Hong Kong Walking Tour: 50 Free Video Stops

This Hong Kong walking tour links 10 sights and 50 short video stops narrated by Clarissa, from the green and white boats of the Star Ferry and the Kowloon waterfront to the neon of Nathan Road, the stalls of Temple Street, the towers of Central, the incense of Man Mo Temple and the views from Victoria Peak. The city is compact but steep, and the harbour divides it in two, so the notes below group the stops into practical days, with timing, transport, etiquette and the free sights worth knowing. For official visitor information, also check Hong Kong Tourism Board, the city’s official visitor site.

Route 1, the Kowloon waterfront (stops 1 to 3). Begin at the Star Ferry pier in Tsim Sha Tsui and play the videos as you cross Victoria Harbour, the way passengers have since 1888. Back on the Kowloon side, the Clock Tower, 44 metres tall and finished in 1915, is all that remains of the old railway terminus. Walk east along the harbour promenade past the cultural buildings to the Avenue of Stars, with its film handprints, the Bruce Lee statue and the best seats for the evening light show over the island skyline.

Route 2, Kowloon’s streets and markets (stops 4 and 5). Walk north up Nathan Road, the Golden Mile, under the neon signs and past the hotels and side streets of Tsim Sha Tsui and Jordan. In Yau Ma Tei, find the Jade Market and its hundreds of stalls of carvings and bangles. Stay into the evening for Temple Street Night Market, which fills the street beside the Tin Hau Temple with clothes, gadgets, fortune tellers, Cantonese opera singers and open-air seafood stalls.

Route 3, Central and the hillside (stops 6 to 8). Cross to Hong Kong Island and start in Central, where Statue Square and the double-decker trams sit among towers such as the Bank of China and HSBC, linked by covered walkways. Ride the Central–Mid-Levels Escalator, about 800 metres long and the longest covered outdoor escalator system in the world, step off in SoHo for cafes and galleries, and walk along Hollywood Road to Man Mo Temple, built in 1847.

Route 4, the Peak (stops 9 and 10). Ride the Peak Tram, climbing the steep slope since 1888, to the Peak Tower and the classic harbour viewpoint. Finish your Hong Kong walking tour on the Peak Circle Walk, an easy, shaded loop of about 3.5 kilometres along Lugard and Harlech Roads, with views over the harbour, the city and the outlying islands.

For photos, the best viewpoints on this Hong Kong walking tour are the upper deck of the Star Ferry, the promenade by the Clock Tower at dusk, the Avenue of Stars during the light show and the lookouts along Lugard Road on the Peak. Clear days are best for the Peak, so watch the weather and keep it flexible.

With one day, walk Routes 1 and 3 and ride the Peak Tram at sunset, the core free walking tour Hong Kong visitors can do in a day. With two days, add Nathan Road, the Jade Market and Temple Street in the evening, and the full Peak Circle Walk.

Autumn and early winter, from about October to December, are the most comfortable months for a Hong Kong walking tour, with clearer skies and lower humidity. Spring can be misty, which hides the Peak views. Summer is hot, humid and wet, and the typhoon season runs through the warmer months, when the Hong Kong Observatory issues warning signals and ferries and outdoor attractions may close. Plan the Kowloon markets for the evening, when the air is cooler.

The Jade Market trades in the daytime and Temple Street comes alive after dark, so put them at different ends of your day. The Peak Tram, the Sky Terrace and some temples have their own opening times, and the queues for the tram are longest at weekends and around sunset. The escalator changes direction during the morning rush, running downhill early and uphill for the rest of the day. Check each official site before you go.

Getting around is easy. The MTR metro links Tsim Sha Tsui, Jordan, Central and Sheung Wan, the Star Ferry crosses the harbour, and the trams run along the north shore of the island. A stored-value Octopus card works on almost all transport and in many shops, and contactless bank cards are increasingly accepted. Check current fares and payment options with the operators before you travel.

From Hong Kong International Airport, the Airport Express train runs to Kowloon and Hong Kong stations, close to the start of this Hong Kong walking tour. Every stop has its own Map button, so you can change the order to suit the weather or the light, for example doing the Peak first on a clear morning.

Hong Kong is busy, efficient and polite. Queue in line for the MTR, trams and ferries, stand on the right on escalators, and let passengers off before you board. Eating and drinking are not allowed on the MTR. In temples such as Man Mo, move quietly, do not touch the offerings, and ask before photographing worshippers. At the Jade Market, polite haggling is normal; the stall videos explain the basics.

Food is one of the highlights of a Hong Kong walking tour. Try dim sum, roast goose, wonton noodles, egg tarts and milk tea in a cha chaan teng, a local cafe. At Temple Street you can sit down for seafood and claypot rice, and street snacks such as egg waffles and fish balls are sold across Kowloon. Many restaurants add a service charge to the bill, so check before tipping.

Hong Kong is generally a very safe city, but take normal care with bags in crowded markets, on the MTR and at the busiest viewpoints. The heat is the bigger risk: carry water, use sun cream and an umbrella, and rest in air-conditioned malls or stations. On the Peak paths, wear comfortable shoes, as there are slopes and steps, and carry a light layer, as it can be cooler and windier on top.

Hong Kong is also a city of contrasts that rewards slow walking. Old shop houses, temples and dried seafood stores sit beside glass towers, and the markets and trams keep a local rhythm in the middle of a global financial centre. Many of the best moments come between the stops, so leave time to wander the side streets.

Many sights on this Hong Kong walking tour are free. The harbour promenade, the Clock Tower, the Avenue of Stars and its light show, Nathan Road, the Jade Market, Temple Street, Statue Square, the Mid-Levels Escalator, Man Mo Temple and the Peak Circle Walk cost nothing to visit. You pay for the Star Ferry, the MTR and trams, the Peak Tram and the Sky Terrace.

Some museums and attractions offer reduced entry for children, students and seniors, and a few have free days. Prices and rules change, so check the official sites before your Hong Kong walking tour, and remember that the Star Ferry and the trams are among the cheapest and most enjoyable rides in the city.

Accessibility is mixed. The waterfront promenades are level and the MTR has lifts at most stations, and the Star Ferry piers have ramps. On the island, though, the streets are steep, the escalator route has steps in places and some temples have raised thresholds. Check the access information for the Peak Tram before you go, and plan the hillside stops with care.

After this Hong Kong walking tour, carry on with more free walks: the Tokyo walking tour, the Beijing walking tour, the Bangkok walking tour and the Sydney walking tour. You can browse every city on the Free City Tours home page.