City: New Territories
Top Things to do in New Territories
Top Restaurants in Hong Kong
The 10 Best Things to do in New Territories, China
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. Hong Kong Heritage Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 579 reviews
The Heritage Museum houses exhibits covering art, history and culture. Guided tours and activities for children are offered.
Reviewed By BradJill - Hong Kong, China
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum was closed for nearly 3 months due to the 4th wave of the Covid-19 pandemic locally. Having recently reopened to the public we took opportunity to visit in order to view a couple of temporary exhibitions that were soon scheduled to be finished. The Heritage Museum is now open with Special Opening Arrangements which includes limiting which permanent galleries are available, limiting entry numbers and opening hours of 10am to 5pm daily (closed on Tuesdays). Museum entry is free to the public. For starters, the permanent collections at the Heritage Museum are pretty good. We have always particularly enjoyed the 2/F T.T. Tsui Gallery of Chinese Art, a fine collection of over 700 pieces of antiquity representing various dynasties and time periods as far back as 3,000 years. You will see pottery, bronze, jade, celadon, ceramics all displayed very nicely for viewing. It is a very impressive collection, one that we are always happy to spend time viewing when at the museum. Allow 30-45 minutes for viewing, up to an hour or more if you have particular interest in antiquity. On the occasion of this visit, we concentrated the majority of our time on several temporary exhibitions which are scheduled to end shortly. The Hand-in-Hand for Benevolence – Tung Wah's Fundraising Culture and Social Development (until 7 March 2021) provided a nice timeline with visual representations of its 150 year history in Hong Kong. The exhibit begins with the origins and grassroots function of providing medical, educational and other social services to the local Chinese community from the late 19th century through the 20th century where it became more active in humanitarian efforts both locally and abroad. The end of the exhibition focuses on the Tung Wah's evolving into an important organiser of mass entertainment, in particular opera galas, as a means for creating charity drives. Overall, it is a nicely organised exhibition that should be particularly appealing to local residents in Hong Kong. Allow 15-30 minutes to cover this exhibition depending on your interest. The 20/20 Hong Kong Print Art Exhibition (until 22 March 2021) is a neatly curated showcase centred around the 20 questions and answers about the world print art, complemented by works of local artists dating from the 1940s to recent times. We particularly liked the earlier relief prints and found visual illustrations informative and interesting. This exhibition will easily occupy 30-45 minutes of your time, potentially longer for art students and fan of art. The Between the Lines - The Legends of Hong Kong Printing (until 22 March 2021) is an informative exhibition showcasing the under appreciated history of Hong Kong Type with particular focus on moveable type and lithography. Several historic print machines are showcased as well as early colonial era prints and poster works for visitors to enjoy. The highlight for me was seeing the extremely rare copy of the English World's first Dictionary of the Chinese Language (1815). This is the the works of historically important Englishman Robert Morrison who while living in Macau led the introduction of letterpress printing in southern China. Allow 15-45 minutes for this exhibition depending on your interest. Overall, this was another rewarding visit to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, a place that I find worth visiting each year to enjoy the permanent collections as well as the interesting array of temporary collections that pass through the museum's doors each year.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14,794 reviews
Reviewed By maheshrathod
What a magnificent man made bronze statue... Fantastic location, journey to Big Budhha though Ngong Ping 360 via crystal base cable car is amazing .... all peaks that were emerging from fog .... too good !!
5. 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....
6. 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.
7. Sha Tin Racecourse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 422 reviews
Reviewed By sharonmF1255SM - Cronulla, Australia
We had seats in the Haymarket section, wow we were blown away by the service from the staff, all the food and beverages were above what we expected....the staff in the betting area were very friendly and helpful....the only fault for the day was not being able to find the taxi ramp to get back to our hotel, nothing is clearly sign posted, twice we ended up at the ticket counter for the train....but we eventually found our way to a city taxi thanks to a couple of very helpful security men
8. 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.
9. Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery (Man Fat Sze)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,321 reviews
A steep climb to reach, but efforts are rewarded with over 12,000 Buddhas both outside and inside the temple. There is no admission fee. A small restaurant at the top offers refreshments, but bring your own water for the trail.
Reviewed By carinamilligan - Hong Kong, China
I have been to the Big Buddha and while this is very impressive and set in beautiful landscape, I have to admit that I think I prefer the 10,000 buddha's purely because there's so much more to see. Be sure to check-out a sight like 'Discover Hong Kong' for the detailed route for how to get to the starting point as it's not an easy place to find. You essentially come out of the MTR station and walk behind a shopping mall down to the end of a dead end road and turn down a path which looks like it's private property.......but keep going! The buddha's start appearing as soon as you reach the first step and follow you all the way up to the top. With a variety of different poses and characters to see, they are highly entertaining and great for photo's! However, be aware that there are a lot of steps to get to the top so if you're coming here in the height of summer, with the heat and high humidity and you're not particularly used to exercise, then you may find these steps a bit of a challenge. But bring plenty of water and just take it slow, because it's worth it when you get to the top! The pagoda's and the main temple are lovely to walk around and then you can continue on a little further around the corner to see the large white buddha emerging from the rocks, designed like a water feature. If you're up to it I would recommend visiting the Buddha's in the morning and then taking the MTR back down to Wong Tai Sin to see the Temple and wishing well gardens and then onto Diamond Hill station (both stops are on the green line) to see Nan Lian Gardens and Chi Lin Nunnery - you may want to spread your temples out though, but this is doable to do in a day, especially if you're staying over on HK island and don't want to make 2 trips out this way during your stay.
10. Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 192 reviews
Reviewed By yalibrarian - San Antonio, United States
Located in the New Territories, you will have to take the MTR and the bus (load the app to follow the stops). The bus stops right in front of the entrance. Friendly and knowledgable staff and docents. Peruse the web site to find the shuttle tour times. Shuttle will take you up the mountain with numerous stops for photo ops, including an orchid garden, fern garden, and butterfly garden. The walk down is well marked, paved, and shaded. Rescue animals include monkeys, birds of prey, reptiles, and flamingoes. Organic farms are all over the mountain slopes. Stop at their outdoor restaurant to sample their produce or at least try some tea. Allocate at least two hours, although you could spend longer. $4 USD for entrance and shuttle tour. A great way to get your outdoor fix if you don't necessarily want to hike during the hot, humid summer. Glad we took the time!
