DIY Hong Kong Itinerary + Macau Day Tour

December 3, 2017 58 Comments

As first time Hong Kong travelers, we covered most of the touristy areas in the city including the theme parks. There are tons of things to do and see in Hong Kong. As it is a major shopping destination,  gourmet paradise and the list goes on.

You can create your own itinerary depending on the duration of your stay and your interest. In our case, we decided to stay central so we can easily access the places we want to visit. We actually divided our whole week in Hong Kong into two. We spent our first 5 days exploring Hong Kong Island and Kowloon area, plus a day trip to Macau. The last remaining 3 days and 2 nights were allotted for Hong Kong Disneyland.

Where we stayed?

We stayed in Holiday Inn Express Mongkok during our first 5 days and we transferred to Disney Hollywood Hotel for our Disneyland adventure. (READ: Hotel Review: Disney Hollywood Hotel Hong Kong)

Outlined below is our 7 days full itinerary including a day trip to Macau from Hong Kong. It is also a roundup of my Hong Kong blog series.

Day One – Nan Lian Garden, Tsim Sha Tsui & Victoria Peak

Nan Lian Garden – Located in Diamond Hills, this garden is a must-visit when you are in Hong Kong. Many tourists didn’t know about this beautiful garden. If you can spare a couple of hours, go and visit this place. It would be worth your time.

Explore Tsim Sha Tsui – A popular shopping and nightlife district in Kowloon. Several attractions can be found within the area like the Avenue of Stars, Kowloon Park, the Promenade and the famous Nathan Road.

Victoria Peak & Hong Kong Park – The Victoria Peak is Hong Kong’s highest point. From here, you will have amazing views of the the city plus you can also visit their beautiful gardens. Hong Kong Park, on the other hand, houses a number of waterfalls, ponds, an aviary and a children’s playground. These two sites are near each other. So if you’re going to visit one might as well visit the other. (READ: 3 Must-See Gardens In Hong Kong)

Day Two – Macau Day Tour

Macau is a small city and most of the important attractions can be explored in just one day.  It is only a 2-hour ferry ride from Hong Kong. That’s why a day trip to Macau from Hong Kong is very doable. Unless you want to try all the major casinos in the city then you’ll need to stay longer. (READ: Macau Day Trip From Hong Kong) to know how we spent our day in Macau.

Day Three – Hong Kong Ocean Park

Ocean Park is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, animal theme and amusement park all rolled into one. The park has two sections The Summit and The Waterfront which is separated by the mountains. The Summit can only be reached by a 15-minute cable car ride. It is a huge park that take at least one whole day to explore. By the time you’re done trying out all that the park has to offer, you’ll surely be dead tired in the end. The only thing you can do after is to give yourself a delightful dinner before hitting the sack. (READ: FAT-Moments In Ocean Park Hong Kong)

Day Four – Lantau Island & Light Show

Lantau Island & Ngong Ping 360 is another interesting site in Hong Kong that you wouldn’t want to miss. Many tourists flock here to see the huge Buddha, visit the monastery and experience an amazing cable car ride. (READ Exploring Lantau Island: Ngong Ping 360 Experience)

Symphony of Lights Show & Kowloon Park – From Lantau Island we still have plenty of time to spend in the city so we decided to visit Kowloon Park. The Symphony of Lights show starts at 8 o’clock in the evening daily. While waiting for the show you can check some shops or have a relaxing dinner in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Day Five – First Day In Disneyland

On the fifth day of our stay in Hong Kong, we transferred hotel from Mongkok to Disney Hollywood Hotel. We got settled into our room at around 12 noon and had our lunch first before we explored the Park. We chose some exciting rides to try and then waited for the ‘Flights of the Fantasy’ Parade from our designated area. After the parade we watched some shows and stayed to witness the magical fireworks at the end of the day.

Day Six – Second Day In Disneyland

The next day we went early to beat the crowd and long queues for picture taking with the famous Disney characters. The remaining hours were spent shopping for souvenirs.

Day Seven – Lazy Day at the Resort & Departure

Basically our last day in Hong Kong was spent at the resort. Had our last breakfast with Chef Mickey at his cafe. We could have used our free time swimming but decided against it to avoid bringing wet clothes, as it adds extra weight to our luggage. Instead we had a fun photo shoot  at the resort gardens before flying back home.

Alternative Recommendations

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Where to eat – There are only 3 restaurants that I can recommend where we really enjoyed the food. First is Tim Ho Wan (Olympic Branch). They serve delicious dim sums and the best pork buns. The price is very affordable too. Second is Yuet Lai Shun, located at Dundas Street just across Holiday Inn Express Mongkok. They offer variety of authentic and mouthwatering Chinese dishes. Third is Lan Fong Yuen. (READ: Authentic Taste Of Hong Kong: LAN FONG YUEN Cha Chaan Teng)

Shopping Option – I’m sure there are countless of Malls and shopping centers within the city however if you are looking for big discounts, I highly recommend to visit Tung Chung Citygate Outlets. Variety of signatures stores can be found inside the shopping center. Most of the items can go as low as 70% off. The outlet is located right outside Tung Chung MTR station. It is the same station you go to for the Ngong Ping 360 tram ride.

Get an Octopus Card – Actually getting an Octopus card is a must as soon as you land at the airport. The card can be used as payment for public transportations, retail shops, convenience stores, supermarkets, fast-food restaurant and vending machines. It is very convenient if you’re using the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) all the time. You can get the card at the Information Center of the airport. You can check their website here to learn more.

As much as possible we wanted to make our Hong Kong trip a very relaxing one that’s why we only chose a few attractions to accommodate per day. You may copy the same itinerary as what we did or you can create your own based on your personal preferences. This only serves as a guide if in case you’re planning to visit Hong Kong soon.

Here are the blog links, if in case you haven’t read my Hong Kong blog series.

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If you have questions please feel free to drop your comments below. Also don’t forget to follow me on my social media accounts. ❤ Follow Me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook.

CategoriesAsia, China, Itinerary, Recommendations, Travel
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