When I think of Hong Kong, I see a junk boat with red sails and the city buildings in the…read morebackground. I'd argue that it's one of the most iconic pictures of Hong Kong and I was excited to see Aqua Luna offering various types of cruises in the junk boat. We originally bought our tickets online but because of a typhoon, all cruises were cancelled. Luckily, we had the option for a refund or reschedule and we chose refund for flexibility...just in case we couldn't make the reschedule. We managed to find time later but I wasn't able to finalize the purchase before sales closed on the website. I was able to call them and they told me to just show up at the pick-up location and pay in person. Credit card accepted! Every night at 8PM, the city puts up a light show with music. You can watch that on either side of the harbor but being in the waters sounded like a unique viewpoint and you can switch sides whenever you want. The Symphony of Lights cruise has two pickup spots, one at Tsim Sha Tsui Pier 1 (7:30PM) and the other at Central Pier 9 (7:45PM). If you want the best seats, go to the Tsim Sha Tsui Pier 1 pickup and head upstairs. You'll want the seats on the right side of the boat. The cruise itself was pretty fantastic. The city lights reflect on the water and it makes for a great picture. It was a August summer night, right after a typhoon, and the weather/temperature was way more manageable. However, the light show was really anti-climatic. The picture on Aqua Luna's website makes it look so grand but what we saw was just some flashing lights, some sparse lasers. It's like they spread out the special effects across the buildings too much. But that's not Aqua Luna's problem, they're just providing a means and they did a great job at that! Each ticket also gets you a drink!

One of the things I really wanted to do in Hong Kong was ride one of the traditional junk boats,…read moresince those red sails are such an iconic part of Victoria Harbour. I'm glad we chose the Aqualuna Harbour Cruise because instead of the typical modern yachts and boats with neon lights, this actually feels like you're experiencing a little piece of old Hong Kong. We took the early evening cruise, which was perfect. It's around 45 minutes and comes with one drink, plus there's a bar onboard. There's also an upper deck where you can sit outside and enjoy the breeze. The views are spectacular because you get to see both sides of Victoria Harbour as the skyline starts lighting up for the night. The boat itself was really my favorite part. The wood interiors, red lanterns and huge red sails give it so much character, and it's very different from just taking another regular harbour cruise. My only comment would be the music. It was a bit of a hodgepodge and didn't really suit the setting. Something more relaxed and atmospheric would have made the cruise even nicer. Still, I'm really glad we did it. If you're going to cruise Victoria Harbour, riding one of Hong Kong's iconic red-sail junk boats makes the experience much more memorable.

Nathan did a fantastic job of showing us around HK and introducing us to the cuisine. The small…read moregroup setting is nice as it allows you to interact with others throughout the day. The stops included a traditional dim sum restaurant (average), a bbq pork spot (very good), a noodle shop (ok), a milk tea vendor (ok), and ended with an egg tart (worth skipping). I actually didn't feel like I ate very much on the tour. The dim sum spot offered the best chance to fill up but it was first and we were advised to pace ourselves. My advice would be, order lots of pork at the bbq place and don't be shy about what you want at the dim sum spot. Food wise I don't feel you get a great value on your tour but you do get your money's worth from the guide. Nathan's emails after the tour were a huge help in planning the rest of our trip. He provided lots of recommendations for bars, restaurants, day trips, etc. During the tour he was very informative and I learned a lot.

Niya was an AMAZING tour guide. She showed us the real Hong Kong and brought us to several food and…read moredrink spots that I would have never thought to stop at if I were on my own. Her food and drink recommendations were spot on as well. She gave us all kinds of facts on the local culture, the history, Chinese medicine, and backgrounds of all the places we visited. She also followed up with emails of our great photo moments and lots of info on spots to visit and nightlife in HK. If I didn't know better, I would have thought she lived her whole life here!! It was a pleasure spending the day with her eating, drinking, and running around the city. I'd recommend this tour to everyone with a few hours to spare while in HK - it's something you'll never experience on your own.

Don't just visit Hong Kong. Live like a local for a day, or two!…read more So lucky that we booked private tours with This is Asia Tours for two amazing days in Hong Kong and Lantau Island. Our first tour was going so well that we booked a second one for two days later midway through our first day. Guided by Jacky and Liz, our group really experienced the best the city had to offer alongside a local guide. So much fun "Hong Kong hopping" as we explored so many different neighborhoods, markets, historic sites and local hangouts. Loved seeing the real Hong Kong off the typical tourist path. Definitely two of the best tours that we have ever booked. After being picked up at the cruise terminal, our history and culture lesson started as we headed up to Victoria Peak. Along the way we learned about how and why the British came in 1842 and started to understand the complexities of the housing issues in Hong Kong. Visited St. John's Cathedral which is the only freehold land in Hong Kong and the oldest Anglican Church in the Far East. Then it was off to the bank. The story of HSBC really explains the story of Hong Kong. From simple beginnings to World Wars through turmoil and progress, it was so interesting to see and hear the history that Jacky shared. Really fascinating. Man Mo Temple. Nan Lian Garden. Chi Lin Nunnery. So many beautiful temples and gardens in Hong Kong. How do you choose? Loved being able to really enjoy the peace and tranquility of these sacred spaces against the frenetic hustle and bustle of the city. The gardens were so perfectly manicured. The temple and nunnery fed your soul. So many markets. Sneaker Street. Ladies Street. Goldfish. Bird. Flower. Wan Chai. Temple Street. Aberdeen fishing village. Each so different and unique. Fresh fish at the Wan Chai wet market. Loved the hawker stalls and fresh fruits along Fa Yuen Street. So many orchids and bonsai at the Flower Market. The puppies, bunnies and colorful fish were so cute at the Goldfish Market. Hungry? Loved the introduction to Hong Kong bakeries, steamed buns, roasted goose and dumplings by Jacky from This Is Asia tours. We had the most delicious treats (including Michelin) along the way. Loved trying mochi, vegetarian dumplings, banana cake, pineapple buns with and without cold butter, hot and cold Hong Kong Milk tea, French toast filled with peanut butter, egg tarts, turtle bread, rice and chicken, chicken tarts and much more in Kowloon and the Wan Chai District. Pineapple Buns. Egg Tarts. Cocktail Buns. Pineapple buns have no pineapple. Instead, these pillowy soft buns are topped with a beautifully cracked crust that resembles a pineapple. Eat them on their own or stuffed with a slab of cold butter. In the late 1940s, Hong Kong-style cafés called cha chaan tengs were both popular and competitive for customers. A baker was inspired to turn a savory dough into a sweet treat. He mixed flour, sugar, and ammonia to form a dough and baked it on top of bread. The resulting product, the pineapple bun, was born. This fragrant, crunchy and sweet treat is a Hong Kong staple to this day. The Cantonese cousin of English custard tarts, egg tarts come in many delicious variations. These yellow gems originated in Guangzhou in the early 20th century, when Chinese interaction with Britain grew. Egg tarts are a combination of steamed egg pudding and puff pastry. They graced Hong Kong in the 1940s, but initially were only served at high-end restaurants. Their popularity spread and egg tarts are now part of Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage. Love the Hong Kong cocktail buns. These soft, buttery brioches are stuffed with a sweet coconut filling and sprinkled with sesame seeds. It's suggested that the sweet filling was inspired by leftovers. In the 1950s, a cha chaan teng owner didn't want to waste food so he crushed up some leftover bread together with sugar to make a filling. Since the mixture consisted of many different types of bread, it reminded people of a "cocktail." Today, the filling includes shredded coconut and butter, definitely a Hong Kong favorite. So delicious. Try them all. A sweet taste of Hong Kong's history. On the way to the airport two days later, our group met Liz for a tour of Lantua Island. What a treasure! Loved exploring the Tai O Fishing Village. Stilt houses. Bridges. Kwan Tai Temple. Snow White and the seven dwarfs. Pomelos for a Happy New Year. A boat ride to see the pink dolphins unique to Hong Kong. Liz said that we were so lucky to see so many on our boat tour. Since This Is Asia Tours have permits to drive on Lantau Island, we saved so much time. Nice to be able to drive directly to the gates leading to the Big Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery. Climbed up and down 280 steps to get to the Buddha. So beautiful and the views are stunning. Took the Ngong Ping 360 Crystal Cable Car back down the mountain and then had a 15-minute drive to the airport. Two amazing five-star days with Jacky and Liz.

Want to see Hong Kong like a local?? Then book a private tour with Jacky or Liz from This Is Asia…read moreTours. Our party of five was treated to two incredible days. We visited local markets,temples, and even a bank in Hong Kong. The view from Victoria Peak was gorgeous as were the gardens at Nan Lian. Sampled so many tasty treats. Both Jacky and Liz followed the dietary restrictions for two members as we ate so many sweet and savory delicious bites. The stop at the Hong Lin Restaurant was a great place for hot Hong Kong milk tea, French toast and pineapple buns with butter. Tai O Fishing Village with Liz was an unexpected pleasant surprise in Lantau Island. Even saw dolphins. Visiting the Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, and cable car was a highlight of our tour that day. Book a tour with This Is Asia Tours with Jacky or Liz for the best day in Hong Kong.

My husband and I are relatively well-traveled for Americans in their early 30's, so when I say Joe…read moreoffers a walking tour that is not to be missed, trust me. We did the Central/Western districts itinerary that was suggested in Ski's email and met Joe exactly on time at a spot easy to find. The tour flew by because we had such a fabulous time. We talked about topics of personal interest as well as interesting parts of Hong Kong culture we wouldn't know to ask about. I wish we could have adopted him for the rest of the week! You'll want to schedule this tour for early in your trip as you'll get lots of suggestions for things to do during the rest of your visit. I would list the highlights, but really it's the entire day. Come hungry as there are lots of opportunities to stop and grab a bite! Joe will draw out the route on your city map you can revisit some of the spots or and he'll mark other suggestions so you have an easy time finding them.

By far the Best tour I have ever done!!…read more We told Ski (our host) a few things we wanted to do - seeing a fortune teller and have traditional yum cha. We left the rest up to her. It was perfect. Loved every aspect of the tour. When we had the yum cha she happily ran after all the trolleys to ensure we got a wide variety. Her knowledge and passion of the city is inspiring. Do yourself and book this tour.

we bought the 48 hour bus pass and used it throughout our stay to hop on and off from our hotel to…read moreMuseums and site seeing. The sky tram was spectacular and the long green tour took us to Stanley and Resolute beach. We would have missed this beautiful side to Hong Kong otherwise. Thank you to Pet and Cep for finding my phone and getting it back to me. my heroes .!(:) I recommend Hop on Hop Off a 10

This was the best decision we've made in a long time. Not knowing anything, we took a ferry from…read moreKowloon to Hong Kong Island with intention to visit the Victoria Peak and sightsee. Getting off the ferry we were greeted by Ces, who sold us on a two day hop on hop off Big Bus tour. What a find!! Many thanks to Ces! The ticket included a tram pass, and THREE bus routes (two in HKI) and one in Kowloon. We hopped on the red line and transferred to green and rode the blue line on the next day. They give you headphones that provide a narration along the way in your language of choice.

Fantastic private tour guide Stephen is a passionate,…read moreinformative, communicative and kind guide. He definitely makes every effort to individualize your tour to your interests and his follow up with additonal information based on what he learns as he does the tour is fantastic. He is a great way to start your trip to Hong Kong as he will give you tips on how to navigate the city, to include assisting you in getting your Octopus cards (your pass onto metro, bus, ferries). We can't speak highly enough about his desire to accommodate your interests and provide history and background on a city he knows extraordinarily well. He is keenly astute to addressing topics of interest and sensitive to avoiding those that may be touchy if he senses that. Truly can't imagine any other guides surpassing him.

We spent six hours with Stephen this week and enjoyed every second. As others mentioned, he is…read moreintelligent and informative. But beyond this, he is extremely flexible and adapts the tour to your interests with his beginning questionnaire and as you go along. For instance, I had commented on an upset stomach and Chinese herbalists, so we tried medicinal tea. I enjoyed the temples so much that he added a third one near the end of the day. He pointed out many things that we had passed on our own and missed, or misunderstood. And he shared many of his experiences of family and growing up in Hong Kong. These gave us a much deeper view of Hong Kong culture. Somewhere in his advertising he states that he's a bit expensive, but I believe his tour is worth every penny. Just be sure to wear your walking shoes!

I'm a local that is pretending to be a tourist this time, with my tourist hubby…read more This tour is really interesting because it takes you to a very local area, where there are usually few westerners and food shops might not even have an English menu. While the tour's focus is on food, the tour guide Carrie spaced it out with walks around the wet market, the electronics market and excursions into a few local stores that sells very interesting items. The food that I sampled are truly the gems of the local food culture. The pineapple buns and soft tofu dessert were amongst the best I've had, and despite having grown up near this area, I found some new favourite places that I will be bringing my family to! Another great thing is you could take a peek into the tiny back kitchens of these establishments - all of which make their food on site which is getting rarer and rarer. It's amazing how much people can do in a cramped space in this expensive city. Of course, Carrie did a great job explaining the economic situation of Hong Kong to our group of tourists, since most weren't aware how the city has the largest wealth gap in the world. Overall, the tour was delicious, interesting, socially conscious and wonderfully guided. If you are in tow, adventurous and willing to try some stuff that is hard to get elsewhere in the world, I would highly recommend this tour!

Yammy was amazing! We spent 5 days in Hong Kong and this tour was definitely a highlight! Each of…read morethe stops were interesting and delicious. The walking was enjoyable and I would recommend this tour highly!

I almost never book tour guides when I travel, but I was looking for things to do while in Hong…read moreKong and stumbled across Mandy and Apple in Trip Advisor and every client raved about them. I met Mandy just outside of the station on Nathan Road. Immediately I felt very comfortable with her as if I were meeting an old friend. She is extremely personable, friendly and genuine. She has an enthusiasm about Hong Kong that I hadn't gotten from others and was eager to take me to some of the places that other tourists don't see. I won't go into detail about all the places we visited or food we ate, but let me give you a few good tips. You'll want to try an egg tart at Tai Cheong Bakery. Also try the Dim Sum at Chung's Cuisine. She will help you order some really tasty treats. The best thing about Hong Kong Getaway with Mandy and Apple is that they will create a custom tour for you based on what you prefer such as a food tour, a cultural tour or even if you just want to see the main sites, they will know the best times to avoid the crowds as well as the best way to get around. Even after my day with Mandy, she knew I was going to be in Hong Kong for a few more days so she kept emailing me other ideas on where to go and what to check out. If you are visiting Hong Kong, I highly recommend you use Hong Kong Getaway as your personal tour guide.

This was my second tour with Hong Kong Getaway!…read more This is by far the best tour of Hong Kong (shoot, maybe of any place). First, Mandy customizes the tour to your interests. She is uncanny in her ability, in a few questions, to know exactly what to recommend. And she's quick to pick up on when it's time to change the agenda. Second, her knowledge of Hong Kong, both history, culture, and layout, are extensive. But don't expect a history lecture. She'll tell you what you want to know, in a way that enhances the visit. Want detailed historical info? She can do it! Want a 2-minute overview encapsulating the background? Done, with all the important info included. Third, Mandy makes each tour like a visit with a good friend. Her warm, friendly personality is absolutely the best! For this tour, Mandy knew I like seeing and doing things locals do. She arranged a visit to the New Territories, a boat ride and visit to a fishing village, and many more stops. Chatting with her made the time fly! I recommend this tour!

The amazing boat tour in Hong Kong that you have to go! Day time cruise is cheapest at $71HKD…read more(~$10USD), and night time cruise $175-$200HKD. I would recommend the day time because 1) it's a lot cheaper, 2) it's a nice breezy getaway during the hot day, 3) the views are gorgeous during the daytime! There are cheaper ways to use the Star Ferry to get across for less than $1 but it specifically only takes you one path. This tour takes you from all corners of Hong Kong Bay for about 1 solid hour. I paid for the 360 view and you also get a free drink and snack as well! I would say if you're a born sea lad (or lassie like me ;) you should definitely pay for this harbour tour. TBH it's cheaper than any boat cruise tour you'll ever go on in America. Can you imagine an American cruise tour for $10USD?! Haha enjoy scenic sea lovers!

I've taken many Star Ferry rides between Central, Tsim Sha Tsu but never the Harbour Tour until my…read moremost recent trip. We had a change of plans one day and were left looking for something to do. With the heat of the summer, we wanted to be on the water and decided to check out the Harbour Tour, and it was a perfect choice! For under $15pp, we enjoyed an hour-long cruise around the harbor. The nice thing about the tour vs. the regular Star Ferry trips is it goes around the whole harbor and has commentary. With your ticket purchase, there is a free soda/water/snack, and beer is available for purchase. The boat is beautiful, restored Star Ferry. Another perk is that there is an indoor air conditioned section which is perfect on the hottest of days!