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Hong Kong itinerary – things to do in 3 days

by Travelletters November 19, 2021
by Travelletters 31 comments
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Table of content

  • Districts in Hong Kong
  • Airport transfer in Hong Kong
  • Where to stay in Hong Kong
  • Things to do in Hong Kong for 3 days
  • MTR – Hong Kong’s subway
  • Hong Kong itinerary
    • Victoria Peak
    • Symphony of Lights
    • Hong Kong Island
    • Food Tour
  • Other things to do in Hong Kong

Would three days in Hong Kong be enough if you have never been there? We have been to many countries in Europe. We have been several times in North America. We have gone to the Middle East. We even lived there for a few years. But we have never been to Asia. It was not tempting enough, it was not on the bucket list. But they say it’s the first time for everything. So it was about time to start planning for our perfect 3 days in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong turned out to be a diverse and colossal city and I wondered if 3 days would be enough to see it all? Well, it won’t be enough! But if that’s what you have you make the best out of it.

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3 Days in Hong Kong itinerary. How to experience Hong Kong during typhoon period, including the most amazing food tour with a local.

Districts in Hong Kong

There are a few areas that are more popular than others. The city has excellent public transportation with MTR and bus system, and it is easy to get around.
Central and Mid-Levels district is located on Hong Kong Island. This is a financial district which is located near Victoria Peak, one of the main attractions of Hong Kong. The Mid-Levels escalator is the largest escalator-transportation system in the world and connects apartments high up on the mountain to the Central business area.

People taking mid-level escalator on Hong Kong island
People taking mid-level escalator on Hong Kong island

Causeway Bay is the heart and soul of Hong Kong Island. This neighborhood is a favorite with visitors and locals. If you are on the lookout for low-cost, high-end gadgets and fashion trends the backstreets and alleys of Causeway Bay are the places for you. Causeway Bay is also full of dining options, cafes, and bars that stay open until late in the night. This area is filled with shopping malls – knock yourself out!

People with umbrellas on a rainy day in Hong Kong
Shops, shops, shops – Causeway Bay in Hong Kong

Tsim Sha Tsui area is located on Kowloon (the mainland) and is the promenade area, where you get the best views of Hong Kong Island and the symphony of lights. In this district, you will find museums, the Avenue of Stars “Walk of fame”, a historical fort, shopping, and restaurants. Some of the most known hotel chains are located in this area.

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Mong Kok is mainly a residential area. Here you will find different markets, which I recommend visiting. They are totally crazy and super fun. If you prefer to stay in Airbnb, Mong Kok is most likely the district for it.

People visiting market on a 3 days in Hong Kong
One of the markets on Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Airport transfer in Hong Kong

You can get a transfer from the Hong Kong airport to the hotel. You have three options. Get a bus transfer from the airport in Hong Kong to the hotels in most of the districts; some rules apply regarding arrival time. Read the guidelines carefully. You can also get an airport express transfer to three stations on the mainland but check carefully that the location of your accommodation is close to the station. The third option is to get a limousine service. The driver will pick you up in the arrival hall and deliver you to your accommodation.

Foggy views of the Hong Kong island skyline during 3 days in Hong Kong
View to the Hong Kong island skyline from the club area at the hotel

Where to stay in Hong Kong

We stayed at the 5 star New World Millenium Hong Kong Hotel on Tsim Sha Tsui. The room was very spacious with panorama windows and gorgeous views. A large bathroom gave you a spa feeling. And it had a butt washer, just in case you need it. Our room contained a cell phone which had free Internet that we could use while exploring Hong Kong.

We arrived around 8 am, and the check-in was at around 12. However, we booked a club room on the top floor, and the club service desk checked us in 30 minutes after our arrival. How cool is that? They were super friendly, and we were offered drinks and snacks while waiting for the check-in. Do we recommend this hotel? Heck, yes!

The hotel served continental breakfast in the club area on the top floor. It has 3 restaurants, and we had one of our dinners at the Teppanyaki restaurant on the first floor. The meal was amazing. The hotel has an outdoor pool. The pool was unfortunately closed due to the typhoon that hit Hong Kong just before we arrived. On the floor above the club area, there is a bar that serves easy food and drinks to beautiful views. One of the other restaurants at the hotel serves afternoon tea.

A couple having dinner at a Teppanyaki restaurant during 3 days in Hong Kong
A couple having dinner at a Teppanyaki restaurant during 3 days in Hong Kong

If you want to stay on mainland Hong Kong, have great views from your room, stay close to the promenade, Star Ferry, and shopping, the New World Millennium is definitely for you.

A women looking out of the window towards the lighted skyline of the Hong Kong Island during 3 days in Hong kong
Night view to the Hong Kong Island skyline from the room

Most people in Hong Kong speak English. However, you might run into some language barriers due to the Chinese accent of the locals. If you experience difficulty with the accent take a deep breath and remember that there is no R sound in the Chinese vocabulary. If you feel stuck and have a hard time understanding what they are trying to say or even feel embarrassed, try to replace the L with an R, it might help. This is me speaking out of the experience when I really couldn’t understand what the heck “flied lice” was (despite the worldwide jokes about the accent, no offense to Chinese people).
Another tip is to take time to let the impressions sink in, take some time off from the sightseeing to relax and people watch. Believe me, there are many people to watch in Hong Kong.

Things to do in Hong Kong for 3 days

3 days in Hong Kong is not enough to explore it all. But you have to start somewhere, and if you are in Hong Kong for the first time, there are some must-sees. You have most likely heard of the Victoria Peak, the Symphony of Lights, Lantau Island and the Big Buddha, and Hong Kong Disney Land amongst many other attractions. The public transportation such as MTR and buses run smoothly, so it is easy to find your way around.

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3 Days in Hong Kong itinerary. How to experience Hong Kong during typhoon period, including the most amazing food tour with a local.


No matter when you visit Hong Kong you can see and do the same activities all year round. But try to avoid the typhoon period, which can occur in August – September. During our 3 days in Hong Kong, we stayed inside for one whole day because of the typhoon. It doesn’t get cold, but it can get extremely windy, and it rains a lot. Everything closes, and you are not allowed to drive. During that day Hong Kong was like a ghost town, and we realized how lucky we were that booked the club room. We could sit in the club area, have drinks and snacks, and work on our photos and blog.

A rainy and foggy view out of the window to the Hong Kong Island skyline and food on the table in a hotel room
The hotel has great food

MTR – Hong Kong’s subway

Getting around Hong Kong is super easy. MTR is Hong Kong’s subway, which is very easy once you figure out how it works. It is very crowded, naturally, but runs very smoothly. If you are taking the MTR between Hong Kong Island and the mainland, remember to add extra time, because of the crowds. You buy tickets from the machine at the station. If you need any help, there are also personnel working at MTR, they are well visible, as they wear yellow vests.

The lighted circles indicate the line you are on and the glowing arrow shows the direction you are going. It is as simple as that.

A map of MTR metro in Hong Kong
MTR in Hong Kong
People rushing on MTR during 3 days in Hong kong
Crowded MTR in Hong Kong

Hong Kong itinerary

DAY 1

Victoria Peak

After 13 hours of flight, we had to take a nap as soon as we got to our hotel room. We arrived early in the morning, and with a few hours of sleep, we still had many hours we could use for exploring Hong Kong. The weather was beautiful, and we took advantage of that by taking a Star Ferry over Victoria Harbor to Hong Kong Island. Don’t bother getting your tickets in advance – you can get them at the docks without any hassle. I always HAVE to do touristy stuff when in a new place for the first time, so we had to visit one of Hong Kong’s top attractions the famous Victoria Peak.

Views of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak
Views of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak

DAY 2

Symphony of Lights

On our second day in Hong Kong, we woke up to a category 8 typhoon. We got a letter from the hotel under our door informing us to stay inside. There were no people on the streets, no cars, no shops open – it was like a ghost town… 11 hours flight for one day of exploring in beautiful weather – thank you very much, Hong Kong!

We stayed in the lounge for a few hours until we could go out for an hour after the typhoon got weaker, although it was still raining a bit it was warm.

Rainy view out of the hotel room window to the Hong Kong Island during 3 days in Hong kong
Typhoon

We got out in the evening, and although it was still rain in the air, we stayed out for the Symphony of Lights. It was a pleasant experience and fun to watch many Chinese kids so excited.

We planned to take a cruise with dinner and drinks but had to skip it due to poor weather. If you are luckier than we were the night cruise with dinner in the harbor is a great way to see the Symphony of Lights and end your long day of exploration. If you book your cruise with Viator, you get unlimited drinks on board, and you will get a nine-course Chinese dinner at Lei Yue Mun Seafood Village.

Or go on a night cruise with dinner and visit a night market. And if you don’t want to spend another 5, 5 hours exploring, you can take a 45 minutes cruise, which will include 1 drink and a beautiful view of the Symphony of lights.

During our second day, we stayed in the lounge for a few hours until we could go out for an hour after the typhoon got weaker, although it was still raining a bit it was warm. Tsim Sha Tsui has many shops and shopping malls, and some of them opened when the typhoon got quieter. We did some shopping, walked by the historic fort of Hong Kong, and checked out the Avenue of Stars. On the promenade, it was crowded despite the rain, but we managed to take some shots of the skyline by night.

DAY 3

Hong Kong Island

Causeway Bay is filled with stores and shopping malls. Here you will find Victoria Park next to the Victoria Peak tram station, hop-on-hop-off Ding-Ding Hong Kong Tramways, and Mid-levels Escalators. Experience how modern architecture blends in with the typical “old, third-world” is fascinating. Spend a few hours exploring the island but save a few hours on other activities.

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3 Days in Hong Kong itinerary. How to experience Hong Kong during typhoon period, including the most amazing food tour with a local.

Food Tour

We had booked a food tour for our last day with Eating Adventures which we found on Viator. It was a fantastic experience with Katherine, our guide, who took us through the Mong Kok area on the mainland. She told us about the life and habits of people in Hong Kong, and we learned a great deal. If you want to see the authentic side of Hong Kong, learn more about its culture, habits, way of life, and dare to eat what and where natives eat, I would recommend this food tour!!!

We walked through different markets, backstreets, and small local eateries that looked like they were only open for us. You can choose between the tour on the mainland or the island – we preferred the mainland area, Mong Kok. We had a total of seven different dishes, including snake soup, tofu, and a dim sum. Did you know that Dim Sum is like tapas? It is a variety of small dishes.

A couple in a small restaurant have tofu on a food tour during 3 days in Hong Kong
Having tofu for the first time in my life
A man look sceptical before tasting snake soup on a food tour during 3 days in Hong Kong
Snake soup – loved it
A man having fish bolls on a food tour during 3 days in Hong Kong
Fish balls – not a fan at all
Different shells and seafood on the food market in Hong Kong
The Food Market in Mongkok
Colorful umbrellas over stolls on the market in Hong Kong
The market
Busses and cars jamed between buildings near food market in Hong Kong
Streets of Hong Kong

Other things to do in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Disney Land. I am not a huge fan of Disney Land, and we were on a romantic trip, so I can’t tell you much about it. But if you are going with your kids, this would probably be a significant activity to check out.

Mong Kok markets – I loved it. It was so surreal and cool in the same way. When you see people walking with plastic bags wriggling you think what the hell, but then you enter the market area and see all the shops selling live fish, shrimps, and shells, and you get it 🙂 The market contains everything from food to funeral attributes.

Take a stroll along the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade (where we stayed) to admire the Hong Kong Island’s views and the Symphony of Lights during the evening.

Fun fact – did you know that almost all the fruits that sell in Hong Kong are imported from Thailand? Hong Kong has no land suited for agriculture – there are only buildings and mountains and no farmer land.

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3 Days in Hong Kong itinerary. How to experience Hong Kong during typhoon period, including the most amazing food tour with a local.

Architecture

Being an architecture nerd I have to throw in some shots of buildings 🙂 It’s so fascinating to see how the old meets the new…

Tall building and skyscrapers in Hong Kong
Concrete jungle – love it
Colorful skyscrapers and people walking with umbrellas during 3 days in Hong Kong
The old and the new

Although there is still uncertainty in Europe whether we can say that Hong Kong is China or not, China is now definitely a place I want to visit. You can say many things about China, but one thing is for sure! I don’t want to miss famous cities in China that are not only beautiful in their own crazy way, but also full of history and culture.

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3 Days in Hong Kong itinerary. How to experience Hong Kong during typhoon period, including the most amazing food tour with a local.

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Travelletters

Hi! I am Lena from Norway. I run this travel blog and hope you will find all the inspiration you need to get you on the road. I love touristy stuff and am not afraid to say it out loud. I mean there is a reason that this stuff is so famous, right? My getaways consist of long weekends mostly in Europe and include historic sites, food, wine or beer, and of course some off the beaten path corners. All recommendations for activities, hotels, and places to eat are based on my own experiences. If I recommend something I didn't try myself it will be clearly marked. Happy travels and enjoy the ride!

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31 comments

Indian Eagle May 28, 2018 - 1:15 pm

Pictures are amazing. This is wonderful guide to Hong Kong. Thank you for sharing it with us

Reply
Travelletters May 28, 2018 - 8:33 pm

Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it 🙂

Reply
Kathleen C February 28, 2018 - 5:12 pm

We spent 3 days in Hong Kong when we lived in Mainland China. An escape from our reality. We had a one of our kids with us, so we went to Disney. It is a lot smaller than the 2 in the US, but it was good to feel a little American for a minute. We also went on the tram to the Big Buddha, the views were amazing, and of course, walked around a lot. We were surprised by how clean their subway system is. We also went to the park and I got chased by a crazy one armed monkey. True story. If I go back, I will have to try some grown up things on your list.

Reply
KIRAN BAKALE February 26, 2018 - 8:36 am

this will brings great memories

Reply
Alina December 31, 2017 - 8:07 pm

Great post and wonderful photos. I’ve always wanted to visit Hong Kong! This post really inspires me to go and check out some of the stuff you mentioned.

Reply
Travelletters January 3, 2018 - 7:27 am

Thank you! I hope you visit it some day – the place is really cool 🙂

Reply
V at LoveBecomesHer December 31, 2017 - 7:43 pm

Lots of info, thanks! I’ll pin it for later. It’s great you included all weather options. Hong Kong would be so cool.

Reply
Travelletters January 3, 2018 - 7:26 am

Thank you! Hong Kong was really a cool experience – I love city travels 🙂

Reply
lacyngo December 31, 2017 - 6:28 pm

Wow! Amazing pictures! Looks like a fantiastic trip!

Reply
Travelletters January 3, 2018 - 7:25 am

Thank you! It was a great trip 🙂

Reply
ashmerscher December 31, 2017 - 1:02 pm

Thanks for this guide!! I especially like how it’s in any weather. It’s so easy to plan a trip for a sunny day, then arrive to rain or a storm and not know what to do!

Reply
Travelletters December 31, 2017 - 1:20 pm

Yes, we were unprepared for how badly the typhoon was and had to adjust our plans a bit 🙂 But on of my mottos is “never postpone things you can do today”. Don’t know if it gives you any sense 🙂

Reply
Ella December 31, 2017 - 12:50 pm

Great blog post and amazing photos. Hong Kong looks awesome – I would love to go one day!

Reply
Travelletters December 31, 2017 - 1:17 pm

It was amazingly cool place despite being hopelessly crowded 🙂

Reply
Michelle Gebert December 31, 2017 - 11:04 am

How amazing is this? Thanks as well for the hotel recommendation. That is also super important 🙂

Reply
Travelletters December 31, 2017 - 1:15 pm

You are very welcome 🙂

Reply
passion fruit, paws and peonies December 31, 2017 - 10:53 am

Thank you that’s given me a true insight to what it’s like in Hong Kong. It especially looks amazing at night! x

Reply
Travelletters December 31, 2017 - 1:15 pm

I was surprised how cool the city was too 🙂

Reply
Christine Connell September 9, 2017 - 11:39 pm

Those views are insane! I love the blues. Seems like you had a productive 3 days and I am definitely adding Hong Ko to my list 🙂

Reply
FromHereToSunday September 5, 2017 - 9:10 pm

OMG I LOVE HONG KONG!! And you shared so many of my favorite highlights too 🙂

Reply
intrepidintrovert September 4, 2017 - 5:15 pm

What a fun-filled, jam packed long weekend! Hong Kong looks so cool! Super jealous you flew business class aswell haha!

Reply
Hannah September 4, 2017 - 5:14 pm

What a fun-filled, jam-packed long weekend!! Hong Kong looks awesome– so jealous you flew business class haha thats my ultimate life goal!

Reply
Travelletters September 2, 2017 - 9:02 am

Yes, we were lucky with the weather the first day, the rest was bearable ?

Reply
mapsandmuses September 2, 2017 - 1:59 am

Oh how fun! I’ve only been to Hong Kong on a 9 hour layover! lol we made sure to get out and explore the city for a bit. So beautiful! I have to go back and explore more!

Reply
Travelletters September 2, 2017 - 9:03 am

Yeah, I would love to go back and explore more too ?

Reply
rsnoel September 1, 2017 - 8:21 pm

Your photos are extremely aesthetically pleasing to view!! Great skills with photography, and it sounds like you guys had a great time in Hong Kong! I also enjoyed the small little video you input into your blog, the light show looks soothing as well! Glad I was able to stumble upon your blog 🙂

Reply
Travelletters September 2, 2017 - 9:01 am

Thank you so much for the appreciation and encouraging words ??

Reply
Susan R September 1, 2017 - 10:00 am

This brings back great memories of my trip to Hong Kong – I travelled up to the Peak and had a fish pedicure there! I didn’t realize that they had typhoons so strong that you had to stay indoors – must have been a bit frustrating but the food tour sounds great

Reply
Travelletters September 1, 2017 - 2:36 pm

Yes, everything above 8 – is stay inside, and it happens very seldom that they have typhoons just with few days in between – so double new experience for us 🙂

Reply
Tracey Best August 31, 2017 - 11:45 pm

It was good not to be caught up in the typhoon. I love your photos! Your hotel view from your room is gorgeous. And I love that view from Victoria Peak. Great read and information Lena 🙂

Reply
Travelletters September 1, 2017 - 2:39 pm

Thank you, Tracy! This hotel was really great 🙂

Reply

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