This is a must-do activity! I highly recommend taking the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car instead of the…read morebus. While the bus is cheaper and good for people who are afraid of heights, it takes much longer, about 50 to 60 minutes. The mountain roads are also very winding, which can make some people feel dizzy. My husband and I rode the Crystal Cabin to see the Big Buddha on our last trip. Since it was our daughters' first time in Hong Kong, we really wanted them to try it, too. They do have regular cabins without clear floors, but none of us are scared of heights, so we happily chose the glass-bottom one. We bought our tickets early on Klook. It was much cheaper than buying them at the gate. We also chose to visit on a weekday, which was a great choice because it was not crowded at all. I still remember our last visit ten years ago was super packed, and people had to wait in huge lines just to get on. The cable car ride takes about 25 minutes each way. We only bought a one-way ticket this time because we wanted to visit Tai O Fishing Village afterward. It was a fun, smooth, and beautiful 25-minute ride. We loved looking down at the green hills, seeing waterfalls, and watching the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery come into view. Surprisingly, it was not hot at all, and it felt pretty cool up there on the mountain. It was truly amazing!

This is a must do activity when you visit Hong Kong because it's so close to the airport and the…read moreviews are stunning and unique. No where will you get a full view of the Hong Kong airport (unless you decide to climb up a mountain). This is my second time visiting and still very memorable and worthwhile. We got there around 10am on a Saturday and purchased tickets at the gate and didn't have a wait. Weekend tickets are more expensive, but we didn't have a choice with our schedule. I opted for the crystal glass cabin which I highly recommend for that full 360 degrees experience. The cabin has a clear glass bottom. The line for the crystal glass cabin is significantly shorter than the standard one too so avoiding the wait alone is worth it. Each one way ride is actually longer than I thought it would be so well worth the price. There's of course the giant Buddha to see at the top. There's also a few hiking trails. There are a lot of restaurant options at the top, but I suggest having lunch at their vegetarian cafe by the monastery- it's unique and delicious .

The Big Buddha was at the top of our list of must-see attractions while visiting Hong Kong. Located…read moreon Lantau Island, this iconic landmark is truly impressive and something you have to experience in person to fully appreciate. Although my husband and I chose not to climb the 268 steps to the statue, we were still in awe of its sheer size and presence. The surrounding scenery is beautiful, peaceful, and makes for some great photo opportunities. Whether you're interested in the cultural significance, the architecture, or simply taking in the views, it's well worth the visit.

This is a must-see place when you visit Hong Kong. We are so glad we changed our schedule to visit…read moreLantau Island on a sunny day. The morning weather was not hot at all. It was much better than the next week, which was rainy and cloudy. The Big Buddha is a giant bronze statue built in 1993. It is located at Ngong Ping, near the Po Lin Monastery. Even though this was not our first time visiting (our daughters' first time), it was still an unforgettable trip. After we rode the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, we arrived at the beautiful village. Then, we saw the Big Buddha right in front of us. The area felt very peaceful. We climbed up more than 250 steps to reach the bottom of the statue. From the top, we saw amazing views of the green mountains, the blue sea, and other smaller statues. If you want to avoid big crowds, I highly recommend going early in the morning!

Pottinger Street / Central (Hong Kong) -- Even though this wasn't my first trip to Hong Kong, I…read moremust've conveniently forgotten how steep the hills can get to elevation-challenged tourists like myself, especially the steep inclines to be found in the Central district on Hong Kong Island. That's why there are helpful automatic walkways and escalators under long canopies over certain roadways. That was definitely a smart urban renewal move built back in the '90's, but Pottinger Street has been left intact. This atmospheric walkway consists of a series of steps and inclines on terra firma and retains its vintage Hong Kong charm with seemingly random stone slabs that connect Connaught Road Central up to Hollywood Road. Souvenir kiosks line the street on both sides, and they apparently change depending on the holiday season. Jamie W and I were here too early to see Christmas trinkets and decorations, but we saw stall after stall of local tchotchkes and T-shirts. It's worth the stroll in either direction. RELATED - Exploring Hong Kong? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3AGgadg

A touristy three or four block sloping street made up of granite slabs that aren't quite stairs…read more Its official name is Pottinger Street, named in 1858 after Henry Pottinger, the first Governor of Hong Kong, serving from 1843 to 1844. Fun fact was that in the early days in HK, Chinese and European residents used to live separately in different neighborhoods. Pottinger street once acts as a rough boundary between the two groups. The Chinese used to mainly live west of the street and westerners to the east. Today there are various vendors selling trinkets and services such as caricature painting on the street. Many blockbuster HK movies have had iconic scenes filmed here including "Lust Caution", "October Besieged City", "Infernal Affairs III", and "Dragon and Phoenix Fight".

I am not Catholic, but when we walked by the very popular St. John's Episcopalian church down the…read morehill from the Peak Tram, we asked where there might be a Catholic Church. My friend who was visiting from the US is Catholic and likes to visit a church or two in the different cities of the world she travels to. The lady in the gift shop at St. Joseph's said that the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was one of the most beautiful churches in all of Hong Kong. Although tucked behind other buildings and some construction, so not visable from street level of Caine Street itself at all, when we found the walk way to the church, simply magnificent! Being a secular humanist at best, I cannot speak to any custom, traditions or history of this space or the Catholic church, but it really is a lovely church. Based on what I read, it is about 120 years old. It is really large. We also discovered that they do not have gift shop on sight and when we inquired, they referred us to the Grand Building, 3/F on Connaught Road for the gift shop (we did not go there, but in their limited English, this is what the nice staff wrote down and told us).

One of the most beautiful catholic cathedral I have visited. It is a bit difficult to find and…read moregoogle maps will take you to the other hidden side. This church is locates next to hongkong free zoo. And it is on the hill. English mass is at 9 am Sunday.

We had a great time walking around Times Square, which is just as famous shopping landmark as the…read moreSogo Department Store in Causeway Bay. While SOGO is a massive, multi-floor Japanese-style department store packed with cosmetics and a great basement fresh food market, Times Square feels more like a traditional vertical shopping mall. It has a great mix of independent fashion boutiques, lifestyle shops, and high-end luxury brands. Personally, I like Times Square much more because it is way more spacious and not nearly as crowded as Sogo. They still have "The Minions & Monsters: Bello! Hollywood Exhibition". It is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00 until August 31, 2026. As a huge Minions fan, I was so glad we visited! Admission is completely free, and I managed to take so many great photos.

Times Square happens to be a luxury brand mall in HKG, not an iconic spot like NUC. The mall is…read morehuge, over 8 floors of luxury and high end brands, electronic store, food court and few other variety of stores. The inside of the mall looks absolutely stunning, all slick and clean, modern design integrated across all the floors. We explored the mall over half an hour, floor by floor. Since we were not looking to purchase anything expensive, we were just enjoying the walk and view of the mall. Few stores we went in, staff were very friendly and willing to assist with any question.

Enjoyed the outside courtyard at night. The holiday Christmas tree with its LED light show was…read moreamazing. Enjoyed the vegetarian snacks with the refreshing iced tea & cold brew tea

A repurposed historical compound that has turned into a place where locals and tourists enjoys…read moretheir afternoon or a night at. This compound consists of the old Central police station, the barrack block, the central magistracy and the Victoria jail. There are about 10 blocks of building that forms the whole compound of the Victoria jail. Upon arrival, my friend had pre-booked a guided tour for us at 2 pm. There are 2 tours available daily at 11:15 and 2 pm. And an extra tour at 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are available online. The tour runs about 45 min to an hour and they are wheelchairs accessoble . About our tour, our tour guide took us around to show the three groups of building and how streamline it is from being arrested, to brought up to the court and finally being jailed, all in the same compound. There are also stories about the mango trees at the main court, histories of the life of policemen and the cases of prisoners trying to escape. I let give basic idea of where things are, so that you can go back to tour in details. As you walk arpund the compound, you will started to see tea house for dim sum, bars that used to be prisoner's cells, called being bars ( I thought it was a very clever name and literal), and quaint little areas where it seems to have live music at night when the bars are open. I am not sure about what the bars served as they seem to be fairly new and not sure if they are open for business, but the tea house by the court was a nice stop to rest . Dim sum that we're served are all vegetarian style, a bit pricey but a nice resting place with good tea. The most interesting part of this compound is probably going to be the jail. Especially when you look up and see the tree story tall jail from inside, it felt like being in a movie. I really enjoyed touring around this place, not only because it has all these new repurposed restaurants, but also a nostalgic place for me. I remember how I used to get off from school and walked along the high prisons wall and wonder what's it is like inside, and after 20+ years passed and I finally get to see the inside of it.

Aberdeen Floating Village is a must see when in Hong Kong. The boats are perfectly still in the…read morebeautiful waters of Hong Kong. The air is fresh, water is clean, and the boats are a delight to see.

Quick 10-15 min sampan boat ride to outer habror marina area where the small community of fishing…read morehouseboats are tethered together...still clinging to the old way of life (which is quickly dwindling as the newer generations as opting for gettig educations and higher paying jobs and leaving the old way of life behind). This was a quaint view to the past when life was simple & of the land & sea.

Temple Street Market is a must-visit in Hong Kong. The vendors are incredibly friendly and clearly…read morelove to bargain, which makes the experience fun and engaging. There's an endless variety of merchandise to browse, along with plenty of food stalls offering tempting local eats. The area felt safe, lively, and was very easy to get to with a quick Grab ride. A great spot to soak in the energy of the city.

Temple Street Night Market / Kowloon (Hong Kong) -- By the time Jamie W and I made it here on our…read morevacation, we visited two legendary night markets in relatively quick succession, Raohe Street in Taipei (review: https://yelp.to/iQFcRkmz6h) and Jalan Alor in Kuala Lumpur (review: https://yelp.to/5ShCfX6Vhg). Both were bustling cultural microcosms full of a wide and diverse variety of culinary delights. My expectations were set high. This is my roundabout way of saying I found this market to be on the meh side. Even though Temple Street might be the most organized of night markets, it came down to a lack of enthusiastic energy on the part of the thirty-plus hawkers and purveyors here. They didn't help motivate us as much to try anything that looked appetizing beyond one grilled octopus skewer (photo: https://yelp.to/ZmGraLPefh). It was pretty good for what it was. The food stalls took up just the first block of Temple Street. The rest of the market consisted of tents and stalls where they sold gadgets, toys, electronics, cheap souvenirs, and T-shirts of which Jamie bought a couple from an enterprising senior (photo: https://yelp.to/caewEJ9-pR). I've read that lingering COVID restrictions may have caused a change in the dynamics of the market. If true, the impact apparently snuffed out much of the unique character it might have had. RELATED - Exploring Hong Kong? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3AGgadg