Hong Kong is a popular tourist destination as well as being one of the world’s major business centres. This tax-free, bustling port and commercial centre comprises Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories and the many Outlying Islands. Transportation is modern and well-organised and most tours and sightseeing trips are completed the same day. A tour of the New Territories takes about six hours, one of Hong Kong Island about four. Other popular excursions include sport and recreation tours and night tours, such as a dinner cruise and a tram tour with cocktails served. Contact the Hong Kong Tourism Board for further details (see Contact Addresses section)

Hong Kong Island
The island is an eclectic mix of modern skyscrapers, colonial buildings and traditional temples. Central is the financial and commercial hub of the island and the main point for catching the famous star ferry to the Kowloon Peninsula. A unique way to experience the buzz of city life is by riding the 800m-long central-mid-levels escalator (the world’s longest covered outdoor escalator) which transports tens of thousands of people each day and has created its own escalator culture of cafes and restaurants. Central is also a major shopping and entertainment area with the trendy night spots of Lang Kwai Fong and SoHo. Nearby, along Hollywood Road is Man Mo Temple, the country’s oldest Chinese temple that honours the gods of literature (Man) and war (Mo). One of the best ways to view the incredible density and scale of the city is from Victoria Peak. Reached by the Peak Tram, that rises 386m up the mountainside within eight minutes, the summit offers an exceptional panorama, whether by day or night. At the foot of the tram lies Government House, the residence of 25 British Governors from 1855 until Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997. Other vestiges of this colonial past are seen in St John’s Cathedral, thought to be the oldest Christian church in the Far East, and the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware. Located in Hong Kong Park, the museum is an imposing colonial-style building housing ancient Chinese artefacts used in tea-making.

Wan Chai district is renowned for its small shops and markets, as well as fashionable restaurants and bars. The impressive 78-storey Central Plaza stands here (Hong Kong’s tallest building) and visitors can view the city from the Sky Lobby on its 46th floor. After 1800 each day, neon lights upon the building’s rooftop change colour every hour to denote the time of evening. Nearby is the vast Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the handover ceremony took place. The Golden Bauhinia monument outside the centre symbolises this momentous occasion. Causeway Bay is the main embarkation point for the cross-harbour tunnel. Attractions in the area include the Happy Valley Racetrack, many local teahouses, department stores and the Noon Day Gun, that has fired at midday since the 1840s.

The south of the island is characterised by a more relaxed pace of life, and beautiful bays and harbours. Aberdeen Harbour can be toured by traditional fishing junks and sampans. It is perhaps best known, however, for its neon-lit Jumbo Floating Restaurant (one of the largest in the world). Situated near the harbour is Ocean Park, a popular amusement park with roller coaster rides, large reef aquariums, performing dolphins and killer whales, as well as giant pandas. Repulse Bay is renowned for its pristine beach, overlooked by the Tin Hau Temple, and Stanley is well worth a trip for its outdoor markets.

Kowloon
Considered as Hong Kong’s ‘tourist mecca’, Tsim Sha Tsui is packed with tourist hotels, shops and markets. Nathan Road is a smart and fashionable shopping street, considered the equivalent of Fifth Avenue or the Champs Elyses. Near to the star ferry pier stands the old Clock Tower – the remaining piece from the Kowloon-Canton railway station that was re-located to Hung Hom in 1975. Worth visiting are the Hong Kong Museum of Art, which has exhibitions of jade, ceramic and calligraphy, and the Hong Kong Space Museum, with a Space Theatre. Kowloon Park features a Sculpture Walk with local and international exhibits, as well as Chinese and ornamental gardens. For a more spiritual retreat, tourists should visit either the Chi Lin Nunnery, a spectacular Tang Dynasty-style complex, or Wong Tai Sin Temple, built in honour of a shepherd who earned immortality. Many fortune-tellers congregate here. Further into Kowloon City, Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei offer unique bustling markets. In Yau Ma Tei, Temple Street is a normal commercial road until 1400 when makeshift stalls and carts appear for the Night Market, selling everything from electrical goods to incense sticks. Mong Kok (thought to be the world’s most densely populated urban area) heaves with selling and buying. Exotic fish and amphibians are sold at the Goldfish Market, and near the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden, intricate bamboo birdcages and songbirds can be purchased.

New Territories
The territories cover 796 sq km (306 sq miles) between Kowloon and Mainland China, and are a contrast of hilly woodlands, wildlife reserves, sandy bays, new towns and lively markets. Sha Tin is home to Sha Tin Racecourse, that normally stages horse races at the weekend, and the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, which includes many interactive exhibits. The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, situated in the hills above Sha Tin, in fact houses around 13,000 small Buddha statues, and is well worth visiting.

Many historical and interesting sights are scattered among the New Territories. A beautifully designed complex, located in Tuen Mun, features pavilions, bonsai trees, lotus ponds and a Taoist temple that contains lanterns from Beijing’s Imperial Palace. Built in 1486, Tsui Shing Lau Pagoda in Yuen Lang district is the only historic pagoda in Hong Kong. The Waterfront Park in Tai Po has a futuristic Lookout Tower that provides breathtaking views across Tolo Harbour. Further north, on the border with China, is the fantastic Fung Ying Seen Koon Temple, built in the traditional Taoist style with a double-tiered roof of orange tiles.

Outlying Islands
Hong Kong has over 260 outlying islands but only a few are inhabited. Lantau Island is famed for its Giant Buddha that sits upon Ngong Ping Plateau at the Po Lin Monastery. At 26m high and weighing in at 202 tonnes of bronze, it is the world’s largest seated outdoor Buddha. Monks prepare vegetarian lunches at the monastery for visitors. Tanka boat people who live in traditional stilt-houses at the fishing village of Tai O can be visited. The island also boasts the white sandy beach, Cheung Sha, and the amazing Shek Pik Reservoir Dam. Day trips to Lantau and tours can be arranged from Hong Kong Island. Lamma Island is renowned for its seafood and there are many restaurants and cafes along the sea front. The walk to the village of Yung Shue Wan provides a wonderful hilltop vista of Hong Kong’s distant skyline. Cheung Chau and Peng Chau are still traditional fishing islands with simple temples and unspoilt beaches. Cheung Chau holds an annual Bun Festival in celebration of Pak Tai (a god that influences good sailing and fishing). Bamboo towers covered in steamed buns are constructed as an offering to the god. Numerous other islands can be visited as a tranquil alternative to the frenetic energy of the rest of Hong Kong.