktower that dates back to 1905 and the Avenue of Stars which is similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, paying tribute to Hong Kong’s film industry4. We didn’t walk this far down as we were pressed for time. We also didn’t stick around to see the Symphony of Lights show which happens every evening at 8pm and looks like a pretty cool thing to experience.
Temple Street Night Market
We didn’t hang around at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade because we wanted to visit Temple Street Night Markets before heading back to the hotel to chill before our flight home. We walked from the promenade to the markets which is supposed to take around 25 minutes but, we did get a little lost so it was probably more like 45 for us. You can also get the metro to Jordan if you would rather not walk. The markets begin at around 8pm but we were a bit early so stalls were only just beginning to be set up. I believe that the stock here is similar to that of Sham Shui Po Market with trinkets, electronics and toys on offer. This is a nice area to have dinner though as my friend had an authentic Hong Kong meal from a restaurant around here. Having an allergy, I opted not to but, she would advocate for it being yummy.
Although, once again, I doubt this is an exhaustive list, it gives a good insight into how I spent my 24hrs in Hong Kong and I think we really got a feel for what it has to offer. Though I’m not itching for a return visit, I’m glad I got to spend even this short amount in Hong Kong to experience what it is like.
If you found this helpful do let me know!
Amie x
1https://www.regalhotel.com/regal-hotels-international/en/promotions/rgsh-day-use-room-package.html
2https://www.hongkongairport.com/en/transport/to-from-airport/airport-express.page
Explore with Amie 
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