City: Hong Kong
Top Things to do in Hong Kong
Top Restaurants in Hong Kong
10 Nature & Parks in Hong Kong That You Shouldn't Miss
Delectable dim sum, floating islands, and a one-of-a-kind skyline are just some of Hong Kong’s unique features. Get an eyeful of traditional Chinese architecture in Ngong Ping village, then take the tram to the tippity-top of Victoria Peak for unparalleled views. The rocks and gentle hills of Nan Lian Garden will bring you inner peace, as will a calming cup of tea in a Stanley café. Become one with everything at the Chi Lin Nunnery, a serene Buddhist complex.
Restaurants in Hong Kong
1. Dragon's Back
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,102 reviews
Reviewed By Veg-Traveller-2020
Dragons Back is a must do hike in Hong Kong. The view is breathtaking. To get here, you take the Chai Wan Line To the starting point: From MTR Shau Kei Wan Station Exit A, walk to the Shau Kei Wan Bus Terminus to take bus number 9 and get off on the Dragons Back stop on Shek O Road. Before you start the hike there are a couple of toilets and you wont find any along the way until the end. It takes a couple of hours and you have shorter hike options too
2. Hong Kong Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,132 reviews
Reviewed By katrinsD2843ZT - Asker, Norway
Its a stunning park with different areas: tai chi garden, artificial lake, bird park, playground, olympic square and a corner where to take wedding pictures ????
3. Ocean Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10,586 reviews
One of the world's most beautiful theme parks and ranked as the 7th most popular theme parks in the world by Forbes - the home-grown destination includes an iconic Marine Land, Amazing Asian Animals (giant pandas, red pandas, asian otters, etc.), and cable cars as well as state-of-the-art, world-class facilities such as Polar Adventure, Thrill Mountain, and Aqua City.
Reviewed By joannemF322JS - Cannonvale, Australia
Had a fantastic day at Ocean Park, great for all ages, loved the Pandas and the 360 tower, rides were fun and the dolphin show was amazing, would highly recommend a visit. Reasonable price, Cable car view was brilliant.
4. Shek O Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 335 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
I love this place. If you only have a few days in Hong Kong then you won’t have time on your itinerary to go to Shek O but if you have longer, this is a brilliant beach location. It feels like you are seeing the hidden side of Hong Kong that most tourists don't get to see. It is a strikingly picturesque beach cradled between two mountains and looking out towards several small islands. It’s worth making a day of it. You don't need to take much with you. Beach chairs and umbrellas can be hired there. You can bargain but they’re not expensive anyway ($20HKD for a beach chair) and they will carry them down to the sand for you. It all has a cool, village feel, with cheap and cheerful local restaurants back up on the road. We particularly like the large ‘Shek O Thai’ restaurant on the corner. After lunch, if you make your way through the maze of tiny lanes and whitewashed houses, you may even be lucky enough to come across the well-hidden Ben’s Bar down on the waterfront of a secluded cove. PRACTICAL TIPS: The beach is patrolled and has lifeguards but be aware, that it can have rips from time to time. There are toilets, change-rooms and showers on the beach. You can rent umbrellas and chairs and there are several shops where you can buy inflatables, buckets and spades, hats, water etc GETTING THERE: It is a bit off the beaten track so by public transport from Central/Admiralty, you’ll need to first catch the MTR train on the island line to Shau Kei Wan station (exit B) and then get the No 9 bus. I caught an Uber which took just under 30 mins and cost $198HKD, which is pretty much what I'd expect to pay in a taxi. There were 4 of us but even with 2 people, it’s worth remembering that taxis are relatively cheap in Hong Kong and it will be so much quicker.
5. Lantau island
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,596 reviews
Reviewed By wing88kiu
It's so close to the city and even where the HK airport is, you can find the most scenic hiking trails, fishing village, beautiful beaches and good variety of restaurants all in one. The island is big and better to plan out your day on what you want to do. One cannot see everything in one day and can spend different days on different things to do. it's more than just the shopping mall and Disneyland.
6. Chi Lin Nunnery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,344 reviews
Reviewed By BradJill - Hong Kong, China
The Chi Lin Nunnery is one of our special places in Hong Kong. Originally built in 1934, the monastery building and grounds you see today were opened to the public in 2000. This is a peaceful and tranquil place that is beautifully maintained. Chi Lin along with the adjacent Nan Lian Gardens are free to visit and open from 7am to 7pm daily. What you find here is a Buddhist monastic complex constructed of cedar wood and built in the style of the Tang Dynasty. There are a handful of halls, each fitted with beautiful shrines with gilded and colourful statue figures representing manifestations of Buddha. The main hall includes five large gilded figures (3 Buddha figures and 2 attending disciples) is particularly impressive. Note that they ask you to not take photos in this area of the monastery. There is information posted next to each hall with Chinese and English text, allowing you to read up and learn about the figures on display in each. You can take pictures in the open courtyard which are decorated with numerous manicured shrubs and flowering plants. This is a Lotus Pond Garden with four delightful pools, it is an attractive setting and easy place to relax and enjoy yourself. Overall, this is a place you can easily spend half an hour. Add an addition 30-45 minutes to browse the grounds and exhibition galleries of the Nan Lian Garden which is connected by bridge to the other side of the street running along side the Nunnery. Collectively, these two attractions represent one of the most beautiful locations to visit in Hong Kong, a place loved by residents and visitors alike.
7. Lantau Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 206 reviews
Reviewed By schmidtmg - Switzerland, null
This year we hiked Lantau Trail Sections 5 and 6, section 5 running from Sham Wat Road to Man Cheung Po and 6 from Man Cheung Po to Tai O. Make sure you take good hiking shoes with a good profile, as the trail goes up and down a lot. Much of the trail is in the open, so also take enough water and sun block and a hat if it is sunny. The scenery is beautiful and you can have an almost 360° view of Lantau from some of the peaks you climb on these sections. One additional benefit of this section of the Lantau trail is that it is not crowded. On the beautiful January Saturday afternoon we took the hike, we met less than 15 hikers on a 10 km stretch....
8. Po Lin (Precious Lotus) Monastery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,125 reviews
Located on Lantau Island, this monastery features the Big Buddha (Tiantau), which is the largest, seated, outdoor bronze Buddha in the world.
Reviewed By KatDeg
I have been up to see the big Buddha twice now. We travelled on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car up to the Po Lin Monastery. It is the second largest bronze Buddha statue in the world and surprisingly not all that old, only being built in the early 1990's after 12 years of construction. There are a little under 300 steps to walk up for a closer look at the statue, which if you are not fit or struggle to walk will find difficult. But once you get up the top, there are great views and a small gallery/display inside. You don't see the six "divas" from ground level either, so worth the few minute walk up the stairs. No photos are to be taken inside, as it is like a shrine to people who have died. So be respectful. The same goes for photos inside of the temples. Signs everywhere saying no photos and no visitors. Which means, you shouldn't go inside if you are not Buddhist. There are a few temples to see up there, including the Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas which has literally ten thousand Buddhas of various sizes in a hall of intricate detail and artwork. There are souvenir shops and places to eat up there as well. Do not feed the cattle or dogs that roam around, there are signs to say you will cop a fine. All up with a ride on the cable car, you will need a good 2-3 hours up there. Ensure you go at 10am, so you don't end up with long lines at the end of the day to get back down the mountain.
9. Lamma Island
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,898 reviews
Reviewed By cairn7_amanda - San Francisco, United States
My friend and I took the ferry from Central Pier to Sok Kwu Wan and walked up the island to Yung Shue Wan to take the ferry back. Along the way, we had lunch, took a ton of photos and had a wonderful day outdoors. The weather was perfect and the hike was pretty easy. We especially enjoyed Lo So Shing beach and could have stayed there for hours. Lamma Island is gorgeous and such a shirt distance from the busy city, I highly recommend as a half or full-day trip to get another view on Hong Kong.
10. Lion Rock Country Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 101 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
This is a very accessible park, close to Wong Tai Sin MTR. A taxi from the station to the gates of the park is under $30HKD. It is most famous for the Lion Rock hike, Hong Kong’s most scenic and popular hike. The huge granite peak stands at 495m tall and from the top, you have absolutely stunning views across Hong Kong, Kowloon on one side and Shatin, and the New Territories on the other. It is also known for two other dramatic features, Amah Rock and Beacon Hill. There are lots of opportunities for hiking here. The Wilson Trail Stage 6, Shatin’s Pass and MacLehose Trail Stages 5 & 6 all cross through the park. They are well sign-posted and easy to follow, although there are lots of challenging stairs and steep stretches. It is also a great place to see wild macaque monkeys. I had wrongly assumed that they were native. They are actually a feral population that got out of control. In the early 1900s, some were released to control the spread of a local poisonous plant, strychnos which the monkeys loved to eat. Fun as it is to see the monkeys, be careful not to go too close. We saw one aggressively snatching food from one hiker so it’s best to keep all food in your back pack and don't bring it out if there are monkeys around. Importantly, make sure to go prepared. Water, snacks, hat and sunscreen are absolute essentials. There is nowhere to refill water bottles so take enough with you. You’ll also need good shoes with grip. The paths can be steep and rocky, with loose gravelly, slippery surfaces. GETTING THERE - You can enter the park at several points. Start off at Wong Tai Sin MTR. From there, many people get a taxi to Jong Fat temple and walk up Shatin’s Pass Rd but I prefer to get a taxi to the Lion Rock Park on Lion Park Rd. You can walk from the station to either point but a taxi will cost less than $30HKD. Entry to the country park is free.
