Things to Do in Hong Kong: The Peak, Star Ferry, Big Buddha and Night Markets

Ride up to Victoria Peak, cross the harbour on the Star Ferry, walk the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront for the 8pm light show, and give one day to the Big Buddha on Lantau. All 22 guides read for this page agree on the Peak, and most add the ferry, the waterfront and the Big Buddha. Fill the evenings with a night market and you have the core of a three-day trip.

Roam Hong Kong read 22 guides in English, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French and German. The picks below follow how many of them name each one. Every hour and fare comes from the place’s own page or a government site, not from those guides, and you should check the page before you go because hours change. What the guides can’t tell you is what’s on while you’re here, so put your dates into the map or look at the events page, which reads exhibitions, concerts and festivals from the organisers’ own pages.

The short list for a first visit

The map shows every place in this guide with its nearest station.

Victoria Peak

Recommended by 22 of 22 guides read.

No pick is more certain. Victoria Peak is about 552 m high, the highest point on Hong Kong Island, and the Peak Tram has been carrying people up since 1888, according to the Home Affairs Department’s Go Hong Kong site. The tram operator’s own site blocks automated readers, so look up its current hours and fares on thepeak.com.hk before you queue.

The guides split on when to go. Most say late afternoon into dusk, so you see the city in daylight and then lit. Cloud can hide the view, so keep the evening flexible.

Star Ferry and the harbour

Recommended by 18 of 22 guides read.

The Star Ferry runs between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui from 06:30 to 23:30, with sailings every 6 to 12 minutes. The upper-deck adult fare is HK$5.0 on weekdays and HK$6.5 on weekends and public holidays (Star Ferry, read 7 November 2026). It’s the cheapest sightseeing ride in the city, and you can pay with an Octopus.

The Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront and Avenue of Stars is the other half of the harbour. Recommended by 17 of 22 guides read. The Symphony of Lights starts at 8pm every night and is free. It’s cancelled for the day if Tropical Cyclone Signal 3 or higher, or a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning, is issued at or after 3pm, even if the signal drops before the show. The site lists the waterfront outside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Avenue of Stars and the Golden Bauhinia Square promenade in Wan Chai as viewing places. 15 of 22 guides name the show, and one calls it not worth a trip of its own, so treat it as something you catch while you’re there.

Eight guides suggest a harbour cruise, usually on a junk-style boat in the evening.

Big Buddha, Po Lin and the cable car

Recommended by 18 of 22 guides read.

The Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery are on Lantau, and most guides take the Ngong Ping 360 cable car up. The cable car and Ngong Ping Village generally run 10:00 to 18:00, and 9:00 to 18:30 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The site says hours change in festive seasons and that the cable car stops on servicing days while the village stays open. The page also seems to flag a maintenance day in November 2026 without giving a date, so check np360.com.hk before you plan around it.

One guide says to skip the Big Buddha on a 24-hour visit, and it makes more sense on a longer stay. Pair it with Tai O, which six guides recommend for its stilt houses. The day trips guide covers Lantau and the other islands.

Markets, escalators and nights out

Recommended by 13 of 22 guides read.

Temple Street Night Market is the night market guides name most. Ladies’ Market in Mong Kok has 12 votes. Both are street stalls, so haggle, carry cash and go in the evening.

On the island, the Central to Mid-Levels Escalator and Lan Kwai Fong each have 12. Man Mo Temple has 11. Six guides name Tai Kwun and PMQ, and Tai Kwun’s grounds are open 8am to 11pm (Tai Kwun).

Temples, gardens and museums

Less common picks.

Wong Tai Sin Temple has 9 of 22. Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery have 7 between them and sit a short walk apart. Hong Kong Park and Stanley have 6 each.

Two museums have fixed closing days. The Hong Kong Museum of History is open Monday and Wednesday to Friday 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays 10:00 to 19:00, and it closes on Tuesdays except public holidays (museum). The Hong Kong Palace Museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District, next to M+, is open 10:00 to 18:00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 10:00 to 20:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays. It closes on Tuesdays except public holidays and the first two days of Lunar New Year (Palace Museum). Five guides name the pair.

Parks, hikes and day trips

Dragon’s Back, a ridge hike inside Shek O Country Park, is the walk nine guides recommend. Disneyland and Ocean Park are full days, so they suit families more than a first look at the city. One guide says to skip Disneyland unless you have children. Seven guides recommend Lamma Island and seven suggest a day in Macau, which has its own guide, Macau day trip from Hong Kong.

Where to base yourself

Your base decides your evenings. Kowloon or Hong Kong Island compares the two sides, and where to stay in Hong Kong goes through the areas. The travel tips page covers the Octopus card, the airport and the weather, and where to eat covers dim sum, roast goose and tea-house breakfasts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best things to do in Hong Kong on a first visit?

Victoria Peak, the Star Ferry, the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront and the Big Buddha on Lantau. They have the most votes among 22 guides, and the Peak is on every list.

How many days do you need in Hong Kong?

Several guides plan around three to four days. Three days covers the Peak, the harbour, a market and Lantau.

Is the Symphony of Lights worth seeing?

It’s free, it starts at 8pm every night, and 15 of 22 guides name it. It’s cancelled on days with Signal 3 or higher or a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning issued at or after 3pm.

What is free to do in Hong Kong?

The Star Ferry isn’t free, but the upper deck costs HK$5.0 on a weekday. The waterfront, the Symphony of Lights, the Mid-Levels Escalator and the night markets cost nothing to enter.

Which museums close on Tuesdays?

The Hong Kong Museum of History and the Hong Kong Palace Museum both close on Tuesdays, except when it’s a public holiday.

Places in this guide

Photos show the actual places, licensed under Creative Commons and credited to their photographers.

Avenue of Stars Tsim Sha Tsui and West Kowloon Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ Ladies' Market Mong Kok Photo: Toon Bronselaer Central to Mid-Levels Escalator Central Photo: Fabio Achilli Hong Kong Disneyland Lantau and Outlying Islands · near Disneyland Resort Station Photo: Gary Todd