Our favourite Hong Kong tours and excursions

From eggette waffles to stinky tofu and from curry fish balls to charcoal-cooked chestnuts, Hong Kong’s street-food scene is stonking.  

This tour will give you an introduction to the city’s culinary heritage, starting with the seafood vendors, herbal medicines and ginseng shops of West Hong Kong, dipping into the oldest temple in the city, then gliding down the world’s longest outdoor covered escalator to catch the iconic Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour. At every turn you’ll be sampling siu mai fish parcels or soy-braised octopus, slurping imitation shark fin soup or sipping sweet milk tea — always skipping the tourist traps in favour of time-honoured local haunts.

After ultra-urban Hong Kong, beachy, forested Lantau Island is a whole different kettle of fish (or shrimp paste, if you prefer).  

Join your local guide to explore a traditional Tanka fishing village, where stilt houses crowd together over tidal flats and super-fresh seafood is the order of the day. Head to one of HK’s most important monasteries to wander in gardens full of fragrant flowers and tropical birds, then tackle the 300-or-so steps up to the icon of Lantau, Tian Tan, the world’s largest seated bronze buddha. Even the journey back is a treat: hop in a cable car across the water and enjoy panoramic views over Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the South China Sea. Lantau Island is a breath of fresh air.

Just 60km across the Pearl River Delta, the Portuguese enclave of Macau makes a fascinating counterpoint to Hong Kong.  

 Having spent 450 years under colonial rule — longer than anywhere in Asia — Macanese culture is an all-embracing mish-mash of Portuguese and Cantonese influences. This unique hybrid flavour touches everything from its UNESCO-listed buildings (think Chinese characters carved into European baroque architecture at St. Paul’s) to its cuisine, which embraces everything from egg tarts and almond cake to pork chop buns and salt cod. Zip across by Turbo Jet in the morning, tour some of the city’s most famous historical landmarks, grab a delicious Macanese lunch, then (if you like) try your luck at the second-largest casino in the world. Macau may be a gambler’s paradise, but it has so much more to offer than poker and slot machines.

Snaking along the mountainous ridge of Hong Kong Island, the Dragon’s Back Trail was once named the best urban hike in Asia by Time Magazine — and it’s not hard to see why.  

Just minutes from one of the densest concentrations of skyscrapers in the world, this hiking path winds through shady bamboo groves, lush woodland filled with birdsong and hills covered in wild azaleas and rose myrtle. The views are simply unbeatable, taking in Clear Water Bay and islands in the eastern sea approaches to Hong Kong, as well as the Stanley Peninsula and the South China Sea to the west. It can be a tough hike, but so incredibly wild and rewarding — it’s easy to forget you’re in Hong Kong at all. Conclude by descending to the village of Shek O, where a dip in the sea and an alfresco seafood lunch make the perfect end to the hike.

Just a 35-minute ferry from Hong Kong Island, Cheung Chau might as well be on a different planet for all the resemblance it bears to its famous neighbour. 

For a start, no cars are allowed on the island — a fact that contributes to the laid-back, peaceful vibe as you trek to the windsurfers’ paradise Tung Wan Beach, visit 3,000-year-old rock carvings, explore an old pirate’s cave hideout and take a sampan boat ride to an old fishing community where the locals still live on their boats. Your guide will let you in on some local history and culture as you dodge bicycles, visit 18th century Pak Tai Temple, and sample some of Cheung Chau’s famous street food. The giant fish balls and mango-filled mochi are particular specialities.